Essentials Of Adobe Captivate 3
™
v081507
pc: 298
isbn: 1932733175
Notice: Although IconLogic makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and quality of these
materials, all material is provided without any warranty.
Copyright: 1994-2007 by IconLogic, Inc., 3320 Breckenridge Way, Riva, MD 21140,
410.956.4949. This document, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the prior written permission
of IconLogic.
Trademarks: IconLogic, Inc. and the IconLogic logo are registered trademarks of IconLogic.
All companies and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective companies. They are used in this book in an editorial fashion only. No use of any
trade name is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with IconLogic books.
Essentials of
Adobe Captivate 3
“Skills and Drills” Learning
Kevin A. Siegel
“Skills and Drills” Learning
Contents
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
About This Book
About the Author ................................................................................... v
About IconLogic Books............................................................................ v
Book Conventions ................................................................................. vi
Confidence Checks ................................................................................ vi
System Requirements and Data Files ...................................................... vii
Download Data Files From the Web................................................... vii
Need More Books? ................................................................................ ix
Module 1: Introducing Adobe Captivate
Set General Preferences.................................................................... 7
Explore a Project............................................................................ 10
Navigate Projects ........................................................................... 11
Preview a Project ........................................................................... 13
Zoom Closer to a Slide.................................................................... 14
View the Library and Timeline .......................................................... 15
Module 2: Recording Projects
Step Through a Script..................................................................... 18
Set the Recording Type and Options ................................................. 20
Record a Project Manually ............................................................... 22
Record a Demonstration.................................................................. 25
Record an Assessment Simulation .................................................... 28
Record a Training Assessment.......................................................... 31
Record a Custom Project ................................................................. 35
Module 3: Text Captions & the Timeline
Duplicate a Slide and Hide the Mouse................................................ 40
Insert, Resize and Move Text Captions .............................................. 41
Change Text Caption Properties ....................................................... 44
Change an Object’s Slide Position and Size ........................................ 47
View the Timeline........................................................................... 49
Change a Slide’s Display Time.......................................................... 50
Change Timeline View Settings ........................................................ 51
Use the Timeline to Set Text Caption Display Times ............................ 52
Show/Hide Timeline Objects ............................................................ 53
Use Options to Control Object Timing................................................ 54
Set Mouse Properties ...................................................................... 57
Check Spelling ............................................................................... 58
Align Slide Objects ......................................................................... 60
Module 4: Images
Insert and Delete Slides .................................................................. 66
Insert an Image............................................................................. 68
Set Image Size and Slide Position..................................................... 70
Use the Library .............................................................................. 71
Manage Unused Images .................................................................. 73
Create an Image Transparency ........................................................ 74
Create an Image Watermark............................................................ 75
Replace an Image .......................................................................... 76
Set Image Timing Options and Transition Effects ................................ 77
Work With Image Stacks ................................................................. 79
Add a Visual Mouse Click and Click Sound.......................................... 81
ii
© 1994-2007, IconLogic. All Rights Reserved.
Contents
Module 5: Pointers, Buttons and Highlight Boxes
Change the Pointer Path ..................................................................84
Change the Pointer Type..................................................................85
Edit a Slide and Object Display Times ................................................87
Insert a Text Button........................................................................88
Set a Button’s Options.....................................................................90
Insert an Image Button ...................................................................91
Insert and Format a Highlight Box.....................................................92
Module 6: Converting Demonstrations Into Simulations
Hide the Mouse ..............................................................................98
Replace Phrases .............................................................................99
Insert a Click Box ......................................................................... 102
Set Click Box Options .................................................................... 104
Change a Slide’s Display Time ........................................................ 107
Set a Text Caption Transition ......................................................... 108
Insert a Text Entry Box ................................................................. 110
Module 7: Rollovers and Zoom Areas
Insert a Rollover Caption ............................................................... 114
Set Rollover Area Properties........................................................... 116
Insert a Rollover Image ................................................................. 118
Insert a Zoom Area....................................................................... 120
Insert a Rollover Slidelet................................................................ 121
Set Rollover Slidelet Properties ....................................................... 122
Format and Position a Slidelet ........................................................ 123
Insert a Caption Into a Slidelet ....................................................... 124
Insert an Image Into a Slidelet ....................................................... 125
Module 8: Slide Labels, Notes and Audio
Add a Slide Label.......................................................................... 128
Add a Slide Note........................................................................... 130
Add Sound to an Object................................................................. 132
Add Background Audio .................................................................. 134
Calibrate a Microphone .................................................................. 137
Record a Slide Note ...................................................................... 138
Add Audio to a Slide...................................................................... 140
Edit an Audio File.......................................................................... 143
Insert Silence............................................................................... 146
Module 9: Animation and Flash Video
Change a Project’s Frame Rate ....................................................... 150
Add Animation to a Slide ............................................................... 152
Change an Animation’s Slide Position .............................................. 153
Insert Text Animation.................................................................... 154
Insert Flash Video......................................................................... 157
Set Flash Video Properties ............................................................. 158
© 1994-2007, IconLogic. All Rights Reserved.
iii
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
Module 10: Importing and Branching
Import PowerPoint Animation......................................................... 162
Import PowerPoint Backgrounds..................................................... 164
Resize a Project ........................................................................... 166
Import Project Slides and Objects................................................... 169
Label a Slide................................................................................ 170
Use Buttons to Create a Branch...................................................... 172
Explore the Branching Tab............................................................. 173
Export the Branching View ............................................................ 174
Create a Slide Group .................................................................... 175
Work With a Slide Group ............................................................... 176
Module 11: Skins and Templates
Apply a BMP Playbar ..................................................................... 180
Apply a Skin ................................................................................ 181
Edit and Save a Skin .................................................................... 182
Delete a Skin............................................................................... 183
Add a Loading Screen ................................................................... 184
Create a Project Template ............................................................. 186
Create a New Project From a Template............................................ 188
Record Additional Slides ................................................................ 189
Edit a Template ........................................................................... 191
Module 12: Compliant Movies, Bandwidth and Publishing
Enable 508 Compliance ................................................................. 197
Add Accessibility Text ................................................................... 198
Add Closed Captions ..................................................................... 200
Link to a Web Site ........................................................................ 204
Set Project Information................................................................. 206
Check Bandwidth ......................................................................... 207
Publish a Flash (SWF) ................................................................... 209
Publish Word Handouts ................................................................. 213
Export Captions ........................................................................... 216
Perform a “Round Trip” ................................................................. 218
Module 13: Quizzes
Set Quiz Preferences .................................................................... 220
Insert a Question Slide ................................................................. 222
Add an Image to a Question Slide................................................... 225
Reuse a Slide Background ............................................................. 226
Format the Question Title .............................................................. 227
Use the Slide Grid ........................................................................ 228
Format the Progress Indicator........................................................ 229
Create and Rename Question Pools ................................................ 235
Add Questions to Question Pools .................................................... 237
Insert Random Question Slides ...................................................... 240
iv
© 1994-2007, IconLogic. All Rights Reserved.
Contents
Module 14: MenuBuilder
Publish a Standalone Project .......................................................... 244
Create a MenuBuilder Project ......................................................... 246
Add Text Items to a Menu.............................................................. 247
Format Styles .............................................................................. 249
Edit Text Items ............................................................................ 251
Export a MenuBuilder Project ......................................................... 253
Module 15: Learning Management Systems
Set Reporting Options ................................................................... 259
Create a Manifest File.................................................................... 261
Adjust Slide Object Interaction ....................................................... 263
Publish a Content Package ............................................................. 265
Create an LMS Account.................................................................. 267
Create an LMS Lesson ................................................................... 269
Create an LMS Course ................................................................... 271
Create an LMS Curriculum ............................................................. 273
Test an E-Learning Course ............................................................. 275
© 1994-2007, IconLogic. All Rights Reserved.
v
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
vi
© 1994-2007, IconLogic. All Rights Reserved.
“Skills and Drills” Learning
About This Book
About the Author
Kevin A. Siegel is the founder and president of IconLogic, Inc. He has
written more than 100 step-by-step computer training books, including
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 2, Essentials of Adobe Dreamweaver 8,
Essentials of QuarkXPress 7, Accelerated QuarkXPress 6, Essentials of
Adobe InDesign CS3, Essentials of Adobe PageMaker 7 and Essentials of
Adobe RoboHelp 6 HTML.
Kevin spent five years in the U.S. Coast Guard as an award-winning
photojournalist and has more than 23 years experience as a print
publisher and technical writer. He is a certified technical trainer, has
been a classroom instructor for more than 13 years and is a frequent
speaker at trade shows and conventions. Kevin holds multiple
certifications from companies such as Adobe, MadCap Software and the
CompTIA. You can reach Kevin at ksiegel@iconlogic.com.
About IconLogic Books
IconLogic books are unique! They are created by instructors with years
of software training experience. Before IconLogic books, our instructors
rarely found a book that was perfect for a classroom setting. If the book
was beautiful, odds were that the text was too small to read and hard to
follow. If the text in a book was the right size, the quality of exercises
left something to be desired.
Finally tiring of using inadequate materials, our instructors started
teaching without any books at all. Over the years, we’ve had many
students ask if the in-class instruction came from a book. If so, they said
they’d buy the book. That sparked an idea. We asked students — just
like you — what they wanted in a training manual. You responded, and
the results appear in this book.
We hope you enjoy the book. If you have any comments or questions,
please see page ix for our contact information.
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
Book Conventions
This book has been divided into several modules. Since each module builds on
lessons learned in a previous module, we recommend that you complete each
module in succession. During every module, you will be guided through lessons step
by step. Instructions for you to follow will look like this:
instructions for you to follow will look like this
If you are expected to type anything or if something is important, it will be set in
bold type like this:
type 9 in the box
If you are expected to press a key on your keyboard, the key will be in brackets like
this:
press [ctrl]
Confidence Checks
You will also come across the little guy at the right. He indicates
a Confidence Check. Throughout each module you will be guided
through hands-on exercises. But at some point you’ll have to
fend for yourself. That is where Confidence Checks come in.
They’re very important. You must be sure to complete each of
them because some exercises build on completed Confidence
Checks.
vi
© 1994-2007, IconLogic. All Rights Reserved.
About This Book > System Requirements and Data Files
System Requirements and Data Files
System Requirements
To complete the lessons presented in this book, you will need the following software
and hardware: Intel Pentium 4, Intel Centrino, Intel Xeon, or Intel Core Duo
(or compatible) processor, Microsoft® Windows XP with Service Pack 2, Windows
2000 with Service Pack 2, or Windows Vista™ Home Premium, Business, Ultimate,
or Enterprise (certified for 32-bit editions), 512 MB of RAM (1GB recommended),
700 MB of available hard-disk space (additional free space required during
installation), DVD-ROM drive, 800 X 600 screen resolution (1,024 x 768
recommended), Internet or phone connection required for product activation,
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or later, Adobe Flash® Player 7 or later, Microphone
to record audio, Speakers and sound card. You will also need Microsoft Word and
PowerPoint 2000 or newer (see the note at the right). If you would like to purchase
Note:
Captivate, the software can be purchased directly from Adobe at www.adobe.com.
Word and
Adobe Captivate 3 does not come with this book.
PowerPoint
are used
Data Files
during the
Importing,
The data files that support the lessons presented in this book can be downloaded
Exporting and
from our Web site. Instructions for downloading the data files appear below.
Branching
module which
Student Activity: Download Data Files From the Web
begins on
page 162.
1. Download the student data files necessary to complete the lessons presented in
PowerPoint is
this book.
used again
start Internet Explorer (we recommend you use Internet Explorer version 6 or
during the
newer)
MenuBuilder
module which
go to the following Web address: http://www.iconlogic.com/
begins on
click the data files link at the bottom of the page
page 243.
click the PC link
If these
find and click the Captivate 3, Essentials of link
programs are
not installed,
A dialog box will appear asking if you want to Save or Open the data files.
you will not
be able to
click Save
complete all
navigate to your desktop
of the
click Save
activities.
2. After the file downloads, close Internet Explorer.
3. Extract the data files.
find the Captivate3Data.exe file you just downloaded to your desktop
double-click the file to open it
The WinZip Self-Extractor appears.
confirm C:\ appears in the Unzip to folder area
click Unzip
Several files will be extracted.
© 1994-2007, IconLogic. All Rights Reserved.
vii
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
click OK
click Close
The data files are copied to your hard drive. As you move through the lessons in
this book, you will be working with these files.
When you have completed the lessons in this book, you can delete both the
Captivate3Data folder (on the C drive) and the Captivate3Data.exe you
downloaded to your desktop.
viii
© 1994-2007, IconLogic. All Rights Reserved.
About This Book > Need More Books?
Need More Books?
We are proud to offer books on the following subjects:
Editing & Grammar
Abrams’ Guide to Grammar
Editing with MS Word 2003 and Adobe Acrobat 7
Graphics and Multimedia Tools
Captivate versions 1 through 3
Flash Basic 8
PowerPoint versions 4 through 2002
Help Authoring
Captivate versions 1 through 6
Macromedia RoboHelp HTML X5 through Adobe RoboHelp HTML 6
Print Publishing (Page Layout)
InDesign CS2 thru CS3
QuarkXPress versions 6 through 7
Web Page Design and Development
Dreamweaver versions MX 2004 through 8
and there are more coming all the time.
To order, contact
IconLogic, Inc.
3320 Breckenridge Way | Riva, MD 21140 | 410.956.4949
Web: www.iconlogic.com | E-mail: iconlogic@iconlogic.com
© 1994-2007, IconLogic. All Rights Reserved.
ix
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
x
© 1994-2007, IconLogic. All Rights Reserved.
“Skills and Drills” Learning
Rank Your
Skills
Before starting this book, complete the skills assessment on
the next page.
Adobe Captivate 3 Skills Assessment
How this assessment works
Below you will find 10 course objectives for “Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3.” Before starting
the book: Review each objective and rank your skills using the scale next to each objective.
A rank of 1 means No Confidence in the skill. A rank of 5 means Total Confidence. After
you’ve completed this assessment, go through the entire book. After finishing the book:
Review each objective and rank your skills now that you’ve completed the book. Most people
see dramatic improvements in the second assessment after completing the lessons in this
book.
Before-Class Skills Assessment
1. I can record a Custom project.
1
2
3
4
5
2. I can create a Branch in a project.
1
2
3
4
5
3. I can insert a Text Caption.
1
2
3
4
5
4. I can add Click Boxes.
1
2
3
4
5
5. I can insert Highlight Boxes.
1
2
3
4
5
6. I can insert Rollover Captions.
1
2
3
4
5
7. I can add Text Entry Boxes.
1
2
3
4
5
8. I can upload an SCO to an LMS.
1
2
3
4
5
9. I can make a “round-trip” to Word.
1
2
3
4
5
10. I can check Bandwidth Analysis.
1
2
3
4
5
After-Class Skills Assessment
1. I can record a Custom project.
1
2
3
4
5
2. I can create a Branch in a project.
1
2
3
4
5
3. I can insert a Text Caption.
1
2
3
4
5
4. I can add Click Boxes.
1
2
3
4
5
5. I can insert Highlight Boxes.
1
2
3
4
5
6. I can insert Rollover Captions.
1
2
3
4
5
7. I can add Text Entry Boxes.
1
2
3
4
5
8. I can upload an SCO to an LMS.
1
2
3
4
5
9. I can make a “round-trip” to Word.
1
2
3
4
5
10. I can check Bandwidth Analysis.
1
2
3
4
5
IconLogic, Inc.
3320 Breckenridge Way, Riva, MD 21140
www.iconlogic.com
“Skills and Drills” Learning
Module 1: Introducing
Adobe Captivate
In This Module You Will Learn To
• Start Adobe Captivate 3 and
Set General Preferences
• Open and Close Existing
Projects
• View Project Information and
Open Slides
• Preview a Project
• Zoom Closer to a Slide
• View the Library and Timeline
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
What Is Captivate?
I spent several years as a photographer in the U.S. Coast Guard. During that time, I
focused most of my energies on capturing stories with still-life images. I was
successful to a large degree and forever more became a firm believer in the old
axiom “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
As an instructional designer and technical writer, I have spent years attempting to
perfect the art of teaching complicated programs by using fewer and fewer words. If
you are in the business of educating, you know how difficult this job can be. My
books have long been known for their skills-and-drills approach to learning. The term
“skills-and-drills” learning means different things to different people. For some, it
means fast-moving lessons that do not drown a person with unnecessary
information. For me, “skills-and-drills learning” means learning—with pictures.
Humans, as a species, think not with words, but with pictures. If I told you to close
your eyes and picture three, without being specific, it is a good bet that things such
as three cupcakes, three bowls of ice cream or three tubs of money would flash in
your mind’s eye. Maybe a large numeral 3 appeared—not the word “three,” but a
picture. We think in terms of pictures. For this reason, my books often contain
hundreds of screen captures that quickly explain with pictures a concept that would
take many paragraphs to describe.
But a picture is static. No matter how good a picture is, it can never tell specific
information or show a concept in detail. For that reason, I went in search of a
program I could use to augment the lessons taught in my books. I found several that
I liked. The programs captured my computer’s screen and mouse actions well
enough, but the resulting projects were huge. A five-minute project could easily
gobble up nearly 100 mb of storage space on my server. Downloading a file that
large would take a lot of time, even if a user had a fast Internet connection. Large file
sizes were just part of the problem. The projects were not cross-platform (they would
not work on both Macs and PCs) and there was not much interactivity.
The technology for creating interactive lessons was so bad that I decided to give up
the concept and wait until someone came up with a program that had what it takes
to be a useful tool. That program arrived a few years ago—it was called RoboDemo,
distributed by eHelp Software. In 2004, eHelp was purchased by Macromedia (of
Dreamweaver and Flash fame). Macromedia revamped RoboDemo, added some
much-needed features and released RoboDemo with a new name—Captivate. In
2005, Adobe acquired Macromedia. Hence, the program is now known as Adobe
Captivate, and version 3 is the latest and greatest version.
Using Captivate, you can create computer-based simulations from anything you can
access from your computer. The simulations you create can be interactive—you can
add captions, rollovers, clickable areas, typing areas and sound effects.
The finished simulations, or projects, will be small. They can be exported to either a
Flash file format (SWF), executable files or Word documents. The Flash files are
cross-platform and can be viewed via a Web browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape
Navigator).
2
© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Introducing Adobe Captivate > Planning Your Projects >
Planning Your Projects
By the time you finish the last lesson in this book, you will be able to use Captivate to
create projects. The projects you learn to create will work the way the Adobe’s
software developers intended. However, just because you can create tactically
perfect projects does not necessarily mean you will go out and create good projects.
If you want to create good, useful projects you have to plan ahead. Before recording
your first real project, you should ask yourself the following questions:
Who is my audience?
What do I want my projects to teach my audience?
Is my audience young or old?
Is my audience educated?
Is my audience hearing challenged?
Do I want my projects to contain images and background music? If so,
where will I get them?
Will there be captions (written instructions and descriptions)? If so, who is
going to write the captions?
Will I use a storyboard or script? (Storyboards are rough sketches that
show the general content of your project, slide by slide. If your projects
contain more screen shots of an application than captions, a storyboard is a
good idea. Scripts, which are detailed step-by-step procedures, are ideal if
your project will contain a significant number of captions.)
Do I want my projects to be demonstrations, assessments or a combination
of both?
When planning projects, keep in mind that most useful projects contain the following
basic elements:
Title slide (telling the audience what they are going to learn)
Credits and Copyright slide
Narration, music and other sound effects
Images and animations
Interactivity (click boxes, text entry boxes and buttons)
An ending slide (reviewing what the audience learned)
© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
3
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
The CBT Development Process
I wouldn’t disagree with people who say that Captivate is a very easy program to
learn and use. Compared with programs like Adobe PhotoShop, they’re right.
Captivate is easy. In fact, you’ll have it pretty much figured out in two days or less
(that’s the time it should take you to finish this book). However, there’s a whole
development process you need to go through if you intend to produce effective
Computer Based Training (CBTs), and Captivate mastery is only a small part of that
process. Getting a handle on the CBT development process isn’t easy. It takes a lot
of practice, experience and, above all, patience.
I’ve outlined my CBT development process below. While this list is by no means
complete, it’ll give you a nice overview. I’ve also included a power scale that
demonstrates the skill level necessary to get the job done. The scale goes from 1 to
10, with 10 indicating a potentially difficult process.
Write It: If you’re not a writer, you’ll need someone to write the step-by-step
instructions (also known as a script or storyboard) necessary to record the project in
Captivate. You’ll typically find technical writers doing this kind of work, and I consider
this the most important process. Without a good script, you don’t have a movie.
Think I’m kidding? What do Battlefield Earth, Barb Wire, Godzilla, Heaven’s Gate,
Popeye and Ishtar have in common? (Power Scale: 10)
Note: If you are not a writer, the Write It phase of the production
cycle could prove impossible. I have written a book called Adobe
Captivate 3: Script Writing and Production Guide that may prove
helpful. You can learn more about the book at iconlogic.com.
Rehearse It: Take the completed script and go through it with the software you’ll be
recording in front of you. Don’t skip any steps. You’ll be able to see if the steps you
wrote are incomplete or inaccurate before you attempt to record the movie in
Captivate. (Power Scale: 2)
Reset It: After rehearsing the steps, be sure to “undo” everything you did. Few
things are more frustrating than recording your movie only to find a step you intend
to demonstrate has already been performed. (Power Scale: 1)
Record It: If rehearsals went well, the recording process should as well. (Power
Scale: 1)
Clean It: This is where you add all of the interactivity in Captivate including highlight
boxes, captions, text entry fields, buttons, question slides, etc. If the project contains
70–80 slides and each slide needs your attention, you should expect to budget 7–10
hours to get the project perfected. (Power Scale: 8)
Publish It: While not a difficult task, if your project is large this could take a great
deal of time. You cannot do any work in Captivate while your project is publishing.
(Power Scale: 1)
Post It: This is a broad category. Posting your project will mean different things
depending on where your finished lessons are supposed to go. For instance, if your
lessons are supposed to end up inside a Learning Management System (LMS), you
will have to enable the Enable and set up the reporting features for your project,
Publish the project and then upload or install it into the LMS. After the lesson has
been uploaded, you will need to test the lesson to ensure it scores as expected. If
you plan to simply add the lessons to your Web site, Posting may be as simple as
using Captivate’s FTP feature to upload the lesson files to your Web server. (Power
Scale: 2 or 3... or higher if your LMS is difficult to use)
4
© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Introducing Adobe Captivate > The CBT Development Process >
Test It: This task isn’t difficult, but it could take time. If you find a problem, you’ve
got to go back and clean it, publish it and re-test it. Some people argue that this step
belongs above the Publish It process. I cannot argue with that logic. However, after
testing the project, you’ll still need to Publish it and, as I mentioned above, if you’re
working with an LMS, upload it and test again. Maybe it should be Test It, Publish It,
Test It. See how easy I am? (Power Scale: 2)
Republish, Repost, Re-test: If something didn’t work when you tested the posted
version of your lesson, you’ll have to return to Captivate and fix the problem. After
that, you’ll Publish, Post and Test again. While this may not be a difficult process, it
could take time. (Power Scale: 2 or 3... or higher if you can’t resolve the problem)
© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
5
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
Resolution and Recording Size
Screen Resolution
A computer monitor is measured in pixels—a little square that is the basic component
of any computer graphic. If a monitor is set to show more pixels, it is known as
increasing the resolution. At a higher resolution, graphics will look sharper, but
smaller. The fewer pixels you request, the lower the resolution, and the larger the
screen elements appear.
Consider the following Web browser statistics (compiled by w3schools.com): First,
Internet Explorer (IE) is currently the most popular Web browser. Second, the trend
in monitor resolution settings is 1024x768 pixels. If your computer is set to a high
resolution (1024x768) when you record a project, a user viewing your project at a
lower Screen resolution (800x600) will have to scroll significantly to see your project.
In contrast, if your computer is set to a low Screen resolution (800x600) when you
record your project, a user with a higher Screen resolution (1024x768) will have no
trouble viewing your project. However, if you record your projects at the lower
Screen resolution, you may not be happy with the appearance of the screen icons
and fonts (they may be too big and not as sharp as they would appear at the higher
Screen resolution). I’d know what you’re thinking, “So many Screen resolution
concerns, so little time!” I like to say that Screen resolution was your only worry.
Sorry, there’s more. How big of a Recording Area are you going to use?
Recording Area
The Recording Area is not the same thing as Screen resolution (although the two
settings are constantly confused). The Recording Area is the physical size the screen
that you will be capturing in Captivate. There are several Preset sizes from 220 x 230
up to 1024 x 768, and you can specify your own. With so many choices, what should
you do? I recommend that you set your Screen resolution to 1024x768. In addition, I
recommend a Recording Area of 800 x 600 or smaller if possible.
Desktop Wallpaper and Icons
Wallpaper is the image you can put on your desktop (such as a picture of a family
member or your company logo). Because the Wallpaper can be distracting in a
project, you should consider disabling it before you begin recording any projects that
include the desktop. If you are only recording your application and do not intend to
show the desktop, there is no need to worry about the desktop settings.
To remove the wallpaper on your computer, refer to your computer’s Help system
or user manual. Plain desktop colors work best because they will help keep your
projects small. You should also select a Windows Desktop Theme that does not
contain gradients in the window title bars. Eliminating the gradients results in high-
quality projects. Icons are the little items on your desktop that “point” to programs
or files—and like a wallpaper, they can be distracting if left in the background of a
project. If there are a large number of icons on your desktop, you should consider
moving or removing them.
6
© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Introducing Adobe Captivate > The Captivate Interface > Set General Preferences
The Captivate Interface
The trend in today’s programs is lots of tools and palettes. Anyone who has used
Adobe’s other products such as InDesign or PhotoShop knows that you can quickly
find yourself in palette hell. That’s not a criticism of the other Adobe applications—in
fact, I love most of them. But all of those palettes can be intimidating to a novice.
One of the things I love about Adobe Captivate is its simple interface. When you start
Captivate, you will see a menu bar at the top of the window containing just a few
options (File, Edit, View and Help). The main part of the screen has an area showing
recently opened projects, links for recording new projects, and Getting Started
Tutorials. The interface, while remaining simple, changes as you create, open and
work on projects.
Student Activity: Set General Preferences
1. Start Captivate.
choose Start > All Programs > Adobe > Adobe Captivate 3
The picture below is an example of what you will see the first time you start
Captivate 3.
2. Show Captivate’s Preferences.
choose Edit > Preferences
The Captivate Preferences dialog box appears. There are two main
categories in the list at the left: Global and Recording. The Global options
affect such things as Confirmation messages, Grid Options, Spelling
Preferences and more. The Recording category lets you control
myriad settings that you will use during the Recording Phase of the
development process (see page 4).
© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
3. Display the Global Preferences.
select the Global Category from the list at the left of
the dialog box
4. Enable the Confirmation messages.
from the Confirmation messages area, ensure all of
the check boxes are selected
Confirmation messages allow you to confirm actions such as deleting
projects and slides. Without these messages, it is possible for accidents,
such as unintentionally deleting slides or slide objects, to happen. It is
recommended that you not turn these options off until you are very
comfortable with Captivate.
5. Set the Grid options.
from the Grid options area, ensure Show grid and Snap to grid are both
deselected
The Show grid option displays a grid on your slides that
could prove useful for precise placement of slide objects.
The Snap to grid feature would cause the grid to act like a
magnet. Every time an object gets close to the grid, the grid
would grab the object, making it easier for you to line objects
up to the grid. After you have completed the lessons in this
book, you can elect to turn these options on.
6. Enable Docking toolbars.
from the Docking toolbars area, ensure Enable
docking is selected
With this feature selected, you can drag Captivate’s
toolbars around and attach them to the edges of the screen.
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© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Introducing Adobe Captivate > The Captivate Interface > Set General Preferences
7. Confirm Spelling options.
click the Change button
from the Spelling Preferences area
ensure your Spelling options match the screen below (you will be using the
Spell Checker during lessons that begin on page 58)
click OK (to close the Spelling options dialog box)
click OK again (to close the Preferences dialog box)
© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
Student Activity: Explore a Project
1. Read the Note in the margin of this page.
2. Open a project.
choose File > Open (or click the Open link from the Open a recent
Project area)
The Open dialog box appears.
navigate to the Captivate3Data folder and open Demo.cp
Note: You are
The project opens and you can see its slides in Storyboard view.
about to open
a file stored in
a folder called
Captivate3Data.
That folder
should be
located on your
hard drive
(C:\). If you
have not
already done
so, you will
need to install
the data files.
If necessary,
complete the
activity on
page vii before
continuing with
this activity.
3. Close the project.
choose File > Close (do not save the project if prompted)
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© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Introducing Adobe Captivate > The Captivate Interface > Navigate Projects
Student Activity: Navigate Projects
1. Use the Open a recent project area to reopen a project.
click Demo from the Open a recent project area
After the project opens, notice there are three tabs at the left of the window:
Storyboard, Edit and Branching.
2. Use the Storyboard tab to view Information about the project.
select the Storyboard tab (if necessary) to activate it
click the word Information on the Storyboard tab
(shown circled in the picture at the right)
The Information area either expands or collapses.
if necessary, click the word Information on the
Storyboard tab again to expand the Information area
The information you see in the Information area pertains
to the open Demo project. You can see such information
as the project’s Resolution (800x600, which is the Recording Area used when
the project was recorded, not the Display Screen Resolution) and the number
of slides it contains (64).
3. View the Edit tab.
select the Edit tab (the Edit tab is just to the right of the Storyboard tab)
Your slides appear vertically in a Film Strip. While in Edit mode, you could
make changes to the slide, which appears in the middle of the window.
In the picture below, the Film Strip is at the left (with the Storyboard and
Branching tabs). There is a Notes area beneath the slide and a Library at
the right (the Library shown in the picture below may or may not be on your
screen—you will learn how to display the Library on page 15).
Active slide
Miniatures of
Library
your slides
appear on the
tabs.
Notes area
© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
11
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
4. View slides using the Edit tab.
scroll up or down the Edit tab as necessary until you see Slide 7 on the
Film Strip
click one time on Slide 7 to view the slide for editing
5. View a slide using the Go to Slide command.
choose Edit > Go to Slide
The Go to Slide dialog box appears.
type any slide number between 1 and 64
click OK
6. View a slide using your keyboard.
press either [page up] or [page down] on your keyboard
As you press the keys, notice that you quickly move from slide to slide.
7. Display the Main toolbar.
choose View > Toolbars > Main
The Main toolbar looks like the picture below. If you do not see it, it is certainly
possible that the step you just took actually hid the toolbar. In that case,
please repeat this step again.
8. View slides using the Previous and Next buttons.
click the Previous and Next buttons
on the Main toolbar
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© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Introducing Adobe Captivate > The Captivate Interface > Preview a Project
Student Activity: Preview a Project
1. Preview a project.
click the Preview tool
on the Main toolbar (if you do not see
the Main toolbar, choose View > Toolbars > Main now)
choose Project
The project is generated and the project begins to play.
2. Spend a moment watching the project and interacting with the screens when
prompted. As you move through the lessons in this book, you will learn how to
create projects with features similar to those in this simulation.
There are three playbars you can use to skip ahead through the simulation.
One is located at the top of the window; a second other is located at the far
right of the window. Neither of these two playbars will appear when you
Publish the project. A third playbar appears at the bottom of the window. This
is the playbar users will see (and use) when the project is published. You will
learn to Publish a project on page 209.
3. When you are finished interacting with the simulation (you do not need to
watch the entire thing), click Close Preview located at the top of the window.
© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
13
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
Student Activity: Zoom Closer to a Slide
1. Go to any slide in Demo.cp.
2. Zoom closer to the slide.
find the Zoom field in the upper right of the slide
select 400% from the Zoom drop down menu
The farther you are from the slide, the less accurate things appear on the
slide. You are now up close and personal to the slide. The ability to zoom
closer to a slide could prove helpful while working with slide
objects—especially if you need to line a specific area of one object up with
another.
3. Change the slide zoom to Best Fit
select Best fit from the Zoom drop down menu
Depending on the size of the Captivate window, Best fit is typically the best
view for working on a slide.
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© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Introducing Adobe Captivate > The Captivate Interface > View the Library and Timeline
Student Activity: View the Library and Timeline
1. Hide and display the Library.
choose View > Show Library
If the Library was open, it is now hidden from view. If it was hidden, you can
now see the Library. You will learn to use the Library on page 71.
2. Hide and display the Timeline.
choose View > Show Timeline
As with the Library, if the Timeline was open, it is now hidden from view. If it
was hidden, you can now see the Timeline. You will learn to use the Timeline
on page 47.
Confidence Check
1. Show both the Library and Timeline.
2. Hide both the Library and Timeline.
3. Choose Help > Adobe Captivate Help.
4. Select the Search tab.
5. Type recording into the Search field and click the List
Topics button.
6. Select Recording software simulations in multiple
modes from the Select topics list and then click the Display button.
7. Review the information that appears. You will learn to use this feature during
the next module.
8. Close the Help window.
9. Close the Demo project (do not save if prompted).
© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
15
Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3
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© 1994-2007, IconLogic, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
