Category: User Assistance

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Adobe Captivate: Rescale Imported or Pasted Slides

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

If you have created a Captivate project and need to reuse a slide in another project, all you need to do is right-click the slide on the Filmstrip, choose the Copy menu item, switch to another (or new) Captivate project, and paste.

Copying slides between projects gets a bit complicated if the two projects are not the same size. For instance, the original project size is 1024×768. The other project is 825×675. When copying and pasting the slides between projects, larger slides pasted into smaller projects will likely get cropped; smaller slides pasted into larger projects will "float" on the larger slide.

There is an easy way to ensure that slides rescale when pasted between projects. First, open the project that will receive the pasted slide. Open Captivate's Preferences dialog box (Windows users, choose Edit > Preferences; Mac users, choose Adobe Captivate > Preferences). From the list of Categories at the left of the dialog box, choose General Settings. Select Rescale Imported/Pasted Slide (the option is deselected by default) and then click the OK button.

Adobe Captivate: Rescale Imported/Pasted Slide

With Rescale Imported/Pasted Slide selected, the slide you copied will rescale to fit the proportions of the active project after you paste. Keep in mind that if the two projects are not proportional to each other, copying and pasting slides between projects will likely yield poor results. For instance, if there are graphics on a copied slide that was sized to 2000×900 and you paste it into a project that is 700×500, the images will scale way out of proportion. When possible, copy and paste slides between proportionally-sized projects (for instance, copying a slide in a project that is 1024×768 into a project that is 800×600 would work well).
 
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Looking for instructor-led training on Adobe Captivate? Check out our live, online, instructor-led Captivate classes.
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PowerPoint & eLearning: Create Your Own Characters

by AJ Walther Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn

In my three-hour mini session on Optimizing PowerPoint for eLearning and Design, I discuss how to create your own eLearning characters using PowerPoint. Generally I get a few excited students who seem up to the challenge, but most students decide that it's a neat trick that they're going to go ahead and skip. I was happy to see that Tom Kuhlmann recently posted a couple of how-to videos over on the Articulate blog about how to create your own eLearning characters in PowerPoint. I was not alone in creating my own PowerPoint eLearning characters! The how-to videos are good, so I'd encourage you to go check them out. Additionally, I'd like to add some of my own tips about how I create my characters.

Start with a photo. This isn't a terribly difficult task, but you will need to ensure you won't get into any hot water with regard to copyright. Do you remember the Shepard Fairey Obama poster incident? You probably are not creating eLearning characters that will be as high profile as Fairey's Obama, but with so many ways to avoid getting into the copyright soup, why risk it? Here are some options:

In the steps below, I'll create an eLearning character based on this image:

   

  1. Insert the photo on a PowerPoint slide as large as you can. This will help with creating details.
  2. Look at the photo as if it is comprised of layers. Start drawing whatever layer is furthest back. In this photo, for example, if I am leaving out the background wall, the face would be furthest back. The shirt, tie, suit, hair, and facial features would all be layered on top of that
  3. Don't waste time trying to guess skin tones…use a color picker instead to speed up your workflow. Yes, nearly all skin colors will vary from pixel to pixel, but pick your color from a mid-range color of the face. Remember, this is a simplified illustration, not a photo-realistic reproduction. I use Color Cop, but a simple Google search will pull up lots of suitable free options.
      
  4. Use the Curve tool to draw your shapes by tracing over the object in the photo. The Scribble tool will work as well, but will likely lead to more work, as shapes will typically be bumpier and will require more point editing.
      
  5. Don't worry about perfection–you can always go in and edit points (right-click the shape and choose Edit Points).
      
  6. Every time you draw a shape, make sure to name it on the Selection Pane. (To view the Selection Pane, select Home > Arrange > Selection Pane. To rename items on the selection pane, click to select and then click again. Naming items will help you keep them straight.)
  7. Remember, you are working backward starting with the shape that is furthest from you. This means that every time you draw a shape it will be covering the next shape you want to draw. This is where the Selection Pane becomes very useful. Click the eyeball next to your named item on the selection pane to hide the shape. You'll be able to see the photo again, trace your next shape, and then view the shape that was in your way again to check your progress.
      
  8. Group small details as you go. Eyes, for example, have many small details that could easily get "lost." After you have drawn all of the eye's elements, group them together to fix this.
     
      
  9. Speaking of small details, zoom in when working with these tiny details to give you more control and make your life easier.
  10. Use textured fills, gradients, transparencies, and effects where appropriate. For my example I added a textured fill (with an altered color) for the tie, a gradient effect to the nose, shapes of varying transparency to add subtle face contours, and small shadows to the shirt collar and suit lapels.
     
     
      
  11. When you're finished, select all of the shapes, group them ([Ctrl] [G]), and save the group as a picture (right-click > Save As Picture).

Here is my finished product:

 

Character Challenge

It's your turn! Create your own character in PowerPoint and send it to me. It could be a self-portrait or that of a friend, colleague, or loved one. Even better–send me the original photo as well for a fun before and after. We'll feature your creations here next week.

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If you love AJ's articles, you'll love her Optimizing PowerPoint Design for eLearning & Presentations mini course.

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Adobe RoboHelp: Get the New Responsive Layout

by Willam Van Weelden Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn
 
One of the hottest new features introduced in Adobe RoboHelp 11 is Responsive HTML5 layouts. The Responsive HTML5 output dynamically changes the way the content is presented based on the device the reader is using. For example, while a reader on a desktop might see a traditional table of contents on the right side of the page, someone using a smart phone will see a table of contents that is optimized for touch: 
 
Adobe RoboHelp: Two responsive layouts.  
 
Responsive HTML5 output uses Screen Layouts, the skins for HTML5 output. With these skins you can control how your output will look for your users.
 
If you have used Responsive HTML5 before, you may have seen the following layout in the gallery:
 
Adobe RoboHelp: Old Gallery  
 
The image above shows the Responsive Layout as it was delivered when RoboHelp 11 was released. You'll be happy to know that Adobe released an update of this layout with the RoboHelp 11.0.1 patch.However, even if you have installed the patch you may still be using the old layout.
 
While Adobe provided instructions on how to manually install the new Responsive HTML5 layout, they are hidden away in the release notes and you likely missed them. If so, here they are:
  1. Close RoboHelp.
  2. Using Windows Explorer, search for%appdata%\Adobe\RoboHTML. 
    (The RoboHTML folder hidden within your AppData folder opens.)
    Adobe RoboHelp: Searching for the RoboHTML folder within AppData.
  3. Rename the folder 11.00 to 11.00_old.
    (A new 11.00 folder will be created when you restart RoboHelp.)
  4. Start RoboHelp.
You can now use the improved Responsive Layout for your output:
  
Adobe RoboHelp: New Responsive Layout.
 
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Looking to learn RoboHelp? We offer a live, two-day online RoboHelp class once a month. Feel free to contact us to learn other ways to meet your RoboHelp training requirements.
 
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Adobe Captivate 8: Custom Workspaces

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

From a new user perspective, one of the major complaints about Adobe Captivate has always been its cluttered user interface. There are so many panels and toolbars in Captivate (and most are open and visible when the program starts), some people feel that the program is more difficult to learn than other tools like Articulate Storyline and TechSmith Camtasia Studio. 

People using Captivate versions 5, 6, and 7 have the ability to undock most of Captivate's panels and move them around the screen. Users can also save the location of the panels as custom workspaces (via Window > Workspaces > New Workspace). 
 
While being able to customize Captivate's workspace is great, if you aren't careful things can quickly become a hot mess. I can't tell you how many emails I get from developers who can't find this panel or that. In almost every instance it turns out they either closed the panel by mistake, or moved it to a second display and forgot. 
 
You can easily reset a Workspace (Window > Workspace > Reset) and get every panel back to its default location. However, many developers (even some with plenty of experience using the tool), don't know about resetting a Captivate workspace.

When Adobe released Adobe Captivate 8, the interface was totally overhauled–and simplified. To prevent new users from getting overwhelmed by Captivate's many toolbars and panels, toolbars have been consolidated and most of the panels are closed by default. To keep the interface from getting cluttered, it's now impossible to undock the panels. And, for the ultimate in interface simplification, you can no longer create a custom workspace.

The simpler interface is great for new users. But what about veteran developers who are upgrading from a legacy version of Captivate? As a long-time Captivate developer, I'll admit that I had a hard time navigating the new workspace. And I was upset with Adobe for taking away my ability to create a custom workspace. I understand that a simpler workspace is easier for new users… but I want complex. Give me back my workspaces!
 
If you're like me and you're missing the ability to customize your workspace, you'll be happy to learn that the option is still available… you'll just have to activate it.

In the image below, you can see Captivate's Workspace menu. There's really only one menu item: Reset 'Classic.' If you choose the Reset 'Classic' menu item, the Timeline and the Properties panel will hide (which is the default).

Adobe Captivate 8: Workspace menu before custom workspaces is enabled.

If you'd like to create your own workspace, open Captivate's Preferences dialog box (Windows users, choose Edit > Preferences; Mac users, choose Adobe Captivate > Preferences.) Select Enable custom workspaces/panel undocking.

Adobe Captivate 8: Enable custom workspaces.

Restart Captivate and you'll find that you can now undock Captivate's panels and move them around your display (just like legacy versions of the program). And if you choose the Window > Workspace menu item, you'll see that you also have the ability to create a New Workspace. 

Adobe Captivate 8: Workspace menu after custom workspaces is enabled.

If you tire of your custom workspace you can, at any time, return to Captivate's 'Classic' workspace (which will always be available in the Workspace menu).
 
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Looking for instructor-led training on Adobe Captivate? Check out our live, online, instructor-led Captivate classes.
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Adobe Captivate 8: Changing the Size of Responsive Layouts

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

As far as I'm concerned, the hottest new feature you'll find in Adobe Captivate 8 is the ability to create responsive eLearning. As I taught you a few weeks ago, by choosing File > New > Responsive Project, you can basically create and work on multiple screen sizes (called break points) in one project. When you publish the responsive project, the learner will automatically be served the break point appropriate for the device they're using.

 
If you've spent any time creating Responsive Projects, you've probably noticed that there are three breakpoints in the project by default: Primary (set to a width of 1024 pixels), Tablet (set to a width of 768 pixels), and Mobile (set to a width of 360 pixels). The default breakpoints are based on typical sizes of a laptop (Primary), iPad (Tablet), and iPhone (Mobile). However, you can easily adjust the size of the breakpoints. 
 
To begin, open the CloudAir_SoftSkills Sample.cptx sample project that ships with Captivate 8. (On the right side of the Captivate 8 Welcome screen, click the Sample Projects/Tutorials icon.)
 
Adobe Captivate 8: Sample Projects icon. 
 
The project is responsive. Notice the colored ribbon at the top of the canvas; this is a breakpoint within Captivate (a breakpoint is the point at which the layout changes size to accommodate a different screen size).
 
Adobe Captivate 8: Responsive Projects
 
To change the width of a layout, select one of the three breakpoints and drag either slide to change the width.
 
Adobe Captivate 8: Change the width of a breakpoint.
 
See, I told you it was easy. Now for the height. 
 
The option to adjust a layout's height is disabled by default so that you don't accidentally change it. Each layout's default height provides space for Captivate's playbar. If you are not going to use a playbar in the published lesson, you should adjust the height accordingly.
 
To begin, it's a good idea to change your magnification to 75% (View > Magnification). If you are too close to the canvas, you will not be able to see the new height you are about to set. I've found that 75% is almost always the perfect magnification for me, but you may need to fiddle around a bit to find the prefect magnification for your display.
 
In the upper right of the canvas, select View Device Height. 
 
Adobe Captivate 8: View Device Height. 
 
From the bottom of the canvas, drag the Height Adjuster (the yellow rectangle in the image below) up or down to change the device Height.
 
Adobe Captivate: Adjust Device Height.
 
Note: The shortest you can make any device is 100 pixels; the tallest you can make any device is 1,000 pixels.

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Looking for instructor-led training on Adobe Captivate? Check out our live, online, instructor-led Captivate classes.
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Adobe Captivate: Removing Popups from Video Demos

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

I'm continuing to enjoy developing eLearning using the new Adobe Captivate 8. And the more I use this updated version, the more I find subtle improvements and new features. Take video demos for instance. I use the video demo recording mode frequently (it's the mode I use for the videos I upload to YouTube).

While recording a recent video, I noticed a new tab on the Video Effects Inspector: Popup.

It just so happened that I had recorded a video and had inadvertently captured a yellow tooltip (shown in the image below). I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to test the Cleanup button on the Popup tab.

On the Timeline, I positioned the playhead at the part of the video where the popup first appeared.

Adobe Captivate 8: Playhead positioned where the popup first appears in the video.

On the Video Effects Inspector, I selected the Popup tab
and clicked the Cleanup button.

On the slide, I drew a rectangle around the popup.

 
Adobe Captivate 8: Popup selected. 

Note: When you try this at home, don't worry if your rectangle doesn't completely cover the popup. If your rectangle is too large or small at first, you can resize it using the resizing handles at any time. You can also drag the rectangle via its borders to move it to a different location on the video.

 
Once I drew the popup area on the video, a Popup object was added to the Timeline. I stretched the right edge of the Popup object to the amount of time I wanted it to remain onscreen on the slide; then I clicked the word Cleanup on the video.
 
Adobe Captivate 8: Popup object added to the Timeline. 
Adobe Captivate 8: Popup being removed from a video.  
And just like that, the area within the popup rectangle I drew was removed from the video.
 
Adobe Captivate 8: Popup gone. 

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Looking for instructor-led training on Adobe Captivate? Check out our live, online, instructor-led Captivate classes.
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Adobe Captivate: Record Simulations Using Smart Shapes Instead of Text Captions

by Kevin Siegel Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn View our videos on YouTube
 
Text Captions have been available in Adobe Captivate since before Captivate was Captivate (think RoboDemo). While there's nothing terribly wrong with Text Captions, you're a bit limited when it comes to editing the way they look.

Take the Text Caption shown below for example. The arrow in the upper left of the caption is known as a callout.

Adobe Captivate: Standard Text Caption  

You can control a few attributes of the callout (you can use the Properties Inspector to select from a list of pre-determined positions and you can elect not to show the callout). But if you want to fully adjust the callout (perhaps move it a bit to the left or right, or make the callout a bit longer), you're out of luck.

Many Captivate developers, tired of the limitations of standard Text Captions, have forsaken Text Captions altogether for Smart Shapes. In the image below, I'm using a Rectangle Smart Shape. The shape looks much like a Standard Text Caption. I can control its appearance via Object Styles. However, check out how I am able to drag the shape's callout by dragging the yellow square. You can't do that with a Text Caption.

Adobe Captivate: The callout in a Smart Shape can easily be adjusted.

Because Text Captions are really bitmap images, I'm not able to fully control how the captions look unless I edit the bitmaps using an image editing program. With Smart Shapes, you can control just about every aspect of the way the shape looks by combining options found on the Properties Inspector with Object Styles.

While there is much to love about Smart Shapes, a perceived downside to Smart Shapes is that you can't use them to automatically get captions when recording a Software Simulation. You'll be happy to learn that you can, in fact, use Smart Shapes instead of Text Captions during the recording process.

Display Captivate's Preferences (Windows users, choose Edit > Preferences; Mac users, choose Adobe Captivate > Preferences). Choose a recording mode and, from the Captions area, select Use Smart Shapes instead of Captions.

 Adobe Captivate: Use Smart Shapes instead of Captions.

At that point, you'll be able to select the Smart Shape Type you'd like to use during the recording process.
 
Adobe Captivate: Smart Shape Type.
 
Click the OK button to close the Preferences dialog box and you're done. The next time you record a Software Simulation, the project will automatically contain Smart Shapes instead of Text Captions.

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Looking for instructor-led training on Adobe Captivate? Check out our live, online, instructor-led Captivate classes.
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Adobe Captivate 8: More is More

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

Last week I told you about the great enhancements you'll see in Adobe Captivate 8 when it comes to image buttons. This week, I'm going to show you a few more improvements that I think you'll love.

Sample Projects/Tutorials
 
The first thing you'll see when you start Captivate is the Welcome screen. From this position, you can create a new project, record a software simulation/demonstration, or access recent projects. But take a look in the upper right of the Welcome screen and you'll see an awesome addition: Sample Projects/Tutorials (shown below, it's located in the upper right of the Welcome screen).
 
Adobe Captivate: Sample Projects/Tutorials
 
Granted, the icon to access the projects and tutorials is easy to miss; but once clicked, a dialog box opens and you'll have access to some really nice sample projects. The sample projects are shown first, followed by several tutorials.
 
Adobe Captivate: Sample projects and tutorials 
 
If you have already opened or created a project, you will find a Sample Projects/Tutorials icon via the top of the Captivate window (to the right of the Help menu).
 
Adobe Captivate: Sample Projects/Tutorials
 
However, clicking the icon from here is different than clicking it on the Welcome screen. If you click the icon while in a project, you'll be taken online to Adobe KnowHow, where you'll find some free and pay-for-access training videos.
 
Characters and Agents
 
I love the Characters feature added to Captivate a few years ago, which allows you to insert images/guides within a project. And I was delighted to see that not only did Adobe keep Characters in Captivate 8, they've added quite a few. To add a Character, choose Media > Characters. Select a Category, select a character, and then double-click a pose to insert the character onto a slide.
   
Adobe Captivate: More characters
 
Lastly, check out the Speech Agents (via Audio > Speech Management). Previous versions of Captivate included five Text to Speech Agents. You'll be happy to see that Captivate 8 bumps that number up to seven. New to the team are James and Yumi. I was particularly impressed with how good James sounded… a nice upgrade from Paul (sorry Paul). And Yumi covers you if you need audio for Korean eLearners.
 
Adobe Captivate: More Agents  
 
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Looking for instructor-led training on the top eLearning tools? We offer live, online training on Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, Adobe Presenter, and TechSmith Camtasia Studio. We can also bring the same great training onsite to your facility. Interested? Contact us for details.
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Adobe RoboHelp: Show Variables in Topics

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

In previous articles you've learned about RoboHelp's User Defined Variables (how to create them, group them, and use them in topic titles).

As a brief review, variables can contain information that occurs frequently in your project, such as a product name, company name, or copyright notice. After creating the variable, you can insert it into any RoboHelp topic or onto a template by simply dragging and dropping. Now here's the cool part. Assume your company name now appears throughout your project and now you want to change it. Without the variable, you would have to search your entire project and update the company name. Thanks to variables, all you will need to do is update the definition of the CompanyName variable, and you will change the displayed company name project-wide in just a few seconds.

One issue you'll come across when inserting variables within a topic is that, by default, the variable text looks like regular topic text. In the picture below, I challenge you to locate the variable. 

Adobe RoboHelp: Find the variable text  

Did you find the variable text? I'm betting that the answer is no. So what's the big deal? This can be particularly frustrating if you need to replace regular text with a variable. For example, you can highlight regular text in a topic and convert it to a variable by dragging the variable on top of the text. That's an awesome feature. Before I begin however, I need to be able to tell, at a glance, if the text I'm looking to replace is already a variable. As it stands, I have no idea since I cannot tell the difference between a variable and regular text.

Luckily, RoboHelp has a handy feature that allows you to distinguish between variables and regular text in topics. To enable this feature, simply choose View > Show > Fields.

Adobe RoboHelp: Color coding for Variable Text. 

Voila. All variables in topics are now shown as green text. Best of all, variables only show up green in your project… when you generate a layout, the green color will not be visible to your users.

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Looking for instructor-led training on RoboHelp? We offer live, online training once each month. We can also bring the same great training onsite to your facility. Interested? Contact us for details.