Adobe Captivate – The Logical Blog

July 8, 2025

Adobe Captivate: Web Objects

If you want to make your eLearning content more dynamic and engaging, Adobe Captivate's Web Object feature is a powerful tool worth exploring. A Web Object allows you to embed external content directly into your Captivate project, integrating live web-based materials like websites, videos, maps, dashboards, and interactive widgets without inflating your project file size.

One of the biggest advantages of using Web Objects in Adobe Captivate is keeping your content current without republishing the course. For example, if your training references a company policy page or a frequently changing knowledge base, embedding it as a Web Object ensures learners always see the latest version. This is ideal for responsive eLearning development, where agility and up-to-date content are essential.

Web Objects also enable you to bring in content and interactivity that Captivate can’t natively create. Want to add a Google Form, a live YouTube video, or an HTML5 calculator built with JavaScript? With a Web Object, you can seamlessly include these components inside your Captivate slides. This can be a game-changer for interactive eLearning design, giving learners hands-on engagement with tools and platforms they’ll use.

In addition to improving interactivity, using Web Objects helps optimize your course performance. Because you're linking to externally hosted content rather than importing large media files, your Adobe Captivate project remains lightweight, which reduces loading times and improves the learner experience, especially on mobile devices or slower connections.

However, it’s important to understand when a Web Object might not be the right fit. Since the content is hosted externally, learners must be connected to the internet. Also, SCORM or xAPI tracking doesn’t extend to Web Objects, meaning you won’t be able to track user interactions within the embedded content unless you implement custom solutions. Additionally, browser and LMS compatibility may vary depending on the content you’re embedding.

Despite these limitations, embedding external content in eLearning using Web Objects offers tremendous flexibility. Whether linking to real-time dashboards, embedding secure intranet portals, or simply including a video hosted on Vimeo or YouTube, Web Objects provide a simple yet effective way to enhance your courses without adding complexity or bloat.

In conclusion, if you're an instructional designer, developer, or trainer looking to create engaging and scalable eLearning, Adobe Captivate’s Web Object feature can help you build modern, interactive courses that remain current and lightweight—an essential combination in today’s fast-paced training environment.

Here's a video I created that shows web objects in action.

If you need Adobe Captivate support, I offer training, mentoring, and development support.

I have a top-selling Captivate course on Udemy if you'd like training on demand.

May 9, 2025

Adobe Captivate 2025: Interactive Videos

In this Adobe Captivate 2025 (version 12.6) tutorial, you’ll learn how to create an interactive video that displays knowledge check questions as overlays—going far beyond a traditional play-and-pause video.

You’ll see how to add and configure knowledge checks, insert bookmarks at key points in the video, and trigger actions that display those questions as overlays when a bookmark is reached. You'll also learn how to use an action to resume the video timeline after the learner interacts.

This technique helps keep learners engaged while reinforcing key concepts without disrupting the flow of the video.

If you need help with Adobe Captivate, I offer public vILT classes and one-on-one mentoring.

Also, check out my Adobe Captivate 2025 course on Udemy.

May 7, 2025

Adobe Captivate Classic: Add AI Audio (Text-to-Speech) to a Shape

Adding audio to a Captivate Classic slide is easy: choose "Audio, Record to" or "Import to." Adding text-to-speech to a slide object is a bit more complicated.

Choose Audio > Speech Management.
Click the plus sign to create a note area.
Type a script.
Pick your voiceover "talent."
Click Generate Audio and then click Close. (This will add the audio to the slide, which you will delete during that last step below.)
On the slide, select a shape.
On the Library, drag the new audio onto the shape.
Choose Audio > Speech Management and remove the audio from the slide background.

Here's a video that will walk you through the process.

Looking for help with Adobe Captivate or Adobe Captivate Classic? I've got you covered with live training, recorded training, and one-on-one or group mentoring. https://www.iconlogic.com/instructor-led-training/software-title/captivate.html

April 24, 2025

Captivate 12.6 Update Highlights – Big Fixes, Smoother Projects!

Adobe has just released Captivate 12.6. While this update is primarily focused on bug fixes, several of them directly address issues that have impacted many developers. This release is worth your attention if you’ve been running into quirks or crashes.

Here’s a look at what’s been fixed (starting with one I think many of you will appreciate):

✅ Intel GPU Compatibility

Captivate 12.6 resolves a known issue where the program would crash when attempting to insert a video on systems using Intel graphics processors. This is a big win for stability, especially if you’re working with video-heavy projects.

✅ SVG Rendering

Problems with SVG images not displaying correctly are now history. Your vector graphics should now render cleanly and consistently.

✅ Animation Delays

Animations now behave as expected, with improved timing and smoother transitions throughout your projects.

✅ SCORM Title Consistency

SCORM package titles now remain consistent across platforms, eliminating mismatches between your published output and what your LMS displays.

✅ Hyperlink Editing

Editing hyperlinks inside your projects is a smoother process with fewer bugs and unexpected behavior.

✅ Google Fonts Formatting

Formatting issues when using Google Fonts have been corrected—your text will now appear as designed.

✅ Drag-and-Drop Scaling

Scaling glitches in drag-and-drop interactions have been fixed, making your interactions more reliable and visually aligned.

If you've been waiting for fixes to these issues, Captivate 12.6 is a must-install. As always, I recommend backing up your projects before updating—just in case.

Have you installed the update yet? Let me know in the comments how it’s working for you!

March 20, 2025

Adobe Captivate Training Now Available on Udemy

Whether you’re an instructional designer, corporate trainer, or eLearning developer, this step-by-step video Udemy course will teach you to quickly create professional, interactive Captivate projects, regardless of your experience level.

Gain the skills to confidently design and develop courses that engage learners and deliver results.

Learn Captivate from one of the most experienced Captivate developers in the world, a certified master trainer, an expert in adult learning theory, and a developer with decades of experience in eLearning and instructional design.

You'll benefit from an expert's perspective and hands-on guidance.

Course highlights:

Build fully responsive courses that look great on any device, ensuring an optimal learning experience across all screen sizes
Create software simulations for hands-on training so learners can practice in real-world scenarios
Use interactive elements like buttons, quizzes, widgets, and triggers to keep learners engaged and actively participating
Add audio, video, and images, including recording and editing your voice, adding AI audio, adding video blocks, and image blocks
Ensure accessibility with best practices for inclusive learning so every learner can benefit from your content

No coding, no headaches—just a practical, easy-to-follow approach that gets results. You'll walk away with the confidence and tools to create high-quality Adobe Captivate eLearning courses.

Learn more about this Udemy course.

January 22, 2025

Adobe Captivate 12.5 Released: AI Voices, Branding Blocks, and a new Interactive Widget Added

You can learn about the Captivate 12.5 enhancements in Sharath Ramaswamy's article: Adobe Captivate 12.5: Pioneering a New Era of AI-Driven eLearning. While I appreciate Sharath's article, let’s be honest—AI voices are an expected feature at this point and should not be touted as pioneering.

Frankly, this update is a major disappointment for me, especially considering it's now 2025. Captivate Classic is scheduled to sunset in 2027, and at Adobe's current pace, I don't see how this version will gain the necessary enhancements in just two years.

No PowerPoint integration.
No upgrade path for Classic projects.
No adequate replacement for Slide Masters (layouts).
The free assets are laughable. Seriously, Adobe? Captivate users: search for "cats," "puppies," or "meeting" in the Assets window, and you'll find next to nothing. How are these assets supposed to help beyond the characters? Anyone?

I’ll continue updating my Captivate 12 book to support this new version, but I can't help wondering—why isn't this version called Captivate 13? Where’s the substance? Where’s the excitement? What’s the holdup, Adobe? Meanwhile, Articulate is dominating, and what was once an excellent, groundbreaking tool is being left behind. This is just sad.

August 1, 2024

Adobe Captivate: Slide Video vs. Video

When adding media blocks to an Adobe Captivate version 12.3 project, you have two options: Slide Video and Video. You can go with one or the other, but you cannot add both to a slide.

So when should you choose Slide Video vs Video?

Go with Slide Video if you only need one video on the slide. The video will play automatically for learners based on when you set it to appear on the Timeline.

Insert a Video if you need one to three videos on the slide. The videos will not play automatically when you go with the Video option. Learners must start the videos by clicking a play icon on the video's player.

Are you looking for Captivate training or mentoring? We've got you covered with live training, recorded training, and one-on-one mentoring.

May 6, 2024

Adobe Captivate 12.3: Image Editing Improvements

The 12.3 update Adobe made to Adobe Captivate now provides some helpful image editing features. You learn how to add images to a project early on the first day of my two-day Adobe Captivate training class,

Once you have added an image to a slide, you can change the image focus and crop it via a single screen. What I love about the editing enhancements is that you can see how the edit will appear in multiple views without first having to close the editing screen and preview it in the browser.

To change the image focus, select the Visual Properties panel.

To the right of the Image drop-down menu, click the Edit icon to open the Edit Image options.

From the Image Focus area, select an alignment.

The three previews at the right provide a helpful indication of how the edit will appear on multiple displays.

To crop a Captivate image, at the left side of the Edit image screen, drag one of the corner circles a few inches

The preview area will show you how the cropped image will appear in the different screen sizes.

When finished, click the Save button.

Note: Once you have Adobe Captivate 12 installed on your computer, updates are free. To get the 12.3 update, go to the Help menu and click Check for Updates.

Looking for training or mentoring? I'm just an email away if you need help using Adobe Captivate or Adobe Captivate Classic.

January 16, 2024

Adobe Captivate: Export and Import Themes

Themes in Adobe Captivate 12 allow you to control such project attributes as colors, fonts, image presets, slide background colors, and UI components, including buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, input fields, and drop-downs.

You can edit a project's existing theme, export the settings, and import the theme into any Adobe Captivate 12.2 (or newer) project.

To begin, click the Project properties icon from the lower right of the Captivate window.

Click the Edit Theme button.

Select a category (such as Color Palette) from the left side of the Themes window.

Once you have finished editing the categories, click Export. You can save the file anywhere, even a network resource.

To use the exported theme in a new Captivate project, click the Project properties icon and then click Import.

Your theme is now available for use. Click the Change Theme button on the Project properties screen and select the imported theme. You can select the imported theme as the default theme by clicking the three dots and choosing Set as default.

If you're looking for Adobe Captivate 12 training, we've got you covered with this hands-on, project based vILT Captivate course.

September 13, 2023

Adobe Captivate 12 (2023): The Timeline Widget

In the spirit of learner engagement and interactivity, you're going to love the widgets you'll find in Adobe Captivate 2023 (also known as Captivate 12). Over the next couple of weeks, I'll show you how to use the widgets in a project.

First up: the Timeline widget.

Open or create a Captivate project and insert a blank slide.

From the icons at the left, click Add new widget.