Uncategorized – Page 4 – The Logical Blog

April 23, 2024

TechSmith Camtasia: JKL to Speed Up Preview Playback Speeds

You've been tasked with editing a multi-hour video in TechSmith Camtasia. Specifically, you need to add annotations, remove distracting audio such as breath sounds and lip smacks, and remove unnecessary video portions.

Face it: If a video has a runtime of three hours, you will be at your computer for at least every minute of those three hours. Add the time it will take to rewind, make edits, and review them; your level of effort can be two to three times the video's playtime.

Previewing a video at regular speed could be time-consuming and futile. Never fear; faster playback is possible by pressing the following keys on your keyboard: J, K, and L.

The three keys are conveniently located together on most keyboards.

Pressing the L key once increases the video's playback speed twofold.

If you can press the L key again, the playhead will hum along the timeline at six times the speed.

Not fast enough? Press the L key again, and you'll hum along the timeline at eight times the speed.

Press the J key, and the playhead will move in reverse.

Want to stop the Playhead? Press the K key.

Looking for TechSmith Camtasia training? We've got you covered with three live, online vILT courses. If our scheduled classes don't work for your schedule, you can purchase and attend the classes via pre-recorded versions of the courses. If you prefer private group training or one-on-one Camtasia mentoring, email us to discuss your specific needs.

April 18, 2024

Adobe Captivate 12.3: Share for Review

The Share for Review feature is one of the more compelling enhancements in the recently released 12.3 update for Captivate 12. Project stakeholders can now add slide-by-slide comments to your slides in one central location. Reviewers do not need to own Captivate or know how to use it. The review interface is clean and very intuitive.

To begin, ensure you're using the 12.3 build. You can get the free update by choosing Help > Check for Updates.

Create or open a project, and then click the Share for review icon at the lower right of the Captivate window.

You can accept or customize the default Title in the Share For Review screen. For instance, you might want to add a date or version number to the title. Otherwise, click the Create review button.

The project is published to a secure Adobe server.

From the Access type drop-down menu, you can choose between making your review Public (anyone with the link can access the review project) or Private (only people you invite can see the review project).

Invite people to the review by clicking Invite people and adding email addresses as appropriate.

Here is a sample email that your reviewers will receive once you click the Invite to view button:

Reviewers click the Open Review button and are taken to the project review screen. As mentioned, reviewers do not need Captivate or any special software to participate in the review process.

Once the review window is open, team members can add comments slide-by-slide.

What I like about the review feature is that people can add comments for each preview mode. In the image above, I added a comment in the Desktop view. I switched to tablet mode in the image below and added a comment.

As issues are resolved in Captivate, the developer clicks the Update review button, and the updated project is uploaded to the server. You do not need to create a new review; just let reviewers know an update is available.

Are you looking for Adobe Captivate mentoring or Adobe Captivate training? We offer one-on-one sessions, a step-by-step workbook, and private classes. And we love a classic. If you're still using Adobe Captivate Classic, we offer training and support on that version as well. Email me directly for more information.

February 13, 2024

CenarioVR: AI Wizard Makes 360-degree Scene Creation Cooler Than Ever

CenarioVR has caught the AI bug by adding an incredible AI wizard. The wizard lets you quickly add 360-degree scenes to your VR eLearning course faster and easier than ever!

To add a scene to a scenario, click the Add Scene icon.

From the right side of the Scene dialog box, click the AI Wizard button.

In the Scene Description field, type Four mice sitting around a table playing poker.

From the Select Category drop-down menu, choose any category that you like (note that I left my category set to the default, Realism)

Click the Use button.

Click the Done button to add the new scene to your scenario.

Preview the scene to see just how cool the AI Wizard is.

If you'd like to see the mice playing poker, and who wouldn't, I've uploaded the poker scene to my web server.

If you'd like virtual mentoring assistance with CenarioVR, email me.

February 7, 2024

Teaching Virtual Classes: Get People Talking

by Jennie Ruby, CTT, COTP

People like to hear themselves talk. I don’t mean that in a bad way. What I mean is that people like to express themselves and feel heard. Feeling heard helps us feel connected to the others we encounter, the people we interact with, and—here’s my point—the people we learn with. Connecting with the instructor/facilitator and the other students/participants plays a huge role in online class engagement. When you are the virtual instructor, make sure you are fostering this connection in your classes.

Your learners are not empty containers for you to fill with information. In adult learning, the learners are also teachers. Ask them to help you teach the class! Well, okay, maybe not literally like,

“Fonzarelli! Would you like to get up here and teach the class?”

But more like this:

“Amy, can you think of a way you might use [what we just learned] in your work?”

Often in my online software classes, I stop and ask this:

“Have any of you used [this concept or technique] in your projects? Raise your hand or give me a green check.”

Then I call on one of the participants who signaled yes, and I ask them to come off mute and say hello. Once their mic is working, I repeat the question and invite them to tell how they have used the [concept] in their projects. They typically share one or more really good examples, express some degree of enthusiasm for it, and/or have additional comments or suggestions.

After that—and this part is really important—I invite the class to respond to what they shared.

“Does anyone else do something similar?”

“What do you think, Eliana, could you use this in your projects?”

The result? The class members are engaged with one another as well as with me. Those who share their experiences feel heard and appreciated. (Did I mention thanking them for the concepts they shared?) The class benefits from hearing a broader range of examples than I might think of alone. And voices other than mine are heard over the audio connection, adding variety and interest to that dimension of the class.

Bonus points: If you are discussing a later topic in the class, and it relates to what a class member shared earlier, make sure to recall what the participant shared, mention it again, and tie it to the new topic. Doing this makes the class feel more dynamic and alive and less like a canned presentation. Once more, the participant feels heard and appreciated, and everyone gets a little more out of the class experience.

If you'd like to become an awesome virtual trainer, check out our upcoming Online Training Professional Certification course.

***

Jennie Ruby, CTT, COTP, is a veteran eLearning developer, trainer, and author. Jennie has an M.A. from George Washington University and is a Certified Technical Trainer and Certified Online Training Professional. She teaches both classroom and online courses, and has authored courseware, published training books, and developed content for countless eLearning projects. She is also a publishing professional with more than 30 years of experience in writing, editing, print publishing, and eLearning.

February 1, 2024

Microsoft PowerPoint 365: How to Edit Icons Like a Pro

Let’s say you wanted to insert a checkmark graphic into your PowerPoint deck. You might do so from the Icons tool (Insert > Icons) by typing “checkmark” into the search field.

But, maybe, you have quite discerning tastes when it comes to your checkmark imagery. Perhaps you prefer a more bold and stocky variety of checkmark. You may even notice that the checkmark you desire exists within another icon, locked away just out of reach.

As it exists in its Graphic format, you cannot remove the individual checkmarks from the checklist icon. You can only edit the whole thing as one cohesive image. There is, however, a way to extrapolate that checkmark of your dreams, and I’m here to share it with you.

From that same dialog box, click on the icon with the checkmark-ed list and click the Insert button to place it on your slide.
With the image selected, head to the Graphics Format tab on the Ribbon.
On the far left, from the Change area, click the Convert to Shape

Your Icon, previously a Graphic, is now a Shape, which means it can be pulled apart and its individual elements harvested. You’ll know it’s a Shape because the Shape Format tab will appear in place of the Graphic Format tab on the Ribbon.

With the Shape selected on your slide, press [Ctrl][Shift][G] on your keyboard (or right-click the shape and select Ungroup from the drop-down menu) to Ungroup the shape.

You are now able to pull apart and edit the individual pieces of your formerly cohesive graphic.

Sayonara skinny checkmark!

January 31, 2024

Articulate Storyline 360: Emphasis Animations

Articulate updated Storyline 360 to include interactive emphasis animation effects like pulsing, shaking, and teetering.

To get the latest build, start Articulate 360 and install the update. Once installed, you'll be working with Storyline build 3.84.31647.0.

Create or open a Storyline project and insert an image onto a slide. In the example below, I inserted a cute puppy from the Content Library.

Select the image and, on the Animations tab, click Add Emphasis Animation.

There are currently five emphasis animations: Pulse, Grow, Shrink, Shake, and Teeter. I selected Shake.

Once the emphasis animation has been applied, you'll have some options. For instance, I've set the Shake amount to Medium.

Then I set the animation's Duration.

A trigger is added to the Triggers window. Double-clicking the trigger offers the ability to edit the trigger as appropriate.

I published the sample emphasis project and uploaded it to my web server. The interaction is very subtle, which I like. You can see it here.

If you're looking for Storyline help, we offer virtual training, mentoring, and development support. Send me an email and let's discuss your needs.

January 22, 2024

Adobe Captivate: Customizing Quiz Question Feedback

I love the quizzing functionality in the new Adobe Captivate (version 12.2) and find it superior to Adobe Captivate Classic. However, editing the question feedback in Classic was easier and more straightforward. In Classic, you edit the question feedback directly on the slide. In the new Captivate, the process for editing the feedback captions isn't so easy.

First, insert a Captivate question slide by clicking Create New Slide and selecting a question type.

In the example below, I'm using a multiple-choice quiz question and settling the age-old debate about the world's greatest breakfast cereal.

In Captivate Classic, you can specify a correct answer directly on the slide. It's super easy. In the new Captivate, you first need to click Select answer on the Visual properties to select the correct answer.

On the slide, now you can specify the correct answer by clicking to the left of the answer (this part is just like Classic). To set the answer, click Done. I've made the only correct answer in the example below: Cap'n Crunch.

If you preview the slide and answer the question, you'll see feedback captions for an incorrect or correct answer. In the example below, I've answered incorrectly. The default feedback is That's incorrect! Click anywhere or press 'y' to continue.

I'd like to customize the feedback. When I mentioned things being muddy earlier, this is what I mean. Remember, in Classic, the feedback can immediately be edited onscreen. In the new Captivate, muddy means there's no obvious way to edit the feedback. Where are those pesky captions? Read on, and I'll clear things up for you.

On the Visual properties, Components area, click Show.

At the top of the slide, you'll see the green correct feedback area. But there's no obvious place to edit the content. This is where you'll need to modify states–a process very different than Captivate Classic.

Select the feedback area at the top of the question slide to display the States panel. There are states for a correct answer, an incorrect answer, and a message for an incomplete answer. In the example below, I've selected the Correct state and, onscreen customized the feedback message.

In the example below, I've selected the Incorrect state and customized the incorrect feedback message.

And here is what the slide looks like when previewing.

If you need help with Adobe Captivate, we offer Captivate development services, training, and one-on-one mentoring. Send me an email (ksiegel@iconlogic.com) or give me a call at 888.812.4827

November 14, 2023

Articulate Storyline 360: Instant placeholder text

You've been asked to create a Storyline slide. The images are ready, but the text is not. Instead of typing fake placeholder text, Storyline can do the heavy lifting for you.

Select the object and type =lorem() to add placeholder text to a slide object.

Press [enter], and Storyline will fill the object with lorem ipsum text.

Type =rand(), and Storyline will add actual words to the object.

Adding text between the parenthesis tells Storyline to add a specific number of paragraphs and lines. For instance, Type =rand(4,3), and Storyline will insert four paragraphs and three lines.

If you'd like to see this feature in action, check out this YouTube video.

If you are looking for Storyline training, we've got you covered with these vILT courses. We've got you covered if you need eLearning mentoring or development services.

October 26, 2023

Integrate Adobe Captivate eLearning Output with Adobe RoboHelp Projects

Integrating interactive eLearning with your use assistance or help documentation is super easy if you use the Adobe Technical Communication Suite.

Check out this full training session that I taught for Adobe at DitaWorld: https://youtu.be/FdM148qDjTQ?si=-5Dq7o-QYAh_tzi6

You'll learn to use Adobe Captivate Classic (Captivate 2019) to create an interactive software simulation and publish the lesson as HTML5. Then, you will learn how to incorporate the training into an Adobe RoboHelp project.

October 25, 2023

TechSmith Camtasia: Say Hello to Rev and Goodbye to Labor

AI comes to TechSmith Camtasia, making enhanced video creation as easy as click, click, click!

Ensure that you're using the latest Camtasia build and then start the recording (either by starting the Camtasia Recorder 2023 app or clicking the Record button from within a Camtasia project).

On the lower right of the Recorder control panel, you'll see the Camtasia Rev icon. If necessary, click the toggle to enable Rev.

Record the video as you would normally do and when you stop the recording, Rev appears onscreen. There are five tabs, each offering curated formatting options.

On the Size tab, you can choose between the size you used when you recorded or specify Wide, Vertical, or Square.

Switch to the Layout tab, and you can choose from several layouts that change how your video appears on the learner's display.

Click to add a background to your video on the Background tab.

The Effects tab allows you to instantly add features like a Drop Shadow, Cursor Shadow, Highlight, and increase the size of the mouse pointer seen by the learner.

After you've clicked through the tabs, all that's left to do is click Export to publish the project.

Creating video demos truly does not get any faster than this!

If you need Camtasia training, mentoring, or development support, we've got you covered: https://www.iconlogic.com/instructor-led-training/software-title/camtasia.html

If you'd like to see Rev in action, check out my short video on YouTube.