Page 1 Using Captivate...
Page 2 Trademarks 1 Step RoboPDF, ActiveEdit, ActiveTest, Authorware, Blue Sky Software, Blue Sky, Breeze, Breezo, Captivate, Central, ColdFusion, Contribute, Database Explorer, Director, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, FlashCast, FlashHelp, Flash Lite, FlashPaper, Flex, Flex Builder, Fontographer, FreeHand, Generator, HomeSite, JRun, MacRecorder, Macromedia, MXML, RoboEngine, RoboHelp, RoboInfo, RoboPDF, Roundtrip, Roundtrip HTML, Shockwave, SoundEdit, Studio MX, UltraDev, and WebHelp are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Macromedia, Inc.
Page 3: Table Of Contents
CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: Introduction and Installation ....... . 9 Key features of Captivate..........9 What’s new in Macromedia Captivate .
Page 4 CHAPTER 4: Adding Text Captions ........57 Adding text captions .
Page 5 CHAPTER 7: Adding Boxes and Buttons ....... 97 Adding highlight boxes ..........98 Adding click boxes.
Page 6 CHAPTER 12: Editing Movies ........149 Determining the size of your movie.
Page 7 CHAPTER 17: Troubleshooting ........235 How do I analyze bandwidth.
Page 8 Contents...
Page 9: Chapter 1: Introduction And Installation
CHAPTER 1 Introduction and Installation Macromedia Captivate is a professional software tool for quickly creating interactive demonstrations and simulations in a variety of formats including Flash (SWF) and EXE. Anyone who needs to develop online product demonstrations, software simulations for e-learning, or online tutorials for user support will find Captivate an ideal solution.
Page 10: What's New In Macromedia Captivate
• Include interactivity without programming Increase the effectiveness of simulations by easily adding interactivity including quizzing with scoring and branching, text entry fields with multiple correct answer options, and click boxes. Multiple interactions and objects can be inserted into a single slide, enabling numerous choices or complex realistic simulations. When recording in simulation mode, Captivate automatically adds scored interactions and instructional feedback.
Page 11 • Capture effortlessly Create more realistic demonstrations with the improved capture mechanism that automatically switches on and off full motion recording for drag-and-drop actions. Web capture is now optimized and enhanced to capture screen shots after the web page has finished loading. •...
Page 12: Using Captivate Help
Using Captivate Help Captivate Help uses WebHelp Pro as its output and is designed to open in your default web browser. Because Captivate Help is located on a server, the speed at which the system appears depends on your Internet connection speed. If necessary, you can select an option to view Captivate Help offline, instead of from the server.
Page 13: Guide To Captivate Instructional Media
Adjusting the window and pane size • You can adjust the width and height of the browser window by dragging the edges of the window in or out. • You can adjust the width of the left pane by dragging the edges of the left pane until the mouse pointer turns into a line with arrows on each end.
Page 14: Captivate And Accessibility Issues
Captivate and accessibility issues You can create Captivate content that is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, using the accessibility features provided with Captivate. As you design accessible Captivate movies, consider how your users will interact with the content. Visually impaired users, for example, might rely on assistive technology, such as screen readers that provide an audio version of screen content, while hearing-impaired users might read text and captions in the document.
Page 15: End-User Requirements
End-user requirements End users viewing Captivate movies should have the following installed on their computers: • A Flash-enabled browser (for example, Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, Netscape Navigator 4.06, or Netscape 6.0 or later) • Macromedia Flash player (version 6.0 or later) •...
Page 16: Registering Captivate
To activate Macromedia Captivate: Double-click on the Macromedia Captivate icon on the desktop. The Macromedia Product Activation Wizard appears. Follow the onscreen instructions and enter your serial number. The activation process begins. When the process is complete, a message appears stating that the software was successfully activated.
Page 17: Chapter 2: Exploring The Workspace
CHAPTER 2 Exploring the Workspace Captivate is designed so you can create a movie easily. Following is an overview of the Captivate work environment. Views Captivate has two main views: Storyboard view and Edit view (with the Filmstrip). • Storyboard: This view appears when you open a movie from the Start Page. The movie opens with small images representing the slides that constitute the movie.
Page 18: Customizing The Work Environment
Toolbars and menus In both views, the program contains menus and toolbars at the top of the program window. Context (right-click) menus are also available throughout the program. • Menu bar: Click a menu at the top of the program window (for example, File, Insert, or Options) to see the related menu commands.
Page 19: Displaying And Docking Toolbars
To show or hide the left pane in Storyboard view: • Open a Captivate movie. By default, the pane appears along the left side of the program window in Storyboard view. To change the size of the left pane, drag the splitter bar toward the outside of the program window to make it smaller or toward the inside to make it larger.
Page 20: Using The Filmstrip
Floating a toolbar You can disconnect a toolbar from the Captivate program window and have the toolbar float in its own separate window. To “float” a toolbar: Open a Captivate movie. Click on the left or top edge of a toolbar until a four-point arrow appears; then drag the toolbar to an edge of the program window where it can dock, or to the middle of the program window where it can float.
Page 21: Displaying Confirmation Messages
Displaying confirmation messages Confirmation messages appear when you perform important, and often permanent, actions in Captivate. The confirmation messages give you one more opportunity to change your mind when deleting information or changing key attributes. If you find that certain messages are not necessary for the way you work or are slowing down your development time, you might want to disable confirmation messages for actions that you perform frequently.
Page 22: Using Shortcut Keys
Using shortcut keys Shortcut keys can provide an easier and quicker method of navigating and using Captivate by enabling you to use keyboard key combinations instead of a mouse or program menu. Shortcut keys are commonly accessed by using a keyboard “F” key, Alt, Ctrl, and/or Shift in conjunction with a single letter or number.
Page 23: Undoing And Redoing Actions
Shortcut key Action Shift+Control+I Decrease indent (selected object in Edit view) Shift+Control+K Add new click box (Edit view only) Shift+Control+L Add new highlight box (Edit view only) Shift+Control+M Add new image (Edit view only) Shift+Control+O Add new rollover image (Edit view only) Shift+Control+P Publish Shift+Control+R...
Page 24: Changing Capture Keys
Changing capture keys Captivate has default keys for starting and ending the recording process (both standard Flash recording and full motion recording). You can change these keys as you like. Note: You cannot use the Escape, Enter, Tab, Spacebar, Shift (without Control or Alt), F1, or Backspace key in a key combination.
Page 25: Chapter 3: Creating Movies
CHAPTER 3 Creating Movies Opening existing movies Captivate stores movies in a folder named My Captivate Projects, which is placed in your My Documents folder when Captivate is installed. When you start Captivate, movies stored in the My Captivate Projects folder are automatically listed on the Start Page under Open a recent movie.
Page 26: Before Recording A New Movie
Select the slides to convert to Captivate slides. Select individual slides by clicking the check box in the upper right corner of slides (so a green check mark appears in the check box). You can also click the Select All button to select all slides. Click Finish.
Page 27: Internet Explorer
Recording tricks and tips Listed below are several tips and tricks for creating Captivate movies. These ideas should help you create movies quickly and easily, while also giving you professional, high-quality results. Tip 1 - Consider auto-recording Captivate lets you create movies in two ways. You can record onscreen action manually.
Page 28 If you are automatically recording, Captivate captures a screen shot each time you perform an action such as moving the mouse, selecting a menu, or typing information into a text box. The camera shutter sound plays each time an action takes place. If you are manually recording, Captivate captures screen shots each time you press a designated key or key combination.
Page 29 Tip 7 - Remove themes and nonstandard colors Themes and color schemes are based on personal taste and may not look good in a finished project. For best results, set your theme to a standard Windows theme and your color scheme to the default.
Page 30 If you are automatically recording a movie or slides, you can have Captivate automatically capture any drag-and-drop motions or drawing in full motion. Captivate will automatically start to capture frames at a higher rate any time you click on an object and drag the object or start drawing.
Page 31 To set recording options: Do one of the following: Open Captivate. From the Options menu, select Recording Options. Open Captivate. Open a Captivate project. From the Options menu, select Recording Options. In the Recording Options dialog box, click the Recording Options tab and choose from the following options: Enable auto recording Enable auto recording: Select this option to automatically take screen shots during the...
Page 32 Hear camera sounds during recording: Select this option to play a “camera shutter” sound whenever a screen shot is captured during recording. It is helpful to turn this sound on so you know exactly when a screen shot is captured, especially when using the auto-recording feature. The camera sound is not included in the finished movie.
Page 33: Using Full Motion Recording
Working Folder: This option determines where the video will be saved on your local hard disk. Type the correct path to an exact location, or click Browse to navigate to a location. Video Color Mode: This option sets your video color to 16 bit or 32 bit. Selecting 16 bit results in a smaller file size, but also a smaller range of colors.
Page 34: Recording A New Movie
To disable full motion recording of drag-and-drop actions: Open a Captivate project From the Options menu, select Recording Options. Click on the Full Motion Recording tab. Deselect Automatically use full motion capture for drag-and-drop actions. Click OK. Using recording modes Captivate can not only automatically record movies, it can actually customize what objects are added to automatically created movies based on the purpose of your movie.
Page 35 Setting the capture area The screen capture area is the area on your screen that Captivate uses to create slides. For example, suppose your monitor is set to 1024 x 768 pixels and you select a screen capture area of 800 x 600 pixels.
Page 36 Recording movies Captivate makes creating a new movie easy. When you record a Captivate movie, you use the application or website you want to demonstrate as you would normally, by moving the mouse, using the keyboard, and navigating through menus. As you work, Captivate captures the onscreen action automatically, or you can capture screen shots manually.
Page 37 (Optional) Select Record narration to record audio as you record the movie. (Optional) Click Options to set a wide variety of recording options, including the capability to automatically record the movie and automatically generate text captions. (Optional) If necessary, change the size and position of the window. You can resize the window by selecting one of the sizing handles on the red frame and dragging it.To change the location of the window, move the mouse over the red frame until a four-point arrow appears, and then drag the entire window to a new position.
Page 38 To record a new custom-sized movie: Open Captivate. On the Start Page, click Record or create a new movie. The New movie options dialog box appears. Select Custom size and click OK. The Recording window appears. Captivate uses a default capture area of 640 x 480 pixels. To change the size, type new numbers into Width and Height or use the arrows to enter new numbers.
Page 39 When you finish recording, press the End button (or other designated key) to end recording. The slides are generated and your new movie appears in the Captivate Storyboard view. If any drag-and-drop actions were recorded and full motion slides created, you will see the full motion slides displayed in Storyboard view with a movie camera icon in the lower right corner of the slide.
Page 40 Use whatever is on your screen (for example, applications, websites, and so on) as if you were demonstrating your actions to someone. If you have sound enabled on your computer and the option is activated, you will hear a camera shutter sound when screen shots are captured. Note: When you record an onscreen action, it is best to perform the action more slowly than you would normally.
Page 41 Select Image movie and click OK. The Image movie dialog box appears. Captivate uses a default capture area of 640 x 480 pixels. To change the size, select User defined (custom) and type new numbers in the Width and Height text boxes, or use the arrows to enter new numbers.
Page 42 (Optional) From the Optionally, select a window you would like to record pop-up menu, select an open window to record. (Optional) Select Record narration to record audio as you record the movie. (Optional) Click Options to set a wide variety of recording options, including the capability to automatically record the movie and automatically generate text captions.
Page 43: Recording Options
To record new slides: Open the Captivate movie in which you want to record and insert new slides. From the Insert menu, select Record Additional Slides. Decide where the new slides should be added. You can add new slides to the end of the movie, or click on a slide in the list and add new slides after the selected slide.
Page 44 To pause while recording a movie: Open Captivate and begin recording a new movie. When you want to pause recording, press the Pause/Break key on the keyboard. When you want to restart recording, press Pause/Break again. Setting auto recording You can set an automatic recording option in Captivate. When this option is set, Captivate automatically captures screen shots during the recording process each time you take the following actions: •...
Page 45: Using Project Templates
Using project templates After you have created a movie in Captivate, you can save the movie as a project template. This can save you time and help you maintain consistency. You can reuse the template numerous times and ensure that all of your movies have the same framework. For example, if you spend a great deal of time making a movie exactly the way you want it with custom playback controls, an introductory slide featuring your organization's logo, a closing slide that shows your website, and the precise size to show the movie in your application, you can save...
Page 46: Using Full Motion Recording
From the File menu, select Save. From the File menu, select Close. The changes you made to the template are saved and stored. Using full motion recording Captivate contains a useful feature called “full motion recording” that can automatically capture frames at a higher frame rate when you record any drag-and-drop actions while auto recording a new movie or additional slides for an existing movie.
Page 47 When you record using the Full Motion option, Captivate can automatically begin capturing slides at a higher frame rate so that motion is displayed very realistically. You can also control the process by recording full motion slides manually. Full motion slides are saved and included in movie projects as animation slides.
Page 48 Note: It is important to set the correct frame rate before creating full motion slides. The default setting is 30 flash frames per second and is appropriate in most cases. You may need to change the rate if you are embedding your Captivate SWF in another SWF file that has a frame rate different than 30. Change the frame rate using the Movie Preferences dialog box.
Page 49 Note: When recording onscreen action, it is best to perform the action more slowly than you would normally. So, if you are recording keyboard action, for example, enter the text slower than you would normally type. Full motion recording can be done in one of two ways: If you are manually recording full motion (that is, you did not select the Automatically use full motion capture for drag-and-drop actions option in step 5 above) click the start full motion recording key, F9 (or other designated full motion capture key) when you want to...
Page 50: Creating Accessible Movies
Set other recording options as required. For example, if you want to record an application that is open, click the pop-up menu next to Optionally, select a window you'd like to record and choose the application. Or, select Record narration to record an audio track while capturing the full motion slide.
Page 51 In the United States, the law that governs accessibility is commonly known as Section 508, which is an amendment to the U.S. Rehabilitation Act. Section 508 prohibits federal agencies from buying, developing, maintaining, or using electronic technology that is not accessible to those with disabilities.
Page 52 What does accessible mean? In general, an information technology system is accessible for people with disabilities if it can be used in a variety of ways that do not depend on a single sense or ability. For example, users should be able to navigate with a keyboard, in addition to a mouse (not with a mouse only).
Page 53 Publishing 508 compliant Captivate SWF files Create a Captivate project using the Section 508 option to view and test the output. Generating the Captivate project updates source files containing information about your project and creates output files that you can publish for users. Read the tips for authoring and use the following procedure.
Page 54 • If your project contains visual multimedia, provide information about the multimedia for users with visual impairment. If a name and description are given for visual elements, Captivate can send the information to the user through the screen reader. Be aware of audio in your Captivate projects that might interfere with a user being able to listen to the screen reader.
Page 55: Localizing Captive Projects
Macromedia accessibility web page For the latest information on creating and viewing accessible Captivate content, visit the Accessibility page on the Macromedia website at www.macromedia.com/macromedia/ accessibility. Localizing Captive projects Localization is the process of adapting information for use in a specific country. The term localization is often used as a synonym for translation, but localization usually includes editing information for a particular cultural context in addition to translating information into a different language.
Page 56: Localizing Text Captions
Localizing text captions If you are localizing a movie that contains text captions, you can export text captions to make the process more efficient. To localize text captions: Create the initial (“source language”) version of the movie, including all necessary text captions. Open the completed movie.
Page 57: Chapter 4: Adding Text Captions
CHAPTER 4 Adding Text Captions Text captions are useful tools that draw attention to specific areas in a slide. For example, you can use text captions to point out menu items or icons. You can also use text captions to focus user attention on easily overlooked details.
Page 58: Adding Plain Text To A Slide
Caption style: Click one of the five text caption types. Many of the text caption styles contain text captions with directional callouts so you can select a text caption that points in the most appropriate direction. Display options: If you want, set additional display options such as bold, italic, or underlined text, and text justification.
Page 59: Adding Text Captions Automatically
From the Insert menu, select Text Caption. The Caption Properties dialog box appears. In Caption type, click the pop-up menu and select [transparent]. Change other text caption options as necessary. Font: Click the pop-up menu to select a font for the text caption. Size: Click the pop-up menu to select a font size for the caption text.
Page 60 Select the Recording Options tab. Select Enable auto recording. In Language, select the language in which you want the text captions to be written. In Recording mode, select Demonstration or Custom. In both of these modes, text captions are automatically added. (To further fine-tune custom settings, click the Edit settings button.) Click OK.
Page 61: Adding Rollover Captions
Adding rollover captions Rollover captions are unique. They consist of a caption and a rectangle (the “hot” area). Rollover captions appear when the user moves the mouse over the hot area at runtime. You can customize everything about a rollover caption: the location, outline, and size of the hot area, as well as the usual caption options.
Page 62: Converting Tooltips To Rollover Captions
To edit the rollover area: Open a Captivate movie. In Storyboard view, double-click the slide containing the rollover caption or image. To change the size of the rollover area, click one of the handles and drag. To move the rollover area to another location, move the mouse over the rollover area until the hand cursor appears.
Page 63: Localizing Text Captions
To convert tooltips to rollover captions automatically when recording additional slides: Open a Captivate movie. From the Insert menu, select Record Additional Slides. Select the option to add the additional slides to the end of the movie or to a location within the movie.
Page 64: Editing Text Captions
The Word document contains the slide ID, item ID, original caption text, and the slide number. There is also a column named “Updated Text Caption Data” where changes to the caption text can be made. Provide a copy of the Word document to the localizer/translator. The localizer/translator should open the Word document and edit the caption text directly in “Updated Text Caption Data”...
Page 65: Creating Custom Text Caption Styles
Creating custom text caption styles You can create custom text caption styles for your Captivate movies with a graphics program, such as Macromedia Fireworks or Adobe Photoshop. Custom text captions must be in BMP (bitmap) format. In general, each Captivate text caption has five associated bitmap images.
Page 66: Moving And Resizing Text Captions
Edit the following values as necessary: Left Margin is the number of pixels from the left side of the bitmap to the text. Right Margin is the number of pixels from the right side of the bitmap to the text. Top Margin is the number of pixels from the top of the bitmap to the text.
Page 67: Copying And Pasting Text Captions
Move your mouse pointer over one of selection handles on the edge of the text caption until the pointer becomes a resize handle. Using the left mouse button, drag to resize the text caption. To automatically resize text captions: Captivate can automatically resize a text caption according to the amount of text in the text caption.
Page 68: Exporting Text Captions
Importing and exporting text captions to and from a DOC file can be useful in several situations. For example, if you have many text captions and need to edit the text on all of them, it might be easier and faster to work with the text in DOC format instead of navigating from slide to slide. To import text captions: Open the Captivate movie containing text captions.
Page 69: Changing Text Caption Order
Click Yes. A new DOC file that contains the caption text opens in Word. Make any necessary text changes in the Updated Text Caption Data column. The slide number is also included as a reference. Save the document. Import the text captions back into the Captivate movie. Changing text caption order Captivate lets you add multiple captions to each slide.
Page 70: Deleting Text Captions
Deleting text captions Deleting a text caption removes it from the slide and the movie. To delete a text caption: Open a Captivate movie. In Storyboard view, double-click a slide that contains text captions. Right-click on a text caption and select Delete. Chapter 4: Adding Text Captions...
Page 71: Chapter 5 Adding Audio
CHAPTER 5 Adding Audio Captivate lets you add narration, music, step-by-step instructions, or almost any sound to your projects. You can use audio as critical direction, emphasis, or background effect. In general, sound can be as individual and flexible as any other movie component. Audio can be used in Captivate projects in a variety of ways.
Page 72: Equipment For Recording Audio
To add audio to a slide: Open a Captivate project. Do one of the following: In Storyboard view, select a slide. From the Audio menu, select Import. In Edit view, from the Audio menu, select Import. The Import Audio dialog box appears. Tip: Captivate contains a gallery that has buttons, sounds, and animations (in SWF format) for you to use in your projects.
Page 73: Recording Audio Tips
• Recording software A wide range of recording software is available. Important software features include editing functionality (to fix mistakes), music and sound effect options, and the capability to create the file format you require (such as MP3 or WAV). An excellent, easy-to- use, and free option is software named Audacity (available from audacity.sourceforge.net).
Page 74: Setting Audio Recording Options
Audio editing: Editing sound is similar to editing text. Listen carefully to your recording. Delete any extraneous sounds and then use the options available in your software to polish the track. Add any music or sound effects you require. Make sure you save your audio track in the correct format (MP3 or WAV files).
Page 75: Calibrating Microphones For Recording
Calibrating microphones for recording If you are recording audio for a project, you must set the microphone or recording device to the correct recording level. This process is called calibrating the recording device. Captivate can detect optimal microphone and recording sensitivity levels automatically. Note: Captivate must be able to detect a recording device before trying to calibrate.
Page 76: Recording Audio While Creating A Movie
When you finish, click Stop. The audio is converted to MP3 format. Click Play to listen to the recording. When you finish, click OK. Recording audio while creating a movie Captivate lets you record an audio track at the same time you record a new Captivate movie. This can be a very efficient way to create a full-featured movie quickly.
Page 77: Creating Background Audio
Captivate begins recording the onscreen action. As you record the movie, speak into your microphone or recording device to create an audio soundtrack. For example, you can explain the actions you are taking or read the text on captions. If you are automatically recording the movie (that is, you selected the Enable auto recording option in step 8), Captivate automatically captures a screen shot every time you perform an action, such as selecting a menu, clicking a button, or typing text.
Page 78: Using A Custom Keyboard Tap Sound
Select from the following options: Fade in and Fade out lets you set a time, in seconds, for the audio file to fade in and fade out at the beginning and end of the movie. Lower background audio volume on slides with additional audio lets you automatically reduce the background audio volume on slides that have individual audio files assigned, such as voice- over narration.
Page 79: Adjusting Audio Volume
From the Audio menu, select Edit audio. The Edit Audio dialog box appears. You can add silence to the beginning of the audio file, to the end, or to a specific location within the audio file. If you want to add silence within the file, click the exact location directly on the waveform.
Page 80: Adding Existing Audio To Boxes And Buttons
If you want, change audio processing options: Normalize: Select this option to have Captivate adjust the sound volume automatically. Normalizing audio helps keep the sound level consistent between slides. Dynamics: Select this option to amplify quiet sections of the audio to help compensate for variations in audio volume.
Page 81: Recording Audio For Boxes And Buttons
To select an audio file from the Audio library: Note: In order to use the Audio library option, the Captivate project must contain one or more audio files. If there are no audio files in the project, the Audio library option is unavailable. Open a Captivate project.
Page 82: Setting Keyboard Tap Sounds
Setting keyboard tap sounds You can include or exclude keyboard tap sounds in your movies. The tapping sounds are included in Captivate movies whenever you press keys on the keyboard while recording. If you do not like the tapping sounds in your finished movie, use the procedure below to remove them. The tapping sound is a movie-level setting, so the sound either plays on all slides or is removed from all slides.
Page 83: Editing Audio Timing
Zoom out: Click to shrink the waveform. Options: Click to set various options such as recording device, audio quality level, and recording device calibration. Record/Insert new audio: Click to begin recording audio. (To record, you need a microphone.) Play: Click to play the audio file. Stop: Click to stop playing the audio file.
Page 84: Viewing Audio Details
You can insert a silent period within an audio file. If you want the silent period to begin in a specific location within an audio file, click the location directly on the waveform. Click Insert silence. Type in the length of the silent period you want to add and then click on the pop-up menu to select a location for the silent period: the location you clicked on the waveform, the beginning of audio, or the end of audio.
Page 85: Previewing Audio
Export: Opens a Browse for Folder dialog box and lets you export the selected audio file to a folder. Show object level audio: Displays any audio files associated with objects (click boxes, captions, buttons, highlight boxes, and so on) in the movie. When you finish, click OK.
Page 86: Deleting Audio
Deleting audio Removing an audio file from a slide is an easy task. You can also remove any sound files that are used as background audio. To remove audio from a slide: Open a Captivate project. Do one of the following: In Storyboard view, select a slide and click Audio on the toolbar.
Page 87: Chapter 6: Adding Images And Animation
CHAPTER 6 Adding Images and Animation You can add a wide variety of images and animations to your Captivate projects. Adding images Images can add a new dimension to Captivate movies. There are a variety of ways to incorporate images into projects, including using them as logos, splash screens, pointers, backgrounds, buttons, and more.
Page 88 Change image: Select this option to display the Open dialog box and navigate to a different image. Select a new image, click OK, and the new image is added to your slide. This feature can be useful if you are testing different formats of the same image (for example, GIF, JPEG, or BMP) to see which one looks best on the slide.
Page 89: Adding Rollover Images
Adding rollover images Rollover images are unique. They consist of an image and a rollover area (the “hot” area). Rollover images appear when the end user moves the mouse over the hot area at runtime. They are useful for heavily detailed slides or for slides that contain buttons or toolbars that require explanation. You can use the same type of graphics for rollover images that you use for traditional images.
Page 90: Inserting Images As Slides
Audio tab Play: Click to play the audio file. Stop: Click to stop playing the audio file. Delete: Click to remove the audio file from the rollover image. Edit: Displays the Edit Audio dialog box. This dialog box lets you edit the audio file in a variety of ways, such as inserting silent periods and adjusting the volume.
Page 91: Creating Watermark Images
Tip: You can also create multiple image slides at one time by holding Shift or Control while selecting images in the Open dialog box. Creating watermark images You can create a watermark image by setting the transparency of an image. To create a watermark image: Open a Captivate movie.
Page 92: About Animation In Captivate
About animation in Captivate Captivate lets you add animation to Captivate SWF files. This introduces an element of motion that is effective and eye-catching for users. Add existing animation files to a slide or use the animated text feature in Captivate. •...
Page 93 Set properties and options as required. Animation tab Statistics: Lists key information about the animation file you selected including version, width, height, and the number of slides that comprise the file. The total duration of the animation file is also shown. Transparency: This option defines the transparent quality of the animation file.
Page 94: Adding Animated Text
Import: Displays the Import Audio dialog box. This dialog box lets you browse to an audio file and import it. Audio library: Click to open the Audio Library. The Audio Library lists all audio files that are already part of the currently open Captivate movie. Fade in [#] seconds: Specifies the number of seconds for the audio to fade in to full volume.
Page 95 Note: The number you specify in Delay, does not change the absolute amount of the time the animated text feature appears. For example, if you specify (on the Options tab) that the text animation effect should show for 8 seconds, the number in the Delay option, whether it is one or thirty, does not change the absolute time of 8seconds.
Page 96: Adding Animation Slides
Adding animation slides If you have a SWF, AVI, or animated GIF file, you can add the file to your Captivate movie as a new slide. This is a fast and easy way to make your movie more informative using content you have already created.
Page 97: Chapter 7: Adding Boxes And Buttons
CHAPTER 7 Adding Boxes and Buttons Captivate lets you add a variety of buttons and boxes to slides. Some types are interactive, enabling users to participate actively in the learning process. You can add the following types of buttons and boxes: Highlight boxes These boxes highlight areas in a slide.
Page 98: Adding Highlight Boxes
Adding highlight boxes Captivate lets you add highlight boxes to spotlight areas within a slide. You can think of a highlight box as the online equivalent of a highlighter pen used on paper. Add highlight boxes to show users where to focus attention or enter data, or simply as emphasis. You can control the size, color, transparency, and timing for highlight boxes.
Page 99: Adding Click Boxes
Audio: Displays the name of the audio file, if any, associated with the highlight box. Record new: Click to open the Record Audio dialog box. (Recording audio requires some basic equipment.) Import: Displays the Import Audio dialog box. This dialog box lets you browse to an audio file and import it.
Page 100 After last attempt: Specify what should happen after the last attempt. You can select Continue, Go to previous slide, Go to next slide, Jump to slide, Open URL or file, Open other movie, Send e-mail to, Execute JavaScript, or No Action. Continue: Depending upon the type of action you selected above, this box changes to let you enter destination information.
Page 101 Double mouse click: Select this option to allow users to double-click the click box. Pause for success/failure captions: Select this option to have the movie pause until all success and failure captions (see explanations for captions above) have displayed for the user to read. If you want to add audio to the click box, click the Audio tab.
Page 102: Addng Text Entry Boxes
Addng text entry boxes Text entry boxes let you increase Captivate project interaction quickly and easily. For example, you can use text entry boxes to ask simple quiz questions. To add a text entry box: Open a Captivate project. Double-click on the slide to which you want to add a text entry box. From the Insert menu, select Text Entry Box.
Page 103 Note: If you select the Open URL or file option and specify a URL, the URL is visible when you edit the slide in Captivate. However, it will not be visible to the user. To show the URL, create a simple image with the URL text on the image, add the image to your slide, and place a click box over the image.
Page 104 Password: Select this option if you want to mimic a password field. Case-sensitive: Select this option to make the text entry box case-sensitive. This means that users must provide answers with the correct combination of lowercase and uppercase letters. If you want to add audio to the text entry box, click the Audio tab. Select from the following options: Play: Click to play the audio file.
Page 105: Adding Buttons
Adding buttons You can increase the interactivity of your Captivate projects by adding clickable buttons. To quickly add a button, use the default button style (a plain, white rectangle) or import custom button images you have created. You can size and position buttons on a slide. You determine what happens after the user clicks the button for example, advancing to the next slide, opening a URL, or sending an e-mail message.
Page 106 Note: If you select the Open URL or file option and specify a URL, the URL is visible when you edit the slide in Captivate. However, it will not be visible to the user. To show the URL, create a simple image with the URL text on the image, add the image to your slide, and place a click box over the image.
Page 107 Click the Options tab. This tab enables you to design the button's appearance. Select from the following options: Display for [time]: Specifies the timing of the button. Click on the pop-up menu and select an option. If you select the specific time option, you can enter the exact number of seconds for the button to appear.
Page 108: Adding Javascript To Boxes And Buttons
If you want to keep score for the button or coordinate the score with a learning management system, click the Reporting tab. Select from the following options: Include in Quiz: If you select this option, a quiz results page will appear at the end of the quiz. Selecting this option also enables the other options on the Reporting tab.
Page 109: Adding Existing Audio To Boxes And Buttons
To add JavaScript to an existing box or button: Open a Captivate project. Double-click the slide containing the box or button to which you want to add JavaScript. Double-click the box or button to which you want to add JavaScript. In either On success or After last attempt, select the Execute JavaScript option.
Page 110: Deleting Buttons And Boxes
To select an audio file from the Audio library: Note: In order to use the Audio library option, the Captivate project must contain one or more audio files. If there are no audio files in the project, the Audio library option is unavailable. Open a Captivate project.
Page 111: Chapter 8: Editing Mouse Movement
CHAPTER 8 Editing Mouse Movement In Captivate projects, you have complete control over how mouse movement displays. You can edit the mouse path, select a mouse pointer, and even choose if the mouse displays at all on a particular slide. Changing mouse pointers The mouse pointer for a particular slide can be changed to a variety of icons such as a hand, a vertical resize pointer, or a drag pointer.
Page 112: Changing Mouse Pointer Size
Changing mouse pointer size You can double the size of the mouse pointer. This is useful if you want to emphasize mouse movement for the final destination of the mouse on a slide. It is also helpful if you are creating accessible movies.
Page 113: Setting Mouse Click Effect
Setting mouse click effect You can set a mouse click color or effect. This option allows you to add a quick burst of color or special effect around the mouse pointer for emphasis when a mouse click occurs during movie playback.
Page 114: Using Straight And Curved Mouse Paths
To align the mouse path between slides: Open a Captivate movie. Open the slide you want in Edit view. Right-click on the mouse pointer and select Align to Previous Slide or Align to Next Slide. Preview your movie to see how the mouse pointer is aligned between slides. Note: If you have mouse movement on the first slide of your movie, you can manually change the start point of the mouse movement (because you cannot align to a “previous”...
Page 115: Chapter 9: Changing Timing
CHAPTER 9 Changing Timing The Captivate Timeline lets you organize objects and precisely control the timing of objects on slides. When you view the Timeline, you see a snapshot of a single slide and all of the objects on the slide. You have full control over when objects appear and can even specify that objects appear at the same time.
Page 116 To dock the Timeline: Open a Captivate movie. Double-click on any slide to open Edit view and the Timeline. (If the Timeline does not appear, click the View menu and select Show Timeline.) If the Timeline is displayed in a new window and you want to dock it, click on the title bar of the Timeline and drag the Timeline to the top or bottom edge of the slide.
Page 117: Changing The Order Of Object Layers
To change the zoom level: Open a Captivate movie. Double-click on any slide to open Edit view and the Timeline. (If the Timeline does not appear, click the View menu and select Show Timeline.) Click in the Timeline ruler and spin the mouse wheel on your mouse to increase or decrease the zoom level.
Page 118: Previewing A Slide Using The Playhead
Tip: You can adjust the zoom level of the Timeline easily. Click in the Timeline ruler and spin the mouse wheel on your mouse to increase or decrease the zoom level. Alternatively, use keystrokes to change the zoom level. Click on the ruler and then press CTRL + [ to decrease zoom level, CTRL + ] to increase zoom level, or CTRL + W to set the zoom level so all objects will fit within the current Timeline width.
Page 119: Setting Caption Speed Automatically
The slide timing is contained in a Timeline object named “Slide.” To shorten or lengthen the amount of time it takes for the slide to play, click the right edge of the Slide object until the resize pointer appears, and drag the edge to the left or right. Captivate shows the amount of time the slide will appear, in parentheses, next to the word Slide.
Page 120: Changing Object Timing
Mouse movement is contained in a Timeline object named “Mouse.” To shorten or lengthen the amount of time it takes for the mouse movement to play, click the left edge of the Mouse object until the resize pointer appears, and drag the edge to the left or right. Changing object timing You can change the amount of time an object (such as a caption, text entry box, or image) appears on a slide.
Page 121: Controlling Captivate Movies With Variables
Controlling Captivate movies with variables You can control Captivate movies with variables that can be set on the Timeline. Controlling a movie with variables is useful if you want to create a custom SWF playback control or if you are putting a movie into a Flash FLA file.
Page 122 Chapter 9: Changing Timing...
Page 123: Chapter 10: Slides
CHAPTER 10 Slides Captivate movies are composed of slides. An individual slide represents one “shot” in a movie. As each slide is displayed, the movie plays smoothly and any action (such as mouse movement) flows seamlessly between slides. You can combine any number of slides to create a movie. Much of the work you do in Captivate is done at the slide level.
Page 124 To record new slides: Open the Captivate movie in which you want to record and insert new slides. From the Insert menu, select Record Additional Slides. Decide where the new slides should be added. You can add new slides to the end of the movie, or click on a slide in the list and add new slides after the selected slide.
Page 125 Copying and pasting slides You can copy and paste slides in Storyboard view or Edit view (with the Filmstrip enabled). Tip: You can select multiple slides by pressing Shift or Control on the keyboard while clicking on the desired slides. To select all slides, press Control+A or from the Edit menu, choose Select All Slides. To copy a slide: Open a Captivate project.
Page 126: Creating Question Slides
To insert a blank slide: Open a Captivate movie. Select the slide directly before the location where the new slide should appear. (For example, if you want to insert the blank frame as Slide 6 of your movie, click on the slide currently labeled Slide 5.) From the Insert menu, select Blank Slide.
Page 127 Measure student performance by using the reporting feature with any type of quiz. Track number of attempts, track correct and incorrect responses, and send pass/fail data to your learning management system (LMS). You can also choose to provide students with feedback based upon correct or incorrect responses.
Page 128: Editing Slides
Editing slides After you have recorded, imported, created, or copied slides into a Captivate project, you can edit the slide in numerous ways. Duplicating slides You can duplicate slides in Storyboard view or Edit view (with the Filmstrip enabled). Duplicating slides is an easy way to expand your movies. For example, if you carefully design a slide with a certain background color, layout, caption, and highlight box, you can simply duplicate that slide and change some of the elements or text to add more information to your movie.
Page 129 Open a graphics editing program and paste the slide into the program by pressing Control + V. Make any desired changes to the slide. Copy the image in the graphics program by pressing Control+C so the image is saved to the clipboard.
Page 130 To change slide order with the Filmstrip in Edit view: Open a Captivate movie. Click the Edit tab. Click a slide in the Filmstrip that you want to move and hold the left mouse button down. Drag the slide to a new location in the Filmstrip and release the mouse button. Tip: In either Storyboard view or in the Filmstrip you can select multiple slides by pressing Shift or Control on the keyboard while clicking the desired slides.
Page 131 Creating slide notes You can create and save notes about individual slides. These notes are not seen by users (those who are viewing your movie), but are an organizational tool for Captivate authors. The notes can be seen in three places: in Slide Properties, in the Record Audio dialog box (within Scripts), and if you publish to Handouts (select the Slide notes option).
Page 132: Adding Transitions
Type caption text here: Enter the caption text exactly as you want it to appear. Apply properties to all captions in the movie: Select this option to apply the changes you made in this dialog box to all text captions in the movie. Properties applied to all text captions are caption style, font type, font size, font color, and transition.
Page 133 Compressing slide data Captivate provides you with the option of compressing slide data that is shared between slides. This option reduces overall file size and it is the default setting. Note: In certain circumstances, compressed movies may not appear correctly when imported into Macromedia Flash.
Page 134: Changing Movie Start And End
Deleting slides Deleting a slide permanently removes the slide from the movie. You can delete slides in Storyboard view or Edit view (with the Filmstrip enabled). To delete a slide in Storyboard view: Open a Captivate project. Right-click on the slide to delete. Select Delete Slide from the pop-up menu.
Page 135 Message line 2: This option lets you add a second line of text to the movie expiration message, if necessary. Fade in on the first frame: Select this option to have the first slide of the movie fade into view. Movie end options Action: Click the pop-up menu and select an action to take place at the end of the movie.
Page 136: Adding Playback Controls
• Use special effects: If you are going to use special effects in your movie, why not start off with them? Quality special effects (like fading, for example) create a polished and professional look right from the start. • Use animated text: For an easy and impressive introductory slide, use the Captivate animated text feature.
Page 137: Naming Conventions
Show progress bar (optional): Some playback control styles include a progress bar that shows users where they are (graphically) in a movie. If you select one of these playback control styles, the Show progress bar option appears under the Style list. If this option is selected, a progress bar appears.
Page 138: Securing Slides
Bitmap file extension (“.bmp”) To create custom playback controls: Create new buttons using a graphics software package such as Macromedia Fireworks or Adobe Photoshop. Save the buttons as separate bitmap (BMP) images. Use the naming conventions outlined above when you name and save your bitmap images.
Page 139 Hiding slides Captivate allows you to hide an individual slide in a movie the slide stays in the movie but is hidden from view when the movie is played. This option is useful in several situations, such as if others are reviewing the movie, but information on certain slides is changing so you want to hide the slides until they are correct.
Page 140 Chapter 10: Slides...
Page 141: Chapter 11 Adding Objects
CHAPTER 11 Adding Objects Objects are different elements that you can add to Captivate slides. Captivate has many different types of objects: • Text captions: Text captions are text “bubbles” that describe a slide or provide extra information. • Highlight boxes: Highlight boxes can be used as emphasis, and can show users where to focus attention or enter data.
Page 142: Importing Objects
Importing objects You can import objects (images, captions, sounds, boxes, and so on) from one Captivate movie into another. This feature is useful in two situations. First, you might want to delete an existing movie, but keep the objects to add to another movie. Second, you might need to redo slides in a movie, but want to keep the existing objects to save time.
Page 143: Copying And Pasting Objects
Copying and pasting objects Once you have created an object such as a caption, highlight box, or click box, you can copy that object and paste it onto the same slide, a different slide in your movie, or several slides in your movie at the same time.
Page 144: Aligning Objects
Tip: You can also import an object or multiple objects from another movie. Aligning objects If you have multiple objects on a slide, Captivate can automatically and perfectly align the objects for you. This is an easy way to create precise and professional looking movie slides. You have many options for aligning objects both vertically and horizontally.
Page 145: Changing Object Display Order
To extend the playing time of an object to the end of a slide: • Right-click an object on the Timeline and select Show for rest of slide. To align an object to a point in time: • Click an object on the Timeline and drag it to the left or right so that the left edge of the object bar aligns with the correct time in the header.
Page 146: Changing The Size Of Multiple Objects
If you have two objects that overlap on the slide, you need to select the object you want to appear in front by setting the stacking order. Changing the stacking order consists of moving objects to the back and front of the slide “stage.” The key point to remember is that objects at the back of the stage appear behind other objects.
Page 147: Aligning Objects With The Grid
When you finish, click OK. Tip: The x (horizontal) and y (vertical) coordinates of the mouse are automatically displayed in the lower right corner of the Captivate project window as you move the mouse. Knowing exact coordinates can help you place objects in a precise location on a slide. Aligning objects with the grid Captivate contains an optional grid that you can display while working on individual slides in Edit view.
Page 148: Merging Objects Into A Slide
Merging objects into a slide Any object that you create and place on a slide such as an image, caption, click box, highlight box, text entry box, or button can be merged into the slide. Merging permanently removes the object as an object and makes the object part of the slide.
Page 149: Chapter 12: Editing Movies
CHAPTER 12 Editing Movies After you have recorded or created a Captivate project, you have many editing options. Determining the size of your movie For certain procedures, you need to know the actual width and height of your movie. This information is especially important when you are making decisions about how to publish and display your movie for users.
Page 150: Hiding Movies
Hiding movies Captivate allows you to hide a movie on the Start Page. The movie remains in the My Captivate Projects folder (located within the My Documents folder) on your computer, but is hidden from view when Captivate is opened and the Start Page appears. The hide option is useful if you have old movies that you want to retain, but you do not need them to appear whenever you open Captivate.
Page 151: Resizing Movies
Right-click on the CP file and select Rename. Type a new name for the movie and press ENTER. Resizing movies You can resize Captivate movies, even after you have recorded them. This can be very useful and can save you from having to re-record an entire movie. For example, you may have recorded your movie at a width of 640 and height of 480, but then decided you needed a slightly smaller or larger size.
Page 152: Saving Movies
If the new size is smaller Rescale: This option resizes and resamples the movie to provide a good quality movie. To also rescale any objects in the movie, select the Rescale captions, highlight boxes, and other objects option. Crop: This option crops the movie to the new size. If any background space appears after cropping, you can select a specific color for the background by clicking Crop fill color.
Page 153: Setting The Background Color
Setting the background color You can set the background color of the movie. Depending upon the type of slide and how a screen shot is captured, the background color may or may not appear on all slides. To set the background color: Open a Captivate movie.
Page 154 Message line 2: This option lets you add a second line of text to the movie expiration message, if necessary. Fade in on the first frame: This option slowly fades the first slide of the movie in for users. Action: Click the pop-up menu and select an action to take place at the end of the movie. Stop movie: This option stops the movie after it plays once.
Page 155 Note: The Include Breeze metadata option is on by default. This option increases the size of the project. If you are not going to use the project with Macromedia Breeze, you can deselect the option and decrease the size of the finished project file (SWF). However, if there is the possibility that the output file (SWF) may be used in Breeze, it is a good idea to select the Include Breeze metadata option.
Page 156: Adding A Loading Screen
Style: Select the style for the playback control buttons. Style not only refers to the visual elements of the playback control buttons, but also the actual buttons that appear. Some styles include more buttons than others. When you click a style, the preview window shows the selected playback control.
Page 157: Setting Movie Properties
You can also create a SWF file to use as a loading screen. In the Captivate Preloaders folder, there is a sample SWF file and FLA file named "DefaultPreloader." You can use these files as templates to create your own SWF file. If you add a custom loading screen, Captivate will call the following functions if they exist on the main timeline of the SWF file: function initialize(movieWidth:Number, movieHeight:Number)
Page 158: Using A Custom Keyboard Tap Sound
Using a custom keyboard tap sound Captivate includes a feature that records a keyboard tap sound whenever you press keys on the keyboard while recording a movie. You can include or exclude the tap sounds. You can also create a custom keyboard tap sound to use. To use a custom keyboard tap sound: Create a new sound for keystrokes, or use an existing MP3 file (for example, one of the Windows sound files).
Page 159 (Optional) If you want to change how spelling is checked, click Options. When you are finished, click Close. Setting spell check options Captivate lets you check spelling in most places where text occurs in your projects, including captions, slide notes, slide names, text animations, and quizzes. Before using the spell checking feature, you may want to review and change spell check options.
Page 160: Changing Spell Check Dictionary
(Optional) To select a different language for the main dictionary used to check spelling, click on the pop-up menu and select a language. All dictionaries installed on your computer are displayed in the list. When you finish, click OK. Changing spell check dictionary By default, the spell checker uses the English (United States) dictionary.
Page 161: Chapter 13: Creating Elearning Content
CHAPTER 13 Creating eLearning Content You can use Captivate to create truly interactive e-learning movies with full SCORM/AICC compliance. Captivate lets you do the following: • Create quizzes that automatically integrate with your learning management system (LMS). Capture scoring data from all interactive elements, including click boxes, text entry boxes, buttons, and quizzes.
Page 162: Creating Question Slides
Create question slides and specify different paths for right and wrong answers. This is the most straightforward method of adding branching. You have many options for answer paths including continuing the movie, going to a specific slide, or opening a URL. Captivate also makes it easy to add an error message for wrong answers and a retry message such as "please try again."...
Page 163 • Matching • Likert Quizzing tricks and tips The quizzing functionality in Captivate is flexible and gives you many design options as you create movies containing e-learning content. For example, quizzes can be simple and straightforward or more sophisticated with detailed branching. Following are a few tricks and tips to try when adding quizzing: •...
Page 164 In the Blank Answer dialog box, select an option for how users will choose the correct answer: Select The user will type in the answer, which will be compared to the list below if you want users to provide an answer on their own. Choose The user will select an answer from the list below if you want to provide users with a list possible answers from which they can make a selection.
Page 165 Show correct message: Select this option to provide a text message for users when they supply a correct answer. Clear this check box if you do not want to give any feedback for an correct answer. If wrong answer Allow user [#] attempts: Use the arrows to select the number of attempts a user can try before another action takes place.
Page 166 If you would like Clear, Back, and Next buttons to appear on the question slide so it is easier for users to navigate, select these options. Select the Reporting tab and modify the following fields: Report answers: This option keeps a quiz score. Objective ID: This is an optional parameter.
Page 167 Tip: If you are creating many of the same type of question in a single movie, type in unique titles for each so they can be distinguished from one another easily. In the Questions area, click Add and type a likert question directly into the text box. (You can add up to eight separate likert questions on a single slide.) In the Answers area you can accept the default answer text, edit the text, or add new answer types.
Page 168 Interaction ID: If you want the Captivate movie (SWF file) to send tracking information to your learning management system, you must use the Interaction ID specified by your learning management system. Weighting: (The Weighting option is not available for likert questions, because likert questions are surveys.) Time limit: Select this option to set a time limit for how long users have to answer the question.
Page 169 In If correct answer and If wrong answer, use the pop-up menus to select what happens when the question is answered correctly or incorrectly. You have numerous options: If correct answer Jump to: Select the desired action or destination after a user selects the correct answer. Continue: Select this option to have the movie continue playing.
Page 170 Open URL or file: Select this option to have the movie jump to a specific URL on the Internet or to a local file. Click the pop-up menu to select the window in which the URL should appear; choose from Current, New, Parent, and Top. Open other movie: Select this option to have the movie begin playing a different movie.
Page 171 Time limit: Select this option to set a time limit for how long users have to answer the question. In the text box, type in the amount of time in hours:minutes:seconds format. When you finish, click OK. The new matching question slide appears in the designated location in the movie. If you need to make any changes, click Edit Question (in the upper-left corner of the slide).
Page 172 Jump to slide: Select this option to have the movie jump to a specific slide. Open URL or file: Select this option to have the movie jump to a specific URL on the Internet or to a local file. Click the pop-up menu to select the window in which the URL should appear;...
Page 173 Click More to enter the JavaScript you would like to execute. No action: Select this option to have messages (e.g. error or retry) appear, but no other action take place. Note: When using the Open URL option, the URL is visible when you edit the slide in Captivate. However, it is not visible to the end user.
Page 174 Creating a new short answer question slide Select this option to create a question that users must answer with a word or phrase. To create a short answer question slide: Open a Captivate movie. Select the slide before where you want to insert a question slide. For example, if you want the new question slide to be slide 7 in the movie, click on slide 6.
Page 175 Open other movie: Select this option to have the movie begin playing a different movie. Click the pop-up menu to select the window in which the movie should appear; choose from Current, New, Parent, and Top. Send e-mail to: Select this option to open the default mail browser. Execute JavaScript: Select this option to run a specific piece of JavaScript code.
Page 176 Note: When using the Open URL option, the URL is visible when you edit the slide in Captivate. However, it is not visible to the end user. If you want to show the URL to end users, create a simple image with the URL text on the image, add the image to your movie slide, and place a click box over the image.
Page 177 Go to next slide: Depending on the option you selected for Jump to, this box changes to let you specify an exact destination. Show correct message: Select this option to provide a text message for users when they supply a correct answer.
Page 178 Tip: If you are creating many of the same type of question in a single movie, type in unique titles for each so they can be distinguished from one another easily. In Question, type the True/False question, exactly as you want it to appear on the slide, into the text box.
Page 179 If wrong answer Allow user [#] attempts: Use the arrows to select the number of attempts a user can try before another action takes place. Infinite attempts: Select this option to give users an unlimited number of attempts. Jump to: Click on the desired action/destination after the last attempt. You can choose from the options listed below.
Page 180: Setting Elearning Output Options
Select the Reporting tab and modify the following fields: Report answers: This option keeps a quiz score. Objective ID: This is an optional parameter. If the quiz question is related to an objective set in your learning management system, enter the objective in this field. Interaction ID: If you want the Captivate movie (SWF file) to send tracking information to your learning management system, you must use the Interaction ID specified by your learning management system.
Page 181: Setting Elearning Pass Rate
Manifest: Click to open the Manifest dialog box, which lets you set options for creating a manifest file (required by many learning management systems). Questionmark Perception: This option ensures the movie is compatible with Questionmark Perception. Captivate automatically generates a QML file so you can quickly import Captivate simulations into Perception.
Page 182: Creating Feedback Messages For Quizzes
Select a Quiz Pass/Fail setting: "#" % or more of total score to pass: Enter a percentage value that students must meet in order to pass. For example, if you enter a value of 80, students must provide correct answers to 80% of the quizzes.
Page 183: Creating A Manifest File
Select the feedback messages you would like to display. Select Show correct message to display text such as "Correct - Click to continue" when a user chooses the correct answer. Select Show error message to display text such as "Incorrect - click to continue" when a user chooses an incorrect answer.
Page 184 Set manifest options. Course options Identifier: The identifier is used by the LMS to identify different manifests. A default identifier based on the name of your Captivate movie is automatically added to this field. You can change the identifier at any time by selecting the text and typing in new text. (Required field) Title: The title can be viewed by students using the LMS.
Page 185: Creating A Pif
Note: If necessary, you can create a PIF that packages the Captivate movie output files and manifest file (with additional files if you are using the SCORM 2004 option) together. Creating a PIF Captivate includes support for creating a package interchange file (PIF). SCORM guidelines recommend, but do not require, the use of a PIF for transporting content packages between systems.
Page 186 Authorware: This option ensures that the movie is compatible with Macromedia Authorware. You can incorporate Captivate simulations in Authorware projects with a simple export command. All Captivate scoring data can be tracked in Authorware. Separator: Enter the desired field separator for Authorware. E-mail: This option automatically sends scoring results to a specified e-mail address.
Page 187 Timeout message: Specifies the message that appears when users do not answer the question in the allotted amount of time. You can accept the default text or type in new text. Options tab options If passing grade Jump to: Specify what should happen if after a user receives a passing grade. No action: Select this option to have no action take place when the user receives a passing grade.
Page 188 Send e-mail to: Select this option to open the default mail browser. Execute JavaScript: Select this option to run a specific piece of JavaScript code. Click More to enter the JavaScript you would like to execute. Note: When using the Open URL or file option, the URL is visible when you edit the slide in Captivate.
Page 189: Chapter 14: Creating A Menu Of Captivate Movies
CHAPTER 14 Creating a Menu of Captivate Movies MenuBuilder is a unique component of Captivate. This tool provides a convenient way to showcase a set of Captivate projects. Whether you publish your projects over the web or on a CD, you can use MenuBuilder to create a single, central location for users to access multiple projects.
Page 190 Click Next. Under Text, enter the text as you want it to appear in the project. (You can set various display options, such as font, color, and size in a subsequent dialog box.) In the Link pop-up menu, select the type of link to activate. Choices include Captivate Flash Movie, Web Address, Email Address, FTP Address, and Newsgroup Address.
Page 191 Creating blank MenuBuilder projects If you do not want to use the MenuBuilder wizard to create a project, you can create a blank project and edit it. To create a blank project: Open Captivate. Under Other movie types, click Create a MenuBuilder project. The MenuBuilder dialog box appears.
Page 192 Modifying MenuBuilder templates You can define a new MenuBuilder project template during initial development or modify an existing user-defined template at a later time. To modify a template: Open an existing user-defined template. From the Options menu, select Project Options. In the Image text box, note the selected file.
Page 193 Previewing projects in MenuBuilder To view your MenuBuilder project as users will see it, including any interactive elements, you must use the Preview command. To preview a project: Open the MenuBuilder project to preview. From the File menu, select Preview. Checking spelling in MenuBuilder projects MenuBuilder provides a standard spelling and grammar checker.
Page 194: Using Text In Menubuilder
Saving MenuBuilder projects as templates You can save an existing MenuBuilder project as a template for use on further projects. MenuBuilder templates use the .mgt file extension. To save a project as a template: Open the MenuBuilder project to save as a template. From the File menu, select Save as Template.
Page 195 Click the color boxes next to Normal Color and Hover Color to select a color for each text state. (Hover color is the color that appears when the user rolls the mouse over the text.) If you want, click Apply changes to all items. This option applies the changes made in this dialog box to all similar items within the project.
Page 196 Moving text in MenuBuilder You can move text items in MenuBuilder by dragging. To move a text item: Open the MenuBuilder project. Select the text item to move and drag it to a new location. Tip: You can move multiple text items at the same time by pressing the Shift key while clicking different text items.
Page 197 Copying text in MenuBuilder You can copy and paste text items in MenuBuilder quickly and easily. Tip: You can copy multiple text items at the same time by pressing Shift while clicking the text items. To copy text: Open the MenuBuilder project. Select the text item to copy.
Page 198: Using Images In Menubuilder Projects
Deleting text in MenuBuilder You can delete unwanted text items in MenuBuilder quickly and easily. Tip: You can delete multiple text items at the same time by pressing Shift while licking the text items. To delete text: Open the MenuBuilder project. Select the text item to delete.
Page 199 Select Transparency if you want to make the image transparent. Select a value from 0 to 100%. (0% is completely opaque and 100% is completely transparent.) If you want, click Apply changes to all items. This option applies the changes made in this dialog box to all similar items within the project.
Page 200 Moving images in MenuBuilder You can move images in MenuBuilder by dragging. To move an image: Open the MenuBuilder project. Select the image to move and drag it to a new location. Tip: You can move multiple images at the same time by pressing the Shift key while clicking different images.
Page 201 Copying images in MenuBuilder You can copy and paste images in MenuBuilder quickly and easily. Tip: You can copy multiple images at the same time by pressing Shift while clicking the images. To copy an image: Open the MenuBuilder project. Select the image to copy.
Page 202 To size an image: Open the MenuBuilder project. Select the image to size. From the Edit menu, select Size. Select image size options: Width No change: Select this option to make no change to the image width. Shrink to smallest: If you select more than one image to size, this option sizes all images to the smallest image.
Page 203: Using Clickboxes In Menubuilder Projects
In the Scaling factor text box, enter the scaling factor as a percentage of the original image item size. Click OK. Creating transparent images in MenuBuilder You can customize images in MenuBuilder so they contain as little or as much transparency as you want.
Page 204 In the Link pop-up menu, select the type of link to activate. Click Browse to search for other choices. Enter the appropriate text in the Link text box. For example, if you select Web Address, enter the appropriate URL. When you link to a Captivate SWF file, MenuBuilder automatically creates a link to the related HTM file.
Page 205 Moving click boxes in MenuBuilder You can move click boxes in MenuBuilder by dragging. To move a click box: Open the MenuBuilder project. Select the click box to move and drag it to a new location. Tip: You can move multiple click boxes at the same time by pressing the Shift key while clicking different click boxes.
Page 206 Copying click boxes in MenuBuilder You can copy and paste click boxes in MenuBuilder quickly and easily. Tip: You can copy multiple click boxes at the same time by pressing Shift while clicking the click boxes. To copy a click box: Open the MenuBuilder project.
Page 207: Changing Menubuilder Project Options
Deleting click boxes in MenuBuilder You can delete unwanted click boxes in MenuBuilder quickly and easily. Tip: You can delete multiple click boxes at the same time by pressing Shift while clicking the click boxes. To delete a click box: Open the MenuBuilder project.
Page 208 Border Style: This text box contains the border style. Use the pop-up menu to select a different border style for the project. Transparency: This text box contains the transparency value for the project. Use the pop-up menu to select a different transparency value. 0% is opaque; 100% is completely transparent. In the Window Size section, adjust the options: Full Screen: Select this option to create a full-screen project.
Page 209 There are two ways to create transparent projects. By using the MenuBuilder wizard, you can make a project transparent when you first create the project. You can also make an existing project transparent by adjusting the project options. To make a project transparent when you first create it: •...
Page 210 To resize a project: Open the MenuBuilder project. Expand the MenuBuilder application so it is in full-screen mode. Position the mouse at the lower right corner of the project. The mouse pointer changes to a double-sided arrow. Using the left mouse button, drag the corner of the project to the new size. The changing width and height is displayed in the lower right corner of the program window as you drag.
Page 211 Grid size: Use the arrows to select a numeric value for the grid. Values range from 2 to 100. Auto save options Project: Select this option to save projects without a confirmation dialog box. Desktop: Select this option to ensure that MenuBuilder opens with the most recent project. New project options Width: Enter a default width, in pixels, for new MenuBuilder projects.
Page 212: Exporting Menubuilder Projects
Click the Directories tab and adjust the options: Project directory: This option refers to the folder that contains MenuBuilder projects. The contents of this folder appear in the initial MenuBuilder dialog box, allowing you to see existing MenuBuilder projects without navigating. By default, this folder is Program Files\Macromedia\Captivate\MenuBuilder\Projects.
Page 213 Exporting MenuBuilder projects as Flash SWF files Flash format, a SWF file, is a commonly used export option for MenuBuilder projects. To export a project as a Flash SWF file: Create or open the MenuBuilder project. From the File menu, select Export. Select Flash Movie and click Next.
Page 214 Select HTML and click Next. In the Filename text box, accept the default name or enter a new name. In the Directory text box, accept the default path or enter a new path and folder in which to save the exported project. You can also click Browse to navigate to a different folder. If you want to ensure that the HTML file opens automatically, select Generate Autorun file for CD distributions.
Page 215: Chapter 15: Publishing Movies
CHAPTER 15 Publishing Movies After you create a project, you publish your project so others can view the movie. Captivate contains many publishing options and you can publish the movie in as many different formats as you require. • Publishing movies as Flash files (SWF) •...
Page 216: Publishing Movies As Flash Files
Select from the following Output Options: Zip files: This option creates a ZIP file containing the EXE file. (A program like WinZip can be used to open the files.) Full screen: This option opens the EXE file in full screen mode. Note: If you select AICC or SCORM options for the movie, the full screen publishing option cannot be applied.
Page 217: Publishing Movies As Handouts
The Movie information area (visible in Storyboard view) displays useful statistics about the movie including the size (resolution), number of slides, audio information, eLearning details, accessibility compliance, and the playback control assigned to the movie. To change many of the options listed in this area, click Preferences. When you are done, click Publish.
Page 218: Publishing Movies To The Web Using Ftp
Include hidden slides: Select this option to include any slides you have marked as hidden in your movie. (Hidden slides do not appear when the movie is viewed.) Include Mouse Path: Select this option to include any mouse paths that appear on slides. When you are done, click Publish.
Page 219: Sending Movies Using E-Mail
(Optional) Select Save username and password if you want Captivate to save the username and password you entered above. Select output Options. Zip files: This option creates a ZIP file. (A program like WinZip can be used to open the files.) Full screen: This option opens the file in full screen mode.
Page 220: Exporting Text Captions
The Movie information area (visible in Storyboard view) displays useful statistics about the movie including the size (resolution), number of slides, audio information, eLearning details, and the playback control assigned to the movie. To change many of the options listed in this area, click Preferences.
Page 221: Chapter 16: Captivate And Other Software Applications
CHAPTER 16 Captivate and Other Software Applications Captivate and Flash If you are a Flash developer, you can use Captivate to easily record a SWF file and then use the powerful features of Flash to edit the file. Importing from Flash Flash developers can use the Import option (in the File menu) to import a Captivate movie into Flash.
Page 222 To export a Captivate movie into Flash: Open the Captivate movie you want to export. From the File menu, select Import/Export > Export the movie to Flash MX 2004. If you have not saved your project yet, a prompt appears. Click Yes and select a file name and location for the project.
Page 223 Movie elements Audio: Select this option to import any audio files in the Captivate project into Flash. End options: Select this option to import end options, such as looping movie, into Flash. Hints: Select this option to include hint boxes with instructions and the hint layer in Flash (Hints are a Flash feature, not a Captivate element that is imported into Flash.
Page 224 Actions: This layer displays a slide label (in the image above, "Slide 1") so you can see which slide you are editing. Playback Controller: This layer contains the playback control used in the Captivate movie. The Playback Controller layer is hidden, by default. Background Transition: This layer contains any slide or movie transitions included in the movie such as fade in or out.
Page 225: Captivate And Breeze
Editing movies After importing a Captivate movie into Flash, you can begin editing the movie. To open and edit the movie in Flash: Export a movie from Captivate, or import a movie into Flash. To open the movie and show the frames, sounds, background colors, and other elements that comprise the movie, do one of the following: From the Scene Timeline, double-click on the movie on the stage.
Page 226 Publishing movies to a Breeze server You can deliver Captivate simulations and demonstrations through standard web browsers. Macromedia Breeze users can publish Captivate projects directly to a Breeze server. To publish a movie to a Breeze server: Open a Captivate movie. From the File menu, select Publish.
Page 227 Using Captivate with Macromedia Breeze Meeting Create software simulations and product demonstrations in Captivate and then add your content to Breeze Meeting or training courses. This increases the interactivity of Breeze meetings. Presenters can use the Sync button so their actions are viewed by all participants. As the presenter moves their mouse or interacts with the demonstration or simulation, all meeting participants see the presenter's actions on their computers.
Page 228 Navigate to the Captivate SWF file, select the file, and click Open. The upload message appears. When the SWF file has been uploaded, click the Play button on the Captivate playbar to start the movie. (Optional) Click the Sync button as necessary so participants either see actions taken by the presenter or they have control on their individual computers.
Page 229: Captivate And Robohelp
Captivate and RoboHelp You can add Captivate movies to RoboHelp HTML online help systems. This enables you to truly show and tell users important information. Adding a Captivate movie to a RoboHelp project is simple. You create the Captivate movie, add the movie to your RoboHelp project, and select options for how you want to display the project.
Page 230 You can place a Captivate movie in a new RoboHelp topic and then link to that topic from any other topics in the help system. If you select the option to open the movie topic in an auto-sizing pop-up window, the size of the window adjusts to accommodate the height and width of the movie.
Page 231 Captivate can place a Captivate movie in a new RoboHelp topic and then link to that topic from any other topics in the help system. If you select the option to open the movie topic in a new window, your movie will appear in the user's default web browser. To display the movie in a new window: In RoboHelp, create a new topic.
Page 232: Captivate And Powerpoint
Preview the topic to see what the movie looks like, or generate and view your help system to see how the movie looks. Captivate and PowerPoint If you use both Captivate and PowerPoint, there are many ways you can single-source content between the two programs.
Page 233 Importing PowerPoint presentations You can import entire Microsoft PowerPoint presentations directly into Captivate. When you import a PowerPoint presentation, a new Captivate project is created and the individual PowerPoint slides become Captivate slides. Once the new project is created, you can perform all usual Captivate tasks;...
Page 234 From the list of objects, select Shockwave Flash Object. Drag diagonally to create a box that is the size and location for the movie. Tip: You can resize the box in which the movie appears. Return to the slide that contains the movie in PowerPoint, and drag the resizing handles.
Page 235: Chapter 17: Troubleshooting
CHAPTER 17 Troubleshooting The following troubleshooting tips provide answers for some common questions and scenarios. How do I analyze bandwidth Captivate allows you to view how much bandwidth a selected movie requires. You can see how much bandwidth each slide requires and how well the slides stream over a variety of connections. With this knowledge, you can make movie adjustments as necessary.
Page 236: Troubleshooting Animation Timing
Movie Summary: This tab displays movie summary information. Both the size and KB per second are listed for each movie item. Size is much less significant than KB per second. For example, a 500 KB movie running for 60 seconds streams at 8.3 KB per second; this requires a broadband connection.
Page 237 Click on the Summary tab. In the Video section, look for Video compression. If Video compression is not listed, the codec is not installed for the AVI. About Codecs Codecs are used with AVI files. Many AVI are large and Codecs ("compressor/decompressor") have been developed to compress the AVI files so they require less memory.
Page 238: Troubleshooting Choppy Full Motion Recording
Troubleshooting choppy full motion recording You can create a smoother full motion movie, particularly better mouse movement, by disabling hardware acceleration. When hardware acceleration is enabled, it can use a great deal of system resources and result in "choppy" full motion recording. Disabling hardware acceleration results in better full motion recording quality.
Page 239: Troubleshooting Fonts On Transparent Captions
Troubleshooting fonts on transparent captions This problem occurs if transparent captions are created and the system setting for font smoothing (anti-aliasing) is enabled. To fix the font appearance, turn off the font smoothing option. If you use Windows XP: From the Start menu (lower left corner of the computer desktop), select Settings > Control Panel.
Page 240: Troubleshooting Text Viewed In A Browser
There are a number of ways to improve the file size of movies. • One important factor is the kilobytes per second ratio. Check the Bandwidth Analysis to find this factor. Don't despair if your movie is large; it is possible for a large movie to stream well over the Internet.
Page 241: Uninstalling Macromedia Captivate
Uninstalling Macromedia Captivate It is a simple process to uninstall Captivate. When you uninstall Captivate, all of the files you have saved in your My Documents\My Captivate Projects are retained. To uninstall Captivate: From the Windows Start menu, select Settings > Control Panel. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
Page 242 Chapter 17: Troubleshooting...
Page 243: Index
INDEX Authoring requirements 14 Automatic Accessibility recording 44 508 compliant Captivate projects 53 adding slide text 53 importing software tutorials 25 and Captivate 51 Macromedia accessibility website 55 screen readers 51 standards 50 Background audio 77 testing Captivate projects 54 Blank movie (recording) 40 tips 53 Blank slides 125...
Page 244 merging into slides 129 moving 66 Features (Captivate) 9 ordering 69 Filmstrip resizing 66 placement 18 speed 119 using 20 timing 120 Flash file (SWF) 216 Capture area (recording) 35 FTP 218 Capture keys Full motion recording 33 changing 24 comparing to standard 47 Click boxes creating slides 48...
Page 245 moving images 200 moving text 196 JPEG opening projects 191 changing quality 91 options 207 ordering click boxes 206 ordering images 201 Keystroke speed 119 ordering text 197 preferences 210 preview projects 193 Labels (slides) 130 printing projects 193 License (Captivate) projects with transparent backgrounds 208 transferring 16 resizing 209...
Page 246 techniques 29 templates 41 Names (slides) 130 tips and tricks 27 Notes (slides) 131 Recording audio equipment 72 for boxes and buttons 81 Objects options 74 aligning 144 process 75 aligning with grid 147 tips 73 changing display order 145 while creating movie 76 changing size 146 Redoing actions 23...
Page 247 introductory 135 Text entry boxes labels 130 adding 102 locking 138 audio 80, 109 merging objects into 129 deleting 110 notes 131 description 141 order 129 importing 142 question 126 merging into slides 129 recording 123 timing 120 recording additional 42 Themes 29 text 58, 131 Timeline...
Page 248 Wallpaper 28 Watermark images 91 WAV 71 Word 217 Workspace customizing 18 description 17 Index...

This manual is also suitable for:

Captivate

Adobe 65029940 - Captivate - PC Using Manual

CHAPTER 1: Introduction and Installation

CHAPTER 2: Exploring the Workspace

CHAPTER 3: Creating Movies

CHAPTER 4: Adding Text Captions

CHAPTER 5 Adding Audio

CHAPTER 6: Adding Images and Animation

CHAPTER 7: Adding Boxes and Buttons

CHAPTER 8: Editing Mouse Movement

CHAPTER 9: Changing Timing

CHAPTER 10: Slides

CHAPTER 11 Adding Objects

CHAPTER 12: Editing Movies

CHAPTER 13: Creating Elearning Content

CHAPTER 14: Creating a Menu of Captivate Movies

CHAPTER 15: Publishing Movies

CHAPTER 16: Captivate and Other Software Applications

CHAPTER 17: Troubleshooting

Index

Quick Links

Troubleshooting

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Summary of Contents for Adobe 65029940 - Captivate - PC