Category: HTML5

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Adobe Captivate: Learner Notes

by Kevin Siegel Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn View our videos on YouTube

Thanks to a really slick interaction found in the new Adobe Captivate 7, you can allow learners to add notes throughout an eLearning lesson. The notes added by the learner will be available even after the learner closes and then returns to the lesson down the road.

To add learner notes, open or create a project in Adobe Captivate 7. Select the first slide and choose Insert > Interactions.

Select the Notes Interaction and click the Insert button to open the Configuration interaction screen.

Adobe Captivate 7: Notes Interaction.

I went with the Default Notes Icon. If you're not a fan of the default image (shown in the screen capture below), you can elect to use a Transparent Icon and simply position the interaction over your own image on the slide.

Adobe Captivate 7: Configure the Notes interaction.

After clicking OK to dismiss the Configure interaction screen, position the interaction on the slide. On the Timeline, ensure that the Notes interaction is the top-most object.

Adobe Captivate 7: Ensure that the Notes Interaction is the top-most object on the Timeline.

On the Timing group, set the Display For time to Rest of Project.

Adobe Captivate 7: Set the Timing for the Notes Interaction to Show for the Rest of the Project.

And that's it. Once the lesson is published, learners will be able to click the Note icon on any slide and add their notes. And as I mentioned earlier, they'll be able to review the notes later (even after closing and re-opening the lesson).

Adobe Captivate 7: Add a Slide Note.

Note: Don't resize or add Effects to a Notes interaction. Doing so may diminish the appearance of the interaction and/or cause it to not work at all.

If you would like to see a demonstration of the Notes interaction, check out this video on the IconLogic YouTube channel.

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Looking to learn Adobe Captivate training? IconLogic offers multiple live, online Adobe Captivate classes each month including Introduction to Adobe Captivate and Advanced Adobe Captivate.
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Adobe Captivate 7: Tab Order

by Kevin Siegel Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn View our videos on YouTube

Learners have always been able to select screen objects on published Captivate lessons by either clicking the mouse or using the [tab] key on the keyboard. However, your ability to control which screen objects came into focus when the learner pressed the [tab] key was non-existent… until now.

What about controlling how a screen reader reads the text to a visually impaired learner? Perhaps you'd like the text on a specific button to be read before another?

With the recent introduction of Adobe Captivate 7, you can now control the order of screen objects that come into focus when the learner presses the [tab] key, and when the text on those objects is read aloud by a screen reader.

To begin, add objects to a slide. In the image below, I've added three simple buttons to a Captivate slide.

Adobe Captivate 7: Three buttons on a slide.

Upon previewing the project and pressing the [tab] key on my keyboard, the navigation worked as expected. I moved from Button 1, to Button 2 and then to Button 3.

However, when my learners pressed the [tab] key, I wanted Button 2 to be selected first, then Button 3 and finally Button 1. Plus I wanted the text on those selected buttons to be read aloud by a screen reader in that specific order.

First, I made sure that none of the slide objects were selected. Then, on the Properties panel, I clicked the Tab Order button.

Adobe Captivate 7: The Tab Order button.

Within the Tab Order dialog box, I selected the button I wanted to be accessible first, and then I clicked the Move Selected Row Up arrow to move it into the first position.

In the image below, you can see that I've set it up so that Button 2 will be the first accessible button, followed by Button 3.

Adobe Captivate 7: Setting the Tab Order.

After clicking the OK button, testing the Tab Order was a simple matter of previewing the project and pressing the [tab] key on my keyboard.

Changing the Tab Order is simple. And keep in mind that the Tab Order dialog box determines the order that a screen reader will read the accessibility text aloud. This is a huge deal for anyone required to deliver eLearning content that meets (or exceeds) compliance standards.

If you'd like to see a demonstration of the Tab Order feature, check out the demonstration I created on IconLogic's YouTube channel.

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Looking to learn Captivate quickly? IconLogic offers multiple live, online Adobe Captivate classes each month including Introduction to Adobe Captivate and Advanced Adobe Captivate.
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Adobe Captivate 7 Bug Workaround For the Spell-Check Crash

If you're using Adobe Captivate 7 for the Macintosh, it's possible you've been bitten by the spell-check bug… Captivate 7 crashes when you choose Project > Check Spelling.

I've learned that the crash does not occur if you already have Captivate 6 installed on your Macintosh (or you own another CS6 application). Of course, if you don't have the older version of Captivate, and find that your Captivate 7 software is crashing, follow this workaround. (I'm hoping that Adobe will release a patch sooner rather than later… until then, these steps will do the trick.)

Note: The spell check crash/bug only affects Mac users. Windows users… see ya.

Part 1
  1. Close Captivate.
  2. Choose Go > Go to Folder.
  3. Type/Library/Application Support/Adobe
  4. Click the Go button
  5. Create a new folder and name it Linguistics.
  6. Inside the Linguistics folder, create another folder and name it 6.0. (Open the 6.0 folder and leave it open until the end of Part 2.)

Part 2

  1. Open new finder window (File > New Finder Window)
  2. Choose Go > Go to Folder.
  3. Type /Applications/Adobe Captivate 7/required/Plug-Ins/mac/Linguistics
  4. Click the Go button.
  5. Select the folders LanguageNames2 and Providers and copy them to your clipboard.
  6. Go back to the 6.0 folder you created earlier and paste the folders within the 6.0 folder.
  7. Restart Captivate and run the Spell Check command. (The spell check feature should work as expected this time… goodbye crash!)
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eLearning: What’s the Best Microphone for Voiceover Audio?

by Kevin Siegel Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn View our videos on YouTube
 

I received an email asking the following:

 

What specific advice can you give about the kind of microphone to purchase for making good quality audio narrations to accompany my Captivate training sessions, minimizing echo and other audio problems? It needs to connect to my Dell laptop PC.

I would prefer the versatility of a standalone microphone on a stand that could sit on my desk rather than a microphone built into a headset. I had in mind trying to limit the cost to around $100, but if that isn't reasonable please tell me.

***

It doesn't matter if you use Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline or TechSmith Camtasia Studio as your eLearning tool of choice… each can produce awesome eLearning content that will be enhanced if you include voiceover audio.

When it comes to selecting a headset or microphone, it will often come down to personal preference. Personally, I prefer boom microphones built into the headset since I think the boom keeps your mouth a consistent distance from the microphone. As for brands, I've had good luck using a $50 microphone readily available at Staples and Best Buy. The manufacturer is Micro Innovations. You can see reviews of their headsets here.

If you have some extra cash in your piggy bank, the Sennheiser PC 350 is simply awesome. It's got a built-in sound card (built right into the cord) that does a great job of cancelling out internal computer noises. My main complaints with the Sennheiser are (now don't laugh)… it makes your head sweaty. No foolin! Also, I noticed when I moved my head, the microphone sometimes picked up a sound that reminded me of crumpling paper.

I've discussed two sides of the price spectrum ($50 and over $200). Looking for free? I've had wonderful luck using the microphone built into my MacBook Pro. I was surprised by how good the audio was considering the poor experiences I've had with most built-in microphones in the past. While I'm not saying that the resulting audio is world-class, when it comes to creating "just in time eLearning," it works great. You can hear samples of audio created using the Mac's built-in headset by viewing any of the videos I've created within the past 6 months on our YouTube channel.

I wanted to get some opinions on good microphones from other eLearning developers. I originally asked skills & drills readers their opinion on the best microphones a few years ago. Last week I posed the question again. Here is some of the feedback I received, then and now:

From Alveno Smith, eLearning & Development, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Information Technology Services

Do you use a microphone or a headset? I use a Microphone.

Do you record your audio in a studio or in the office? I record in my office. It is a small 10×10 and the sound is consistent. What manufacturer do you prefer? Audio-Technica. What model microphone/headset… and why? I use the Audio-Technica USB microphone. It adds great sound to the finished product.

From Bob Cunningham, Training Specialist and Adobe Certified Instructor, Captivate, U.S. Courts

We have a couple of mics we use for our Captivate recordings. We use either the Sennheiser PC 163D headset USB mic or the Rode Podcaster USB mic. My personal preference is the Sennheiser headset. It has great noise cancellation and produces a very nice sound. And the mic placement doesn't vary as I move my head. Others in our group prefer the Rode Podcaster. In both cases, we record our audio narration in one of five recording/editing rooms, with acoustic foam padding on the walls. On occasion I record voiceovers at home on my laptop. I use the Sennheiser headset, and I record in my walk-in closet. The clothes (mostly my wife's ;-)) do a great job of absorbing the sound and reducing the noise.

From Toni Wills, eLearning Developer, The University of Kansas Hospital

We use the Snowball by Blue. It was recommended to us by our vendor, Epic. I got it at Amazon for about $100. It plugs right into my laptop with a USB connector. It has a swivel mount and a tripod, so it's really easy to use just about anywhere. It's probably more than we need but the good news is that if we decide to pursue a singing career, at least we will already have the mic for it. I have a radio background so I do the voice overs. We have no place to record at work because we work in a cube farm; and even if we could reserve a conference room, the air handlers here are so loud that it sounds like you're recording next to a waterfall. I record in my guest room at home and use pillows behind the mic to prevent any reverberation. Not ideal, but it works surprisingly well.

The other nice thing about the Snowball is how cool it looks… check it out at bluemic.com.

From Mike Baker, Information Resource Consultant II

Staff Development & Training

I use an Edirol UA25 to connect my Audio-Technica 3035 cardioid condenser mic to my PC via a USB port. That gives me awesome, studio quality sound. I am also using a sound filter to prevent any echoes, hollow sound, etc. This setup was a little pricey (all items can be found on Amazon). If you are looking for something around $100, we have one laptop setup with a BlueMic Snowball microphone. It is a straight USB microphone and gives us great sound.

 

From M. Kristin Westrum, Metafile Information Systems, Inc., User Assistance Development

I've had experience with two microphones:

  1. A simple Altec headset that plugs into my laptop. This produces poor quality sound; it's almost impossible to get enough volume, every "s" sounds like a lisp, and it picks up both breathing and background noises. And if the microphone component moves half an inch further from your mouth, there's an audible difference. For online demos the quality is bad to borderline.
  2. We recently switched to a handheld JVC microphone; the difference is amazing. While you have to hold it manually, there's no variation in voice. The sound is sharp and clear. What amazed me the most was when my phone rang in the middle of a recording session and the microphone didn't pick it up! This is a hand-held dynamic microphone designed to plug into a computer; cost about $50 5-10 years ago.

See also: eLearning Voice-Overs Microphone Guideline andTips for Capturing Audio.

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Looking to learn Captivate quickly? IconLogic offers multiple live, online Adobe Captivate classes each month including Introduction to Adobe Captivate and Advanced Adobe Captivate. Is Articulate Storyline your tool of choice? We've got your training needs covered there too. How about TechSmith Camtasia Studio? We've teamed with ASTD and offer a one-day class on that tool as well.
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Adobe Captivate: Jumping to Named Slides

by Kevin Siegel Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn View our videos on YouTube

You can allow your learners to jump from one slide in your eLearning lesson to any other slide via interactive slide objects. Adding this level of user interaction is commonly referred to as branching.

To create a branch, select an interactive slide object (such as a button or click box) and select Jump to slide from the On Success drop-down menu (via the Action group on the Properties panel). For example, in the image below, the Play Lesson button has been set to Jump to slide 3 in the project.

Jump to a slide by number

While creating branches by jumping to slides based on a slide's number is simple enough, creating multiple branches is likely to get confusing for you as a developer. Since the slide numbers themselves do not offer any clue as to what is happening on any given slide, prior to creating a jump you will need to memorize what is happening on the target slide (or map things out before creating the branches). Instead of jumping to a slide by number, consider naming the destination slide and then jumping to the slide based on its name.

Name a Slide:

  1. Select a slide and visit the Properties panel.
  2. At the top of the Properties panel, type a slide name into the Name field (the name can contain spaces).

    Adobe Captivate: Name a slide.

In the image below, the same button shown in the first image above is selected. Notice however, that instead of simply jumping to Slide 3, the jump is targeting the third slide, which is named Begin Lesson 1.

Adobe Captivate: Jump to slide by name.

Note: If you'd like to see a demonstration of jumping to named slides, visit the IconLogic YouTube channel.

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Looking to learn Captivate quickly? IconLogic offers multiple live, online Adobe Captivate 6 classes each month including Introduction to Adobe Captivate and Advanced Adobe Captivate.
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Free eBook: 68 Tips for eLearning Engagement and Interactivity

eLearning veterans such as Cammy Bean, Sean Bengry, Tom Bunzel,Paul Clothier, Sarah Gilbert, Amy Jokinen,Amy Leis, Susan O'Connell, Erick Summa, Kevin Siegel and Deborah Thomas provide 68 tips for making sure eLearners are fully engaged.

Covered among the tips:

  • Creating engaging content
  • Creating an engaging interface
  • Using interactivity to drive engagement
  • Using media and visual design effectively
  • Using games for learning
  • Measuring engagement and learning

You can download the free eBook here.

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Adobe RoboHelp: Supporting Android Phones

by Willam Van Weelden Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn

RoboHelp 10 allows you to support a wide range of devices. RoboHelp detects a user's device and automatically presents the content in the optimal format for that specific device. While this is a great new RoboHelp feature, sometimes things can go wrong.

For example, last week a client reported that his RoboHelp content was displaying correctly across all devices except his Samsung Galaxy SIII. Instead of using the Android layout as instructed, the device consistently used the Desktop layout.

The phone's default display resolution is very high. It is so high, in fact, RoboHelp failed to recognize the device as a phone. The solution to this problem is simple: increase the maximum screen resolution via the Android_Phone Screen Profile. Here's how:

  1. With a RoboHelp project open, go to the Project Set-up pod (View > Pods).
  2. Open Screen Profiles.
    Adobe RoboHelp: Screen Profiles
  3. Double-click Android_Phone to open its Screen Profile.
    Adobe RoboHelp: Android Screen Profile
  4. Set the Maximum width to 1000 pixels.
  5. Set the Maximum height to 1280 pixels.
    Adobe RoboHelp: Edited Screen Profile
  6. Click the Save button and then close the dialog box.
  7. Save the project and then Generate the Multiscreen HTML5 layout.

    The next time the layout is accessed by an Android phone, it will use the correct layout.

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Looking to learn RoboHelp? We offer a live, two-day online RoboHelp class once each month.
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Two Captivate Classes to be Held in Portland for ASTD Cascadia

I'm excited to announce that I'll be teaching two full-day classes on Adobe Captivate 6 later this year for ASTD Cascadia in Portland, OR.

I'll be introducing Captivate 6 on the first day and following that up on day 2 with Captivate 6 advanced concepts.

You can learn more about the introduction session here and the advanced session here. You can sign up for either session (or both). And you don't have to be an ASTD Cascadia member to sign up and attend (although members do get some nice discounts on the event prices).

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Adobe RoboHelp 10: Add a Logo to an HTML5 Catalog Layout

by Willam Van Weelden Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn

A few weeks ago I showed you how to adjust the search highlight color in Multiscreen HTML5. This week, let's look at how you add your logo to the Multiscreen HTML5 Catalog Layout.

Not all Screen Layouts support logos by default. Fortunately, it is easy to add your logo to the Catalog Layout. To begin, ensure that your logo image meets these requirements:

  • No more than 80 pixels tall
  • No more than 400 pixels wide

Ensure that the Catalog Layout is Available in the Project:

  1. With a RoboHelp project open, go to the Project Set-up pod.
  2. Open Screen Layouts. If the Desktop_Catalog layout is in the list, you are ready to add your logo. If not, continue with the next few steps.
    Adobe RoboHelp: Desktop Layout among the Screen Layouts
  3. Right-click Screen Layouts and choose New Screen Layout.
  4. From the Gallery list at the left, select Desktop_Catalog.

    Adobe RoboHelp: Getting the Desktop Catalog to appear.

  5. Click the OK button.

Add Your Logo to the Catalog Layout

  1. With a RoboHelp project open, go to the Project Set-up pod.
  2. Open Screen Layouts > Desktop_Catalog > Topic (Default).
    Adobe RoboHelp: Topic (Default)
  3. On the Topic page, click in the text box located at the top of the page.

    Adobe RoboHelp: Text box at top of page.

  4. Choose Insert > Image and insert your logo as a regular image.

    Adobe RoboHelp: Logo added

    5. You may not see the entire logo while working within the Screen Layout Editor. No worries. When you generate the layout, the logo will display correctly.

  5. Save the Topic page.
  6. Right-click the logo and choose Copy.
  7. Open the Search Results page.
  8. Click in the text box located at the top of the Search Results page.

    Adobe RoboHelp: Text box at top of page.

  9. Right-click in the text box and choose Paste.
  10. Save the project, Generate and then view the results.

    11. Adobe RoboHelp: Logo added

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Looking to learn RoboHelp? We offer a live, two-day online RoboHelp class once each month.
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TechSmith Camtasia Studio 8: What Happened to PIP?

by Kevin Siegel Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn View our videos on YouTube

I received an email from a Camtasia developer inquiring about the apparent demise of Camtasia's Picture-in-Picture (PIP) feature. Using the PIP feature, developers could add a corporate logo to a video as a watermark. They could also include videos on top of the video (i.e.: a video of someone using sign language that augmented a video demonstration).

Adding a PIP was simple. You displayed the PIP Track and then dragged an asset from Camtasia's Clip Bin to the PIP Track on the Timeline.

Camtasia Studio: PIP Track.

Camtasia Studio: PIP Track in Use.

As valuable as many developers viewed the PIP feature, TechSmith dealt away with it in Camtasia Studio 8. Sorry if you loved the feature… but BAM… it's gone.

Not so fast…

I loved the idea behind PIPs from the moment I saw them. However, I never understood why we couldn't just add the image or video onto a different Camtasia Track and avoid the PIP Track. In fact, I always felt like using the PIP Track was counter-intuitive. It just made sense to be able to drag overlay videos onto the Timeline, within a new Track. Great idea… but you couldn't do it. You had to use the PIP track. With Camtasia Studio 8, it seems that the good folks over at TechSmith agree with me. The PIP Track is gone… but that doesn't mean you can't PIP.

If you want to create a PIP in Camtasia Studio 8, visit the Timeline and click the Insert track button.

Camtasia Studio: Insert track button

Add an image or video to the new track, adjust the timing as needed, and BAM… you're PIPing!

Note: If you've purchased my "TechSmith Camtasia Studio 8: The Essentials" book you probably noticed that the chapter title and headers in module 3 say "Videos, Images and PIP." This text is a holdover from my Camtasia 7 book. It's a mistake that was missed during the proofreading phase. The text should say simply: "Videos and Images." I appreciate readers pointing this out to me. We'll make the text correction in future printings of the Camtasia book.

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Looking to learn Camtasia as quickly as possible? We teach a one day online Camtasia class through ASTD.