The InputForm is a neat idea! I'm not able to do it to a variable however, only if I type it after the output box itself. Also, it, as you point out, keeps it in Manipulate form, with variables as controls following the expression.
I'd like to do something like this:
m = Manipulate[x y, {x, 0, 1}, {y, 0, 1}]
then do e.g.
Snapshot[m]
to get
DynamicModule[{x=0,y=0},x y]
Is perhaps the easiest way to do
List@@m
and then fiddle with the First for the expression and the Rest for the controls from which I'd extract the starting values?
I thought there might be a built-in function that does the equivalent of the Snapshot Button in the Manipulate.