July 2013 – The Logical Blog

July 31, 2013

Adobe Captivate: Removing Words from the Custom Dictionary

by Kevin Siegel

Using Captivate's Spell Check feature is as simple as choosing Project > Check Spelling. It's a good bet that if you've spent any amount of time developing projects within Captivate, you've used the Check Spelling command at least once. I'm betting that you found using the Check Spelling feature just like the Check Spelling command in common word processors such as Microsoft Word.

If you work in the healthcare or legal industries, spell checking a project can be a laborious task. For instance, in the healthcare industry, hundreds of words in a given project could be medical terms. While correctly spelled, the medical terms are not included within Captivate's main dictionary and are flagged as potential errors. Those errors need to be corrected… over and over and over again.

If I were a betting man, I'd bet that you've already found and used the Add to Dictionary button within the Check Spelling dialog box. When you click the Add to Dictionary button, the selected words are added to Captivate's personal dictionary and flagged as properly spelled.

It's another good bet that you have "accidentally" clicked the Add to Dictionary and inadvertently added a word or two to the custom dictionary. Given the fact that there is no "unlearn" button or "Remove from Dictionary" button in the Spell Check dialog box, I'd wager one final bet that you would like to learn how to remove erroneous words from the personal dictionary. If so, read on…

Remove a Word from Captivate's Dictionary

Search your computer for a file called added.txt (the file might have a simplistic name, but it is actually the custom dictionary). I've listed the default location for users running Windows 7… of course the location will be different for every version of Windows and the Mac. (That's why it's probably best to simply search your computer for the file by name.)
Default location of the added.txt file on Windows 7: C:\Users\UserAccount\AppData\LocalLow\Adobe\
Linguistics\UserDictionaries\
Adobe Custom Dictionary

Once you've found added.txt, open it with a word processor such as Notepad (Windows) or TextEdt (Mac).
Select and delete any words in the added.txt file that you want Captivate to flag as misspelled. (Conversely, you can add any words you want to be ignored during future spell checks.)
Save and close the added.txt file.
Restart Captivate and run spell check again. The word(s) you removed from the custom dictionary will once again be flagged as misspelled.

If you would like to see a demonstration of editing the custom dictionary, check out the video I created on the IconLogic YouTube channel.

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Looking for training on Adobe Captivate? IconLogic offers multiple live, online Adobe Captivate classes each month including Introduction to Adobe Captivate and Advanced Adobe Captivate.

July 28, 2013

Writing & Grammar: Myriad Issues

by Jennie Ruby

Use myriad as an adjective, not as a noun, says Bryan Garner, author of The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style. So how can you make sure to do that? I like this method: pretend that the word myriad is the phrase a million, and use it the same way:

We saw a million fireflies rising from the lawn.
We saw myriad fireflies rising from the lawn.

Notice that you would not say "a million of fireflies." Therefore you would not say "a myriad of fireflies."

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I got few or zero responses to the Me, Myself, And I challenge, so I am running it again. I really did feel like the loneliest threesome on earth! (Get it? Threesome? Me, myself, I?) Don't leave me here all alone! Even if you think you answered it before, there may have been a technical glitch. (Maybe my Outlook rules ran berserk.) Here it is again:

Challenge: Me, Myself, and I

I went to the store to buy (me/myself/I) a new shirt.
The first shirt I tried on was too large for (me/myself/I),
The clerk told me that another department carried shirts the right size for people such as (me/myself/I).
I hied (me/myself/I) to that department forthwith.
No one was happier than (me/myself/I) when I found the perfect shirt.
(Me/Myself/I) went home and congratulated (me/myself/I) on a successfully shopping trip.

Feel free to write your answers as comments below.

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Answers to the in, into, in to challenge are brought to you by Ginny Supranowitz:

The hedgehog ran across the lawn and disappeared into the bushes.
The fawn was so well camouflaged that it seemed to disappear as it stood there in the bushes.
Please log in to the server to access your files.
The kids came in to see the kittens under the kitchen sink.
He poured some more hot coffee into his cup.

Congrats to our correct responders this week, in roughly the order they were received: Chris Zimmel , Ginny Supranowitz , Nicole Jacob, Tanya Davis , Jay Herman, Susan Czubiak, Jing Ping Fan, Stacey Edwards, Cathy A. Mackie, Laura Daykin, Tanya Davis , Marta Nelson, Kay Honaker, Denise Miller, Kevin Doll, and Manu Kapooor.

July 25, 2013

Adobe Captivate: A Great GIFT

by Kevin Siegel

When it comes to adding question slides to a Captivate project, you can always visit the Quiz menu and choose Question Slide. You'll be presented with the Insert Questions dialog box giving you access to several types of questions you can add including Multiple Choice, True/False and Matching. Once the questions have been added to your project, the next step is to edit the questions and answers.

If you need to add a large number of question slides to a project, creating the quiz is going to take a significant amount of time. There is a better way to go, especially if a Subject Matter Expert who does not own Adobe Captivate is going to create the quiz: GIFT files.

GIFT stands for General Import Format Technology. You can create a GIFT file in plain text using a simple word processor (like Notepad or TextEdit), and then import the file into Adobe Captivate.

In the image below, I've created a GIFT file in NotePad that will result in one multiple choice question.

Adobe Captivate: An example of a GIFT file.

The syntax is simple. The Question Title goes between the colons (::Multiple Choice::). Next comes the question itself. The answers are contained within the {}. The correct answer is preceded by an equal sign (=); the incorrect answers are preceded by a tilde (~).

Once the GIFT file has been created, importing it into Captivate is beyond simple. Choose Quiz > Import GIFT Format File and open the GIFT file. In the image below, you can see the imported Multiple Choice question based on the GIFT file above.

Adobe Captivate: A question that was imported from a GIFT file.

All that would be left to do would be to format the question as you would any slide or apply a Theme.

If you would like to see how the GIFT feature works, check out the video I created on the IconLogic YouTube channel.

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Looking for training on Adobe Captivate? IconLogic offers multiple live, online Adobe Captivate classes each month including Introduction to Adobe Captivate and Advanced Adobe Captivate.

July 19, 2013

Writing & Grammar: In? In to? or Into?

by Jennie Ruby

As I recall, the question of whether certain expressions are one word or two was the subject of my first article in this newsletter. That does not mean the subject is at all stale. Accidentally or mistakenly running two words together or erroneously separating them remains one of the most frequent errors I see. And it can create a feeling of confusion in your readers.

In the case of in, into and in to, the first thing to know is that you should use into when motion is involved and in to indicate a stationary location:

He placed the groceries into the bag.
I found the receipt in the bag.

In real life, we often mistakenly shorten into to in when speaking, especially when we are in a hurry:

Quick! Put your pet boa constrictor in the box before it gets away again!

According to usage books such as The Careful Writer and The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style, the boa constrictor sentence is incorrect–it should be into the box, because motion is involved. But I think none of us would blame the alarmed parent who uttered that sentence.

In writing, however, we should use the proper word, into for the action of putting one thing inside another:

Step 3: Next, carefully place the snake into the box.
Please enter this data into the database.

And by analogy, going into or looking into some emotional states, timeframes, and locations that seem to engulf something or someone also use into:

Because of the deadline, we worked long into the night.
The alligator disappeared into the swamp.
She gazed into the distance.

In all of these cases, into is a preposition and is followed by a noun, such as box, database, night, or swamp.

When is in to two words? Two situations: when the word after it is a verb, and in the expression log in to:

We went in to eat dinner.
Please log in to the website to complete your purchase.

In the first one, to is part of the verb form to eat, and can't be combined with in. In the second one, in is part of the verb to log in, and therefore can't be combined with to.

Challenge

Choose the right word in each example.

The hedgehog ran across the lawn and disappeared in/into/in to the bushes.
The fawn was so well camouflaged that it seemed to disappear as it stood there in/into/in to the bushes.
Please log in/into/in to the server to access your files.
The kids came in/into/in to see the kittens under the kitchen sink.
He poured some more hot coffee in/into/in to his cup.

Feel free to post your answers as comments below.

July 17, 2013

Adobe Captivate: Anchors Away?

by Kevin Siegel

You've seen them… and you've ignored them. But what, exactly, are they? I'm referring to those pesky red arrows you often see to the right of objects on the Timeline.

The red arrows indicate that the Timeline object is anchored to the end of the slide's play time. In the image below, all three of the Timeline objects are anchored to the END of the slide.

Adobe Captivate: The red arrow indicates that the object is anchored to the end of the slide's playtime.

The red arrow (anchor) will automatically appear any time you stretch the right edge of an object on the Timeline right and bump up against the word END. The word END indicates the moment in time when all of the action on the slide has concluded. Unless something has been added to the slide to override the default behavior, once END has been reached, the next slide on the Filmstrip will appear.

So now that you know what the red arrows mean, I bet you're wondering if anchoring an object to the END of a slide is good or bad.

Personally, I don't like the anchors. Why? Try this experiment: Go to any slide in your project and create an anchor. Next, extend the play time for the slide by four or five seconds (on the Timeline, drag the right edge of the slide's object to the right). As you drag, notice that the anchored objects move to the right and end at the slide's new end time.

Adobe Captivate: Extending a slide's playtime also alters the appear time for the objects.

But look at the left edge of those objects (the left edge is when the objects will appear on the slide). You'll notice that the Appear After timing has changed–something that most Captivate developers don't want to happen every time the timing for a slide is adjusted.

What's a Captivate developer to do? Since the anchors will appear every time an object touches the END of a slide's timing and you can't disable the anchors, you'll need to perform a quick workaround. (Okay, so maybe the term workaround is a bit harsh. Anchors aren't a bug in Captivate; they're a feature.). Simply select all of the slide's objects, right-click and choose Show for the rest of the slide. If you extend the play time for a slide now, the slide's objects will extend as if they were anchored but their start times will not change. Nice!

If you would like to see object anchors in action, check out the video I created on the IconLogic YouTube channel.

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Looking for training on Adobe Captivate? IconLogic offers multiple live, online Adobe Captivate classes each month including Introduction to Adobe Captivate and Advanced Adobe Captivate.

July 12, 2013

“Adobe Captivate 7: The Essentials” Workbook Now Available

I'm happy to report that my newest book, "Adobe Captivate 7: The Essentials" is now available for purchase. A hard copy of the book can be purchased directly from IconLogic's website.

"Adobe Captivate 7: The Essentials" is a self-paced training manual that teaches the core Adobe Captivate skills needed to create interactive eLearning and mLearning content. By following step-by-step instructions, you will learn how to record and produce software demonstrations, interactive training simulations, and soft skills training. You’ll learn how to control the mouse pointer and add such standard objects as text captions, images, and highlight boxes. You’ll learn to record, import and edit audio, and further enhance the learner experience by adding interactivity via click boxes, buttons and text entry boxes. You’ll learn to leverage and enrich existing Microsoft PowerPoint presentations by importing and linking into new or existing Captivate projects. Finally, you’ll learn to publish your project in SWF and HTML5 formats so that your content can be uploaded to a web server for consumption on virtually any device, including the iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices.

If you prefer a digital version of the book that you can download immediately, you have three options:

July 10, 2013

Localization & eLearning: The Translation Process

by Jen Weaver

You are ready to move forward with your translation project, but despite your preparation you still feel a bit in the dark about what steps will be involved in creating your translation. The 'unknowns' can make you feel a bit fearful about moving forward. So let's bring some light to the situation, and uncover those foggy areas of the translation process. We have broken out the steps to a typical e-learning project below to help you better understand what will occur with your project.

Project Scope: Translation of an e-learning module from US English into Chinese

Evaluation

Analysis of material from the technical and cultural viewpoint to determine objectives, target audience and culture-specific content.
Evaluation of source material, layout, as well as the quantity and type of graphics used.
Project assessment to determine frequently used vocabulary, register, file format, etc.
Selection of team components, tools and software to be used.
Overall project assessment including identification of Professional Voice Talents comparable to project goals.
Research and provision of Voice Talent demo recordings from voice bank.
Casting of Voice Talents based on client approval.

Preparation

Extracting of the text from its original file format in (InDesign, PPT, etc). This includes preparation of graphics, graphs, and charts.
Transcribing (if it is not already done) the audio script for recording to include time stamp.

Translation, Editing, & Proofreading

Translation of the text from the source file.
Editing and Proofreading by professional target language (native speaker) editors.

Client Review

Delivery of proofs to Client for internal review.
Review and one round of input of client changes.

Voice Over Recording

Approved voice talent will record in a studio and will be directed by a studio director who is also a native in the language.
Use of fully digital, industrial strength Pro Tools recording system.
SP capabilities, time coded DAT, Neumann microphones, Industrial Acoustics sound booth.

Audio Client Review

Implementation of one round of client changes pre-delivery of completed files (edits can be pronunciation preference, slower speed, faster speed, error in script, etc).

Voice Over Recording of requested changes

Requested changes will be implemented and finalized, following the same process as Voice Over Recording.

Localization Engineering/Desktop publishing

Localization engineers/desktop publishers will ensure all components of the project have been fully localized.
All graphics/visuals will be formatted into the target language.
Localization engineers will sync audio files to the animations, ensuring all files are running properly.
Language tester will do a final QA of the end product, checking that all audio clips are clear and running to match the animation on screen.

Delivery

Delivery of final file (Java, XML, HTML, other formats), tested to ensure all localized components are in working order (audio is synced with animation, etc).

Reliable translation providers will use a translation process that adheres to basic industry quality best practices. Don't be afraid to ask your vendor about their internal translation and quality management processes. A reputable vendor will be proud to share this information with you.

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If you would like to learn best practices for managing translation projects, contact Jen at Carmazzi Global Solutions.

July 9, 2013

Adobe Captivate 7: Support for the Tin Can API

by Kevin Siegel

Today's learners are consuming eLearning content using a vast array of devices (PCs, Macs, and mobile devices such as the iPad). And learners are working outside of traditional LMSs. In spite of these challenges, educators still need to capture reliable data about the learner experience.

The problem with data collection is that you need an expensive LMS to store the data. And your learners need live access to the LMS so that they can send the data.

The most widely-used LMS standard for capturing data is the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM). SCORM allows educators to track such things as learner completion of a course, pass/fail rates, and how long a learner took to complete a lesson or course. But what if a trainer needs to get scores from learners who are collaborating with other students using social media? What if the learners don't have access to the Internet?

The new Tin Can API allows training professionals to gather detailed data about the learner experience as the learner moves through an eLearning course (either online or offline). According to the Tin Can API website, "The Tin Can API (sometimes known as the Experience API) captures data in a consistent format about a person or group's activities from many technologies. Very different systems are able to securely communicate by capturing and sharing this stream of activities using Tin Can's simple vocabulary."

Officials at the Tin Can API website went on to say, "Mobile learning, simulations, virtual worlds, serious games, real-world activities, experiential learning, social learning, offline learning, and collaborative learning are just some of the things that can now be recognized and communicated well with the Tin Can API."

If the Tin Can API is supported by your Learning Management System (LMS), you'll be happy to learn that it's also fully supported in Adobe Captivate 7. All you need to do is choose Quiz > Quiz Preferences. From the Reporting group, select Enable reporting for this project.

From the LMS drop down menu, choose Other Standard LMSs. Lastly, from the Standard drop-down menu, choose TinCan.

Adobe Captivate: Tin Can API as the Standard.

When publishing the lesson, ensure that you select the Zip option, and then upload the lesson to an LMS that supports the Tin Can API.

Note: Tin Can support is also available in Articulate Storyline. All you need to do is publish the lesson and, from the LMS group, Output Options, select Tin Can API from the LMS drop-down menu. If you'd like to read more about the Tin Can API, check out the Tin Can API overview on the Tin Cap API website. You'll also find useful information on Wikipedia.

If you would like to see a demonstration of enabling Tin Can within Captivate 7, check out this video on the IconLogic YouTube channel.

Adobe RoboHelp: Working with Twisties

by Willam Van Weelden

Twisties are images you include with DHTML drop-downs and DHTML expanding texts. The twisties indicate whether a drop-down is opened or closed. This gives a visual indication to readers that they can get more information. For example:

Adobe RoboHelp: Example of Twisties

Setting up Twisties

Open or create a RoboHelp project.
Go to the Project Manager pod (View > Pods > Project Manager).
Double-click the project's style sheet to open it for editing.
In the Styles dialog box, choose Hyperlink > Drop-down hotspot.
Click the Set Twisties button.
In the Select Twisties Images dialog box, browse and open the images you want to use as twisties.
Click OK to close the Select Twisties Images dialog box.
Click OK to close the Styles dialog box and save the edited style sheet.

And that's it. Once you have set up the twisties, they will automatically be applied to all of your project drop-downs.

Note: If you want to apply twisties to your project's expanding text and the drop-down hotspots, simply Set Twisties for the style Expanding text in your style sheet as you were shown above for the Drop-down hotspots.

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Looking to learn RoboHelp? We offer a live, two-day online RoboHelp class once each month. Feel free to contact us to learn other ways to meet your RoboHelp training requirements.

July 3, 2013

Localization & eLearning: What Languages Should You Use?

by Jen Weaver

Congratulations! Your English eLearning course has achieved such tremendous success that your company is ready to produce the materials in additional languages. Often this request flows from a grand vision–your products and services spanning the globe with clients and students in every continent and every country.

As inspiring as your vision may be, getting there requires careful planning, time, money and strategic execution. Step one for expanding your global market means answering the following question: what language should we translate into?

Here are some tips for getting started:

Start with the present need. Do you have a client or potential client that is already requesting materials be provided in another language? This is the ideal place to start because the ROI on your translation investment is guaranteed.
Start with the pending need. This is the next best option when you don't have a client already requesting translation. This is where research and development play a critical role in your company's growth. Knowing which countries and cultures you want to target with your eLearning courses will help narrow and focus your translation goals.
Consider marketing materials. Selling translated eLearning programs is much simpler when the sales and marketing approaches are united. Many clients start with the translation of their marketing materials (including website) and then proceed to translate the eLearning program once the sale is finalized.
Roll out languages in phases. The transition into multi-lingual production is quite an undertaking and is best accomplished when rolled out in phases. Begin with the language of most pressing need or benefit, and then roll out additional languages once the first phase has completed. Attempting to roll out too many languages at once can slow down your production times and increase the risk of errors. If this is your first foray in translation, you can evaluate the successes of the project and implement improvements for future languages when the first phase is complete.
Choose a translation approach. Will you handle written translations with internal resources or will you utilize an outside language provider? While it may be less expensive to handle translation needs internally, a language vendor will possess the experience and expertise necessary to help you foresee and overcome potential translation obstacles.

With some deliberate planning, you can see your vision for global reach realized.

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If you would like to learn best practices for managing translation projects, contact Jen at Carmazzi Global Solutions.