Macromedia Adobe Captivate 2 User Manual

2

™

Captivate

®

Adobe

Using Adobe Captivate

© 2006 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Using Adobe® Captivate™

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: Introduction and Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Key features of Adobe Captivate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

What’s new in Adobe Captivate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Using Adobe Captivate Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Guide to Adobe Captivate instructional media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Adobe Captivate and accessibility issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

About using Adobe Captivate with other applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

About converting RoboDemo and Adobe Captivate projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Authoring requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

End-user requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Installing Adobe Captivate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Registering Adobe Captivate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

CHAPTER 2: Exploring the Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

About Adobe Captivate views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

About the Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Customizing the work environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Displaying and docking toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Using the Filmstrip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Using the Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Displaying confirmation messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Using shortcut keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Magnification Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Undoing and redoing actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Changing capture keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

About the Bandwidth Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

CHAPTER 3: Creating Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Opening existing projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Importing Microsoft PowerPoint projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

About planning projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

About recording and creating new projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Recording software simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Recording scenario simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Recording other types of projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

About using project templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

3

Using full motion recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Creating accessible projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Localizing Captive projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

CHAPTER 4: Adding Text Captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

About adding text captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Adding plain text to a slide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Adding text captions automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Adding rollover captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Changing the rollover area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Converting tooltips to rollover captions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Localizing text captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Editing text captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Creating custom text caption styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Moving and resizing text captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Copying and pasting text captions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Importing text captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Exporting text captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Changing text caption order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Deleting text captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

CHAPTER 5: Adding Audio and Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

About adding audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Adding existing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Equipment for recording audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Tips for recording audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Setting audio recording options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Calibrating microphones for recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Recording audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Recording audio while creating a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Creating background audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Using a custom keyboard tap sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Adding silence to an audio file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Adjusting audio volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Adding existing audio to boxes and buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Recording audio for boxes and buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Setting keyboard tap sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Editing audio files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Editing audio timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Viewing audio details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Adding closed captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Previewing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Exporting audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Deleting audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

About adding video. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Adding a video file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Setting video options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Setting audio options for the video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Setting position options for the video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

4 Contents

CHAPTER 6: Adding Images and Animation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Adding images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Adding rollover images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Inserting images as slides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Creating watermark images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Changing JPEG quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Deleting images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

About animation in Adobe Captivate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Adding animations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Adding animated text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Adding animation slides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

CHAPTER 7: Adding Boxes and Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Highlight boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Click boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Text entry boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Adding highlight boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Adding click boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Adding text entry boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Adding buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Adding JavaScript to boxes and buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Adding existing audio to boxes and buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Deleting buttons and boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

CHAPTER 8: Editing Mouse Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Changing mouse pointers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Changing mouse pointer size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Changing mouse click sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Setting mouse click effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Changing mouse movements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Aligning mouse paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Using straight and curved mouse paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Hiding the mouse pointer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Enabling the mouse wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

CHAPTER 9: Changing Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Customizing Timeline appearance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Changing the order of object layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Hiding and locking object layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Previewing a slide using the playhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Changing slide timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Setting caption speed automatically. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Changing keystroke speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Changing mouse pointer speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Changing object timing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Controlling Adobe Captivate projects with variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Contents 5

CHAPTER 10: Slides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Adding slides to a project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Editing slides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Changing how a project starts and ends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Adding skins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Securing slides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

CHAPTER 11: Adding and Managing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Importing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Using the Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Managing objects with the stage toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Duplicating objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Copying and pasting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Copying and pasting objects from other projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

Aligning objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Aligning objects on the Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Changing object display order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Changing the size of multiple objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Aligning objects with the grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

Adjusting object size and position by pixel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Merging objects into a slide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Managing interactive objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

CHAPTER 12: Editing Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Determining the size of your project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Deleting projects or templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Hiding projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Previewing projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Renaming projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Resizing projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Setting the background color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Setting project preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Adding a loading screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Setting project properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Using a custom keyboard tap sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Checking spelling in Adobe Captivate projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

CHAPTER 13: Creating eLearning Content. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

About branching in Adobe Captivate projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

About editing branching in Adobe Captivate projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Exporting Branching view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Creating question slides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Setting eLearning output options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Setting eLearning pass rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Creating question review messages for quizzes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Creating a manifest file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Creating a PIF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Organizing quizzes with the Quiz Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

6 Contents

CHAPTER 14: Creating a Menu of Adobe Captivate Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

About creating MenuBuilder projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

About using text in MenuBuilder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

Using images in MenuBuilder Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

About using click boxes in MenuBuilder projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

About changing MenuBuilder project options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

About exporting MenuBuilder projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

CHAPTER 15: Publishing Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

Publishing projects as stand-alone (EXE) files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

Publishing projects to Adobe Connect Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258

Publishing projects as Flash files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Publishing projects as printed Word output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260

Publishing projects to the web using FTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264

Sending projects using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

Publishing an AICC content or a SCORM package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

Exporting text captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

CHAPTER 16: Adobe Captivate and Other Software Applications. . . . . . . . . . . 269

Adobe Captivate and Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269

Adobe Captivate and Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274

Adobe Captivate and RoboHelp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

Adobe Captivate and Microsoft PowerPoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

CHAPTER 17: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Troubleshooting Adobe Captivate project startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Troubleshooting animation timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Troubleshooting application distortion when recording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

Troubleshooting capturing while recording a web application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

Troubleshooting choppy full motion recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

Correcting colors in slides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

Troubleshooting fonts on transparent captions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

Troubleshooting Adobe Captivate output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

Troubleshooting video errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

Troubleshooting text viewed in a browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Troubleshooting font size in text entry boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Troubleshooting the number of slides in a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Troubleshooting publishing projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Troubleshooting quizzing errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Troubleshooting exporting projects to Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

Troubleshooting JavaScript that does not appear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

Troubleshooting the Skin Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

Uninstalling Adobe Captivate 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

Contents 7

8 Contents

CHAPTER 1

Introduction and Installation

Adobe® Captivate™ 2 is a professional software tool that you can use to quickly create interactive
demonstrations and simulations in a variety of formats including Macromedia® Flash® from
Adobe (SWF) and executable files (EXE). Anyone who needs to develop online product
demonstrations, software simulations for e-learning, or online tutorials for user support will find
Adobe Captivate an ideal solution. Adobe Captivate includes everything you need to record
actions in any application and instantly create a simulation.

Adobe Captivate lets you add customized text captions, audio (voice-overs, background music,
and sound effects), video, animation, text animations, images, hyperlinks, and more to your
projects. A small file size and high resolution make Adobe Captivate simulations and
demonstrations easy to publish online or burn to CD for use in training, sales, marketing, or user
support.

If you use Adobe Captivate to create e-learning content, you can add fully interactive question
slides, buttons, click boxes, and text entry boxes. Adobe Captivate is SCORM 1.2 and 2004
certified and PENS and AICC compliant, allowing effortless integration with any learning
management system (LMS) or Questionmark Perception.

Key features of Adobe Captivate

Adobe Captivate has the following key features:

• Rapidly develop software simulations and demonstrations Get up and running in Adobe

Captivate immediately with a friendly user interface and a new Project wizard that walks you
through creating scenario-based simulations. Or simply start recording any application and
Adobe Captivate automatically captures every action on the screen. Increase productivity using
timesaving features like AutoText Captions (automatically inserts a text description of each
recorded task), automatic addition of highlight boxes, scored user interactions, and
instructional feedback.

• Create simulations and demonstrations in Flash format, without knowing Flash When

the recording is done, Adobe Captivate instantly creates a Flash simulation of onscreen actions,
complete with smooth mouse animations and text descriptions or scored interactions with
instructional feedback. No Flash knowledge or programming skills are required.

9

• Edit slides and mouse movement Every screen is a completely editable slide that can be

removed, replaced, or revised. Audio mistakes can easily be fixed using the new audio editor.
This makes changing or updating projects easy.

• Include interactivity without programming Increase the effectiveness of simulations by

easily adding interactivity including quizzing with scoring and branching, text entry boxes 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. You
can view and edit all interaction and branching in the new Branching view and Advanced
Interaction dialog box. When recording in simulation mode, Adobe Captivate automatically
adds scored interactions and instructional feedback.

• Integrate with other e-learning applications Leverage existing resources by integrating

simulations with other e-learning tools. Adobe Captivate supports SCORM 2004, SCORM

1.2, PENS and AICC, making it easy to deploy simulations through any learning management
system (LMS). Adobe Captivate integrates especially well with Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™
Professional, even generating special files in the background that enable tracking and searching
in Acrobat Connect Professional.

• Let Adobe Captivate do the work, and then import projects into Flash Take the m a n ual

work out of creating software simulations and demonstrations in Flash. With Adobe Captivate,
you don’t need to manually take screenshots and add mouse tweens in Flash. Record
applications in Adobe Captivate and export the project to Flash MX 2004 or Flash 8 for
advanced editing and further development.

• Enhance the Acrobat Connect Professional experience Increase training effectiveness by

adding interactive simulations to Acrobat Connect Professional and Adobe® Acrobat®
Connect™ Training 6. Viewers can be active participants who can fully interact with the
simulation.

• Maximize creativity with custom controls, templates, and menus Customize templates,

captions, and playback controls to match corporate identity or the graphical interface of
applications. Create eye-catching menu pages to display any set of Adobe Captivate projects,
enabling end users to access multiple simulations from one central location.

• Publish to a variety of formats Author a simulation once and generate multiple file formats

including SWF and EXE for easy distribution in the format of choice. Easily create handouts
or job aids using the Microsoft Word publish feature.

• Deliver rich media projects to over 98% of web users In Adobe Captivate, create high

quality content while maintaining a small file size. Immediately email projects, or post them on
a web site, Intranet, or an online help system. Take advantage of the Adobe® Flash® Player to
stream interactive projects. No plug-in downloads are necessary; over 98% of Internet users
can already view Flash files.

10 Chapter 1: Introduction and Installation

What’s new in Adobe Captivate

Adobe Captivate 2 provides major new features and enhancements, including the following:

• Compile scenario simulations for training Easily create interactive training modules. You

can simulate scenarios that form demonstrations, assessments, or training sessions in three easy
steps.

• View complex scenario branching Rapidly develop scenario-based training by visually

mapping out the different learner paths. Collapse and expand sections of the simulation and
focus on the branching at the end of slides based on a learner’s choice in the beginning of the
simulation.

• Manage project interactions globally Speed up development and manage all project

interactions globally. Organized as a table, the Advanced Interaction dialog provides easy
editing of all interaction options such as branching, attempts, success and failure actions,
shortcuts, time limits, scoring and reporting.

• Enhance training with Flash Video Add and customize the presentation of video in training

content with an easy, dialog driven process. Benefit from alpha channel support and the ability
to insert Flash Video recorded with green screens. Create engaging content with avatars
pointing out screen areas, or use videos for characters in scenarios.

• Create scenario- or interaction-based training Develop projects for training that include

“soft skills” such as role-play, sales, or management training. With the scenario simulation, you
can create a project in three easy steps.

• Reuse and update content in the project Library Save production time and manage all

project components using the Library panel. Drag objects from the Library onto slides or into
the Timeline. Reuse content and import libraries from existing projects. Launch third-party
tools from within the Library to edit, or update Library objects such as audio or image files.

• Focus the learner’s attention by zooming in or graying out Engage the learner by focusing

attention to specific areas. Simply gray out the rest of the screen or magnify a particular screen
area with a zoom effect. Both effects can be combined for maximum awareness. The zoom
effect retains all interactivity of the enlarged area so learners can focus on practicing a particular
task.

• Enhance projects in Flash from Adobe Captivate Take projects from Adobe Captivate to

Flash for further development using the improved, powerful Flash export feature. Adobe
Captivate also exports the playback controls and other objects such as full-motion slides and
text animations.

• Improve look and feel with skins and menus Simplify navigation by adding a pop-up menu

with a list of demonstrations or simulations. Create a professional look and feel by using a
customizable skin. The playback controls and the menu are displayed as part of the skin and
don’t cover any areas of the training content.

• Leverage industry standards Leverage SCORM 2004 packaging and runtime

communication. Adobe Captivate supports SCORM 2004, SCORM 1.2, PENS, and AICC,
to easily deploy simulations through any LMS. Generate demonstrations and simulations that
are 508 compliant to reach audiences with disabilities.

What’s new in Adobe Captivate 11

• Print step-by-step job aids Provide printed documentation and generate concise step-by-

step guides. Use Adobe Captivate as a performance support tool and automatically convert
complex tasks into a printer-friendly job aid.

• Customize scoring slides Control the look and feel of quiz result slides. You can customize

all aspects of a slide including the score options displayed and the default text captions.
Reposition the slide by dragging in the film strip.

• Insert slide notes from the Edit, Storyboard, and Branching tabs You can now use the

Slide Note panel in the Edit, Storyboard, or Branching tabs to add notes to slides in your
presentation.

• Customize the size and position of objects You can use the Size and Position tab to define

the size and position of objects such as captions, boxes, buttons, zoom area, text animation.
Also you can use the Position tab to define the position of a Flash® Video. The size and position
dimensions are displayed in the Stage toolbar when you select the object.

• Work faster, edit more easily Save time and increase productivity with a multitude of

streamlined workflows and usability enhancements such as the new hide and lock option in the
Timeline, automatic addition of text entry boxes during simulation capture, color picker,
customizable workspace, zoom in edit view, an improved user interface and many more.
Benefit from increased product and playback performance.

• Enhanced settings for object properties The Apply to all option in the Slide Properties and

all object dialog boxes, lets you choose to apply options selected in the Settings menu, to all
slides in the project. The Settings menu in the Slide Properties lets you select how to apply
property changes in the project.

• Simplified e-learning content transferring from authoring or content systems to an

Adobe Captivate 2 supports PENS, so you can publish e-learning courseware to an

LMS

LMS with a one-time configuration in Adobe Captivate and a single click while publishing
content.

• Improved accessibility Closed captioning gives people with hearing disabilities access to

Adobe Captivate presentations. You can add descriptive information that explains the audio
recording in written text.

Using Adobe Captivate Help

Adobe Captivate Help uses WebHelp Pro as its output and is designed to open in your default
web browser. Because Adobe 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 the option to
view Adobe Captivate Help offline, instead of from the server.

To access offline help:

• From the Help menu, select Use Offline Help.

Using the Help window

Adobe Captivate Help includes the following left panes. To access each pane, click the Contents,
Index, Search, or Glossary button in the toolbar.

12 Chapter 1: Introduction and Installation

Navigation buttons

Contents The Contents pane displays the table of contents, books, and pages that represent the

categories of information in Adobe Captivate Help. When you click a closed book, it opens to
display its content (sub-books and pages). When you click an open book, it closes. When you
click pages, you select topics to view in the right pane.

Index The Index pane displays a multilevel list of keywords and keyword phrases. These terms

are associated with topics in Adobe Captivate Help and are intended to direct you to specific
topics according to your way of working. To open a topic in the right pane associated with a
keyword, click the keyword. If the keyword is used with more than one topic, a dialog box
appears so you can select the topic to view, and then click Display.

Search When you type a question in the Search pane, related topics appear on the right. (This

feature is called natural language search.) You can enter questions or keywords.

Glossary The Glossary pane displays a glossary similar to one that you find in a printed

publication. The glossary is a list of words, short phrases, and definitions related to Adobe
Captivate. When you select a term from the top pane (“Term”), its corresponding definition is
displayed in the lower pane (“Definition”).

Toolbars

These features provide quick, easy navigation for getting around in Help.

Browse sequences The browse buttons (Next and Previous) are located at the top of the

browser. Browse sequence buttons are different from the Back and Forward buttons, as they
present topics in a predetermined order.

Full-text search The Search text box enables you to perform a full-text search of Adobe

Captivate Help. This type of search locates topics containing the text you enter in the Search text
box. Full-text searches examine every word in Adobe Captivate Help to find matches. When the
search is completed, a list of topics is displayed so you can select a specific topic to view.

Browser toolbar The toolbar at the top of the window is the standard toolbar for your default

browser. Use it to move forward and backward through the history of visited topics.

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.

Navigating topics

You can use links and Related Topics buttons to navigate through topics.

Links Blue underlined text denotes a hyperlink that jumps to another topic or web page, a pop-

up link that displays a window over the main window, or a text-only pop-up menu that displays a
brief text description. Some links “drop down” additional text or “expand” text to the right.

Using Adobe Captivate Help 13

Related Topics buttons When you click a Related Topics button, a pop-up menu displays a

list of related topics. Click a topic in the pop-up menu and it opens in the right pane.

Note: To see Adobe Captivate version information, select Help > About Adobe Captivate. A dialog
box appears identifying the version of Adobe Captivate installed on your system.

Guide to Adobe Captivate instructional media

Adobe Captivate includes resources that help you learn the program quickly and become
proficient in creating your own Adobe Captivate projects.

Adobe Captivate Help includes comprehensive information about using all aspects of Adobe
Captivate. To view Adobe Captivate Help, open Adobe Captivate, and from the Help menu,
select Adobe Captivate Help.

Getting started projects are actual Adobe Captivate projects that show you how to use Adobe
Captivate. Watch these projects to see Adobe Captivate and its new features in action. (The
projects are listed on the Adobe Captivate Start page, or in Adobe Captivate, click the Help
menu, select Getting started projects, and pick a project to view.)

Using Adobe Captivate is a PDF version of the contents of Adobe Captivate Help. It provides you
with information on using Adobe Captivate commands and features. The PDF file is available on
the Adobe website.

Getting Started with Adobe Captivate provides an introduction to Adobe Captivate and the basic
process of creating Adobe Captivate projects. A printed version of this manual is included with
the boxed version of Adobe Captivate and a PDF version is available on the Adobe website.

The Adobe Captivate Support Center at www.adobe.com/support/captivate is updated regularly
with the latest information on Adobe Captivate, as well as advice from expert users, examples,
topics, updates, and information on advanced topics.

Adobe Devnet at www.adobe.com/devnet provides tools, tutorials, and more for all Adobe
products.

Adobe Captivate and accessibility issues

You can create Adobe Captivate content that is accessible to all users, including those with
disabilities, using the accessibility features provided with Adobe Captivate. As you design
accessible Adobe Captivate projects, 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. Other considerations arise for users with mobility or cognitive
impairments.

14 Chapter 1: Introduction and Installation

About using Adobe Captivate with other applications

Adobe Captivate is a flexible tool that can be used together with several other software products.
Adobe Captivate works especially well with other Adobe software:

• Adobe Captivate and Adobe® Acrobat® Connect™ Enterprise

• Adobe Captivate and Flash

• Adobe Captivate and RoboHelp® from Adobe®

• Adobe Captivate and PowerPoint

For more information, see Chapter 16, “Adobe Captivate and Other Software Applications,” on

page 269.

About converting RoboDemo and Adobe Captivate projects

When you open an Adobe Captivate project created with RoboDemo, it is important to note the
file extension. RoboDemo 5 projects use the .rd or .fcz file extension. Adobe Captivate
automatically converts RoboDemo projects when you open them and gives them the new Adobe
Captivate file extension .cp. (Adobe Captivate leaves the original RoboDemo files intact.)

Note: Adobe Captivate 2 does not support projects created with RoboDemo versions prior to
version 5.

When you open a project created in a previous version of Adobe Captivate, Adobe Captivate
prompts you to convert the project to an Adobe Captivate 2 project. You can overwrite the
existing project or create a new project; you cannot open the new Adobe Captivate 2 project with
an older version of Adobe Captivate.

Authoring requirements

To create projects with Adobe Captivate, your computer system should include the following
hardware, software, and accessories.

System requirements

• Microsoft® Windows® 2000 or Windows® XP®

• A 600-MHz Intel® Pentium® III processor or equivalent

• 256 MB of RAM (512 MB recommended)

• 100 MB of available disk space

• Minimum 800 x 600 resolution color display (1024 x 768, millions of colors recommended)

Software and accessories for publishing and recording

• Internet Explorer 5.0 or later

• Adobe® Flash® Player (version 6.0 or later)

• Microphone to record audio

• Speakers and sound card

Authoring requirements 15

End-user requirements

End users viewing Adobe Captivate projects 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)

OR

• Flash Player (version 6.0 or later)

• Speakers and sound card

Installing Adobe Captivate

Installing Adobe Captivate is a simple automated process. Check to make sure there is enough
free disk space on your hard disk to meet the system requirements.

After the installation program copies Adobe Captivate product files to your computer, you have
the option to activate and register Adobe Captivate online. It is important to activate Adobe
Captivate as soon as possible to enable all of the capabilities of Adobe Captivate.

To install Adobe Captivate:

1.

Close all programs.

2.

Do one of the following:

■ If you have an Adobe Captivate CD, insert the CD into the computer's CD-ROM drive

and then double-click the Adobe Captivate installer icon.

■ If you are installing Adobe Captivate from the Internet, double-click the downloaded file.

The InstallShield Wizard appears.

3.

Follow the onscreen instructions.

4.

Click Install on the last screen of the wizard.

Adobe Captivate is installed on the computer.

5.

Click Finish.

When you install Adobe Captivate, the product is a 30 day trial version until you activate the
software. It is very important to activate the software within 30 days. The activation process
verifies your product serial number and license. (For details, visit the Adobe Product Activation

Center.)

To activate Adobe Captivate:

1.

Double-click the Adobe Captivate icon on the desktop.

The Adobe Product Activation Wizard appears.

2.

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.

16 Chapter 1: Introduction and Installation

3.

Click Continue.

4.

(Optional) Register with Adobe. Enter your name and e-mail address and click Register. A web
page appears and confirms your registration. (You can register at any time.)

Registering Adobe Captivate

Registering is optional; it provides you with many benefits such as priority upgrades, new product
bulletins, and timely e-mail messages about product updates and new content at

www.adobe.com.

It is a good idea to register your copy of Adobe Captivate. You can register electronically during
the product activation process when you first start Adobe Captivate. By registering, you are added
to the priority list to receive notices about upgrades and new Adobe products.

Registering Adobe Captivate 17

18 Chapter 1: Introduction and Installation

CHAPTER 2

Exploring the Workspace

Adobe Captivate is designed so that you can create a project easily. The following is an overview
of the Adobe Captivate work environment.

About Adobe Captivate views

Adobe Captivate has three main views: Storyboard, Edit (with the Thumbnail), and Branching.
Click the view tabs at the top of the project window, or press Control+Tab to navigate between
views. Each view features a window at the bottom of the screen where you can view, add, and edit
notes about individual slides in your project.

Storyboard view

This view appears when you open a project from the Start page. The project opens with small
images representing the slides that constitute the project. Storyboard view provides an easy way to
see all of the slides within a project at a glance. It also enables you to see the flow of the project.
You can change the properties of multiple slides at the same time: to select multiple slides, hold
down the Shift or Control key while clicking on slides; to select all slides, press Control+A.

Edit view

This view appears when you double-click a slide in Storyboard or Branching view. After recording
an Adobe Captivate project, you will probably spend most of your time in Edit view because this
is the view in which you add objects (such as captions, images, click boxes, video, and audio).
Using this view, you can make many changes to a slide, such as altering the mouse movement and
changing the mouse pointer.

In Edit view, you can see the Library, which lists media items in a project and lets you view and
reuse the images, backgrounds, audio, and animation in your project. Also, Edit view contains the
optional Filmstrip, Timeline, and Notes panels.

19

Branching view

This view appears when you click the Branching tab. The Branching view gives you a visual
representation of all links between the slides in a project, and lets you quickly edit those links.
The left pane contains the Properties, Overview, and Legend areas, which are all collapsible. The
Properties area shows the link properties of the selected slide or link, and lets you edit the
navigation type; the Overview section indicates which portion of the project you’re reviewing in
the main Branching pane; and the Legend section defines how each type of link between slides is
displayed. The main pane displays the type of link between slides, and lets you find and select the
slide you want to review. The bottom pane displays and lets you add notes for the slide selected in
the main pane.

The Branching view is particularly helpful when creating instructional materials containing
question slides, and specifying different paths for right and wrong answers. For example, you can
set one action (such as “Go to the next slide”) when a user supplies a correct answer, and you can
set a different action (such as “Open URL or file”) when a user supplies an incorrect answer.
Using the Branching view, you can easily make changes to the branching design.

You can export the branching view of an existing Adobe Captivate project into a BMP, JPEG, or
JPG file.

About the Timeline

The Timeline is a visual representation of all objects on slides. The Timeline provides an easy way
to view, at a high level, all objects on a slide and their relationship to each other. With the
Timeline, you can organize objects and precisely control the timing of objects. For example, on a
slide that contains a caption, an image, and a highlight box, you can display the caption, then the
image four seconds later, and then the highlight box two seconds after that. The Timeline also
shows any audio associated with the slide or with objects on the slide, letting you easily coordinate
the timing of audio with objects.

You can use the Timeline to hide or lock objects easily. This is useful when a slide contains many
objects and you need to edit the objects separately.

About toolbars and menus

In all 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.

Context menus Place the mouse pointer in the pane in which you want to work. Press the right

mouse button, and select a command from the menu.

Toolbars Click an icon on any of the program toolbars as a shortcut to dialog boxes and

actions. All of the toolbar options (for example, showing/hiding toolbars, toolbar location, and so
on) for a given view are located in the View menu.

Tip: For maximum editing space, open a project and click F11 to display Adobe Captivate in full­screen edit mode.

20 Chapter 2: Exploring the Workspace

Customizing the work environment

You can change and customize certain elements of the Adobe Captivate work environment to suit
your work style.

To change the size of the Slides panel:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Double-click any slide to open Edit view.

The Slide panel appears on the left side with medium icons that represent the slides in the
project.

■ To change the size of the slide thumbnail images, drag the splitter bar toward the outside of

the program window to make the thumbnails smaller or toward the inside to make the
thumbnails larger.

■ To hide the Slides panel completely, click the View menu, select Show Thumbnails.

To show or hide the Timeline:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Double-click any slide to open Edit view.

By default, the Timeline appears along the top of the slide.

■ If it is not open already, click the View menu, select Show Timeline.

■ To close the Timeline, click the View menu, select Show Timeline again.

■ If it is not open already, show the Timeline by clicking the splitter bar arrow.

■ To expand the Timeline, click the small, black display arrow. To close the Timeline, click

the display arrow again.

To show or hide the Library:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Double-click any slide to open Edit view.

3.

From the View menu, select Show Library.

To show or hide the left pane in Storyboard view:

• Open an Adobe Captivate project.

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.

■ To hide the left pane completely, click the splitter bar arrow.

Customizing the work environment 21

Displaying and docking toolbars

Adobe Captivate contains many toolbars that provide easy access to commonly used features. You
have a great deal of flexibility in selecting which toolbars are displayed and where they are located
in the Adobe Captivate program window.

Enabling and disabling docking of toolbars

This option lets you select toolbars, drag them within the program window, and place (“dock”)
them in new locations. The option is enabled by default, but you can disable it at any time.

To enable and disable docking of toolbars:

1.

From the Options menu, select Preferences.

2.

Select or clear the Enable docking option.

Showing and hiding toolbars

By default, the main, object, and alignment toolbars appear.

To show or hide a toolbar:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the View menu, select or clear Main Toolbar, Advanced Toolbar, Object Toolbar, or
Alignment Toolbar. Note that these menu items are available in Edit view only.

Showing or hiding captions on the main toolbar

Captions are text that appear next to the icons on the main toolbar. The main toolbar is
displayed, by default, along the top of the program window, just below the menu bar.

To show or hide captions on the main toolbar:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the View menu, select or clear Captions on Toolbar.

Restoring default settings for text captions

If you made changes to the appearance of text captions, you can restore all text caption settings to
their defaults. (For example, you change the font for text captions to Times New Roman and the
font color to green. Click Restore to default to change the font back to the default font Arial and
the color to the default blue.)

To restore default settings for text captions:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the Options menu, select Preferences.

3.

Click Restore to default.

22 Chapter 2: Exploring the Workspace

Moving toolbars to a different location

You can dock toolbars on any edge of the program window or you can disconnect a toolbar from
the Adobe Captivate program window and have the toolbar float in its own separate window.

To move a toolbar:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Click the left or top edge of a toolbar until a four-point arrow appears.

3.

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. (If you want, you can always drag toolbars back to their
original locations.)

Using the Filmstrip

Edit view contains the optional Filmstrip, which lets you see all of the slides in a project and work
with them while editing an individual slide in Edit view. Using Edit view and the Filmstrip
together is a fast and productive way to work in Adobe Captivate.

Note: The Filmstrip also appears in the Advanced Interaction dialog box, which is available from the
Project menu in any view.

To view the Filmstrip:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Double-click any slide to open the slide in Edit view.

The Filmstrip appears.

■ The Filmstrip displays all of the slides in your project in viewing order. You can change the

slide order by dragging a slide to a new location within the project. (To select multiple
slides, hold down the Shift or Control key when clicking on slides; to select all slides, press
Control+A.)

■ If a slide has a label (short title) assigned, the label appears under the slide. It can be easier to

move slides and jump to a specific slide if you have assigned labels instead of just using the
slide number.

■ If a slide has an audio file associated with it, the audio icon appears in the lower right corner

of the slide. You can click the sound icon to show a menu with sound options such a Play,
Import, and Edit.

■ If a slide is locked, the lock icon appears in the lower right corner of the slide. You can click

the lock icon to unlock the slide.

■ If a slide contains mouse movement, the mouse icon appears in the lower right corner of the

slide.

■ By default, the Slides panel shows slides in a medium thumbnail view. You can change the

size of the slides, if necessary, by clicking the View menu, selecting Thumbnail Size, and
then selecting Small, Medium, or Large.

Using the Filmstrip 23

Using the Library

The Library, which is available in Edit view, lists media items in a project, and lets you easily view
and reuse the images, backgrounds, audio, and animation in your project.

You can also open items for edit from the Library. For example, you can right-click an image in
the Library, select Edit With from the menu, and browse to your favorite image editing program.
The image opens in the program, and you can edit and save the updated image in the project.

You can float the Library outside the program window, or move it to a different location in the
window. To do so, rest the pointer over the top left corner of the Library pane until a four-point
arrow appears; then drag the Library to an edge of the program window where it can dock, or to
the middle of the program window where it can float. (If you want, you can always drag the
Library back.)

For each item, the Library displays the following columns: Name, Type, Size (in kilobytes), Use
Count, and Date Modified. (Use Count is the number of times the item is used in the project.)
Click the title of any of these columns to sort the list of items within each item category folder.

Note: You can only see the Library location when you’re in Edit view. If you switch to a different view,
you cannot see the Library. When you move back to Edit view, the Library reappears in the same
location.

New items appear in the Library whenever you add an item to the project. An item remains in the
Library and is available for reuse even if you delete the slide in which that item was originally
located.

If you use an item in one slide and then drag it from the Library to another slide, you can alter the
item properties in the subsequent slide without affecting the first instance of the item.

Library toolbar

The Library toolbar appears at the top of the main Library pane, below the Library preview pane.
The toolbar contains the following options:

Open Library Select this option to open another Adobe Captivate project’s Library. This allows

you to reuse any item from that project’s Library in your current project.

Export Select this option to save a copy of an item to a location outside of the project.

Edit Select this option to open an item in the editing application you previously selected for the

file type. This option is not enabled until you select an editing application for the specific file type
through the Edit with option in a Library item’s right-click menu.

Properties Select this option to open the properties dialog box for the selected item.

Usage Select this option to view the list of slides on which the selected item is used.

Update Select this option to update Library items that have been edited outside of the project.

Select unused items Select this option to highlight all items in the Library that are not

currently used in the project.

Delete Select this option to delete the selected item(s) from the project.

24 Chapter 2: Exploring the Workspace

Displaying confirmation messages

Confirmation messages appear when you perform important, and often permanent, actions in
Adobe 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.

To display or not display confirmation messages:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the Options menu, select Preferences.

3.

Select the actions you want to confirm, and/or remove the check mark from actions you do not
want to confirm.

■ Delete object Displays a message before an object is removed.

■ Delete slide Displays a message before a slide is removed.

■ Project resize Displays a message before a project is resized. (Resizing a project is an

action that cannot be “undone,” so it is a good idea to display a confirmation message for
this action.)

■ Video quality change Displays a message before the quality of a slide is changed.

■ Remove audio Displays a message before audio is deleted.

■ Cancel audio changes Displays a message before canceling any audio changes (for

example, adjusting volume, cutting and pasting sections, and so on).

■ Check audio input levels Displays a message before changing audio input levels (for

microphones or recording devices).

■ Frame rate change Select this option to have a confirmation message appear before

changing the frame rate.

■ FLA export instructions Select this option to have a confirmation message appear when

exporting an Adobe Captivate project into Flash.

■ Publish overwrite files Select this option to have a confirmation message appear when

publishing files to the same location more than once. (For example, you publish to Flash
and create a SWF file stored in a particular location. If you publish to Flash again, creating a
SWF file and saving it to the same location, a confirmation message will display asking if
you want to overwrite the existing file.)

■ Change audio Displays a message while recording, importing, or adding new audio to a

slide with existing audio.

■ Extend item Displays a message if you add audio to an object when the audio’s duration is

longer than the object’s duration.

■ Remove item from Library Displays a message when you delete an item from the Library.

■ Sharing of audio Displays a message when you change an audio that is used on another

slide.

■ Duplicating of audio Displays a message when you add an audio that is already on another

slide.

Displaying confirmation messages 25

Using shortcut keys

Shortcut keys provide an easier and quicker way to navigate and use Adobe Captivate. They let
you use keyboard key combinations instead of a mouse or program menu. Shortcut keys are
commonly accessed by using a keyboard function key, Alt, Cont rol , an d Sh ift in conjunction with
a single letter or number.

Shortcut key Action

F1 Open Adobe Captivate Help (To access dialog-level help, click the Help button

on individual dialog boxes.)

F3 Test view current slide (Edit view only)

F4 Preview project

F5 Record audio

F6 Import audio

F7 Spelling and grammar check

F8 Preview project from current slide

F9 Show the Advanced Interaction dialog box

F10 Preview current slide and following four slides

F11 View Adobe Captivate in full screen

F12 Preview project in web browser

Control+A Select all

Control+C Copy (slide in Storyboard view or Filmstrip, and selected object in Edit view)

Control+D Duplicate (slide in Storyboard view or Filmstrip, and selected object in Edit view)

Control+E Extend length of object display time to end of slide on Timeline (Edit view only)

Control+F Find a particular object in the project Library

Control+G Change slide to optimized quality

Control+H Change slide to high quality

Control+I Increase indent (selected object in Edit view)

Control+J Change slide to JPEG quality

Control+K Lock the slide

Control+L Sync selected object to the playhead

Control+M Merge the selected object with background

Control+N Move to Slide Notes pane

Control+O Open project

Control+P Align selected object with playhead on Timeline (Edit view only)

Control+R Print the project (through the Publish dialog box)

Control+S Save

26 Chapter 2: Exploring the Workspace

Shortcut key Action

Control+T Change slide to standard quality

Control+U Edit with (in project Library)

Control+V Paste what is on the clipboard (e.g., slide, image, object, etc.)

Control+X Cut (selected object in Edit view)

Control+Y Redo

Control+Z Undo

Control+Alt+B Show Thumbnails (Edit view only)

Control+Alt+L Show Library (Edit view only)

Control+Alt+N Show Slide Notes (Edit view only)

Control+Alt+T Show Timeline (Edit view only)

Shift+Control+A Add animation object (Edit and Storyboard views only)

Shift+Control+B Add new button (Edit and Storyboard views only)

Shift+Control+C Add new caption (Edit and Storyboard views only)

Shift+Control+D View slide properties

Shift+Control+E Insert new zoom area (Edit and Storyboard views only)

Shift+Control+F Insert Flash Video (Edit and Storyboard views only)

Shift+Control+G Show the Go to Slide dialog box

Shift+Control+H Hide/Show slide

Shift+Control+I Decrease indent (selected object in Edit view)

Shift+Control+J Insert blank slide (Edit and Storyboard views only)

Shift+Control+K Add new click box (Edit and Storyboard views only)

Magnification Shortcuts

Shortcut key Magnification level

Control+1 100%

Control+2 200%

Control+3 300%

Control+4 400%

Control+= Zoom in

Control+- Zoom out

Magnification Shortcuts 27

Undoing and redoing actions

You can reverse the previous action by using the Undo command. You can also reverse the action
of the Undo command by using the Redo command.

To undo an action:

• From the Edit menu, select Undo or press Control+Z.

Each click reverses one more action. Continue clicking Undo (or pressing Control+Z) to
remove as many of the previous changes as necessary.

Tip: When the Undo command is unavailable (dimmed), you cannot undo the previous action.

Tip: Adobe Captivate tracks actions from the time you open a project until the time you close the

project. Therefore, you can undo as many times as you need to, as long as the project remains open.

To redo an action:

• After you have used the Undo command, from the Edit menu, select Redo or press Control+Y.

Changing capture keys

Adobe 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.

To change recording capture keys:

1.

Do one of the following:

■ Open Adobe Captivate. From the Options menu, select Recording Options.

■ Open an Adobe Captivate project. From the Options menu, select Recording Options.

2.

Click the Change Recording Keys tab.

3.

To change keys, click once in one of text boxes and, on the keyboard, press the key or key
combination you want to use. For example, click inside the stop recording text box and then
press Shift+Alt+4. The key combination you entered now appears in the stop recording text box.
You can use almost any key, including the Control, Alt, Shift+Control, and Shift+Alt keys. For
example, you could change the stop recording key to Alt+R.

4.

When you finish, click OK.

28 Chapter 2: Exploring the Workspace

About the Bandwidth Monitor

Adobe Captivate allows you to view how much bandwidth a selected project 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 project adjustments as necessary.

To analyze project bandwidth:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the View menu, select Bandwidth Analysis.

Adobe Captivate generates the slides and the Bandwidth Monitor dialog box appears.

3.

This dialog box contains three tabs: Slide Summary, Graph, and Project Summary. Navigate
through the tabs as necessary.

The Slide Summary displays information about each slide. The following options are on the
Slide Summary tab:

KB per sec (Kilobytes per second) As a general rule, any frame with less than 3 KB per

second streams well over a modem Internet connection. Frames with larger amounts of
bandwidth might, depending upon several factors, cause playback to pause. If previous frames
require lower bandwidth, the higher bandwidth frame might download at an acceptable speed.
Note that the first frame in a project always has a higher KB per second value, because it is the
first frame to load and additional project information must load with it.

Seconds The frame duration, in seconds.

Video (KB) The size of any included video.

Audio (KB) The size of any included audio.

Graph This tab reveals how the project streams across time for different modem and

broadband speeds. You can view high-bandwidth frames and note how they appear on
common connection types.

Project Summary This tab displays project summary information. Both the size and KB per

second are listed for each project item. Size is much less significant than KB per second. For
example, a 500 KB project running for 60 seconds streams at 8.3 KB per second; this requires
a broadband connection. On the other hand, a 2000 KB project running for 10 minutes
streams at 3.3 KB per second, and this will stream well even on a low-speed modem
connection.

4.

(Optional) Click Print to print the information displayed.

5.

Click OK.

Note: After you have identified the frames that require high bandwidth, you can reduce their
impact on the project by extending the timing for the high-bandwidth frame or the preceding
frame(s). You need to do this only if bandwidth is limited and you notice distracting pauses during
playback over the Internet.

About the Bandwidth Monitor 29

30 Chapter 2: Exploring the Workspace

CHAPTER 3

Creating Projects

You can create new projects in Adobe Captivate by importing existing files, altering or copying
existing Adobe Captivate projects, working from templates, following the Project wizard, or
opening a blank project. Adobe Captivate allows you to specify a wide array of project settings
and options so you can completely customize each project to your exact needs.

Opening existing projects

Adobe Captivate stores projects in a folder named My Adobe Captivate Projects, which is placed
in the My Documents folder when Adobe Captivate is installed. When you start Adobe
Captivate, projects stored in the My Adobe Captivate Projects folder are automatically listed on
the Start page under Open a recent project. All Adobe Captivate projects use the .cp file
extension.

To open a project:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

Under Open a recent project, click the project you want to open. If the project is not listed, click
Open and navigate to the project. The default storage location for projects is My
Documents\My Adobe Captivate Projects.

Caution: When opening an Adobe Captivate project created with a previous version of Adobe
Captivate or with RoboDemo, Adobe Captivate prompts you to convert the project to an Adobe
Captivate 2 project. You can overwrite the existing project or create a new project; you cannot
open the new Adobe Captivate 2 project with an older version of Adobe Captivate. RoboDemo 5
projects use the .rd or .fcz file extension. When you open RoboDemo projects in Adobe Captivate,
Adobe Captivate automatically converts them and gives them the new Adobe Captivate .cp file
extension. Adobe Captivate 2 does not support projects created with RoboDemo versions prior to
version 5.

Importing Microsoft PowerPoint projects

You can import existing PowerPoint presentations into Adobe Captivate to create a new Adobe
Captivate project. When you create a new project from an existing PowerPoint file, you can
choose which slides you want to import into Adobe Captivate. The new Adobe Captivate project
is instantly ready to play as a slide show, with basic navigation linking each slide to the next one in
the PowerPoint presentation order.

31

To convert a PowerPoint presentation into an Adobe Captivate project:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

On the Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

3.

In the left pane, click Other.

The Other Project Type window appears.

4.

Select Import from Microsoft PowerPoint and click OK.

The Open dialog box appears.

5.

Navigate to the PowerPoint file you want to import into Adobe Captivate and click Open.

A progress bar shows the progress as Adobe Captivate loads the PowerPoint presentation. After
the presentation loads, the Convert PowerPoint presentations dialog box appears.

6.

Set the properties for your new project:

■ Enter a project title in the Name text box.

■ To change the image size, enter new numbers in the Width and Height text boxes, or use

the arrows to specify new numbers. You can also specify a commonly used size in the Preset
size pop-up menu.

Note: In general, project sizes larger than 800 x 600 pixels do not stream well over dial-up
connections.

7.

Scroll through the slide thumbnails in the Slides Preview and select the slides you want to
import.

Note: By default Adobe Captivate selects all of the slides in the PowerPoint file. You can clear the
check boxes on individual slides that you don’t want to import, or you can click Clear All and then
select the check boxes of the slides you want to import.

8.

Click OK.

The new Adobe Captivate project is generated and opens in Adobe Captivate Storyboard view.

About planning projects

You can start recording Adobe Captivate projects right away using the default settings, but it may
be helpful to do a little planning and customize some recording settings.

Using Adobe Captivate, you can create a simple project quickly or you can create a more
sophisticated project with images, background music, animation, Flash Videos, voice-over
narration (with closed captioning), and detailed captions.

No matter what kind of project you want to create, it is helpful to do some planning before you
start taking screenshots. Consider first what you want the user to do, learn, or achieve as a result
of viewing your project. Defining this goal allows you to create a comprehensive plan for success.
Once you have defined the action you want the audience to take, you can create the “core” of the
project.

When you are ready to begin drafting project content, you can do so using storyboards or scripts.

32 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

Storyboards are rough sketches that show the contents of each slide in your project. If you rely
heavily on pure screenshots in your project (without many captions or explanatory text), a
storyboard may be the best foundation for your project.

Tip: You can use Adobe Captivate to create storyboards. Record a “rough” version of your project,
add some blank slides where appropriate, and then publish the project as handouts. You can include
from one to nine slides per page and add blank lines for notes.

Scripts use text-based pages. They are similar to pages in a book: logical, sequential, and
containing as much detail as you care to provide. If your project includes a great deal of text
(captions), a script may be the best place to begin.

When planning projects, don't forget to consider adding the following elements:

• Title page

• Credits page

• Copyright page

• Opening/closing graphic or splash screen

• Sound, including narration, music, or sound effects

• Images

• Animated text

• Interactive boxes

• If appropriate, quizzing functionality

Recording tricks and tips

The following tips and tricks can help you create Adobe Captivate projects quickly and easily,
while also giving you professional, high-quality results.

Tip 1 - Consider auto-recording

Adobe Captivate lets you create projects in two ways.

You can record onscreen action manually. This means that each time you want to capture what is
displayed on your screen, you press the Print Screen key (or another designated key) on the
keyboard. Then you make a change on your screen (such as moving your mouse, clicking an icon,
or selecting a menu) and press Print Screen again.

You can also let Adobe Captivate automatically record screen action (auto-recording). This option
automatically captures screenshots during the recording process each time you click the mouse,
change the focus of your application or web page, or press a key.

Another efficient way to create projects is to use auto-recording and manual recording together.
Set the auto-record option, but press Print Screen whenever you need to take an extra screenshot.
This method is particularly effective if you are recording a website that contains many pop-ups,
frames, and special effects. If you have the feature turned on, Adobe Captivate will play a camera
shutter sound each time a screenshot is automatically captured. If you see a special effect take
place on the website you are recording, but do not hear the camera shutter sound, press Print
Screen to manually take a screenshot.

About planning projects 33

Tip 2 - Go slowly when recording, particularly when recording websites in Internet Explorer

When you record onscreen action, it is best to perform action more slowly than you would
normally. For example, if you are recording keyboard action, type text slowly.

It is especially important to go slowly when capturing a website in Internet Explorer. If you are
manually recording, make sure each web page is completely loaded before capturing a screenshot.
If you are auto-recording, you will hear the camera shutter sound and see the system tray icon (in
the lower right corner of your computer) flash when a web page is fully loaded and Adobe
Captivate takes a screenshot. Wait for the shutter sound before moving the mouse and taking
another action. (If necessary, while you are auto-recording, you can take a screenshot manually at
any time by pressing Print Screen. This is effective if you see that the web page changed, but you
did not hear the camera shutter sound so you know that a screenshot was not automatically
captured.)

Tip 3 - Capturing screenshots efficiently

It is important to know exactly when Adobe Captivate is capturing screenshots. Adobe Captivate
contains a feature that plays a “camera shutter” sound each time a screenshot is taken. This feature
is enabled by default, but if you do not hear the sound, open the Options menu, select Recording
Options, and make sure the Hear camera sounds during recording option is selected.

If you are automatically recording, Adobe Captivate captures a screenshot 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, Adobe Captivate captures screenshots each time you press a
designated key or key combination. The default capture key is the Print Screen key. Each time
you want to capture a screenshot, press the Print Screen key; you'll hear the camera shutter sound.

You can also use both recording methods together. Simply turn on the auto-recording option;
while Adobe Captivate captures screenshots, you can use the Print Screen key to manually capture
a screen when necessary. For example, if you are recording Microsoft Internet Explorer, there may
be dynamic HTML or Flash menus that appear only when the mouse rolls over them. Adobe
Captivate does not automatically capture the change that occurs on mouse rollover (you will
know this because the camera shutter sound does not play), but you can press the Print Screen key
and manually capture the change.

Tip 4 - Set an appropriate screen resolution

Select an appropriate screen resolution before capturing screenshots. When making a decision
about resolution, consider your audience.

If your demonstration will be viewed by general web users, remember that their monitors may be
set as low as 640 x 480, with some of that screen space occupied by the web browser user
interface. For these users, a good low-resolution setting for capturing projects is 512 x 384.

Another option is Full Screen mode using a 640 x 480 or 800 x 600 setting. This slightly higher
resolution may be a good choice if you are displaying projects on an intranet or to broadband
users.

34 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

If you are producing projects for a CD or other high-bandwidth media, set the project size to
1024 x 768 or 800 x 600.

Tip 5 - Turn off wallpaper

Desktop wallpaper is a distraction in a finished project because the user may view the wallpaper
instead of your project. Also, colorful wallpaper increases the size of your project (especially
photographic backgrounds) and reduces the color accuracy because many colors are required to
display the wallpaper.

The best choice for a background is a plain color. For a professional end result, set the background
to the same color as the web page on which the project will be displayed.

Tip 6 - Turn off icons

Icons, like wallpaper, are a distraction. Reduce the number of icons by moving them to a toolbar.
You can also reduce the number of icons on the quick launch section of your Taskbar. You can
completely hide the Taskbar by clicking Start and selecting Control Panel > Taskbar and Start
Menu. Then select Auto-hide the Taskbar. (The steps you should take might vary, depending on
your operating system.)

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.

Tip 8 - Remove color gradients

Color gradients on the title bars of windows increase the file size of your projects. To turn off
color gradients on title bars, click Start, and select Control Panel > Display. Click the Appearance
tab, click Advanced, and locate the Item pop-up menu. Select Active Title Bar and set Color and
Color 2 to the same color. (The steps you should take may vary, depending on your operating
system.)

Recording techniques

Adobe Captivate gives you a variety of options that help you create a new project. You can have
many processes take place automatically, use a combination of automatic and manual options, or
retain greater control by recording manually.

Often, the decision to have a task take place automatically or do the task manually is based on the
purpose of the project and how much time you have. If you need to create a short project quickly,
have Adobe Captivate do recording tasks automatically. If you are creating a longer, more detailed
project, try a combination of automatic and manual recording options. Experiment with the
different recording options to find the combinations that work best for you.

About planning projects 35

Capturing screenshots

When you are recording a project, you can set Adobe Captivate to automatically capture
screenshots or you can capture them manually. If you decide to record automatically, Adobe
Captivate snaps a screenshot every time you take an action such as clicking a button or menu.
(Adobe Captivate contains a feature that plays a camera shutter sound each time a screenshot is
taken to help you determine exactly when shots are captured.) If you choose to record manually,
press the designated capture key (the default key is the Print Screen button on the keyboard) each
time you want to take a screenshot.

You can also use both techniques together; simply select the auto-record option and let Adobe
Captivate take screenshots, but if you need a screenshot during the process, press Print Screen as
necessary.

Additional slides

If you are capturing additional slides to add in or at the end of a project, the same options are
available as the ones you use for recording a project. You can have Adobe Captivate capture the
slides automatically, you can capture manually, or you can use a combination of both.

Capturing screenshots in full motion

If you are recording a project or additional slides that contain drag-and-drop movement, mouse
wheel scrolling or drawing (for example, in a graphics program), Adobe Captivate can record
those special actions at a higher frame rate so the actions flow smoothly and look realistic. This is
called full motion recording.

If you are automatically recording a project or slides, you can have Adobe Captivate automatically
capture any mouse wheel action, drag-and-drop motions or drawing in full motion. Adobe
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. When you stop dragging or finish drawing, full
motion recording ends and regular recording begins again.

If you are recording manually, you can control when full motion recording begins and ends. To
start recording in full motion at any time, press F9 and to end full motion recording, press F10.

Text captions

Text captions are text created during recording in the Demonstration and Custom modes. Text
captions appear on a slide within a project. Text captions are a way of “talking” to viewers and are
frequently used to point out certain areas on a slide, explain concepts, or give viewers more
information (e.g., a phone number or website address). As with recording, text captions can be
created automatically or manually.

If you are auto-recording a project or additional slides, you can have Adobe Captivate
automatically create text captions at the same time. Text captions are generated for various actions
such as selecting a menu or pressing a button. For example, if you record the action of selecting
the File menu, Adobe Captivate automatically adds a text caption that reads “Select File menu” on
the same slide. After the text captions are created and placed on slides, you can edit the text or
change formatting at any time.

36 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

If you create a project manually, you can add text captions as necessary.

Click boxes

Click boxes are interactive boxes created during recording in the Assessment Simulation, Training
Simulation, and Custom modes. Click boxes appear on slides and give project viewers a chance to
actually “use” an application or website. After viewers click a click box, you can have the project
perform different actions such as continue to play, open a new project, or go to a specific website.

If you automatically record a project or slides, Adobe Captivate can add click boxes automatically.
If you have an existing project, you can add click boxes at any time.

Auto text entry boxes

Auto text entry boxes are interactive boxes created during recording in the Assessment Simulation
and Custom modes. Auto text entry boxes are created when you type text during recording. An
object “Typing Text” is shown in the Timeline, later on that slide, when the project is generated.

During recording, the text in the Auto text entry box is stopped when you press Enter or Tab to
complete the text box.

To enable auto text entry boxes during recording:

1.

Do one of the following:

■ Open Adobe Captivate. From the Options menu, select Recording Options.

■ Open Adobe Captivate. Open an Adobe Captivate project. From the Options menu, select

Recording Options.

2.

In the Recording Options dialog box, click the Recording mode drop-down and choose
Assessment Simulation or Custom.

3.

Click Edit settings.

4.

In the Text entry boxes section, select Automatically add text entry boxes for text fields and
select from the following options:

Hint caption Select this option to automatically add a caption with a hint for the user.

Success caption Select this option to automatically add a caption with a success message for

the user. For example, a success caption may read, “Yes, that is correct.”

Failure caption Select this option to automatically add a caption with a failure message for

the user. For example, a failure caption may read, “Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.”

Limit attempts to [#] Select this option to specify the number of times a user may attempt

to enter text correctly in a text entry box. Type a number or use the up and down arrows to
select a number.

5.

Click OK.

Note: An auto text entry box cannot be created on applications such as Java, JavaScript, Flash, and
DOS.

Tip: While typing characters that require the use of the Shift key, ensure that you hold the Shift key
down until you press the required character key. For example, to include the “!” character in the text,
hold the Shift key down, and simultaneously press the “!” key.

About planning projects 37

Highlight boxes

Highlight boxes are created during recording in the Demonstration and Custom modes.
Highlight boxes are transparent, colored squares that can be placed over areas on a slide to draw
attention to the area, just like a highlighter pen spotlights an area on a printed page. You have
complete control over the formatting, color, transparency, and size of all highlight boxes.

If you automatically record a project or slides, Adobe Captivate can automatically create a
highlight box for any area on which a mouse click is performed. If you have an existing project,
you can add highlight boxes manually.

Setting recording options

In general, you should set recording options before recording a new project, so the most
appropriate options are in place. This can save you valuable time by reducing the amount of
editing you must do to make your Adobe Captivate projects sound great.

Even though it is best to set options before you record, you can change recording options from
within an open Adobe Captivate project at any time. This is useful if you have a project open and
want to record additional slides.

To set recording options:

1.

Do one of the following:

■ Open Adobe Captivate. From the Options menu, select Recording Options.

■ Open Adobe Captivate. Open an Adobe Captivate project. From the Options menu, select

Recording Options.

2.

In the Recording Options dialog box, click the Recording Options tab and choose from the
following options:

Enable auto recording Select this option to automatically take screenshots during the

recording process. This option is on by default. Actions that generate slides include clicking the
mouse, changing the focus within an application or web page, clicking a capture key, opening a
menu, opening a dialog box, clicking a toolbar button, dragging and dropping, and clicking
buttons.

Note: You should not select this option when recording onscreen action that involves the
keyboard calculator keys. If you select Enable auto recording, Adobe Captivate cannot accurately
record the onscreen calculations.

Language

If you selected the Enable auto recording option (previously) click the Language
pop-up menu to specify a language for the text that will automatically be generated for
captions and tooltips.

Recording defaults If you selected the Enable auto recording option (previously) click the

Recording defaults pop-up menu to specify a default text caption style to be used for captions.
To change the default settings for all types of captions and highlight boxes that can
automatically be created when recording projects, click Edit settings.

Recording mode If you selected the Enable auto recording option (previously) use

Recording mode to specify what should be included in auto-recorded projects. Select one of
the following options from the pop-up menu:

38 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

Demonstration Select this option to automatically include captions, highlight boxes, and

mouse movement in the auto-recorded project.

Assessment Simulation Select this option to automatically include click boxes with a

failure caption in the auto-recorded project. Mouse movement is not included.

Training Simulation Select this option to automatically include click boxes with hint and

failure captions to the project. Captions and mouse movement are not included

Custom Select this option to choose the objects, such as captions, highlight boxes, and

click boxes that you automatically want to add to the project.

If you want to edit the list of objects that you want to add automatically to your project when
using any of the different auto-recording modes, click Edit settings.

You can set the following options in the Sound area:

Record narration Select this option to record audio as you record the project.

Note: You can’t select both Record narration and Hear camera sounds during recording. When
you select one, the other option is automatically disabled.

Hear camera sounds during recording

Select this option to play a “camera shutter” sound
whenever a screenshot is captured during recording. It is helpful to turn this sound on so you
know exactly when a screenshot is captured, especially when using the auto-recording feature.
The camera sound is not included in the finished project.

Record keystrokes Select this option to record keyboard action. Adobe Captivate records

keyboard input but does not capture screenshots for every character. The keystrokes appear in
the finished project.

Hear keyboard tap sounds Select this option to determine whether keyboard tap sounds are

audible during recording. The keyboard tap sounds are not included in the finished project.

The following options are in the Options area:

Hide recording window Select this option to hide the red rectangle that is displayed during

recording.

Hide Adobe Captivate task icon Select this option to hide the task icon during recording.

(When you record with the full-screen options, you typically see that Adobe Captivate is an
open application. If this interferes with what you are recording, you can hide Adobe Captivate
with this option.)

Hide Adobe Captivate system tray icon Select this option to hide the system tray icon

during recording. (This icon is the small Adobe Captivate icon that is displayed in the system
tray in the lower-right corner of the computer screen. If you need to record that area of the
computer screen, but do not want the Adobe Captivate icon to be displayed in your project,
this option lets you hide the icon.)

Move new windows inside recording area Select this option to have Adobe Captivate

automatically take any windows that open while you are recording and move them into the red
capture window. This is particularly useful if you are recording an application in which many
dialog boxes open as you use the application.

Record actions in real time Select this option to have Adobe Captivate record in real time.

About planning projects 39

3.

To set full motion recording preferences, click the Full Motion Recording tab and select from
the following options in the Options area:

Automatically use full motion capture for drag-and-drop actions Select this option to

have Adobe Captivate automatically record any drag-and-drop actions (for example, selecting a
file or image and dragging it to another area of the application or screen).

Automatically use full motion capture for mouse wheel actions Select this option to have

Adobe Captivate automatically record any mouse wheel activity.

Show mouse in full motion capture mode Select this option to include mouse movements

in your full motion recording.

Disable hardware acceleration Select this option to create a smoother project (in

particular, better mouse movement) by disabling hardware acceleration. When hardware
acceleration is turned on, it can use a great deal of system resources and result in “choppy” full
motion recording. Turning hardware acceleration off results in better full motion recording
quality. If you select this option, your computer screen will briefly flicker when you begin and
end full motion recording.This screen flicker does not harm your computer and does not
appear in the final project.

Working folder Select this option to determine where the clip will be saved on your local

hard disk. Enter the correct path to an exact location, or click Browse to navigate to a location.

The following option is in the SWF conversion area:

Video color mode Select this option to set 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. Selecting 32 bit creates a
larger file with a wider range of colors.

4.

To set the following options, click the Change Recording Keys tab:

To stop recording press Specifies the key that should be used to end a recording session.

The default key is the End key.

To pause recording press Specifies the key that should be used to pause a recording session.

The default key is the Pause key.

To manually capture a screenshot press Specifies the key to be pressed to capture a

screenshot. The default key is the Print Screen key.

To start full motion recording press Specifies the key to be used to start full motion

recording. The default key is F9.

To stop full motion recording press Specifies the key to be pressed to end a full motion

recording session. The default key is F10.

5.

Click OK.

40 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

Creating camera sounds during recording

Adobe Captivate can play a “camera shutter” sound when you take a screenshot while recording.
This feature, which tells you exactly when a screenshot is captured, can be especially helpful when
you use the auto-recording feature. The camera sound is not included in the finished project.

To hear the camera shutter sound during recording:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

From the Options menu, select Recording Options.

3.

Click the Recording Options tab.

4.

Select Hear camera sounds during recording.

5.

Click OK.

Pausing while recording projects

You can pause while recording an Adobe Captivate project. This may be necessary if you are
recording a project and need to change the location of the recording area.

To pause while recording a project:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate and begin recording a new project or slide.

2.

When you want to pause recording, press the Pause/Break key on the keyboard.

3.

When you want to restart recording, press Pause/Break again.

Note: You can move the red recording window to a new location and resume recording in the new
area. This shift in area will not be seen in the project.

Setting auto-recording

You can set an auto-recording option in Adobe Captivate. When you set this option, Adobe
Captivate automatically captures screenshots during the recording process each time you take the
following actions:

• Click or press a capture key

• Open a menu or submenu, or select a menu item

• Open a dialog box or a property page

• Click a toolbar button

• Perform a drag-and-drop process

• Click any mouse button while the cursor is in the capture area

Note: The auto-recording feature should not be used when recording onscreen action that involves
the keyboard calculator keys. If you select Enable auto recording, Adobe Captivate cannot accurately
record the onscreen calculations.

About planning projects 41

To set auto-recording:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

From the Options menu, select Recording Options.

3.

Click the Recording Options tab.

4.

Select Enable auto recording.

5.

For Language, click the pop-up menu to specify a language for the text that will automatically
be generated for captions and tooltips.

6.

For Recording defaults, click the pop-up menu to specify a default text caption style to be used
for captions. To change the default settings for all types of captions and highlight boxes that can
automatically be created when recording projects, click Edit settings.

7.

For Recording mode, select an option:

Demonstration Select this option to automatically include captions and highlight boxes in

the auto-recorded project.

Assessment Simulation Select this option to automatically include click boxes with success

and failure caption in the auto-recorded project.

Training Simulation Select this option to automatically include rollover captions and click

boxes with a failure message to the project.

Custom Select this option to choose the objects, such as captions, highlight boxes, and click

boxes that you want Adobe Captivate to automatically add to the project. Click Edit settings to
make selections.

8.

Click OK.

Now that you have turned on the auto-recording option, you can record a project.

Setting the capture area for recording

When you are recording a project, the screen capture area is the area on your screen that Adobe
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. Adobe Captivate captures 800 x 600 pixels of
the 1024 x 768 pixels on your screen.

Adobe Captivate uses a default screen capture area of 640 x 480 pixels for all recording options.
Adobe Captivate uses this default because projects larger than 800 x 600 pixels may not stream
well over dial-up Internet connections. If your users can view larger areas, you can resize the
screen capture area in Adobe Captivate. (Once you resize the capture area, the new size becomes
the default.)

As a general rule, use these capture settings to provide users with the best performance:

• 28.8K modem: 640 x 480 or lower

• 33.6K modem: 800 x 600 or lower

• 56K modem: 800 x 600 or lower

• Cable/DSL/T1: 1024 x 768 or lower

42 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

To set the capture area:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

On the Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

3.

In the left pane, click Software Simulation.

4.

From the right pane, select one of the following recording options and click OK:

Application Resize the window by selecting one of the sizing handles on the red frame and

drag it to a larger or smaller size. 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. You can also click Snap red recording area to fit selected window to quickly change
the size of the recording area to match the size of the application.

Custom size Change the size of the capture window by entering new numbers in the Width

and Height text boxes, or use the arrows to enter new numbers. You can also click the Preset
sizes pop-up menu and select a commonly used size.

Full screen Capture everything on the screen, and you don’t need to change the size of the

capture area.

5.

Click Record to begin recording a new project in the size you specified.

Note: If you are recording a new project through the Import from Microsoft PowerPoint option, in
the Convert PowerPoint Presentations dialog box, you can change the size of the project window
by typing new numbers in the Width and Height text boxes, or use the arrows to specify new
numbers. You can also select an option from the Preset size pop-up menu. Alternatively, if you
start a project by following the Project wizard, you’ll be prompted to select the window size as you
follow the steps.

Using full motion recording

Adobe Captivate contains a useful feature called “full motion recording.” When you auto-record a
new project or additional slides for an existing project, you can use full motion recording to
automatically capture frames at a higher frame rate, particularly when you record any drag-and­drop or mouse wheel scrolling actions. By capturing at a higher rate, drag-and-drop and scrolling
actions are displayed more smoothly in the final Adobe Captivate SWF file. This results in a more
realistic experience for users.

If you enable the full motion feature, Adobe Captivate starts to capture frames at a higher rate
when you click an object or perform mouse wheel actions while auto-recording a new project or
slides. You know that full motion recording has begun when you see the Adobe Captivate icon in
the system tray (lower-right corner of your computer screen). When you are recording normally,
the icon appears as a regular icon. When full motion recording automatically begins, the icon
displays with red borders and flashes. To stop full motion recording, stop dragging or scrolling or
press an end recording key (defaults are F10 to stop full motion recording or END to stop
recording completely).

About planning projects 43

When you finish recording, Adobe Captivate generates the slides that comprise the project and
displays them in Adobe Captivate Storyboard view. Any drag-and-drop or mouse wheel scrolling
actions that you recorded as full motion slides are displayed in Storyboard view with a movie
camera icon in the lower-right corner of the slide. Full motion slides are saved and included in
projects as animation slides.

Tip: For best capture results, especially with full motion recording, perform actions (dragging, clicks,
typing) slowly.

The full motion recording feature is enabled by default. You can disable it, though, at any time.

To disable full motion recording of drag-and-drop or mouse wheel actions:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project

2.

From the Options menu, select Recording Options.

3.

Click the Full Motion Recording tab.

4.

Clear the Automatically use full motion capture for drag-and-drop actions option or the
Automatically use full motion capture for mouse wheel actions option.

5.

Click OK.

Using recording modes

Adobe Captivate not only records projects automatically, but also customizes what objects are
added to the projects you automatically create based on the purpose of your project. This feature
is called recording modes. For example, by selecting a recording mode, you can easily create
projects that are appropriate to use as simulations or demonstrations. This enables you to create
projects quickly because Adobe Captivate does much of the work.

Note: Recording modes can only be used when you are using Auto Recording. If you record projects
manually, the modes are not available.

To select and use a recording mode:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

From the Options menu, select Recording Options.

3.

Click the Recording Options tab.

4.

Select Enable auto recording.

5.

From the Recording mode pop-up menu, select an option:

Demonstration Select this option to automatically include captions, highlight boxes, and

mouse movement in the auto-recorded project.

Assessment Simulation Select this option to automatically include click boxes with a failure

caption in the auto-recorded project. You can also choose to automatically create text entry
boxes. Mouse movement is not included.

Training Simulation Select this option to automatically include click boxes with hint and

failure captions to the project. Mouse movement is not included

44 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

Custom Select this option to choose the objects, such as captions, highlight boxes, and click

boxes that you want to add automatically to the project. You can also choose to automatically
create text entry boxes.

6.

(Optional) No matter which option you select, you can click Edit settings, to edit exactly what
you want automatically created when you record a project. For example, after selecting
Demonstration in step 5, you might decide that you don’t want to include highlight boxes. You
can click Edit settings and clear the Automatically add highlight boxes when the mouse is
clicked option, but retain the other settings.

About recording and creating new projects

You have many options for creating new projects; you can record a project containing almost
anything on your computer screen. Adobe Captivate makes it simple to record an application, a
specific-sized project, or a full screen project. You can also create a scenario simulation project by
using a project template to ensure consistency or by following the Project wizard. Alternatively,
you can start from a blank project, or by importing image or PowerPoint files.

Adobe Captivate makes creating a new project easy. When you record an Adobe Captivate
project, 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, Adobe
Captivate captures the onscreen action automatically, or you can capture screenshots manually.
When you finish recording, you can set options and add components such as text captions, audio,
images, and highlight boxes. In addition to beginning a project by recording, you can create new
projects by following the Project wizard, or using a template.

Adobe Captivate contains a feature called “full motion recording” that automatically captures
frames at a higher frame rate when you record any drag-and-drop actions.

About recording software simulation projects

You can create software simulation projects. The recording process has some unique options as
shown below:

Application Records all selected action within a single running application.

Custom size Records all selected action within a custom-defined area. If you select this option,

set a custom size in the Width and Height boxes or select a commonly used size from the Preset
Size pop-up menu.

Full screen Records all onscreen action. This option is especially useful if you need to capture

action taking place in multiple applications.

Tip: If you need to pause recording, press the Pause/Break key. To restart recording, press Pause/
Break again.

About creating scenario simulations

You can easily create scenario-based or interaction-based training content, such as content for call
center training which addresses soft skills as well as software skills. You can follow the Project
wizard or choose to create your project from a simulation template.

About recording and creating new projects 45

Project wizard Leads you through the creation of a complete scenario simulation project. The

Project wizard generates placeholders for your scenarios, which you add in after the project is set
up.

Create new simulation from a template Prompts you to select a simulation template from

which to create a new project. If you need to create a new simulation that’s similar to a previous
project, you can save the previous project as a template and choose this option when you’re ready
to begin the new simulation.

About creating other types of projects

In addition to scenario simulations, you can select a new project type that doesn’t start with
recording images from your screen. You can also create a project made up of image files, or start
from a blank project for more control over all project elements. Each type of project has specific
benefits and options.

Blank Project Creates a blank frame in a size you specify. This option is useful if you want to

create an empty project and then import images or slides from other projects.

Image Project Provides you with an easy way to create an Adobe Captivate project made up of

images. When users view the published project, it looks like a slide show.

Import from Microsoft PowerPoint Creates a new Adobe Captivate project by importing slides

from a PowerPoint project. When you choose this option, you can select all slides in the
PowerPoint file or pick and choose individual slides to include.

Recording software simulations

Adobe Captivate lets you record operations performed in a running software application as
screenshots, and create slides in Adobe Captivate containing the screenshots of the application’s
user interface.

Recording a new application project

You can use Adobe Captivate to record or simulate all actions of a running software application in
a scenario simulation project. You can start any type of application such as a word processing
program, a graphics program, a spreadsheet program, or any kind of software you have and record
the action that takes place within the application.

Adobe Captivate contains a special feature called “full motion recording” that can automatically
capture frames at a higher frame rate when you record any drag-and-drop actions.

To record a new application project:

1.

Open the application you want to record. (You must do this before recording.)

2.

Open Adobe Captivate.

3.

On the Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

4.

In the left pane, click Software Simulation.

The Software Simulation window appears on the right.

46 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

5.

In the right pane, select Application, and click OK.

The Recording window appears.

6.

In the Record window pop-up menu, select the application you want to record.

7.

(Optional) Select Record narration to record audio as you record the project.

8.

(Optional) Click Options to set a wide variety of recording options, including the capability to
automatically record the project and automatically generate text captions.

9.

(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. You can also click Snap red recording area to fit select
window to quickly change the size of the recording area to match the size of the application.

10.

When you finish setting options, click Record.

11.

Adobe Captivate begins recording the onscreen action.

■ If you are automatically recording (that is, you selected the Enable auto recording option in

step 8), Adobe Captivate automatically captures a screenshot every time you perform an
action, such as selecting a menu, clicking a button, or typing text.

Note: When you are auto-recording, you can take a screenshot manually at any time by
pressing the Print Screen key. This is particularly useful if you are capturing a website that
contains many pop-ups, frames, and special effects that are sometimes not auto-recorded. If
you see a special effect or change take place on a web page you are recording, but do not hear
the camera shutter sound, press Print Screen to take a screenshot manually.

■ If you are manually recording (that is, you did not select the Enable auto recording option

in step 8) press the Print Screen key (or other designated capture key) to capture
screenshots.

Use the application 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 screenshots are captured.

Note: When you record any onscreen action, it is best to perform the action more slowly than you
would normally. For example, if you are recording keyboard action, type text slowly.

12.

When you finish recording, press the End key (or other designated key) to end recording.

The slides are generated and your new project appears in the Adobe Captivate Storyboard view.
If you recorded any drag-and-drop actions and created any full motion slides, you see the full
motion slides displayed in Storyboard view with a movie camera icon in the lower-right corner
of the slide.

Recording a new custom-sized project

You can record all selected action within a custom-defined area. This option is especially useful if
you have a strict size requirement for your projects. For example, you may need to record a
specific size so you can generate an Adobe Captivate SWF file that will be incorporated into a
window on a website. If you choose this option, set a custom size in the Width and Height boxes
or select a commonly used size from the Preset Size pop-up menu.

Recording software simulations 47

Adobe Captivate contains a special recording feature called “full motion recording” that
automatically captures frames at a higher frame rate when you record any drag-and-drop actions.

To record a new custom-sized project:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

On the Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

3.

In the left pane, click Software Simulation.

The Software Simulation window appears on the right.

4.

In the right pane, select Custom size and click OK.

The Recording window appears.

5.

Adobe 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. You can also click
Preset sizes and select a commonly used size from the pop-up menu.

Note: In general, projects larger than 800 x 600 pixels might not stream well over dial-up
connections.

6.

(Optional) From the Optionally, select a window you would like to record pop-up menu, select
an open window to record.

7.

(Optional) Select Record narration to record audio as you record the project.

8.

(Optional) Click Options to set a wide variety of recording options, including the capability to
automatically record the project and automatically generate text captions.

9.

(Optional) If necessary, change the position of the window. To do this, move the mouse over
the red frame until a four-point arrow appears, and then drag the entire window to a new
position. You can also click Snap window to fit inside the red recording area to quickly change
the size of the window you are recording to match the size of the red capture area.

10.

When you finish setting options, click Record.

11.

Adobe Captivate begins recording the onscreen action.

■ If you are automatically recording (that is, you selected the Enable auto recording option in

step 7), Adobe Captivate automatically captures a screenshot every time you perform an
action, such as selecting a menu, clicking a button, or typing text.

Note: When you are auto-recording, you can take a screenshot manually at any time by
pressing the Print Screen key. This is particularly useful if you are capturing a website that
contains many pop-ups, frames, and special effects that are sometimes not auto-recorded. If
you see a special effect or change take place on a web page you are recording, but do not hear
the camera shutter sound, press Print Screen to take a screenshot manually.

■ If you are manually recording (that is, you did not select the Enable auto recording option

in step 7), press the Print Screen button (or other designated capture key) to capture
screenshots.

48 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

Use whatever is within the red recording area (for example, an application, a website, 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 screenshots
are captured.

Note: When recording an onscreen action, it is best to perform the action more slowly than you
would normally. For example, if you are recording keyboard action, type text slowly.

12.

When you finish recording, press the End button (or other designated key) to end recording.

The slides are generated and your new project appears in the Adobe 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.

Recording a new full screen project

Use the full screen recording option to record all actions that take place on your computer screen.
This option is useful if you need to record actions in two or more applications within one Adobe
Captivate project. For example, if you need to record how a user would copy information from a
word processing program into a spreadsheet program, use the full-screen recording option to
capture the action in both programs.

Adobe Captivate contains a special feature called “full motion recording” that automatically
captures frames at a higher frame rate when you record any drag-and-drop actions.

To record a new full screen project:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

On the Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

3.

In the left pane, click Software Simulation.

The Software Simulation window appears on the right.

4.

In the right pane, select Full screen and click OK.

The Recording dialog box appears.

5.

(Optional) If you have two monitors associated with your computer, specify the monitor you
want to record by selecting Monitor 1 or Monitor 2.

6.

(Optional) Select Record narration to record audio as you record the project.

7.

(Optional) Click Options to set a wide variety of recording options, including the capability to
automatically record the project and automatically generate text captions.

8.

When you finish setting options, click Record.

9.

Adobe Captivate begins recording the onscreen action.

■ If you are automatically recording (that is, if you selected the Enable auto recording option

in step 6), Adobe Captivate automatically captures a screenshot every time you perform an
action, such as selecting a menu, clicking a button, or typing text.

Recording software simulations 49

Note: When you are auto-recording, you can take a screenshot manually at any time by
pressing the Print Screen key. This is particularly useful if you are capturing a website that
contains many pop-up menus, frames, and special effects that are sometimes not auto­recorded. If you see a special effect or change take place on a web page you are recording, but
do not hear the camera shutter sound, press Print Screen to take a screenshot manually.

■ If you are manually recording (that is, you did not select the Enable auto recording option

in step 6), press the Print Screen key (or other designated capture key) on the keyboard to
capture screenshots.

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 screenshots are captured.

Note: When you record an onscreen action, it is best to perform the action more slowly than you
would normally. For example, if you are recording keyboard action, type text slowly.

10.

When you finish recording, press the End key (or other designated key) to end recording.

The slides are generated and your new project appears in the Adobe Captivate Storyboard view.
If you recorded any drag-and-drop actions and created any full motion slides, you see the full
motion slides displayed in Storyboard view with a movie camera icon in the lower-right corner
of the slide.

Recording scenario simulations

You can use the Adobe Captivate built-in templates to create projects that contain interactive
training content for a given scenario. Such a project can contain training content, and questions.
Also, you can build an assessment module into the scenario simulation feature to help assess the
performance of the trainees. This feature of Adobe Captivate fosters self-help on the part of the
trainee.

Creating scenario simulations using the Project wizard

You can create a scenario simulation project using the Project wizard. You can quickly and easily
create an effective training presentation, which has an MS PowerPoint look-and-feel. The
scenario simulation project also helps you assess the performance of your trainees.

The Project wizard lets you create presentations with slide backgrounds of .pot (PowerPoint
templates,) .bmp, .jpg, .gif, and .png file extensions. These ready-to-use slide templates let you
define the project dimensions, background, and slide options. All you need to do is to provide the
content across slides, and have a project open.

To create a new project using the Project wizard:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

On the Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

3.

In the left pane, click Scenario Simulation.

The Scenario Simulation window appears on the right.

4.

In the right pane, select Project Wizard and then click OK.

50 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

5.

In the Project Properties area, enter a name for your project.

6.

To specify other properties for your project, such as author, company, and description, click
More.

7.

In the Project Wizard, in the Project Properties area, specify the width and height of the window
for your project. If you would rather select from a list of preset window sizes, click Preset sizes
and select a window size.

8.

If you want to use a background color for your project, select Use background color in the
Default Background Image or Color area, and then select the color you want to use from the
color menu.

9.

If you would rather use a background image for your project, select Use background image and
select the image you want. Use the scroll bar to see all the image choices, or click Browse to
browse for an image file.

10.

If you want to add slides to your project, in the Add Slides area, select the types of slides you
want to add.

11.

When you finish, click OK.

Adding slides using the Project wizard

In the Add slides area, you must specify the types of slides that Adobe Captivate must add to the
new presentation. You must add one or more of the following types of slides in the interactive
training project you are creating using the Project wizard:

• Introduction Creates the first slide of the project as an Introduction slide. This slide includes

the title of your Adobe Captivate project displayed using animated text, and a transparent
introductory text caption.

• Description Creates a single Scenario Description slide. This slide includes information

about the questions you have added to your Adobe Captivate project. This option is selected
by default.

• Scenario Slides Creates the specified number of slides as Question slides, and a separate

Review Slide is created. By default, three Scenario Slides are created. The Question slides can
include multiple choice, short answer, or matching questions. This option is selected by
default.

• Conclusion Creates the last slide of the project. This slide can contain, for example, a final

message, a summary, an e-mail address, a website link, or a telephone number.

Creating scenario simulations using a template

When you select the option to create a scenario simulation using a template, and click OK, Adobe
Captivate opens the Sample Template.cptl file, and displays the Record Additional Slides dialog
box. Alternatively, you can browse to a .cptl file you have created and use that file as your
template.

The options in the dialog box let you select the option to record new slides at the end of the
template project, or record and insert a new slide after a selected slide in the template project.

Recording scenario simulations 51

To use a template to create a new scenario simulation:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

On the Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

3.

In the left pane, click Scenario Simulation.

4.

Select the Create new simulation from a template option. Click the Browse button to navigate
to the template you want to use, or click OK to use the default template (Sample
Template.cptl.)

The Record additional slides dialog box appears.

5.

Select the Record slides at the end of this project option to add new slides after the last slide in
the project, or select the Record slides and insert after the slide selected below option to insert
slides after a selected slide.

6.

Click OK.

The Recording window appears.

7.

(Optional) From the Optionally, select a window you would like to record pop-up menu, select
an open window to record.

8.

(Optional) Select the Record narration option to record audio as you record the project.

9.

(Optional) Click the Options button to set a wide variety of recording options, including the
capability to automatically record the project and automatically generate text captions.

10.

(Optional) If necessary, change the position of the window. To do this, move the mouse over
the red frame until a four-point arrow appears, and then drag the entire window to a new
position. If you selected a window in step 7, you can click Snap window to fit inside the red
recording area to quickly change the size of the window you are recording to match the size of
the red capture area.

Note: You can position the capture area anywhere on your screen. You cannot, however, resize
the capture area because it is set to the same size as the template. If, after recording new slides to
create a project with the template, you need the completed project to be a different size, you can
resize the project.

11.

When you finish setting options, click Record.

Adobe Captivate begins recording the onscreen action.

If you are automatically recording the project (that is, you selected the Enable auto recording
option in step 9,) Adobe Captivate automatically captures a screenshot every time you perform
an action, such as selecting a menu, clicking a button, or typing text.

If you are manually recording the project (that is, you did not select the Enable auto recording
option in step 9,) press the Print Screen key (or other designated capture key) on the keyboard
to capture screenshots.

Use whatever is within the red recording area (for example, an application, a website, 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 screenshots
are captured.

52 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

Note: When you record an onscreen action, it is best to perform the action more slowly than you
would normally. For example, if you are recording keyboard action, type text slowly.

12.

When you finish recording, press the End key (or other designated key) to end recording.

The slides are generated and your new project appears in the Adobe 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.

Note: While creating a simulation project using a template, if you select a template created from an
earlier version of Adobe Captivate, Adobe Captivate 2 will not display the thumbnail of the selected
template (*.cptl file) in the New project options dialog box.

Recording other types of projects

Adobe Captivate lets you create blank projects or image-based projects. Also, you can import
Microsoft PowerPoint projects into Adobe Captivate and enhance them.

Creating a new blank project

You can create a blank project consisting of one blank frame in a size you specify. This option is
useful if you want to create an empty project and then import images or slides from another
project. Set a custom size in the Width and Height text boxes, or select a commonly used size
from the Preset size pop-up menu.

To create a new blank project:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

On the Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

3.

In the left pane, click Other.

The Other Project Type window appears on the right.

4.

Select Blank project and click OK.

The Blank project dialog box appears.

5.

Adobe Captivate uses a default capture area of 640 x 480 pixels. To change the size, select User
defined (custom) and enter new numbers in the Width and Height text boxes, or use the arrows
to specify new numbers. You can also select Preset size, and then choose a commonly used size
from the pop-up menu.

Tip: You can use the Custom preset button to add your own presets, Once created, these will be
shown in the Preset size across the product.

Note: In general, project sizes larger than 800 x 600 pixels might not stream well over dial-up
connections.

6.

Click OK.

The project is generated and appears in Adobe Captivate Storyboard view.

Recording other types of projects 53

Creating a new image project

You can easily create an Adobe Captivate project made up of images. This option is useful if you
need to create an Adobe Captivate project that looks like a slide show.

To create a new image project:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

On the Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

3.

In the left pane, click Other.

The Other Project Type window appears on the right.

4.

Select Image project and click OK.

The Image project dialog box appears.

5.

Adobe 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. You can also select Preset size, and then select a commonly used size from
the pop-up menu.

Note: In general, projects larger than 800 x 600 pixels may not stream well over dial-up
connections.

6.

Click OK.

Adobe Captivate is displayed in Storyboard view, and the Open dialog box appears.

7.

Navigate to the first image you want to include as a slide in your Adobe Captivate project.

Tip: You can create multiple image slides by choosing multiple images in the Browse dialog box.

8.

Select the image and click Open.

Note: If the image you selected is larger than the project size you specified, a dialog box appears
and gives you the choice of cropping or resizing the image. Cropping trims parts of the image
(from the sides) so that the image fits into the project. Resizing keeps the entire image, but scales
it smaller so that it fits into the project.

The image you selected opens as a slide in Edit view.

9.

From the Insert menu, select Image Slide to add more images.

Creating projects with a template

You can use Adobe Captivate templates to create a new project. Templates are other projects that
you have created and saved as a template with the .cptl file extension. Because templates can be
used many times, they save you time and help you maintain consistency.

When you open a template, the Adobe Captivate recording window appears so you can record
new slides and add them to the end of the template or within the template. When you are
finished you can save the new project as a new project, new template, or both.

54 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

Note: Templates are particularly effective if you have specific project preferences you want to use
repeatedly. Simply create a blank project, set the preferences, save it as a template, and create a new
project with the template by following these steps.

To use a template to create a new project:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

On the Start page, under Other project types, select Create project from template.

The Open dialog box appears, showing the contents of the Adobe Captivate Templates folder
(My Documents\My Adobe Captivate Projects\Templates).

3.

Select the template you want to use and click Open. If the template you want to use is not listed,
click Browse to navigate to the template. (Adobe Captivate templates have the file extension
.cptl.)

The Template Options dialog box appears.

4.

Select the option to add new slides to the end of the project or after a selected slide, and click
OK.

The Recording window appears.

5.

(Optional) From the Optionally, select a window you would like to record pop-up menu, select
an open window to record.

6.

(Optional) Select Record narration to record audio as you record the project.

7.

(Optional) Click Options to set a wide variety of recording options, including the capability to
automatically record the project and automatically generate text captions.

8.

(Optional) If necessary, change the position of the window. To do this, move the mouse over
the red frame until a four-point arrow appears, and then drag the entire window to a new
position. If you selected a window in step 5, you can click Snap window to fit inside the red
recording area to quickly change the size of the window you are recording to match the size of
the red capture area.

Note: You can position the capture area anywhere on your screen. You cannot, however, resize
the capture area because it is set to the same size as the template. If, after recording new slides to
create a project with the template, you need the completed project to be a different size, you can
resize the project.

9.

When you finish setting options, click Record.

10.

Adobe Captivate begins recording the onscreen action.

If you are automatically recording the project (that is, you selected the Enable auto recording
option in step 7), Adobe Captivate automatically captures a screenshot every time you perform
an action, such as selecting a menu, clicking a button, or typing text.

If you are manually recording the project (that is, you did not select the Enable auto recording
option in step 7), press the Print Screen key (or other designated capture key) on the keyboard
to capture screenshots.

Recording other types of projects 55

Use whatever is within the red recording area (for example, an application, a website, 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 screenshots
are captured.

Note: When you record an onscreen action, it is best to perform the action more slowly than you
would normally. For example, if you are recording keyboard action, type text slowly.

11.

When you finish recording, press the End key (or other designated key) to end recording.

The slides are generated and your new project appears in the Adobe 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.

Recording additional slides in existing projects

There may be cases in which you create an Adobe Captivate project and begin working at the
slide level only to realize that you need to record a few more slides. In this case, you probably
don't want to re-record the entire project but just a few actions. Adobe Captivate allows you to do
this by recording new slides and inserting the slides in an existing project.

To record new slides:

1.

Open the Adobe Captivate project in which you want to record and insert new slides.

2.

From the Insert menu, select Record Additional Slides.

3.

Decide where the new slides should be added. You can add new slides to the end of the project,
or click on slides in the list and add them after the selected slide.

4.

When you finish, click OK.

The recording window appears.

5.

Select options as necessary. 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. You can also click Options and set numerous recording options.

Note: You can position the capture area anywhere on your screen. You cannot, however, resize
the capture area because it is set to the same size as the project to which you are adding the slides.

6.

When you are finished selecting options, click Record.

7.

Record the new slides.

8.

When you are finished recording, press End (or other key combination you have designated) on
the keyboard to stop recording.

The newly recorded slides are inserted into your project in the specified location.

Note: You can also import slides from other Adobe Captivate projects or PowerPoint files.

56 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

About using project templates

After you have created a project in Adobe Captivate, you can save the project 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 projects have the same framework.

For example, if you spend a great deal of time making a project 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 project in your application, you can save
the project as a template and use it as a base for all projects you create in the future. You can
produce projects faster and they will all have the same appearance.

Note: Templates are particularly effective if you have specific project preferences you want to use
repeatedly. Simply create a blank project, set preferences, save the blank project as a template
following the steps in the next section, and then create a new project with the template.

Creating project templates

It is easy to save any project you have created as a template.

To save a project as a project template:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

Create a project.

3.

Edit the project as necessary (for example, add captions, change the playback control, or add
audio).

4.

From the File menu, select Save as Template.

5.

Type a name for the new project template.

6.

When you finish, click Save.

Your project is saved as a project template with the .cptl file extension. Adobe Captivate stores
templates in a folder named Templates. The Templates folder is located in C:\My
Documents\My Adobe Captivate Projects\Templates.

Editing project templates

After you have created a project template in Adobe Captivate, you can edit the template as
needed. This enables you to leverage work you have already done and make changes as needed in
order to create new projects faster.

To edit a project template:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

From the File menu, select Edit Template.

3.

Select the template you want to edit, and click Open. (Adobe Captivate templates use the file
extension .cptl.)

4.

Edit the template as necessary.

5.

From the File menu, select Save.

About using project templates 57

6.

From the File menu, select Close.

The changes you made to the template are saved and stored.

Using full motion recording

Adobe Captivate contains a useful feature called “full motion recording.” When you auto-record a
new project or additional slides for an existing project, you can use full motion recording to
automatically capture frames at a higher frame rate, particularly when you record any drag-and­drop actions. By capturing at a higher rate, drag-and-drop actions display much smoother in the
final Adobe Captivate SWF file. This results in a more realistic experience for users.

If you enable the full motion feature, Adobe Captivate starts to capture frames at a higher rate
when you click an object while auto-recording a new project or slides. You know that full motion
recording has begun by looking at the Adobe Captivate icon in the system tray (lower-right corner
of your computer screen). When you are recording normally, the icon appears as a regular icon.
When full motion recording automatically begins, the icon is displayed with red borders and
flashes. To stop full motion recording, stop dragging, or press an end recording key (defaults are
F10 to stop full motion recording or End to stop recording completely).

When you finish recording, Adobe Captivate generates the slides that comprise the project and
displays them in Adobe Captivate Storyboard view. Any drag-and-drop actions that were recorded
as full motion slides are displayed in Storyboard view with a movie camera icon in the lower-right
corner of the slide. Full motion slides are saved and included in projects as animation slides.

Tip: For best capture results, especially with full motion recording, perform actions (dragging, clicks,
typing) slowly.

The full motion recording feature is enabled by default. You can disable it, though, at any time.

To disable full motion recording of drag-and-drop actions:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the Options menu, select Recording Options.

3.

Click on the Full Motion Recording tab.

4.

Clear the Automatically use full motion capture for drag-and-drop actions option and the
Automatically use full motion capture for mouse wheel actions option.

5.

Click OK.

About full motion slides

Using Adobe Captivate, you can record full motion movies (also known as “drag-and-drop
recording”) in SWF format that show detailed motion such as drawing/painting features and
drag/drop operations. The Full Motion Recording option is a powerful and flexible tool that can
be used in numerous ways. You can include as many full motion slides in your project as you need
in order to accurately show a concept to users.

58 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

When you record using the Full Motion Recording option, Adobe 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 projects as animation slides.

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 Adobe Captivate SWF in another SWF file that has a frame rate different
than 30. Change the frame rate using the Project Preferences dialog box.

Adobe Captivate can capture full motion automatically or you can capture full motion manually.
To give you an idea of how the process works, following are a full motion recording scenario done
automatically and done manually.

Full motion recording automatically

An Adobe Captivate author needs to create a project about a software application used for
drawing. The automatic Full Motion Recording option is enabled. The author begins recording
the Adobe Captivate project and then wants to show how the software application can actually be
used to draw. Adobe Captivate recognizes when the author begins drawing with the application
and begins recording in SWF format automatically. When the drawing process is complete,
Adobe Captivate changes back to standard capture. The author can then continue capturing
normal screen captures until finished and press End (or other defined stop recording key). The
screenshots captured at the beginning and end of the recording process are saved as normal slides
and the full motion slide recorded in SWF format is saved as an animation slide.

Full motion recording manually

An Adobe Captivate author needs to create a project about a software application used for
drawing. The automatic Full Motion Recording option is off. The author begins recording the
Adobe Captivate project using the standard screen capture method, but then wants to show how
the software application can actually be used to draw. At this point in the recording process, the
author presses the full motion recording shortcut key (F9, but can be customized) and Adobe
Captivate begins recording in SWF format. The author uses the software application to draw,
Adobe Captivate captures the action, and when the drawing process is complete the author
presses the end full motion recording key (F10, but can be customized). The author can then
continue capturing normal screen captures until finished and press the End (or other defined)
stop recording key. The screenshots captured at the beginning and end of the recording process
are saved as normal slides and the full motion slide recorded in SWF format is saved as an
animation slide.

Comparing full motion slides and standard movie slides

Adobe Captivate enables authors to capture screenshots in standard format and using full motion
recording (also known as “drag-and-drop recording”). The Full Motion Recording option
captures screenshots at a higher frame rate, resulting in a smoother, more realistic movie. Because
the full motion option creates a higher quality movie, you need to evaluate when to use the
standard recording method and when to use full motion recording.

Using full motion recording 59

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 Adobe Captivate SWF in another SWF file that has a frame rate different
than 30. Change the frame rate using the Project Preferences dialog box.

To distinguish between the two options it is appropriate to think of full motion recording as an
enhancement to, not a substitute for, a standard movie. The full motion recorded movie is placed
into one slide of a project and plays like a “mini-movie” within the larger project. Full motion
movies are useful when you need to show an action that involves precise motion such as using a
drawing/painting program, detailed dragging and dropping operations, or a 3-D program.

Creating full motion slides

You create full motion (also known as “drag-and-drop recording”) movie slides within a standard
project. A full motion movie slide is useful when you want to show users an action that involves
detailed motion like drawing, dragging and dropping operations, or 3-D.

You can record or add as many full motion movie slides to your Adobe Captivate project as you
require.

To record a full motion movie slide while recording a new project:

1.

From the Adobe Captivate Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

2.

Select Software Simulation, and then select the type of project to record, such as Application or
Custom size.

3.

Click OK.

The recording window appears.

4.

(Optional) Select Record narration to record audio as you record the project.

5.

(Optional) Click Options. On the Recording Options tab you can select Enable auto recording
to automatically capture screenshots. On the Full Motion Recording tab you can select
Automatically use full motion capture for drag-and-drop actions and for mouse wheel scrolling
so that Adobe Captivate automatically starts full motion recording whenever you begin drag­and-drop actions or scrolling with the mouse wheel. (Recording automatically and recording
full motion automatically are strictly optional both processes can be done manually, if you
prefer.) When you are finished setting options, click OK.

6.

(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 a larger or smaller size.
To change the location of the window, move the mouse over the red frame until a four-point
arrow appears, click and hold the mouse, and then drag the entire window to a new position.

7.

When you are finished setting options, click Record. Adobe Captivate begins recording the
onscreen action.

■ If you are manually recording the project (that is, you did not select the Enable auto

recording option in step 5 above), click the Print Screen button (or other designated capture
key) to capture screenshots.

60 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

■ If you are automatically recording the project (that is, you selected the Enable auto

recording option in step 5 above), Adobe Captivate automatically captures a screenshot
every time you perform an action, such as selecting a menu, clicking a button, or typing in
text.

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.

8.

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 earlier) click the start full
motion recording key, F9 (or other designated full motion capture key) when you want to
begin full motion recording. Adobe Captivate begins capturing in full motion recording
mode. Take the actions that you want to record in full motion mode and when you are
finished, press F10 (or other designated full motion end capture key) to end recording.
Adobe Captivate returns to standard capture mode so you can continue recording.

■ If you are automatically recording full motion (that is, you selected the Automatically use

full motion capture for drag and drop actions options in step 5 above) full motion recording
begins, for example, when you click on an object and drag the object or begin drawing in a
graphics program. Full motion recording automatically stops when you drop the object or
stop drawing. If you have selected Automatically use full motion capture for mouse wheel
actions, full motion recording begins when you use the mouse wheel. When full motion
recording stops, Adobe Captivate returns to standard capture mode so you can continue
recording slides, if necessary.

Note: While you are in full motion recording mode, the Adobe Captivate icon displays with a red
border in the system tray in the lower right corner of your computer desktop. When you finish full
motion recording, the standard Adobe Captivate icon displays again.

9.

When you are finished recording, press End (or other designated key) to end recording.

The new project, including the full motion portion, is generated and then displayed in
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. Full motion slides are saved and included in projects as
animation slides.

To add a full motion movie slide to an existing project:

1.

Open the Adobe Captivate project to which you want to add a full motion movie slide.

2.

From the Insert menu, select Record Additional Slides.

3.

Decide where the new slide should be added. You can add a new slide to the end of the project,
or click a slide in the list and add a new slide after the selected slide.

4.

Click OK.

The recording window appears.

Using full motion recording 61

5.

Click Options. On the Recording Options tab you can select Enable auto recording to
automatically capture screenshots. On the Full Motion Recording tab you can select
Automatically use full motion capture for drag-and-drop actions or for mouse wheel scrolling
so that Adobe Captivate automatically starts full motion recording whenever you begin drag­and-drop actions or scrolling with the mouse wheel. (Recording automatically and recording
full motion automatically are strictly optional; both processes can be done manually, if you
prefer.) When you are finished setting options, click OK.

Note: You can position the capture area anywhere on your screen. You cannot, however, resize
the capture area because it is set to the same size as the project to which you are adding the slide.

6.

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. When you finish selecting options, click Record.

7.

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
begin full motion recording. Adobe Captivate begins capturing in full motion recording
mode. Take the actions that you want to record in full motion mode and when you are
finished, press F10 (or other designated full motion end capture key) to end recording.
Adobe Captivate returns to standard capture mode so you can continue recording slides, if
necessary.

■ If you are automatically recording full motion (that is, you selected the Automatically use

full motion capture for drag and drop actions options in step 5 above) full motion recording
begins, for example, when you click on an object and drag the object or begin drawing in a
graphics program. Full motion recording automatically stops when you drop the object or
stop drawing. If you have selected Automatically use full motion capture for mouse wheel
actions, full motion recording begins when you use the mouse wheel. When full motion
recording stops, Adobe Captivate returns to standard capture mode so you can continue
recording slides, if necessary.

Note: While you are in full motion recording mode, the Adobe Captivate icon displays with a red
border in the system tray in the lower right corner of your computer desktop.When you finish full
motion recording, the standard Adobe Captivate icon displays again.

8.

When you are finished, Press End (or other designated key) to end recording completely.

The new full motion slide is placed within your project in the location you specified. The full
motion slide is displayed in Storyboard view with a movie camera icon in the lower-right
corner of the slide. Full motion slides are saved and included in projects as animation slides.

62 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

Creating accessible projects

You can create Adobe Captivate projects that are in compliance with Section 508 of the United
States Rehabilitation Act for users who have visual or hearing impairments, mobility
impairments, or other types of disabilities.

Worldwide accessibility standards

Many countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, and countries in the
European Union, have adopted accessibility standards based on those developed by the World
Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The W3C publishes the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, a
document that prioritizes actions designers should take to make web content accessible. For
information about the Web Accessibility Initiative, see the W3C website at www.w3.org/WAI.

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. In addition to mandating standards, Section 508 allows government employees
and the public to sue agencies in federal court for noncompliance.

For additional information about Section 508, see the following websites:

• The US government-sponsored website at www.section508.gov.

• The Accessibility page on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/accessibility.

Understanding screen reader technology

Screen readers are software programs designed to navigate through a website and read the web
content aloud. Visually impaired users often rely on this technology. Those viewing your Adobe
Captivate projects must have Flash Player 6 or later, and Internet Explorer on Windows 2000 or
later.

JAWS, from Freedom Scientific, is one example of a screen reader. You can access the JAWS page
of the Freedom Scientific website at www.hj.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp. Another
commonly used screen reader is Window-Eyes, from GW Micro. To access the latest information
on Window-Eyes, visit the GW Micro website at www.gwmicro.com. For Windows users,
Microsoft provides a free, downloadable product called Microsoft Reader that contains a text-to­speech component. For more information, visit the Microsoft website at www.microsoft.com.

Because different screen readers use varying methods to translate information into speech, the
way your content is presented to users will vary. As you design accessible projects, keep in mind
that you have no control over how a screen reader will behave. You have control only over the
content, not the screen readers. You cannot force screen readers to read specific text at specific
times or control the manner in which that content is read. It is very important, therefore, to test
your projects with a variety of screen readers to ensure that they perform as you expect.

Creating accessible projects 63

Adobe Captivate and accessibility

You can create output that is compliant with Section 508 for users who have visual or hearing
impairments, mobility impairments, or other types of disabilities. You can also take steps at the
design level to remove obstacles for people with disabilities viewing your Adobe Captivate
projects.

These solutions support government agencies in meeting their users’ needs through Section 508
compliance, as well as companies who are committed to improving accessibility.

What is Section 508 compliance?

Section 508 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requiring that Federal agencies develop,
maintain, acquire, or use electronic and information technology to make the systems accessible to
people with disabilities. The most recent (1998) version of Section 508 establishes enforceable,
government-wide standards.

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). Also, the
visual and auditory elements of a user interface must accommodate both hearing impaired and
visually impaired users.

What other types of assistive software do end users need?

Screen readers or text-to-speech utilities (which read the contents of the active window, menu
options, or text you have typed) and screen review aids translate onscreen text to speech or to a
dynamic, refreshable, Braille display. This assistive technology can provide keyboard assistance or
shortcuts, captions for speech and sound, and visual warnings such as flashing toolbars. Tools
available include Windows Eye and JAWS (Job Access With Speech).

What does Adobe Captivate do to be Section 508 compliant?

Selecting the 508 compliance option makes certain elements in Adobe Captivate projects
accessible or open to accessibility technology. For example, if you select the 508 option and you
have filled in the project name and project description text boxes in the Project Properties dialog
box, a screen reader will read the name and description when the Adobe Captivate SWF file is
played.

The following Adobe Captivate elements are accessible when the 508 compliance option is
selected:

• Project name (derived from Project Properties)

• Project description (derived from Project Properties)

• Slide accessibility text

• Slide label (derived from Slide Properties)

• Buttons

64 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

• Playback controls (function of each button is read by screen readers)

• Password protection (if an Adobe Captivate SWF file is password protected, the prompt for a

password is read by screen readers)

• Question slides (title, question, answers, button text, and scoring report are read by screen

readers)

Note: Output generated with the Section 508 option will be displayed with all supported browsers.
However, your output may not be Section 508 compliant unless it is viewed with Internet Explorer.
Internet Explorer is the only browser with support for MSAA (Microsoft Active Accessibility).

Note: To access Flash content using a screen reader, users need to have Flash Player 6 or later
installed.

Note: The Access Board is an independent Federal agency committed to accessibility for people
with disabilities. For more information about making your output compliant, see the Access Board's
Web site (www.access-board.gov/508.htm).

Publishing 508 compliant Adobe Captivate SWF files

Create an Adobe Captivate project using the Section 508 option to view and test the output.
Generating the Adobe 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.

To publish Section 508 compliant projects:

1.

Open the Adobe Captivate project you want to publish as 508 compliant.

2.

From the Project menu, select Preferences.

3.

Click the Preferences tab.

4.

Check that the 508 compliance option is selected.

5.

Click OK.

6.

Publish your project.

7.

After publishing is complete, select the View Output option to preview and test the Adobe
Captivate SWF file.

Adding slide accessibility text

Adobe Captivate contains an easy way to add text to a slide that is specifically designed to be read
by a screen reader. You can create custom text for each slide. (The text will only be read if the 508
compliance option is selected.)

To add text that can be read by a screen reader:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Right-click the slide to which you want to add accessible text and select Properties.

3.

Click Accessibility.

Creating accessible projects 65

4.

Type in the text you want read by the screen reader. If you have text on the slide, such as a text
caption, click Insert slide text to automatically add the caption text. If you have any slide notes
written for the slide, click Insert slide notes to add the text.

5.

When you finish, click OK.

Tips for creating 508 compliant Adobe Captivate SWF files

While Adobe Captivate Section 508 output is compliant for navigation, you should also make
sure other elements are compliant in your topics. Assistive software needs to be able to “read”
elements on the screen to visually impaired users. Use these tips to help you design accessible
projects.

• In the Project Properties dialog box, write a meaningful name and description for your Adobe

Captivate projects.

• For users with hearing impairment, add text equivalents for audio elements. For example,

when delivering narrative audio, it is important to provide captions at the same time. One
option is to place a transparent caption in a fixed location on slides, then synchronize the text
with the audio using the Timeline.

• 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, Adobe
Captivate can send the information to the user through the screen reader. Be aware of audio in
your Adobe Captivate projects that might interfere with a user being able to listen to the screen
reader.

• Write specific text assigned to individual slides for screen readers to read.

• Ensure that color is not the only means of conveying information. For example, active links

that use a blue font color to indicate that they are active should also use another type of
formatting (such as bold, italics, or underlined text). In addition, make sure that foreground
and background contrast sufficiently to make text readable for people with low vision and
color blindness.

• For users with either visual or mobility impairment, ensure that controls are device

independent or accessible by keyboard.

• Users with cognitive impairments often respond best to uncluttered design that is easily

navigable.

• If mouse movement is critical in your Adobe Captivate project, consider changing the mouse

pointer so it is double the normal size for easier viewing.

• Document methods of accessibility for users.

• Avoid looping objects. When a screen reader encounters Flash content on a page, the screen

reader notifies the user with audio, such as “Loading….load done”. As content in a project
changes, the Flash Player sends an event to the screen reader notifying it of a change, which
causes the screen reader to return to the top of the page and begin reading again. Therefore, a
looping text animation on a slide, for example, might cause the screen reader to continually
return to the top of the page. This could be annoying for users relying on a screen reader.

66 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

• If you are creating click boxes you can make them more accessible by adding sound. The sound

can play when users tab to the click box or hover over the click box. To add this accessibility
feature, attach a sound file to the hint caption. (If you do not want the hint caption to appear
on the slide, you can make the caption transparent and add no text.)

• Accessibility in Adobe Captivate movies works better when all the slides have interactive

content. If you are using JAWS 6.1 or later, JAWS may not clear the Microsoft Active
Accessibility (MSAA) tree. This might cause the content of previous slides to be repeated in the
case of continuous slides. This problem does not occur in JAWS 4.5.

About testing accessible content

If you are designing your Adobe Captivate project to work with screen readers, download several
screen readers and test your project by playing it in a browser with the screen reader enabled.
Make sure that the screen reader is not attempting to “talk over” places in your project where you
have inserted separate audio. Several screen reader applications provide a demonstration version of
the software as a free download you should try as many as you can to ensure compatibility across
screen readers.

If you are creating interactive content, test it and verify that users can navigate your content
effectively using only the keyboard. This can be an especially challenging requirement, because
different screen readers work in different ways when processing input from the keyboard—
meaning that your Adobe Captivate content might not receive keystrokes as you intended. Make
sure to test all keyboard shortcuts.

Adobe Captivate accessibility web page

For latest information on creating and viewing accessible Adobe Captivate content, visit the
Adobe Captivate Accessibility Overview page on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/

macromedia/accessibility/features/captivate/overview.html.

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.

The following are two options for localizing Adobe Captivate projects.

Using Adobe Captivate with a localized user interface

If you are creating Adobe Captivate projects that show a website or application that has been
created in several languages, you can create localized projects for each language.

To create localized Adobe Captivate projects:

1.

Create an Adobe Captivate project in your source language using a source language version of
the website or application. For example, if you created your application in English, you can
produce an English language Adobe Captivate project that shows the English application.

Localizing Captive projects 67

2.

Export any captions in the project and translate the caption text into the languages you require.
Continuing the example from step 1, you can take the English language captions in the English
project, export them, and give the text to localizers so they could translate it into other languages
such as German and Japanese.

3.

Open the website or application in the localized forms and record the same steps that were
recorded in the source language version of the project. When you record the projects, do not
automatically include objects. In this example, you record Adobe Captivate projects (using the
same steps in the English project) of the application after the localizers translated the application
user interface into German and Japanese.

4.

Import all objects from the source language version of the project. In this example, you import
all objects from the English version of the project into the German and Japanese projects.

5.

Import the localized captions created by translators in step 2. In this example, you open the
German and Japanese projects and import the Word file of the captions that had been
translated.

6.

Test the localized versions of the project. In this example, open the German and Japanese
projects and ensure that the correct user interface is shown, that captions are properly translated
and appear on the correct slide, and that timing is accurate. You may need to adjust the timing
or resize the captions so that Adobe Captivate displays all of the translated text correctly.

Localizing text captions

If you are localizing a project that contains text captions and closed captions, you can export text
captions to make the process more efficient.

To localize text captions:

1.

Create the initial (“source language”) version of the project, including all necessary text captions.

2.

Open the completed project.

3.

From the File menu, select Import/Export > Export project captions and closed captions.

4.

By default, the Word (DOC) file is saved to your My Documents\My Adobe Captivate Projects
folder. You can change the location if you want. If the project file has been saved, the location
of the default Word file, named [ProjectName] Captions.doc is same directory as the one in
which the project has been saved. You can change the name of the file, if necessary, by clicking
directly in the File name text box and entering a new name (retain the .doc file extension). Click
Save.

5.

The Word file is generated with the name you specified and saved to the location you selected.
A dialog box appears, asking if you want to view the document. Click Yes to view the document
in Word.

6.

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.

7.

The localizer/translator should open the Word document and edit the caption text directly in
“Updated Text Caption Data” column in the document, replacing the source language text with
the new text.

68 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

8.

While the localizer/translator is translating the text, make a copy of the original Adobe
Captivate project for the new language.

Note: When you create a copy of the original project, be sure to keep the original text captions and
closed captions (in the source language) in the new project. The original captions act as
placeholders and are overwritten when you import the new (localized) text captions and closed
captions.

9.

When the text captions are localized, open the copy of the project you created in step 8.

10.

From the File menu, select Import/Export > Import project captions and closed captions.

Note: The Import project captions and closed captions option is enabled only after you export the
captions; you can only import an edited caption file that you originally exported from the same
project.

11.

Navigate to the localized text captions Word (DOC) file, select the file, and click Open.

12.

The new, localized text captions and closed captions are imported into the project and all
formatting is retained. A dialog box appears showing a successful import message. Click OK.

13.

Test the new text captions by opening different slides in Edit view and reading the new caption
text.

Localizing Captive projects 69

70 Chapter 3: Creating Projects

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. If you do not use voice-over narration in a project, you can
use text captions to provide a similar function; text captions can “speak” to the user.

You decide how text captions appear (font, size, color, and so on). Adobe Captivate provides a
wide variety of predefined text caption styles, but you can also create custom text caption styles
that match your company or organization appearance.

It is easy to add text captions to slides manually, but to create text captions very quickly you can
have Adobe Captivate automatically generate text captions based upon what is recorded. For
example, if you record the mouse clicking the Edit menu, Adobe Captivate can automatically
create a text caption that says “Select the Edit menu” and place the text caption on the exact slide
showing the action.

About adding text captions

You can use text captions to “talk” to users or to point out specific items on a slide. It is easy to
add a text caption to a slide and to edit the text caption so it looks exactly the way you want.

To add a text caption:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Select the slide to which you want to add a text caption.

3.

From the Insert menu, select Text Caption. You can also right-click on the slide and choose
Insert, then choose Text caption.

4.

In the Text Caption tab, set the following properties:

Caption type Select a text caption type. Each text caption type is named and a small

thumbnail image shows what the text caption looks like.

Font Click the pop-up menu to select a font for the text caption.

Size Type a number or click the pop-up menu to select a font size for the caption text.

Color Click the pop-up menu to select a font color for the caption text.

71

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.

Type caption text here Enter the caption text exactly as you want it to appear.

5.

Click the Options tab and set the following options:

Display for [time] Specifies the duration that the text caption is displayed in the slide. From

the pop-up menu, select one of the following options:

■ Specific time The text caption plays for the number of seconds you enter.

■ Rest of slide If the text caption is more than a few seconds, you can set it to appear for as

long as the slide duration.

■ Rest of project The text caption appears for the length of the project, even on other slides.

Appear after [#] seconds Displays the text caption after the slide has been displayed for the

selected number of seconds.

Effect Click the pop-up menu to select a transition effect for the text caption. Select a fade

in or fade out option, or select No transition.

6.

If you want to add audio to the text caption, click the Audio tab. For more information on
adding audio, see Chapter 5, “Adding Audio and Video.”

7.

To specify the exact size and position of the caption, click the Size and Position tab. Using these
options instead of dragging the text box helps you create consistent text boxes throughout your
project.

8.

Use the Settings menu to select how to apply property changes in the project. To apply all your
changes, select Apply only changed properties. To apply all the text caption settings, select
Apply all properties. You can apply the text caption settings to the current slide only or to all
slides. And you can choose to apply the text caption settings to all captions or only the text
captions of the same type as the current one.

Note: If you change the settings in this dialog box, they become the default settings and any new
text captions you create use the new settings.

9.

Click the Apply to all button to apply the settings specified from the Settings menu.

10.

When you finish, click OK.

The text caption appears on the slide.

11.

Size and drag the text caption.

Note: If you create a transparent caption, avoid underlining text because doing so might decrease
text quality when the project is viewed.

Tip: If you add a transparent text caption, avoid using bold text; regular text appears clearer than bold
text on most monitors.

72 Chapter 4: Adding Text Captions

Adding plain text to a slide

As you edit a project, you may want to add some text to the slide, but not have the text appear as
a text caption over the slide. There is an easy trick you can use to add plain text to a slide: simply
add the text as a transparent text caption.

To create a transparent text caption:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Select the slide to which you want to add a transparent text caption.

3.

From the Insert menu, select Text Caption.

The Caption Properties dialog box appears.

4.

In Caption type, select [transparent].

5.

Change other text caption options as necessary.

Font Click the pop-up menu to select a font for the text caption.

Size Type a number or click the pop-up menu to select a font size for the caption text.

Color Click the color box to select a font color for the caption text.

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.

Type caption text here Enter the caption text exactly as you want it to appear.

6.

To specify the exact size and position of the caption, click the Size and Position tab. Using these
options instead of dragging the text box help you create consistent text boxes throughout your
project.

7.

Use the Settings menu to select how to apply property changes in the project. To apply all your
changes, select Apply only changed properties. To apply all the text caption settings, select
Apply all properties. You can apply the text caption settings to the current slide only or to all
slides. And you can choose to apply the text caption settings to all captions or only the text
captions of the same type as the current one.

Note: If you change the settings in this dialog box, they become the default settings and any new
text captions you create use the new settings.

8.

Click the Apply to all button to apply the settings specified from the Settings menu.

9.

Click OK.

Note: If you create a transparent caption, avoid underlining text because doing so might decrease
text quality when the project is viewed.

Tip: After adding the transparent text caption, you may want to merge the caption with the slide
background.

Adding plain text to a slide 73

Adding text captions automatically

When you record projects, or additional slides for projects, Adobe Captivate can automatically
create text captions based upon the action recorded. For example, if you record the action of
selecting the File menu, Adobe Captivate can automatically add a text caption that reads “Select
File menu” on the same slide.

Actions that generate text captions include the following: selecting menus and menu items,
pressing buttons, changing values in locations such as lists, combo boxes, or check boxes, and
opening child windows.

To add text captions automatically when recording a new project:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

On the Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

3.

In the left pane, click Software Simulation.

The Software Simulation window appears on the right.

4.

In the right pane, select Application, Custom Size, or Full screen and click OK.

5.

Click Options.

The Recording Options dialog box appears.

6.

Select the Recording Options tab.

7.

Select Enable auto recording.

8.

In Language, select the language in which you want the text captions to be written.

9.

In Recording mode, select Demonstration or Custom. In both these modes, text captions are
automatically added. (To further fine-tune custom settings, click the Edit settings button.)

10.

Click OK.

11.

Click Record to begin recording a new project and automatically creating text captions.

12.

After you have finished recording and the project has been generated (including the
automatically created text captions), view the individual slides in the project to see the text
captions. To edit caption text, select a text caption.

To add text captions automatically when recording additional slides:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the Insert menu, select Record Additional Slides.

3.

Decide where the new slides should be added. You can add new slides to the end of the project,
or click a slide in the list and add new slides after the selected slide.

4.

When you finish, click OK.

The recording window appears.

5.

Click Options.

The Recording Options dialog box appears.

74 Chapter 4: Adding Text Captions

6.

Select the Recording Options tab.

7.

Select Enable auto recording.

8.

In Language, select the language in which you want the text captions to be written.

9.

In Recording mode, select Demonstration, Assessment Simulation, Training Simulation, or
Custom. In all of these modes, text captions are automatically added. (To further fine-tune
custom settings, click the Edit settings button.)

10.

Click OK.

11.

Click Record to begin recording additional slides.

12.

When you finish, press End (on your keyboard) to stop recording.

The new slides are generated and are displayed in Storyboard view.

13.

Select one of the recorded slides to view the slide and read the text captions that Adobe
Captivate automatically added. To edit caption text, double-click a caption.

Note: Adobe Captivate can automatically generate text captions for all standard Windows user
interface elements. It might not, however, support nonstandard user interface elements, including
menu text in applications created with Delphi.

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.

To add a rollover caption:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

In Storyboard view, select the slide to which you want to add a rollover caption.

3.

From the Insert menu, select Rollover Caption.

The Rollover Caption Properties dialog box appears.

4.

On the Rollover Caption tab, set the following properties:

Caption type Click the pop-up menu to select a text caption type. Each text caption type is

named and a small thumbnail image shows what the text caption looks like.

Font Click the pop-up menu to select a font for the text caption.

Size Type a number or click the pop-up menu to select a font size for the caption text.

Color Click the color box to select a font color for the caption text.

Caption style Click one of the five caption types. Four of the caption styles contain captions

with directional callouts so you can select a 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.

Adding rollover captions 75

5.

Click the Options tab and set the following option:

Effect Click the pop-up menu and choose a transition effect for the rollover caption. Select

Fade in and out, Fade in only, Fade out only, or No transition. If you do select a fade in or fade
out effect, specify the exact amount of time (in seconds) for the effect.

6.

If you want to add audio to the caption, click the Audio tab. For more information on adding
audio, see Chapter 5, Adding Audio and Video.

7.

To specify the exact size and position of the caption, click the Size and Position tab. Using these
options instead of dragging the rollover caption box help you create consistent rollover caption
boxes throughout your project.

8.

Use the Settings menu to select how to apply property changes in the project. To apply all your
changes, select Apply only changed properties. To apply all the rollover caption settings, select
Apply all properties. You can apply the rollover caption settings to the current slide only or to
all slides. And you can choose to apply the rollover caption settings to all captions or only the
rollover captions of the same type as the current one.

Note: If you change the settings in this dialog box, they become the default settings and any new
rollover captions you create use the new settings.

9.

Click the Apply to all button to apply the settings specified from the Settings menu.

10.

Click OK.

The rollover caption and the rollover area are added to the slide. The rollover area defines
where the mouse needs to be for the caption to appear.

Changing the rollover area

Rollover captions and rollover images consist of a caption or image and a rollover area (the “hot”
area). The rollover area defines where the mouse needs to be for the caption or image to appear.

To edit the rollover area:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

In Storyboard view, select 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. Drag the box to the desired location.

■ To modify the rollover area attributes, double-click inside the rollover area box and use the

Rollover Area dialog box to make changes.

Converting tooltips to rollover captions

When you record a new project or record additional slides for an existing project, you can set a
recording option that requires Adobe Captivate to convert tooltips to rollover captions. When
this option is selected, Adobe Captivate creates a rollover caption for every tooltip that is selected
during the recording process.

76 Chapter 4: Adding Text Captions

Converting tooltips to rollover captions is an easy way to automatically create an appropriate and
descriptive caption for action taking place in a project.

To convert tooltips to rollover captions automatically when recording a new project:

1.

Open Adobe Captivate.

2.

On the Start page, click Record or create a new project.

The New project options dialog box appears.

3.

Select the Application, Custom Size, or Full screen option and click OK.

4.

Click Options.

The Recording Options dialog box appears.

5.

Click the Recording Options tab.

6.

Select Enable auto recording.

7.

In Language, select the language in which you want the rollover captions to be written.

8.

In Recording defaults, select a caption style from the pop-up menu, or click Edit settings to
customize the styles of default captions.

9.

In Recording mode, click the pop-up menu and elect Custom.

10.

Click Edit settings.

11.

Select Convert tooltips to rollover captions.

12.

Click OK.

13.

Click OK again.

14.

Click Record to begin recording a new project and automatically converting tooltips to rollover
captions.

To convert tooltips to rollover captions automatically when recording additional slides:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the Insert menu, select Record Additional Slides.

3.

Select the option to add the additional slides to the end of the project or to a location within
the project.

4.

Click OK.

The Record Project dialog box appears.

5.

Click Options.

The Recording Options dialog box appears.

6.

Select the Recording Options tab.

7.

Select Enable auto recording.

8.

In Language, select the language in which you want the rollover captions to be written.

9.

In Recording defaults, select a caption style from the pop-up menu, or click Edit settings to
customize the styles of default captions.

Converting tooltips to rollover captions 77

10.

In Recording mode, click the pop-up menu and select Custom.

11.

Click Edit settings.

12.

Select Convert tooltips to rollover captions.

13.

Click OK.

14.

Click OK again.

15.

Click Record to begin recording additional slides and automatically converting tooltips to
rollover captions.

Localizing text captions

If you are localizing a project that contains text captions, you can export text captions to make the
process more efficient.

To localize text captions:

1.

Create the initial (“source language”) version of the project, including all necessary text captions.

2.

Open the completed project.

3.

From the File menu, select Import/Export > Export project captions and closed captions.

4.

By default, the Word (DOC) file is saved to your My Documents\My Adobe Captivate Projects
folder. Change the location if you want. Also, the Word file is named [ProjectName]
Captions.doc. You can change the name of the file, if necessary, by clicking directly in the File
name text box and entering a new name (retain the .doc file extension). Click Save.

5.

The Word file is generated with the name you specified and saved to the location you selected.
A dialog box appears, asking if you want to view the document. Click Yes to view the document
in Word.

6.

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.

7.

The localizer/translator should open the Word document and edit the caption text directly in
“Updated Text Caption Data” column in the document, replacing the source language text with
the new text.

8.

While the localizer/translator is translating the text, make a copy of the original Adobe
Captivate project for the new language.

Note: When you create a copy of the original project, be sure to keep the original text captions (in
the source language) in the new project. The original text captions act as placeholders and are
overwritten when you import the new (localized) text captions.

9.

When the text captions are localized, open the copy of the project you created in step 8.

10.

From the File menu, select Import/Export > Import project captions and closed captions.

11.

Navigate to the localized text captions Word (DOC) file, select the file, and click Open.

78 Chapter 4: Adding Text Captions

12.

The new, localized text captions are imported into the project and all formatting is retained. A
dialog box appears showing a successful import message. Click OK.

13.

Test the new text captions by opening different slides in Edit view and reading the new caption
text.

Editing text captions

After you have created text captions, it is easy to make changes to the caption style or text.

Note: If you are resizing a text caption, you cannot make the text caption smaller than the bitmap
used to create the text caption. For example, the text caption style “Pill” uses bitmaps sized
approximately 18 pixels (wide) x 16 pixels (high), so these bitmaps could not be resized down to 15 x
12 pixels. However, any of the text caption bitmaps can be made larger. If you need very small text
captions, consider creating custom captions.

To edit a text caption:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Select the slide that contains the text caption you want to edit.

3.

Double-click the text caption to edit.

The Text Caption dialog box appears.

4.

Click the various tabs and make any changes you want. (For details about all of the available
options, click the Help button.)

5.

When you finish, click OK.

Tip: If you have a detailed slide that contains text captions and other objects, you might want to make
the text caption a permanent part of the background.

Creating custom text caption styles

You can create custom text caption styles for your Adobe Captivate projects with a graphics
program, such as Adobe’s Macromedia® Fireworks® or Adobe® Photoshop®.

Custom text captions must be in BMP (bitmap) format. In general, each Adobe Captivate text
caption has five associated bitmap images.

Naming custom text caption styles

When creating custom text caption styles, be sure to follow the correct naming conventions. Each
caption style has a unique name, and you must use this name at the beginning of each associated
bitmap filename. For example, if you create a new text caption style named “Brightblue,” the five
bitmap images that constitute the new style should be named as follows:

• Brightblue1.bmp an image with no callouts

• Brightblue2.bmp an image with a callout to the right or upper right

• Brightblue3.bmp an image with a callout to the left or upper left

• Brightblue4.bmp an image with a callout to the lower right

• Brightblue5.bmp an image with a callout to the lower left

Creating custom text caption styles 79

Storing custom text caption styles

You must store all of the bitmap images for a custom text caption style in the Adobe Captivate
Captions folder (located in C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Captivate 2\Gallery\Captions). After
you add the five new bitmaps to the captions folder, Adobe Captivate recognizes the bitmap files
as a new text caption style. The next time you add a new text caption, your new custom style
appears in the text caption style list, so you can easily select and use the new style.

Text alignment on custom text captions

Sometimes text on custom text captions can appear out of alignment. To solve this problem, you
must set the left, right, top, and bottom margins.

Each of the five text caption styles requires different margin settings because text appears at
slightly different places on each text caption.

The margin settings are stored in a text file with the extension .fcm. You can use Notepad or
WordPad to create or edit FCM files.

To change text alignment on a custom text caption:

1.

Using Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Captivate
2\Gallery\Captions. All of the text caption BMP and corresponding FCM files are located in
this folder.

2.

Right-click the exact FCM file you need to edit, and select Open with.

3.

Select Notepad or WordPad.

4.

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.

■ Bottom Margin is the number of pixels from the bottom of the bitmap to the text.

5.

(Optional) If necessary, you can edit the MarginX and MarginY settings. This can be important
if you are adding captions automatically.

■ MarginX is the number of pixels horizontally from the nearest corner to the tip of the

caption callout.

■ Margin Y is the number of pixels vertically from the nearest corner to the tip of the caption

callout.

Note: The nearest corner is identified in the file open in Notepad or WordPad under “Corner.” For
example, Corner=right, top.

6.

From the File menu, select Save.

A dialog box may appear, asking if you want to replace the original file. Click Yes.

7.

Close the program (Notepad or WordPad).

80 Chapter 4: Adding Text Captions

Design tips for custom text captions

• Colors The colors in the text caption should not be the same color as the transparent color.

The transparent color is determined by the upper left pixel. For example, if the color in the
upper left pixel is yellow, everything that is the same color yellow will be transparent in the text
caption. Also, the text caption itself can have a gradient background, but the area around
(“behind”) the text caption, must be a solid color.

• Anti-alias Do not anti-alias the edges of your text captions. Your text captions will appear on

different screenshots and the anti-alias might cause a jagged halo effect on some screenshots.

Moving and resizing text captions

You can resize text captions manually or automatically, and move text captions to new locations
on a slide.

Note: If you are resizing a text caption, you cannot make the caption smaller than the bitmap used to
create the caption. For example, the caption style “Pill” uses bitmaps sized approximately 18 pixels
(wide) x 16 pixels (high), so these bitmaps could not be resized down to 15 x 12 pixels. However, any
of the caption bitmaps can be made larger. If you need very small captions, consider creating custom
captions.

To manually resize a text caption:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Select a slide that contains a text caption.

3.

Click the text caption you want to resize.

4.

Move your mouse pointer over one of selection handles on the edge of the text caption until the
pointer becomes a resize handle.

5.

Using the left mouse button, drag to resize the text caption.

To automatically resize text captions:

Adobe Captivate can automatically resize a text caption according to the amount of text in the
text caption. If you edit the text, the text caption changes size to match the new amount of text.
This is an easy way to keep your text captions looking balanced and proportional.

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project that contains text captions.

2.

From the Options menu, select Autosize Captions. (If a check mark appears next to the option,
Autosize Captions is enabled; if no check mark is visible, Autosize Captions is not enabled.)

Tip: If you want the text caption size to be determined by the size and position settings, clear the
Autosize Captions option in the Options menu.

To move a text caption:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Select a slide that contains a text caption.

3.

Move the mouse over the caption you want to move.

4.

When the hand cursor appears, use the left mouse button to drag the text caption to a new
location on the slide.

Moving and resizing text captions 81

Copying and pasting text captions

You can copy and paste text captions between slides. This is a great time-saver, especially if you
need to have the same text caption on multiple slides.

To copy and paste a text caption:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Select the slide containing the text caption you want to copy.

3.

Right-click the text caption and select Copy.

4.

Navigate to the slide where you want to paste the caption.

5.

Right-click on the slide and select Paste Object.

Tip: You can copy and paste more than one text caption at a time. To select multiple text captions,
press Control and click on the text captions. Then, right-click on one of the selected text captions and
choose Copy.

Importing text captions

You can import text captions from a DOC file. First, you export the text captions from your
Adobe Captivate project. Adobe Captivate creates a DOC file that preserves all of the formatting
from the text captions. While the text captions are in DOC format, you can make text and
formatting changes in a word processing program. Then import the text captions back into the
Adobe Captivate project using the steps below.

Note: If you export text captions to a DOC file, that DOC file can only be imported back into the
original project.

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:

1.

Open the Adobe Captivate project containing text captions.

2.

Export the text captions.

3.

Make the necessary changes while the text captions are in DOC format (in the Updated Text
Caption Data column), and save the DOC file.

4.

From the Adobe Captivate File menu, select Import/Export > Import project captions and
closed captions.

5.

Select the DOC file that contains the exported text captions.

6.

Click Open.

7.

An Information dialog box appears, confirming that the import was successful. Click OK.

82 Chapter 4: Adding Text Captions

Exporting text captions

You can export text captions from an existing Adobe Captivate project into a DOC file if you
have Microsoft Word installed on your computer. All formatting done in Adobe Captivate is
preserved when the text captions open as a DOC file. You can make text and formatting changes
to the text captions while they are in DOC format and then import them back into the Adobe
Captivate project.

Note: If you export text captions to a DOC file, that DOC file can only be imported back into the
original project.

Exporting text captions can be useful in several situations:

• If voice-over narration will be recorded and you need to create a script, exported text captions

can provide the foundation for the script.

• If you want to provide printed step-by-step instructions, you can export text captions and print

the DOC file.

• If a project must be localized, you can export text captions into a DOC file and give it to a

translator.

To export text captions:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the File menu, select Import/Export > Export project captions and closed captions.

3.

In the Save As dialog box, enter a filename for the new DOC file.

4.

Note the default directory where the file will be saved. If you want, navigate to a different
location in which to save the file.

5.

Click Save.

The text captions from the project are converted into DOC format. A dialog box appears,
confirming that the text captions were exported to Word and asking if you would like to view
the document.

6.

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.

7.

Save the document.

8.

Import the text captions back into the Adobe Captivate project.

Exporting text captions 83

Changing text caption order

Adobe Captivate lets you add multiple captions to each slide. You specify the order in which these
captions appear using the Timeline. The Timeline enables you to precisely adjust the timing of all
objects, including captions, on a slide.

To change caption order using the Timeline:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Navigate to the slide containing the captions whose order you want to change.

3.

If it is not open already, show the Timeline by clicking on the splitter bar. To expand the
Timeline, click the display arrow.

4.

Change the order and timing of captions as required.

■ For example, move the mouse over the left or right edge of a caption on the Timeline until

the resize cursor appears, and then drag the edge left or right. This changes the time at
which the caption appears or ends and the length of time the caption appears.

■ Alternatively, if you have a caption that is currently displayed at the same time the slide is

displayed, but you want a slight delay, move the mouse over the center of the caption on the
Timeline until the hand cursor appears, and then drag the entire caption so the left edge
aligns with 2s (a 2-second delay) or 4s (a 4-second delay) in the header.

5.

If you have two captions that overlap on the slide, you need to select the caption you want to
appear in front by setting the stacking order. Changing the stacking order consists of moving
captions to the back and front of the slide “stage.” The key point to remember is that captions
at the back of the stage appear behind other captions. Use one of the following methods to set
the stacking order.

■ In Edit view, right-click a caption on the slide and select one of the caption order options. If

necessary, right-click other captions on the slide and adjust their order.

■ In Edit view, select a caption and, on the Edit View toolbar (next to Slide Properties), click

Bring Selected Objects Forward in Z-order or Send Selected Objects Backward in Z-order.

■ In Edit view, on the Timeline, move the mouse over a caption until the hand appears and

drag the caption up or down to change its position in the stacking order. Moving a caption
higher in the stacking order moves it to the front of the stage, while moving a caption lower
moves it to the back of the stage.

Deleting text captions

Deleting a text caption removes it from the slide and the project.

To delete a text caption:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

In Storyboard view, select a slide that contains text captions.

3.

Right-click a text caption and select Delete.

84 Chapter 4: Adding Text Captions

CHAPTER 5

Adding Audio and Video

You can add a wide variety of sounds to your Adobe Captivate projects. You can also add Flash
Video (FLV) files.

About adding audio

Adobe 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 project component.

Audio can be used in Adobe Captivate projects in a variety of ways. For example, you can do the
following:

• Add a background track that plays for the duration of the project.

• Add sound to an individual slide.

• Add sound to a specific object, such as a caption, click box, highlight box, or button.

Use all three of the above options in the same project.

Adobe Captivate lets you record your own audio files (using some simple equipment) or import
existing files. You can record audio files at the same time the project is recorded, or you can add
an audio file later. Imported files can be in WAV or MP3 format. (If you add a WAV file to a
project, Adobe Captivate automatically converts the WAV file to MP3 format when you publish
the project.)

After you add audio to a project, you can adjust the timing of objects to fit the sound file
precisely. Adobe Captivate also contains features that enable you to add silent periods to audio
files and to normalize audio for all slides so the sound level is consistent.

Tip: Adobe Captivate contains a gallery that has buttons, sounds, and animations (in SWF format) for
you to use in your projects. By default, the gallery is stored in the following location when you install
Adobe Captivate: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Captivate 2\Gallery.

85

Adding existing audio

You can quickly add audio to a project if you already have audio files in WAV or MP3 format.
Simply import the files and use them as opening music, background narration, instructions, or
any other purposes.

Note: When you import WAV files into Adobe Captivate projects, Adobe Captivate automatically
converts them to MP3 files when you publish the project.

To add audio to a slide:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From any view, select the slide to which you want to add audio.

3.

From the Audio menu, select Import.

The Import Audio dialog box appears.

Note: Adobe Captivate contains a gallery that has buttons, sounds, and animations (in SWF
format) for you to use in your projects. By default, the gallery is stored in the following location
when you install Adobe Captivate: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Captivate 2\Gallery.

4.

Navigate to the audio file (WAV or MP3) you want to add to the slide, select the audio file, and
click Open.

5.

(Optional) If the playing time of the audio file is longer than the playing time of the slide, a
dialog box appears asking if you would like to edit slide timing. Click Yes to open the Edit
Audio Timing dialog box.

Equipment for recording audio

Having the right audio equipment makes a big difference in the quality of recorded audio.
Surprisingly, basic audio equipment can be relatively inexpensive.

Computer with sound card The sound card installed with your computer acts as a digital

recorder for audio.

Microphone If possible, avoid using the inexpensive microphone packaged with your

computer. Also, use a proper microphone cable and a stand to hold the microphone while you are
recording.

Microphone preamplifier A preamplifier boosts the signal of the microphone. The microphone

input of your computer's sound card probably includes a preamplifier, but it is most likely a poor
quality one. When purchasing a preamplifier, you can choose a small mixer or a stand-alone
version. Mixers let you connect several microphones and devices to one location and adjust their
volumes independently. Stand-alone preamplifiers are considered better than mixers at filtering
out unwanted noises.

Speakers The speakers that came with your computer are probably good enough for recording

purposes, although you may want to change some of your speaker settings. However, if you are
working on a laptop, you must use standard desktop computer speakers instead of the built-in
laptop speakers.

Note: In Microsoft Windows operating systems, you can usually find speaker (sound) settings by
clicking Start in the lower left corner and selecting Settings > Control Panel > Sounds.

86 Chapter 5: Adding Audio and Video

Headphones Headphones are important because when the microphone is on, speakers can

cause distracting feedback. Additionally, it is best to use closed-ear headphones that prevent
leaking sound (which can be picked up by the microphone).

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).

Recording area After you have acquired the necessary audio equipment, the most important

action you can take before recording is an obvious one: find a quiet place to record. Try closing
doors, turning off any unnecessary computer equipment, turning off or lowering lights that might
be making noise, turning off phone ringers, beepers, and pagers. Of course, try to tell coworkers
that recording is in progress.

Tips for recording audio

Follow these tips to ensure that you are recording the highest quality audio possible.

Setup After you have acquired the necessary audio recording equipment, ensure that it is set up

properly. First, plug your microphone into your mixer or preamplifier, and then plug the output
of that device into your computer sound card's “line in.” Plug your headphones into your
computer. Then, set the volume on your mixer or preamplifier. Begin speaking to test the volume
levels, and carefully raise the volume until it shows just under zero.

Sound card settings Open the software application that controls the sound card. (In most

Windows operating systems, you can find sound settings by clicking Start in the lower left corner
and selecting Settings > Control Panel > Sounds.) Select the recording source (line in) and adjust
the volume to 100%.

Note: You control the actual recording level with your mixer or preamplifier.

Audio recording software settings

Start your audio recording software. Change the settings as
necessary. Note that mixers and preamplifiers do not have sound level controls, so you rely on the
meters when recording. While recording, ensure that you do not exceed zero on the meters, or the
sound will be distorted.

Microphone placement Positioning your microphone correctly can make a big difference in

the finished audio file. First, get close to the microphone (within 4 to 6 inches), so any other
nearby sounds have less chance of being recorded. Don't speak down to the microphone; instead,
position it above your nose and pointed down at your mouth. Finally, position the microphone
slightly to the side of your mouth, because this can help soften the sound of the letters S and P.

Tips for recording audio 87

Microphone technique Have a glass of water nearby so you can avoid “dry mouth.” Before

recording, turn away from the microphone, take a deep breath, exhale, take another deep breath,
open your mouth, turn back toward the microphone, and start speaking. This trick can eliminate
breathing and lip-smacking sounds frequently recorded at the beginning of audio tracks. Speak
slowly and carefully. You may feel that you are speaking artificially slowly, but you should be able
to adjust the speed later by using your audio recording software. Finally, bear in mind that you
don't have to get everything right the first time. You can listen and evaluate each recording and re­record if required.

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).

Adding audio files to Adobe Captivate When you are finished recording the audio file, add it

to the Adobe Captivate project.

Additional feedback After you add the audio to the Adobe Captivate project, listen to it again.

Play the project as users normally would. Finally, ask others to preview the Adobe Captivate
SWF/audio file. If necessary, edit the audio file again.

Setting audio recording options

Audio files present the common challenge of balancing quality against size. The higher the sound
quality, the larger the file size. The more you compress a sound and the lower the sampling rate,
the smaller the size and the lower the quality. Adobe Captivate lets you control the way sound is
recorded and compressed based upon your input and output requirements.

Creating audio in Adobe Captivate is essentially a two-part process. You record audio in WAV
format, and then Adobe Captivate converts the WAV file into an MP3 file. When files are in
WAV format, they have a degree of flexibility. You can edit and adjust them “downward,”
compressing them into MP3 files uniquely tailored to their playback scenario.

When working with audio, keep your users in mind. If a user is likely to access the Adobe
Captivate project by using a dial-up modem, use a higher compression/lower sampling rate, such
as 56 Kbps. However, if you are distributing the project on a CD-ROM, you can use a lower
compression/higher sampling rate, such as 144 Kbps. In the best development case, experiment to
find the optimal balance between sound quality and file size for your users.

To set audio recording options:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

To open the Record Audio dialog box, do one of the following:

■ In Storyboard view, click Audio in the toolbar.

■ In Edit view, click Audio in the toolbar.

3.

Click Settings.

The Audio settings dialog box appears.

88 Chapter 5: Adding Audio and Video

4.

Set the following options:

■ Input source Specifies the type of recording device you are using to create audio. Select

Microphone if you are using a microphone, or select Line in if you are using a different type
of recording device.

■ Encoding Bitrate In the Encoding bitrate area, you can select the required bitrate at

which audio encoding must be performed. Select one of the following options based on the
audio encoding quality you require:

CD bitrate (128 kbps) Specifies the amount of audio information (in kbps) that will be

stored per second of a recording, which is of CD quality.

Near CD bitrate (96 kbps) Specifies the amount of audio information (in kbps) that will

be stored per unit second of a recording, which is of a near CD quality. By default, this
option is selected.

FM Radio bitrate (64 kbps) Specifies the amount of audio information (in kbps) that will

be stored per second of a recording, which is of FM Radio quality.

Custom Bitrate Specifies the amount of audio information that will be stored per second

of a recording, which is of a user-defined quality. You can drag the slider bar to set the
required bitrate.

■ Encoding Frequency Select the frequency at which audio encoding must be performed.

■ Encoding Speed Drag the slider bar to set the required audio encoding speed. Increasing

the encoding speed reduces the quality of the encoded files.

■ Calibrate input Click to display the Calibrate microphone dialog box. You are prompted

to read a sentence into the recording device. Adobe Captivate uses the sample recording to
detect optimal recording sensitivity levels. It is important to calibrate your recording device
for optimal sound quality.

5.

When you finish, click OK.

Using audio from existing Library files

You can reuse existing project audio files for slides in a project.When you insert a new object
(such as an image or video) into your project, the Select audio from library button on the Audio
tab of the new item dialog box is enabled and you can browse the Library for an existing audio
file.

To change the selection of audio files from the Library:

1.

In the dialog box that appears when you insert a new object, click the Audio tab or the
Background Audio tab, or from the Audio menu, select Edit.

2.

Click the Select audio from library button, and confirm the message that appears.

The Select audio from library dialog box appears.

3.

Select a file from the list of Library files, and then click OK.

4.

Click OK to save the changes in the dialog box.

Setting audio recording options 89

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. Adobe Captivate
can detect optimal microphone and recording sensitivity levels automatically.

Note: Adobe Captivate must be able to detect a recording device before trying to calibrate. Check
that a microphone or recording device using “line in” is connected to your computer properly and is
turned on before calibrating.

To calibrate a microphone or recording device:

1.

Open the Adobe Captivate project for which you want to record a new audio file.

2.

From the Audio menu, select Record.

The Record Audio dialog box appears.

3.

Click Settings.

The Audio settings dialog box appears.

4.

Click Calibrate input.

The Calibrate microphone dialog box appears.

5.

To set the correct recording device level, read the following sentence into the microphone until
the red recording window becomes green:

“I am setting my microphone recording level for use with Adobe Captivate.”

6.

When you finish, click OK.

Recording audio

If you have a microphone connected to your computer, you can record audio to be included on a
slide. You can use audio for many types of narration or instruction. For example, if you have text
captions in a project, you can record a voice-over narration track of someone reading the text on
the captions.

To record audio:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

To open the Record Audio dialog box, do one of the following:

■ In Storyboard view, click Audio in the toolbar.

■ In Edit view, click Audio in the toolbar.

3.

If you want to set recording options, click Settings and make the necessary changes. Depending
on the type of recording (voice-over, music, and so on) and the desired playback (within an EXE
file, over the Internet, and so on), you may need to adjust audio settings.

4.

(Optional) If you have created text captions or slide notes that can be used as a script, select the
View Script option. (The text will appear on the right.)

5.

Click Record to begin recording.

6.

Speak into the microphone or recording device.

90 Chapter 5: Adding Audio and Video

7.

When you finish, click Stop.

The audio is converted to MP3 format.

8.

Click Play to listen to the recording.

9.

When you finish, click OK.

Recording audio while creating a project

Adobe Captivate lets you record an audio track at the same time you record a new Adobe
Captivate project. This can be a very efficient way to create a full-featured project quickly.

The following procedure describes how to record audio while creating a Adobe Captivate project
about an application. The process is similar whether you create a custom size or full screen Adobe
Captivate project.

To record audio and a new Adobe Captivate project at the same time:

1.

Open the application you want to record. (You must do this before recording.)

2.

Prepare your recording equipment.

3.

Open Adobe Captivate.

4.

On the Start Page, click Record or create a new project.

The New Project Options dialog box appears.

5.

Select Software Simulation in the left pane.

6.

Select Application in the right pane and click OK.

The Recording window appears.

7.

In the Record specific window pop-up menu, select the application to record.

8.

Select Record narration.

9.

(Optional) Click Options to set a wide variety of recording options, including the capability to
automatically capture screenshots and automatically generate text captions.

10.

(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. You can also click Snap red recording area to fit select
window to quickly change the size of the recording area to match the size of the application.

11.

When you finish setting options, click Record.

If this is the first time you are recording audio, a dialog box appears asking if you would like to
test audio levels. Click Yes to calibrate the recording device for optimal recording. Follow the
instructions and when you finish, click OK.

Recording audio while creating a project 91

12.

Adobe Captivate begins recording the onscreen activity.

■ As you record the project, 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 project (that is, if you selected the Enable auto

recording option in step 8), Adobe Captivate automatically captures a screenshot every time
you perform an action, such as selecting a menu, clicking a button, or typing text.

■ If you are manually recording the project (that is, you did not select the Enable auto

recording option in step 8) press the Print Screen key (or other designated capture key) to
capture screenshots.

Use the application 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 screenshots are captured.

Tip: When recording an onscreen action, it is best to perform the action more slowly than you
would normally. For example, if you are recording keyboard action, type text in slowly.

13.

When you finish recording, press the End key (or other designated key) to stop recording.

The slides are generated and your new project appears in Storyboard view. The audio files you
recorded are assigned to the correct slide and saved as individual MP3 files. You can view the
files in the Library.

Note: If you need to pause the recording process, press the Pause/Break key. To restart project
recording, press the Pause/Break key again.

Creating background audio

You can create background audio for your projects. The audio plays while the slides of your
project are shown. Background audio can be music, sound effects, or almost any kind of sound
you can import or record.

You can use background audio together with individual slide audio for a truly professional effect.
Adobe Captivate provides an option to lower the volume of background audio when a slide with
audio assigned plays. For example, you can import a music file and set it to loop continuously as
background audio. In that same project, you can record voice-over narration for individual slides,
and when the voice-over audio plays, the music volume is lowered.

To create background audio:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the Project menu, select Preferences.

3.

Click the Background Audio tab.

4.

Import an existing audio file by clicking Import, navigating to the file, selecting the file, and
clicking Open. (If you want to use an audio file that is already in your project, click Select audio
from library.)

5.

(Optional) Click Play to listen to the audio file.

92 Chapter 5: Adding Audio and Video

6.

Select from the following options:

Fade in and Fade out let you set a time, in seconds, for the audio file to fade in and fade out at

the beginning and end of the project.

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.

Loop audio lets you have the background audio file replay continuously.

Stop at end of project lets you stop the background audio when the project ends. When you

finish, click OK to add the background audio to your project.

Using a custom keyboard tap sound

Adobe Captivate includes a feature that records a keyboard tap sound whenever you press keys on
the keyboard while recording a project. 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:

1.

Create a new sound for keystrokes, or use an existing MP3 file (for example, one of the
Windows sound files).

2.

Name the new sound file KeyClick.mp3.

3.

Save the file and note the location to which the file is saved.

4.

Using Windows Explorer, browse to the Adobe Captivate sound effects folder. (The default
location is C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Captivate 2\Gallery\SoundEffects.)

5.

Locate the file named KeyClick.mp3. This is the Adobe Captivate default keystroke sound file.

Note: Before overwriting the file, you may want to copy and place the original KeyClick.mp3 file in
a backup folder so it can be used again if necessary.

6.

Copy the new keyboard tap sound from the location in step 3 above, and paste it into the Adobe
Captivate sound effects folder.

7.

Check that the keyboard tap sounds option is selected.

Adding silence to an audio file

You can add a period of silence to any audio file that is part of an Adobe Captivate project. This
feature is particularly useful if you have imported an audio file and need to synchronize the audio
with objects and slides. By adding silent periods, you can make the existing audio file work in an
Adobe Captivate project without having to edit the audio extensively.

To add a silent period to an audio file:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project that contains audio files.

2.

Select a slide that contains an audio file. (In Storyboard view, slides containing an audio file
display the audio icon beneath the slide.)

Adding silence to an audio file 93

3.

From the Audio menu, select Edit.

The Edit Audio dialog box appears.

4.

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.

Note: The Playhead and Selected information boxes near the bottom of the dialog box can help
you choose a precise location in the audio file. For example, if you want to add a silent period four
seconds into the audio file, click the waveform until the Playhead information box displays a
number close to four seconds (that is, 00:04.00).

5.

Click Insert Silence.

The Insert Silence dialog box appears.

6.

The silent periods you add to the audio file are measured in seconds. In the Insert box, type a
number to specify the length of the silent period.

7.

In the text box to the right, click the pop-up menu and select the position in the audio file to
which you want to add the silence. The choices are Current Selection, Playhead position
(selected in step 4,) Start of audio, or End of audio.

Note: When you select a part of an audio file, and then click Insert Silence, the pop-up menu lists
the Current Selection option instead of the Playhead position option.

8.

Click OK.

The silent period is added to the audio file and you can see the silent period in the waveform.
The audio file with added silence is saved under a new file name.

9.

To test the audio file with the silent period added, click Play in the bottom left corner.

Tip: If you find that you frequently want to add silence at the same position and of the same duration,
press ALT+S to add it without using the Insert Silence dialog box.

Adjusting audio volume

You can adjust the volume of audio files included in your Adobe Captivate projects.

To adjust the volume of audio files:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project that contains audio files.

2.

Select a slide that contains an audio file. (In Storyboard view, slides containing an audio file
display the audio icon beneath the slide.)

3.

From the Audio menu, select Edit.

The Edit Audio dialog box appears.

4.

Click Adjust volume.

The Adjust Volume dialog box appears.

5.

To change the volume, click the volume slider on the left side and drag it up to increase volume
or down to decrease volume.

94 Chapter 5: Adding Audio and Video

6.

If you want, change audio processing options:

Normalize Select this option to have Adobe 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.

■ Ratio Specifies the maximum amplification that will be used. The default setting of 2.0

sets the quietest sections of the audio to be amplified by a factor of 2. A higher setting can
improve projects with large differences between quiet and loud sections, but can also
amplify background noise.

■ Noise Threshold Controls the amplification of background noise. Anything quieter than

the noise threshold is not amplified. If background noise is amplified too much, setting a
higher noise threshold may help solve the problem. (Note that the Dynamics option does
not work well with high noise levels.)

7.

When you finish, click OK.

Adding existing audio to boxes and buttons

You can import an audio file to use with buttons, highlight boxes, click boxes, or text entry boxes.
You can also use the Library to add an audio file that is already in your current project.

To import an audio file:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Double-click the slide that contains the button or box to which you want to add audio. Then
double-click the button or box.

3.

Click the Audio tab.

4.

Click Import.

Tip: Adobe Captivate contains a gallery that has buttons, sounds, and animations (in SWF format)
for you to use in your projects. By default, the gallery is stored in the following location when you
install Adobe Captivate: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Captivate 2\Gallery.

5.

Browse to the audio file you want to add, select the file, and click Open.

6.

(Optional) To listen to and test the audio file, click Play.

7.

Set other options as necessary.

■ To edit the audio file (for example, change volume, add silence, change length, and so on),

click Edit.

■ If you want the audio to fade in or fade out, set the number of seconds using the arrows in

Fade in and Fade out.

8.

When you finish, click OK.

Adding existing audio to boxes and buttons 95

To select an audio file from the Library:

Note: To select an audio file from the Library, the Adobe Captivate project must contain one or more
audio files. If a project has no audio files, this option is unavailable.

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Select the slide that contains the button or box to which you want to add audio. Then double­click the button or box.

3.

Click the Audio tab.

4.

Click Select audio from library.

5.

From the list of audio files, select a file.

6.

(Optional) To listen to the audio file, click Play.

7.

To add the selected audio file to the button or box, click OK.

Tip: You can also record a new audio file to use with boxes and buttons.

Tip: You can attach an audio file to a button or click box and have the audio play when the user clicks

on the button or click box instead of when the button or click box displays. To do this, create the
button or click box and select the Success caption option. Make the Success caption transparent
and do not add any text. Add an audio file to the Success caption.

Recording audio for boxes and buttons

You can record an audio file to use with buttons, highlight boxes, click boxes, or text entry boxes.
Recording audio requires some basic equipment.

Note: You can also add existing audio to boxes and buttons.

To record an audio file:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

Double-click the slide that contains the button or box to which you want to add audio. Then
double-click the button or box.

OR

Double-click a slide to which you want to add a button. Then, from the Insert menu, select
Highlight Box, Click Box, Text Entry Box, or Button.

3.

Click the Audio tab.

4.

Click Record new.

5.

On the Record Audio dialog box, click Record.

6.

When you are finished recording, click Stop.

7.

To listen to and test the audio file, click Play.

8.

When you are finished, click OK.

9.

Click OK again.

96 Chapter 5: Adding Audio and Video

Setting keyboard tap sounds

You can include or exclude keyboard tap sounds in your projects. The tapping sounds are
included in Adobe Captivate projects whenever you press keys on the keyboard while recording. If
you do not like the tapping sounds in your finished project, use the following procedure to
remove them. The tapping sound is a project-level setting, so the sound either plays on all slides
or is removed from all slides.

To set keyboard tap sounds:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the Project menu, select Preferences.

3.

Click the Preferences tab.

4.

If a check mark appears next to the Play tap audio for recorded typing when project is generated
option, keyboard tap sounds are played in the project. If a check mark does not appear,
keyboard tap sounds are not played in the project.

Editing audio files

You can edit the audio files in your Adobe Captivate project at any time. Using the Edit Audio
dialog box, you can listen to an audio file, insert silence, adjust volume, and change numerous
other options.

To edit an audio file:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From Storyboard view or the Filmstrip in Edit view, find a slide containing audio.

3.

Click the audio icon beneath the slide and select Edit from the pop-up menu.

The Edit Audio dialog box appears.

4.

Make any necessary edits. You can cut and paste sections of the audio file, insert periods of
silence to lengthen the audio file, adjust volume, import a different audio file, and use more
options.

Cut Click to cut the selected portion of the audio file.

Copy Click to copy the selection portion of the audio file.

Paste Click to paste information from the Clipboard. (For example, if you select a section of

the audio file, and then click the Cut or Copy button, the selected audio is placed on the
Clipboard. You can then use the Paste feature to place the audio located on the Clipboard back
into any location within the audio file.)

Delete Click to remove the selection portion of the audio file.

Undo Click to undo the last action taken.

Redo Click to redo the last action taken.

Insert silence Click to add a period of silence to the beginning or end of the audio file, or to

a specific location within the audio file.

Editing audio files 97

Adjust volume Click to increase or decrease the sound level of the audio file. There is also an

option to fine-tune quieter portions of the audio file.

Zoom in Click to enlarge the waveform.

Zoom out Click to shrink the waveform.

Settings 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.

Import Click to add a different audio file to the slide.

5.

When you finish editing the audio file, click OK.

Editing audio timing

Adobe Captivate lets you edit the timing of audio files after you record or import them. Having
control over the timing of audio files gives you the ability to use audio files of different lengths
and incorporate them smoothly into projects.

After you record or import an audio file, the file appears as a waveform in the Edit Audio Timing
dialog box. If your project contains multiple audio files, you can see which audio files are assigned
to specific slides.

To edit audio timing:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project containing one or more audio files.

2.

From the Audio menu, select Edit timing.

The Edit Audio Timing dialog box appears.

Audio files in the Adobe Captivate project are displayed as waveforms. Slide numbers are
shown along the top of the waveform so you can see exactly how the audio files are currently
distributed across the slides.

■ To change how audio files are distributed across slides, click on a slide divider at the top of a

red slide marker line and slide the divider to the left or right. The waveform remains static,
but you change where the audio file begins to play within the Adobe Captivate project. This
option is particularly useful if you have a long audio file and need to experiment with
assigning the file to one slide or having it play over multiple slides.

■ To listen to audio, click a location within the waveform and then click Play. The audio plays

from the location you selected to the end of all the audio in the project. (You can stop the
playback at any time by clicking Stop.)

■ To zoom in on a particular area of the waveform, click on the waveform and then click

zoom in or zoom out. (Alternatively, click in the waveform and roll your mouse wheel to
zoom in and out). The scale at which you are viewing the waveform is shown in the Scale
information box near the lower-right corner of the dialog box.

98 Chapter 5: Adding Audio and Video

■ To cut or copy and paste audio, select a section of an audio file directly on the waveform,

click Cut or Copy, click on a different location on the waveform, and click Paste.

■ To delete audio, select a section of an audio file directly on the waveform and click Delete.

■ 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.

■ To adjust the sound level of audio files, click Adjust volume. Use the slider bar to increase or

decrease volume and select audio processing options.

■ To set recording device and audio quality options, click Settings.

■ To add a new audio file, click on a location within the waveform, select Import (lower-left

corner), navigate to a file, and click Open. The audio file is imported directly into the
Adobe Captivate project in the location you specified.

Viewing audio details

You can view all audio details in one convenient location in Adobe Captivate. This is an easy way
to see the playing time, size, and other attributes of all the audio files in a single project.

To view audio details:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the Audio menu, select Advanced Audio.

The Advanced Audio Management dialog box appears.

3.

View all audio details in the Audio Information window:

Slide/Object The slide name.

Sound The presence (Yes or No) of a sound file.

Duration The length of the sound file, in seconds.

Fade In The presence (Yes or No) of a fade-in effect.

Fade Out The presence (Yes or No) of a fade-out effect.

Size The size of the sound file.

Original filename The original name of the sound file.

Audio sample rate (kHz) This rate is the number of times per second the original waveform

is translated into digital form. A higher sample rate results in a more accurate digital
representation of the sound. The sample rate for CD-quality audio is 44,100 samples per
second.

Bit rate (kbps) This rate is the number of bits a digital file uses in a specific time period,

usually expressed as kilobits per second. The higher the bit rate at which an audio file is
encoded, the higher the sound quality. 128 kbps is a commonly used rate.

4.

If necessary, click a slide and select from the following:

Play Plays the audio for the selected slide.

Viewing audio details 99

Stop Stops the audio from playing.

Delete Deletes the audio for the selected slide.

Export Opens a Browse for Folder dialog box and lets you export the selected audio file to a

folder.

Update Pulls an updated version of the audio file.

Include MP3 files in export Includes MP3 files when you export audio.

Include WAVE files in export Includes WAV files when you export audio.

Show object level audio Displays any audio files associated with objects (click boxes,

captions, buttons, highlight boxes, and so on) in the project.

Closed Caption Allows you to enter a transcript of the dialogue or sound effects included in

the audio file. Closed captioning improves the accessibility of your project for hearing­impaired users.

5.

When you finish, click OK.

Adding closed captions

You can improve the accessibility of your project by adding Closed Captioning. Closed
Captioning lets you create transcripts for audio files associated with the slides in your project.
When an audio file is played for a slide, the transcripts are displayed, thus aiding hearing­impaired users.

The option that enables Closed Captioning is available in the Skin Editor dialog box. For more
information, see Chapter 10, “Slides.”

To add closed captions to an audio file:

1.

Open an Adobe Captivate project.

2.

From the Audio menu, select Advanced Audio.

The Advanced Audio Management dialog box appears.

3.

Scroll down and click a slide that contains an audio file to which you want to add a closed
caption.

4.

Click the Closed Caption button .

The Closed Captioning dialog box appears, displaying the audio file as a waveform.

5.

If you want to preview the audio file, click the Play button.

6.

Click the specific spot in the waveform where you want to add a caption and click Add .

A new caption row appears with the start time you selected on the waveform.

7.

Enter the caption you want to attach to the audio file.

8.

To add another row to the caption for the audio file, click add. To remove a row from the
caption for the audio file, click .

Note: For more precision, you can drag the end and start time markers of your caption if you want
to manually adjust the timing of each caption.

9.

When you have added all the rows you want, click OK.

100 Chapter 5: Adding Audio and Video