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Document for Creating Captivate Scripts

I've written dozens and dozens of scripts for clients that have been used in Captivate and RoboDemo movies. I usually use a specific document when I create the scripts. A student asked how much I would charge per download if people wanted to buy the document on my site.

I do not believe the document has much value. Instead, it's the content that my client's pay for. So here's a link to a Word document that you can use for free. Mind you, it's not an actual script from any client (that wouldn't be kosher). Instead, feel free to use the document--it may help you on your way to script-writing success.

Captivate Movie Check-Off Sheet

As I travel the country teaching Captivate, I always spend the first 40 minutes going over a check-list students should go through before creating the first movie. I’ve been putting basically the same information up on the board for a few years. Much of the information is taken straight from my Essentials of Macromedia Captivate book. And some of it has evolved as I’ve created movie after movie for my own clients.

Not long ago a student asked me if what I put on the board was written somewhere. I replied that some of it is in the book but that I’d put the list on my BLOG.

As promised, here it is.

Captivate Emails that Automatically Include a Subject and Body

During a recent class, a student asked how an email sent from Captivate could automatically include the subject and body information.

The following was provided by Michael Dunmire from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General who recently attended one of my classes:

When inserting a click box or button that you intend to use for sending an email, you can type the following:

[email protected]?subject=Captivate%20Presentation&body=Body%20goes%20here&[email protected]

Provided your email client supports the tag, the email that is generated would have the following information pre-filled:

To: [email protected]

CC: [email protected]

Subject: Captivate Presentation

Body: Body goes here

Stop the Annoying Information Bar When Viewing WebHelp!

If you are a RoboHelp author and have been testing WebHelp on your local PC via IE 6, you've likely come across the annoying, yellow Information bar that appears at the top of your browser. You know the one, you have to right-click it and allow blocked content before your WebHelp skin will appear. Arghhhhh!

The Information bar will not be a problem if users are viewing your help system via a Web server. However, if the help system is on a local drive instead of a server, the alert appears.

I'd been meaning to post a way to turn off the alert message for some time. I never got around to it until a student recently emailed me the steps as a gentle reminder to post them. Special thanks to Florita Welsh, Instructional Designer at Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P for sending the steps that appear below.

• Choose Tools > Internet Options
• Select the Advanced Advanced
• Scroll down.
• Under the Security category, select Allow active content to run in files on My Computer
• Click OK

From this point forward, when viewing your generated WebHelp, you should be able to see the skins with no problems.