Resolute on Captivate Resolution
Submitted by: Joseph Christensen, Technical Writer
RxAmerica, LLC
RxAmerica, LLC
I wanted to make a comment about your Skills and Drills article "Be Resolute When It Comes to Your Resolution."
I would recommend another solution for the size problem with Captivate. At my organization, users simply miss out on too much information if I limit myself to a 1024 x 768 format (tables and DIV layers cover too much real-estate in our Internet-based applications).
As you stated, anything larger (than 1024 x 768) does require resizing. So another possible solution: increase the text size. This ensures that the demo is still readable if it needs to be resized (smaller).
And as I am sure you already know, there are similar solutions if a developer is recording a traditional application (Display Properties > Settings tab > Advanced button > General > DPI settings to Larger Size, etc.).
Obviously this doesn't work all the time. But hey, more options, right?
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Comments on Reducing the Size of a Captivate Project
Submitted by: Michael A. Cindrich, RN/Manager, Training Department, Software Products Group, Artromick International Inc.
I read with interest your article on project size. When our team used the suggestions noted in the article, we really didn't see any difference in size.
In fact, when we imported the slides the file size seemed to remain the same or slightly lower and checking the library the sizes never did add up close to what the project did. Our theory was importing slides imports the problems with it.
We have a 37 slide project (without audio) that is 643mb (if you can believe it). We use lots of text captions, click boxes and animation.
Here is how we reduced the size of the project:
We have a 37 slide project (without audio) that is 643mb (if you can believe it). We use lots of text captions, click boxes and animation.
Here is how we reduced the size of the project:
- Open the large project in Captivate and click the Edit tab
- Click and open another session of Captivate
- Select Record or create a new Project
- Select Blank Project and create a new project with the same project specifications as the one that's bloated (specifically, the new project should be the same size, in pixels)
- Go back to the bloated project and click "Edit" then "Select All Slides"
This step could take some time as Captivate seems to freeze depending on how bloated the project is. Just sit tight for Captivate to respond.
- Click "Edit" then "Copy Slide"
This step could also take some time as Captivate seems to freeze. Again, just sit tight for Captivate to respond.
- Go back to the blank project, click "Edit" then "Paste Slide"
- After all the slides pop in there may be some tweaking to do such as if you have click boxes that jump to other slides, that does not copy over and check your project preferences and skin to be sure they are the same
- Save the project with a new name.
When we followed the above steps the file size went from 643MB to 8MB.
I hope this procedure works for others.
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Submitted by Meg & John
Kevin, THANK YOU!!!!! This was sooooo timely. We followed your suggestions and our file went from 1.29 to .22 Gig. It actually opens now!
I believe the main problem creating freeze of slides during QA(after 3 months of work on this crap) is in the short feedback time. If one doesn’t immediately click after getting the feedback textbox response, then the slide freezes. The timing is apparently set for about 5-10 seconds and I can’t determine how to change that default. Suggestions???
I believe the main problem creating freeze of slides during QA(after 3 months of work on this crap) is in the short feedback time. If one doesn’t immediately click after getting the feedback textbox response, then the slide freezes. The timing is apparently set for about 5-10 seconds and I can’t determine how to change that default. Suggestions???
I believe the main problem creating freeze of slides during QA(after 3 months of work on this crap) is in the short feedback time. If one doesn’t immediately click after getting the feedback textbox response, then the slide freezes. The timing is apparently set for about 5-10 seconds and I can’t determine how to change that default. Suggestions???