Before you begin working with your software, take a few moments to read an overview of activation and the many
resources available to you. You have access to instructional videos, plug-ins, templates, user communities, seminars,
tutorials, RSS feeds, and much more.
Activation and registration
To review complete system requirements and recommendations for your Adobe® Captivate® software, see the ReadMe
file on the installation disc.
Install the software
1 Close any other Adobe applications open on your computer.
2 Insert the installation disc into your hard drive, and follow the onscreen instructions.
Note: For more information, see the ReadMe file on the installation disc.
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Help with installation
For help with installation issues, see the Support Center at www.adobe.com/go/learn_cp_install_en.
License activation
During the installation process, your Adobe software contacts an Adobe server to complete the license activation
process. No personal data is transmitted. For more information on product activation, visit the Adobe website at
www.adobe.com/go/learn_cp_activation_en.
A single-user retail license activation supports two computers. For example, you can install the product on a desktop
computer at work and on a laptop computer at home. If you want to install the software on a third computer, first
deactivate it on one of the other two computers. Choose Help
> Deactivate.
Register
Register your product to receive complimentary installation support, notifications of updates, and other services.
• To register, follow the onscreen instructions in the Registration dialog box, which appears after you install the
software.
If you postpone registration, you can register at any time by choosing Help > Registration.
ReadMe
A ReadMe file for your software is available online and on the installation disc. Open the file to read important
information about topics such as the following:
• System requirements
• Installation (including removing the software)
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Getting Started
• Activation and registration
• Troubleshooting
• Customer support
Help and support
Get started with Adobe Captivate using the free online tutorials at www.adobe.com/go/learn_tutorials_en.
Access more advanced help content for Adobe Captivate using Adobe Community Help client (CHC), an AIR
application. To launch the client, open Adobe Captivate and press F1.
For more information on community help, see “Community Help” on page 2.
Some of the key features of the Community Help client are:
• Up-to-date definitive reference content online and offline (local help). An offline copy of the help package is
downloaded automatically onto your machine when you launch the client for the first time.
• Relevant content contributed by experts from the Adobe community
• Ability to comment on, rate, and contribute to content in the Adobe community
• Dynamic navigation based on search results to find related content
• Content updates and feature enhancements without reinstalling the AIR application
For a more detailed information on how to use the search features and set up preferences in the Community Help
client, see
www.adobe.com/go/learn_cp_chcblog_en.
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Community Help
Community Help is an integrated environment that gives you access to help content of Adobe Captivate and
community-generated content moderated by Adobe and industry experts. Search Community Help to find the best
content on the web about Adobe products and technologies, including these resources:
• Videos, tutorials, tips and techniques, blogs, articles, and examples for designers and developers.
• Complete online Help, which is updated regularly and is more complete than the Help delivered with your product.
If you are connected to the Internet when you access Help, you automatically see the latest online Help rather than
the set delivered with your product.
• All other content on Adobe.com, including knowledgebase articles, downloads and updates, Adobe Developer
Connection, and more.
For more information on community help, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_community_help_en.
Access Adobe Resources (5.5)
The Access Adobe Resources dialog box provides updates and announcements on Adobe Captivate, such as:
• Availability of patches
• Upcoming events, webinars, and trainings
• Blog entries
• Customer roadshows
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Getting Started
• Conferences
• Upgrade information
• Tutorials
The dialog box also contains links to Adobe technical support, Facebook, Twitter, Adobe Captivate forums, and blogs.
You can post your queries on any of these websites and get answers from the Adobe Captivate community and Adobe
technical team.
Each time a new announcement is made from Adobe, the Access Adobe Resources dialog box automatically appears
on your Adobe Captivate screen. If you prefer to manually open the dialog box when necessary, clear the Enable Access
Adobe Resources check box in the preferences. To access the preferences, click the Preferences icon in the Access
Adobe Resources dialog box.
To manually open the Access Adobe Resources dialog box, click Help > Access Adobe Resources, or click the icon in
the Application bar. Each time a new update is posted by Adobe, the number adjacent to the Access Adobe Resources
icon in the Application bar is incremented.
You can perform the following actions in the Access Adobe Resources dialog box:
• To filter the list based on updates related to blogs, marketing, engineering, or issues, click the filter icon, and choose
an option.
• To filter the list based on the time when the updates were posted, click the time icon, and choose an option.
• To post a query on the Adobe Captivate forum, click the forum icon.
• To read the latest blogs from Adobe, click the blog icon.
Data on which link you clicked in the Access Adobe Resources dialog box is sent to Adobe for research purposes. If
you do not want this data to be sent to Adobe, disable the option in the preferences. To do so, click the Preferences
icon in the Access Adobe Resources dialog box, and clear the Send Usage Data check box.
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Other resources
Online Help also includes a link to the complete, updated PDF version of Help.
Visit the Adobe Support website at www.adobe.com/go/learn_cp_support_en to learn about free and paid technical
support options.
Services, downloads, and extras
You can enhance your product by integrating various services, plug-ins, and extensions in your product. You can also
download samples and other assets to help you get your work done.
Adobe Exchange
Visit the Adobe Exchange at www.adobe.com/go/learn_cp_exchange_en to download samples as well as plug-ins and
extensions from Adobe and third-party developers. The plug-ins and extensions can help you automate tasks,
customize workflows, create specialized professional effects, and more.
Adobe downloads
Visit www.adobe.com/go/learn_cp_downloads_en to find free updates, trials, and other useful software.
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Getting Started
Adobe Labs
Adobe Labs at www.adobe.com/go/learn_cp_labs_en gives you the opportunity to experience and evaluate new and
emerging technologies and products from Adobe. At Adobe Labs, you have access to resources such as these:
• Prerelease software and technologies
• Code samples and best practices to accelerate your learning
• Early versions of product and technical documentation
• Forums, wiki-based content, and other collaborative resources to help you interact with like-minded users
Adobe Labs fosters a collaborative software development process. In this environment, customers quickly become
productive with new products and technologies. Adobe Labs is also a forum for early feedback. The Adobe
development teams use this feedback to create software that meets the needs and expectations of the community.
Adobe TV
Visit Adobe TV at http://tv.adobe.com to view instructional and inspirational videos.
What’s new in Adobe Captivate 5.0
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Adobe Captivate 5 software offers new features for rapidly authoring, enriching, publishing, and maintaining complex
interactive e-learning content-without programming.
Adobe Captivate for Mac
Adobe Captivate 5 is available on Mac OS. Both Adobe Captivate on Mac and Adobe Captivate on Windows have
identical features and homogeneous user interface.
For Mac specific details and system requirements, see the product website
www.adobe.com/go/learn_cp_macsysreqs_en.
Optimized user interface
Improve the overall authoring experience with Property inspector that provides an in-context list of attributes when
objects are selected. Work simultaneously on multiple projects using the multiple-document interface. Personalize
workspaces and switch between them as and when needed. Benefit from a user interface that is consistent with popular
Adobe® applications such as Adobe® Flash®, Photoshop®, and Dreamweaver®.
Object Styles
Quickly obtain a uniform and consistent formatting for objects by defining styles and applying them. Reuse the styles
across multiple Adobe Captivate projects without having to recreate them.
Master Slides
Use Master Slides to easily create and maintain well formatted and consistent-looking content that meets corporate
guidelines. Make project-wide formatting changes conveniently and consistently.
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Getting Started
Rich animation effects
Create rich object animations within Adobe Captivate 5, by combining predefined effects such as straight-line motion,
rotation, and glow. For added impact, seamlessly import custom animation effects from Adobe Flash® Professional.
Multi-video support and synchronization
Include videos in your content without having to use another application. Import videos in a wide variety of popular
formats (AVI, MOV, FLV, MPEG) and synchronize video with a project, slide, or a set of slides.
In-context learner collaboration using Twitter
Use the Twitter widget to create courses that let learners collaborate with each other as well as with the author using
their Twitter account. The learners can ask questions, get answers, and access preexisting discussions.
Collaboration and review using Acrobat.com
Enable multiple authors to work simultaneously on a project by hosting and sharing projects on Acrobat.com. Also,
host projects on Acrobat.com for shared reviews to enable authors obtain collective review comments from reviewers.
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Tracking and reporting without an LMS
Meet basic evaluation needs at no extra cost by tracking and reporting key performance metrics, such as average score
and pass or fail, without having to invest in a Learning Management System.
Expanded asset library
Get a larger set of prebuilt widgets, playbars, skins, stock animations, images, text captions, and buttons with superior
aesthetics and usability.
Adobe Photoshop round-tripping
Instantly update Adobe Photoshop files imported in Adobe Captivate projects. Adobe Photoshop can be invoked from
within Adobe Captivate. If source files are directly updated in Adobe Photoshop, synchronize the linked file in Adobe
Captivate with its source using a single click.
Flash round-tripping
Instantly update Flash applications used in Adobe Captivate projects. Flash can be invoked from within Adobe
Captivate. Synchronize the files in Adobe Captivate and Flash with a single click.
Record applications from Flash
Record applications from within Flash without having to switch to the Adobe Captivate interface.
Adobe Soundbooth round-tripping
Edit audio files in Adobe Captivate projects by invoking Adobe Soundbooth from within Adobe Captivate.
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Getting Started
What’s new in Adobe Captivate 5.5
Gradients, shadows, and rotation Make your slides and objects more attractive with color gradients. Select a preset
shadow, or define one to add depth to objects. Use the rotate handle to easily turn and flip objects.
Attractive out-of-the-box quizzing Create eye-catching quizzes with new out-of the-box quiz templates and an
attractive set of components. Work with an improved quiz review area that makes evaluation simpler and faster.
Publish to tablets, smartphones, and iOS devices Publish in the widely accepted MP4 format for high-quality video
streaming, podcasts, and video tutorials that can play on Android TM based tablets, iOS, and smartphones.
Publish to YouTube with a single click Create a project using preset dimensions, and use the new direct workflow to
publish it to YouTube with a single click.
Access all Adobe resources directly Reach out to Adobe support, access social media forums, and receive timely
updates from the Adobe Captivate product team, all from within Adobe Captivate.
Adobe Audition round-tripping Export audio for an entire project from Adobe® Captivate® 5.5 to Adobe Audition®
CS5.5 with one click. Work with it as a single file, synchronize across slides using slide markers. Bring it back to Adobe
Captivate, maintaining slide association and improved audio quality.
Track PDF based eLearning content Create PDF-based eLearning content using Acrobat X Pro and publish it to
leading Learning Management Systems. Track course metrics with ease and evaluate learner performance.
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Chapter 2: Workspace
You create movies and projects in Adobe Captivate using various elements, such as, panels, bars, and windows. A
specific arrangement of these elements is called a Workspace.
Adobe Captivate provides preset workspaces that help you get started quickly. You can also customize the workspace
by arranging the elements in a way that suits your requirements.
BACD
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A. Tabbed Document windows B. Application bar C. Workspace switcher D. Panel title bar E. Control panel F. Object toolbar G. Filmstrip
H. Collapse To Icons button I. Panel groups in vertical dock J. Timeline
• The Application bar across the top contains a workspace switcher, menus (Windows only), and other application
controls.
• Object toolbar contains tools that help you draw, insert, and edit objects on slides.
• Filmstrip shows a preview of all the slides in the current open project.
• The Document window displays the file you are working on. Open documents are displayed in different tabs.
• Timeline displays the timeline of the current slide and its objects.
• The Properties panel displays the properties of the selected slide or object. This panel also allows you to specify
other aspects of the selected slide or object, such as, display duration and transition effects.
• The Library panel lists all the resources used in the Adobe Captivate project.
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Workspace
Toolbars
Toolbars provide you an easier access to the most commonly used menus. You can quickly complete a task or a
procedure by clicking the buttons on the toolbar instead of navigating to the menu.
You can hide or show toolbars according to your requirements. To show or hide a toolbar, select Window and then
select the name of the toolbar.
Main Options Shortcuts to frequently performed actions, such as, save, record, and preview.
Object Toolbar Shortcuts for adding Adobe Captivate objects, such as, text captions, buttons, and highlight boxes.
Using this toolbar you can also draw objects, such as, lines and rectangles, and also set the stroke and fill colors.
The Line tool contains hidden tools. Click and hold the mouse on the tool to view the hidden tools.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
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K
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L
M
P
Q
R
S
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A. Selection Tool B. Insert Text Caption C. Insert Rollover Caption D. Insert Highlight Box E. Insert Click Box F. Insert Button G. Insert
Text Entry Box H. Insert Rollover Slidelet I. Insert Zoom Area J. Insert Mouse K. Insert Text Animation L. Line tool M. Rectangle tool
N. Oval tool O. Polygon tool P. Set Stroke Color Q. Set Fill Color R. Set Stroke/Fill to Black/White S. Swap Fill/Stroke Colors
Align Shortcuts for aligning different objects on a slide. For more information, see “Align objects” on page 67.
Rearranging the Object Toolbar
By default, the tools in the toolbar are arranged in a single column. Click the double arrow at the top of the toolbar to
make it horizontal or to arrange the tools in two columns.
Note: To make the toolbar horizontal, ensure that the toolbar is free-floating and is not grouped with any other panel.
To make the toolbar free-floating, drag it out of the panel group using the two horizontal dotted lines at the top of the bar.
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Workspace
Horizontal dotted lines
Panels
To show or hide panels, select Window and then select the name of the panel.
Filmstrip Displays a thumbnail view of the slides in the project in the order of their appearance. For more information,
“Filmstrip” on page 10.
see
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Question Pool Displays a thumbnail view of the slides in question pools from where quiz questions are randomly
picked at run-time. For more information, see
Master Slide Displays the slides that define background and common objects, such as logos, headers, and footers for
other slides. For more information, see
Timeline Displays the timeline of a slide and its objects. For more information, see “Timeline” on page 10.
Library Displays all the resources, such as, images and audio files that are currently available for a project. For more
information, see
Properties Displays the properties associated with the selected slide or object.
Quizzing Properties Displays the properties associated with quiz slides.
Slide Notes Displays notes that are added for a slide. For more information, see “Slide notes” on page 50.
Widget Displays widgets available in the widget gallery that you can add to a slide. For more information, see
“Adobe Captivate Library” on page 15.
“Random question slides” on page 188.
“Master slides” on page 40.
“Widgets” on page 129.
Comments Displays review comments provided by reviewers. For more information, see “View or sort comments in
the Adobe Captivate project” on page 222.
Effects Displays the effects applied to the selected object on the slide. For more information, see “Object effects” on
page 58.
Skin Editor Displays the options for the ‘skin’ of the project output. Using this panel, you can switch between the
interfaces for playback control, table of contents, and borders, and edit their settings. For more information, see
“Skins” on page 198.
Advanced Interaction Lists the names of all the interactive objects, widgets, questions, and hidden slides in the project.
For more information, see
Branching View Displays the linkage between the slides in the project and lets you edit the way the slides and objects
are linked. For more information on Branching View, see
“Edit object information using the Advanced Interaction panel” on page 70.
“Branching panel” on page 13.
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Workspace
Progress Indicator Indicates the progress of the conversion of non-flash video files into FLV/F4V format by Adobe
Media Encoder (AME). For more information, see
“Inserting non-Flash video file formats” on page 109.
Filmstrip
The Filmstrip displays all the slides in the project in the order in which they appear when published.
You can change the order of a slide by dragging it to a new location within the Filmstrip. To select multiple slides, hold
down the Shift or Control key when clicking on slides; to select all slides, press Control+A.
To change the size of the thumbnails in the Filmstrip, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) on any slide,
select Filmstrip, and then select Small, Medium, or Large.
If a slide has a label (short title) assigned, the label appears under the slide. It might be easier to move slides and jump
to a specific slide if you have assigned labels instead of just using the slide number.
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A
A: Slide Label
If the contents of a slide were recorded using Full Motion Recording (FMR), then a handycam icon appears in
the lower right corner of the slide.
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
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.
to show a menu with sound options such a Play, Import, and Edit.
Timeline
The Timeline is a visual representation of the timing of all objects on a slide. 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 4 seconds later, and then
the highlight box 2 seconds after that. The Timeline also shows any audio associated with the slide or with objects on
the slide. You can easily coordinate the timing of audio with the slide using the Timeline.
Timeline
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The Timeline header shows time, in seconds (1s for 1 second, 2s for 2 seconds, and so on), so you see exactly when
objects appear.
The major components of the Timeline are objects, the header, and the playhead. The objects on a slide are displayed
as stacked bars in the right pane of the Timeline. The header at the top of the Timeline indicates time in seconds (and
parts of seconds). The playhead shows the point in time in which the slide is being viewed.
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.
Rest the mouse pointer over any bar in the Timeline and use the hint message that appears to view details about the
timing of that object.
Show or hide the Timeline
Select Window > Timeline.
Rearrange the Timeline panel
By default, the Timeline panel is docked at the bottom of any slide in an Adobe Captivate project. You can move, resize,
group, or dock the Timeline panel to suit your requirement.
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Change the zoom level of the Timeline panel
Use the slider in the Timeline panel. The center of the slider indicates 100% zoom. To increase the zoom level, drag
the slider to the right. To reduce the zoom level, drag the slider to the left.
Change the order of object layers
1 Move the mouse over the object in the Timeline panel until the hand icon appears and drag the object up or down
to reposition it.
2 If you have two objects that overlap on the slide, you need to select the object you want in front by setting the
stacking order.
Changing the stacking order consists of moving objects to the back and front of the slide Stage. The key point to
remember is that objects at the back of the Stage appear behind other objects. Use one of the following methods to
set the stacking order:
• Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) an object on the slide, click Arrange, and select one of the
object order options. If necessary, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) other objects on the slide
and adjust their order.
Bring To Front This option brings the selected object to the top. When the project plays, the object appears on
top of all others.
Send To Back This option sends the selected object to the background. When the project plays, the object
appears behind all others.
Bring Forward This option moves the object one layer forward.
Send Backward This option moves the object one layer back.
• On the Timeline, move the mouse over an object until the hand appears and drag the object up or down to
change its position in the stacking order. Moving an object higher in the stacking order moves it to the front of
the Stage, while moving an object lower moves it to the back of the Stage.
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Hide objects during editing
❖ In the Timeline, click the dot below the eye icon in the layer that you want to hide.
The object disappears from the slide and an X icon appears in the column. To display the object on the slide, click
the X icon.
When you hide an object layer, it is hidden ‘only on the Stage’. You can still view the layer when it is previewed or
published.
Timeline for slidelets
A slidelet is a slide within a slide. A slidelet has its own Timeline. All the objects in the slidelet are displayed in its
Timeline. When you select a slidelet, the Timeline changes automatically to that for the slidelet. To display the
Timeline for the slide containing the slidelet, click anywhere outside the slidelet. For more information on slidelets,
“Rollover slidelets” on page 88.
see
Lock objects
❖ In the Timeline, click the dot below the lock icon in the layer that you want to lock.
The layer and its corresponding object cannot be edited or moved until you unlock the layer. To unlock the layer,
click the lock icon.
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Set time for objects and slides using the Timeline
You can change the amount of time an object or slide appears in the movie using its Properties dialog box or by using
the Timeline. You may find this feature useful in several situations. For example, you may want to set exact object
timing when coordinating a voice-over with a highlight box; you might want the highlight box to appear only when
the voice-over says, “Enter the date here.”
• Move the mouse over the left or right edge of the slide or object on the Timeline until the resize pointer appears.
Click and drag the edge to the required position in the Timeline.
• To set two objects to appear at the same time, align their left and right edges. For example, you can set a highlight
box to appear at the same time as an image so that the highlight box can appear over the image.
• To adjust the display time of interactive objects (such as text entry boxes, click boxes, and buttons) rest the pointer
over the line between Active and Inactive in the bar until the slider handle appears. Drag the slider to adjust the
display time.
You can select multiple objects and move them at the same time. Hold down the Shift key and click objects to select
consecutive stacked objects in the Timeline, or to select nonconsecutive objects, hold down the Control key and
click the objects to move.
You can determine whether keystrokes are played slowly or quickly in a project. If the project has many keystrokes,
increasing the speed will make the pace of the project faster. However, if keystrokes are critical in the project, you may
want them to play slowly so users can view them clearly. Use the Timeline to change keystroke speed. Keystrokes are
contained in a Timeline object named Typing.
You determine the speed at which the mouse moves on any individual slide in a project. A high mouse speed increases
the pace at which the project plays. However, if mouse movements are complicated, you may want to decrease the
mouse speed so users can view all movements. Mouse movement is contained in a Timeline object named Mouse. To
shorten the amount of time it takes for the mouse movement to play, move the mouse pointer over the left edge of the
Mouse object until the resize pointer appears. Click and drag the edge to the left.
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Preview a slide using the playhead
The playhead moves through the Timeline to indicate how the currently displayed slide appears in the project. It is a
quick and efficient way to preview a single slide and check object timing. To see how the playhead functions, press F3.
The red line that moves across the Timeline is the playhead. You can stop a playhead when it is playing by clicking it.
To drag the playhead to a required position, move the mouse over its “head” in the area displaying the time. When the
pointer appears, drag the playhead to the required position.
❖ Do one of the following:
• “Scrub” the slide by dragging the playhead to the left or right. As you move the playhead, objects appear and fade
as they will when users view the slide. Scrubbing gives you the ability to control the pace and view the slide at
any speed from very slowly to very quickly.
• With the playhead in any location on the Timeline, press the Spacebar or F3 to begin playing the slide.
• With the playhead in any location on the Timeline, press Play in the lower-left corner of the Timeline. (To end
playback, press Stop, or to wait, press Pause.)
Branching panel
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The Branching panel (Window > Branching View) provides a visual representation of all links between the slides in a
project and lets you quickly edit those links. Using this panel, you can analyze and interpret how the slides in a project
are interlinked.
The Branching panel 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 “Jump To Slide”) 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/JPG, PNG, or a GIF file.
Create Slide Group Combines the selected slides into a single group. For more information on grouping slides, see
“Group slides” on page 49.
Expand Slide Group Displays all the slides belonging to the selected group. The slides in a group are by default in a
collapsed state.
Collapse Slide Group Combines the expanded slides of a group back into a group.
Remove Slide Group Ungroups the grouped slides.
Export Branching View Export the Branching view as a BMP, JPEG/JPG, PNG, or a GIF file using the dialog box that
appears.
Panes in the Branching panel
Preview pane
This pane is at the bottom of the panel and displays all the slides in the project. If the pane is not visible, click the arrow
at the bottom of the panel.
The rectangle in the pane indicates the slides that are currently displayed in the main pane. To bring a different set of
slides into the main pane, click and move the rectangle to the required area.
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Main pane
This pane is at the center of the panel and is the main area where you interpret and edit the branches in your project.
The arrows between the slides indicate how they are related to each other.
Black Arrow Indicates that the slide from which the arrow originates does not have any interactive object. During
runtime, after this slide's duration elapses, the next slide (to which the arrowhead points) appears.
Green Arrow Indicates that the slide from which the arrow originates contains an interactive object. When users click
this object during runtime, the slide to which the arrowhead points appears.
Red Arrow Points to the slide that appears when users fail to click an interactive object on the slide from which the
arrow originates.
When you click an arrow, a pop-up appears and shows the name of the object that links the slides.
Options in this pane:
Create Slide Group Combines the selected slides into a single group. For more information on grouping slides, see
“Grouping slides using the Branching view” on page 15.
Expand Slide Group Displays all the slides belonging to the selected group. The slides in a group are by default in a
collapsed state.
Collapse Slide Group Combines the expanded slides of a group back into a group.
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Remove Slide Group Ungroups the grouped slides.
Export Branching View Export the Branching view as a BMP, JPEG/JPG, PNG, or a GIF file using the dialog box that
appears.
Zoom Zooms the main view in or out based on the value selected in the list or the slider.
For more information on using this pane for editing the slide links, see “Editing the links between slides” on page 14.
Unlinked slides pane
This pane lists all the slides that are not linked to any slide in the project. If this pane is not visible, click the arrow on
the left of the panel.
Editing the links between slides
To change the linkage of a slide, double-click the thumbnail of the slide, and in the pop-up that appears, choose an
option in the Action (Success) list.
To change the linkage of an interactive object, double-click the thumbnail of the slide, and click the object. In the popup that appears, choose an option from the Action (Success) and Action (Failure) lists, and click the Save icon.
For example, consider Slide 1 has a button. When users click the button, Slide 4 must appear and when the button is
not clicked (Failure), Slide 23 must appear. Using the pop-up box, you can specify the slides for success and failure
events accordingly. If the target slide (Slide 23) contains an interactive object that brings the users back to Slide 1, a
reverse-link to Slide 1 appears below the slide.
The Action (Success) and Action (Failure) lists show the following options:
• Go to the Next Slide
• Go to the Previous Slide
• Jump to Slide
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To assign other actions such as send an email or open a URL or a file, use the Property Inspector of the slide. The
Advanced Interaction panel (Project > Advanced Interaction) helps you view all the interactions in the project.
Grouping slides using the Branching view
1 Click in the panel (not on any slide), hold down the mouse button, and move the mouse over the slides you want
to group.
A rectangular marquee appears and the selected slides are highlighted with a bold border around them.
2 Click the Create Slide Group icon. A single group slide appears in the panel.
• To expand the group, click the arrow on the group slide, or select the group slide and click the Expand Slide
Group icon.
• To ungroup the slides, select the group slide and click the Remove Slide Group icon.
Note: Use the Property Inspector to name the group slide. For more information, see “Name slide groups and mark
them” on page 49.
Exporting the Branching view
You can export the branching view in BMP, JPEG/JPG, PNG, or GIF formats. Exporting the branching view is helpful
and at times, necessary during the review stages of the project.
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To export the branching view, click the Export Branching View icon in the Branching panel and specify the format.
The view that is currently displayed in the main pane of the panel is exported in the specified format.
Adobe Captivate Library
Library overview
An Adobe Captivate library is a repository of resources, such as, audio files, images, and animations. Every Adobe
Captivate project contains its own library.
Resources or ‘items’ are automatically added to the library when you use them in the project. However, you can also
import them into the library and use them when needed.
By default, the Library panel is displayed in all the preset workspaces, except in the Quizzing workspace. To hide (or
show) the Library panel, select Window > Library.
The items in the library are categorized and organized in folders, such as, Audio, Images, and Media. The following
information is displayed for each item:
• Name
• Type
• Size (in kilobytes)
• Use Count, which indicates the number of times the item is used in the project.
• Date Modified
Note: Click the title of any of these columns to sort the list of items within each folder.
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Using the Library panel, you can do the following:
• Edit the properties of the items.
• Reuse the items within a project as well as across other Adobe Captivate projects by exporting or importing them.
• Synchronize the items with their source files. You can also open and edit the source files directly in the supported
programs.
Import objects into the Library
You can import objects from other Adobe Captivate projects or templates into the library of your current project.
1 Select File > Import > External Library.
2 In the Open dialog box, navigate to and select the Adobe Captivate project or project template from which you want
to import objects.
3 Click Open. The external library panel appears.
4 Drag-and-drop the required items from the external library panel to the current project’s library.
Customizing the workspace
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You can create a custom workspace by rearranging and resizing document windows and panels. You can save the
customized workspaces and switch between them.
Rearrange document windows
When you open more than one file, the Document windows are tabbed. To rearrange the tabbed Document windows,
drag and drop the window’s tab to the new location.
Move panels
• To move a panel, drag it by its tab.
• To move a panel group, drag the title bar.
As you drag the panels, you see blue highlighted drop zones, areas where you can drop the panels. If you drag to an
area that is not a drop zone, the panel floats freely in the workspace.
Note: The position of the mouse pointer, rather than the position of the panel, activates the drop zone.
Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS) while moving a panel to prevent it from docking. Press Esc while
moving the panel to cancel the operation.
Dock and undock panels
A dock is a collection of panels or panel groups displayed together, generally in a vertical orientation. You dock and
undock panels by moving them into and out of a dock.
• To dock a panel, drag it by its tab into the dock, at the top, bottom, or in between other panels.
• To dock a panel group, drag it by its title bar (the solid empty bar above the tabs) into the dock.
• To remove a panel or panel group from a dock, drag it out of the dock by its tab or title bar. You can also drag it
into another dock or make it free-floating.
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• To resize a panel, move the mouse over the edges of the panel. When double-sided arrow appears, drag the panel
to the required size.
Add and remove panels from docks
If you remove all panels from a dock, the dock disappears. You can create a dock by moving panels to the right edge
of the workspace until a drop zone appears.
• To remove a panel, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) its tab and then select Close, or deselect it from
the Window menu.
• To add a panel, select it from the Window menu and dock it wherever you want.
Stack floating panels
When you drag a panel out of its dock but not into a drop zone, the panel floats freely. The floating panel allows you
to position it anywhere in the workspace. You can stack floating panels or panel groups so that they move as a unit
when you drag the topmost title bar.
• To stack floating panels, drag a panel by its tab to the drop zone at the bottom of another panel.
• To change the stacking order, drag a panel up or down by its tab.
Note: Be sure to release the tab over the narrow drop zone between panels, rather than the broad drop zone in a title bar.
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• To remove a panel or panel group from the stack, so that it floats by itself, drag it out by its tab or title bar.
Resize panels
• To minimize or maximize a panel, panel group, or stack of panels, double-click a tab. You can also single-click the
tab area (the empty space next to the tabs).
• To resize a panel, drag any side of the panel when the mouse cursor turns into an arrow.
Collapse and expand panel icons
You can collapse panels to icons to reduce clutter on the workspace. In some cases, panels are collapsed to icons in the
default workspace.
• To collapse or expand all panel icons in a column, click the double arrow at the top of the dock.
• To expand a single panel icon, click it.
• To resize panel icons so that you see only the icons (and not the labels), adjust the width of the dock until the text
disappears. To display the icon text again, make the dock wider.
• To collapse an expanded panel back to its icon, click its tab, its icon, or the double arrow in the panel’s title bar.
• To add a floating panel or panel group to an icon dock, drag it in by its tab or title bar. (Panels are automatically
collapsed to icons when added to an icon dock.)
• To move a panel icon (or panel icon group), drag the icon. You can drag panel icons up and down in the dock, into
other docks (where they appear in the panel style of that dock), or outside the dock (where they appear as floating,
expanded panels).
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Save customized workspaces
By saving the current size and position of panels as a named workspace, you can restore that workspace even if you
move or close a panel. The names of saved workspaces appear in the workspace switcher in the Application bar.
1 Go to Window > Workspace > New Workspace.
2 Type a name for the new workspace, and click OK.
Any changes that are made to the workspace are saved automatically. To revert to the default state of a workspace,
select Window > Workspace > Reset [Workspace Name].
Switch workspaces
Select a workspace from the workspace switcher in the Application bar.
Rename and delete workspaces
Select Window > Workspace > Manage Workspace.
• To rename a workspace, select the workspace and click Rename.
• To delete a workspace, select the workspace and click Delete.
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Grids
The Snap To Grid option helps you position objects accurately on a page. A grid is a set of lines to which the objects
“stick” when the Snap To Grid feature is enabled. When you bring an object close to a grid line, the object snaps to the
line much in the same way as iron sticks to a magnet. For example, you can stack objects accurately one above the other
using a grid.
Work with grids
• Select View > Show Grid. The grid is displayed as a matrix of dots on the slide.
• Select View > Snap To Grid.
• Select View > Snap To Object
Snap To Object is applicable only when you are drawing objects on a slide and not when you are editing or moving
them. When both Snap To Grid and Snap To Object options are selected, the Snap To Object option takes
precedence.
2 In the Preferences dialog box, select General Settings from the Global menu.
3 Change the grid size value. The smaller the value, the smaller is the gap between the dots in the grid.
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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. The common shortcut keys are listed in the table.
Shortcut keyAction
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F1 (Win & Mac)Open Adobe Captivate Help (To access dialog-box-level help, click the Help button on
F2 (Win & Mac)Rename the selected object
F3 (Win & Mac)Test view the current slide
F4 (Win & Mac)Preview the project
F5 (Win & Mac)Record audio
F6 (Win & Mac)Import audio
F7 (Win & Mac)Perform a spelling and grammar check
F8 (Win only)Preview project from current slide
F9 (Win only)Show the Advanced Interaction panel
F10 (Win only)Preview the current slide and the following “N” slides
F12 (Win), Command+F12 (Mac)Preview the project in a web browser
Page Up (win & Mac)Scroll to the previous slide
Page Down (win & Mac)Scroll to the next slide
Alt+A (Win), Option+A (Mac)Create question pool
Alt+Up, Down, Left, Right Arrows (Win),
Option+Up, Down, Left, Right Arrows
Control+A (Win), Command+A (Mac)Select all
individual dialog boxes.)
Click the object, click a resize handle, and use these options to resize the object in the
selected direction by 1 pixel
Control+B (Win), Command+B (Mac)Find audio in the Library/Change text to Bold
Control+C (Win), Command+C (Mac)Copy (slide in Filmstrip, and selected object on stage)
Control+D (Win), Command+D (Mac)Duplicate (slide in Filmstrip, and selected object on stage)
Control+E (Win), Command+E (Mac)Extend the length of the object display time to the end of the slide on the Timeline
Control+F (Win), Command+F (Mac)Find/replace a particular object in the project Library
Control+I (Win), Command+I (Mac)Increase the indent (selected object on stage)/Change text to Italics. Indentation is equal
Control+L (Win), Command+L (Mac)Sync the selected object to the playhead
Control+M (Win), Command+M (Mac)Merge the selected object with the background
Control+N (Win), Command+N (Mac)Open new project
Control+O (Win), Command+S (Mac)Open the project
Control+P (Win), Command+P (Mac)Align the selected object with the playhead on the Timeline
Control+Q (Win), Shift+Option+R (Mac)Insert a random question slide
Control+R (Win), Command + R (Mac)Start/record new capture project
Control + 0 (win), Command + 0 (Mac)Best Fit Zoom / Center Align Workspace
Shortcut keys for recording
The following table lists the default shortcut keys used during recording. These shortcuts should be used only after you
start the recording process. The same keys function differently when you are editing a project.
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Shortcut keyAction
Control+R (Win), Command + R (Mac)Start/record new capture project
Control+Alt+O (Win), Command+Option+O (Mac) Record additional slides
End (Win), Command+Enter (Mac)Stop recording
Delete (Win & Mac)Delete the current selection
Pause (Win), Command+F2 (Mac)Pause or resume recording
Print Screen (Win), Command +F6 (Mac)Capture a screenshot manually
F4 (Win & Mac)Preview project
F3 (Win & Mac)Preview single slide
F2 (Win & Mac)Edit caption text
F12 (Win & Mac)Preview project in browser
F4 (Win), Command+F4 (Mac)Auto panning
F3 (Win), Command+F3(Mac)Manual panning
F7 (Win), Command+F7(Mac)Stop panning
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F9 (Win), Command+F9 (Mac)Start Full Motion Recording
F10 (Win), Command+F10 (Mac)Stop Full Motion Recording
F11 (Win), Command+F11 (Mac)Snap recording window to mouse
2 In the Preferences dialog box, select Keys from the Recording menu.
3 To change keys, click once in one of the text boxes and, on the keyboard, press the key or key combination you want
to use. For example, click inside the To Stop Recording text box and then press Shift+Alt+4. The key combination
you entered now appears in the To 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.
Change shortcut keys for an object
You can specify a new shortcut key for interactive objects such as buttons, text entry boxes, and click boxes.
1 Select the object.
2 Click the Shortcut text box in the Action area of the Properties panel. The box gets highlighted in blue.
3 Using your keyboard, set a key combination, for example, Control+Shift+K, Control+Right Arrow, or
Backspace+M.
The Control, Shift, and Alt keys map to the relevant Macintosh® keys.
Note: If your Adobe Captivate movie will be displayed in a browser, set shortcut keys that do not conflict with common
browser shortcuts. For example, F1 is frequently used as a keyboard shortcut to display Help.
4 If you want the users to use only the shortcut key, deselect Allow Mouse Click.
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To change the shortcut key, click the delete icon and specify the new key combination.
Undoing and redoing actions
You can reverse the previous action by using the Undo command.
• From the Edit menu, select Undo [Name of the recent action] 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.
When the Undo command is unavailable (dimmed), you cannot undo the previous action.
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.
You can reverse the action of the Undo command by using the Redo command.
• After you have used the Undo command, from the Edit menu, select Redo or press Control+Y.
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Disable confirmation messages
Confirmation messages appear when you perform important, and often permanent, actions in Adobe Captivate. The
confirmation messages give you an opportunity to reconsider your decisions 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 work, you might
want to disable them.
1 In an open project, select Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Captivate > Preferences (Mac OS).
2 In the Category panel, select Global > General Settings.
3 Click Confirmation Messages in the General Settings panel.
4 In the Confirmation Messages dialog box, deselect the options for which you do not require confirmation messages.
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