by Lori Smith
If you're using Adobe Captivate 5 there's a handy dandy SlideNumbering widget that lets you put the slide count on any/all of your project slides using the format you like (e.g. slide x of y, this is page x, etc).
What's that you say, you're still using Adobe Captivate 4? Sorry, but the SlideNumbering widget uses AS3 and is only for use Adobe Captivate 5. Bummed out? Read on and I'll explain how to use the SlideNumbering widget in Captivate 5, and how Captivate 4 developers can join in on the fun.
For Captivate 5 developers, the process is simple. Choose Insert > Widget and open the SlideNumbering widget. Fill out the Widget's Properties to your liking.
For instance, if you selected Page X of Y from the Formatting Style drop-down menu, and typed This is page into the X field and of a total count of into the Y field, the results would read This is page 4 of a total count of 27 when you previewed. Nice!
Now for Captivate 4 developers... believe it or not, your solution is not too painful considering there isn't a widget. All you have to do is use a couple of variables! (You can type them or insert them.)
Insert a text caption on a slide and type the following:
Slide $$cpInfoCurrentSlide$$ of $$rdinfoSlideCount$$
That's it! Customize the text any way you like such as:
This is page $$cpInfoCurrentSlide$$ of a total count of $$rdinfoSlideCount$$.
For either Captivate 4 or Captivate 5 developers, place the slide counting object on Slide 1. Set the Properties of the object to Show for Rest of Project. This way, the slide count will appear on every slide.
Note: Ensure you name your slide objects. Anyone who has taken my Advanced Actions class knows what a stickler I am about object naming. Use an informative name such as SlideCountWidget or SlideCountTCaption so you can easily find the objects when looking for them in a list.
One last thing: If you don't want the slide count on a particular slide (such as a quiz slide), you can simply hide/show the object on a slide entrance. Good thing you named them using common sense names!
What's that you say, you're still using Adobe Captivate 4? Sorry, but the SlideNumbering widget uses AS3 and is only for use Adobe Captivate 5. Bummed out? Read on and I'll explain how to use the SlideNumbering widget in Captivate 5, and how Captivate 4 developers can join in on the fun.
For Captivate 5 developers, the process is simple. Choose Insert > Widget and open the SlideNumbering widget. Fill out the Widget's Properties to your liking.
For instance, if you selected Page X of Y from the Formatting Style drop-down menu, and typed This is page into the X field and of a total count of into the Y field, the results would read This is page 4 of a total count of 27 when you previewed. Nice!
Now for Captivate 4 developers... believe it or not, your solution is not too painful considering there isn't a widget. All you have to do is use a couple of variables! (You can type them or insert them.)
Insert a text caption on a slide and type the following:
Slide $$cpInfoCurrentSlide$$ of $$rdinfoSlideCount$$
That's it! Customize the text any way you like such as:
This is page $$cpInfoCurrentSlide$$ of a total count of $$rdinfoSlideCount$$.
For either Captivate 4 or Captivate 5 developers, place the slide counting object on Slide 1. Set the Properties of the object to Show for Rest of Project. This way, the slide count will appear on every slide.
Note: Ensure you name your slide objects. Anyone who has taken my Advanced Actions class knows what a stickler I am about object naming. Use an informative name such as SlideCountWidget or SlideCountTCaption so you can easily find the objects when looking for them in a list.
One last thing: If you don't want the slide count on a particular slide (such as a quiz slide), you can simply hide/show the object on a slide entrance. Good thing you named them using common sense names!
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About the Author: Lori Smith is IconLogic's lead programmer and Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) in Adobe Captivate. Lori has a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from MIT as well as a Master's in electrical engineering from George Mason University. She has been working in the field of software engineering for more than 20 years. Lori will be teaching our Adobe Captivate 4: Advanced Actions online, instructor-led class. Click here for details.
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Looking to learn Captivate? We have a couple of options... we still offer two online classes for Captivate 4, Beginner and Advanced. Click here for details on the Beginner class. Click here for details on the Advanced class. We also have a 3-hour class devoted to Advanced Actions. Click here to learn more about that class. Lastly, we've got classes for the new Captivate 5. We are currently offering a Captivate 5 Essentials class (the Advanced class is under development).
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kevin_siegel
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Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kevin_siegel
Hello Friend,
I really need this widget "SlideNumbering". Can you tell me where to download it?
thanks
Posted by: Mike | May 31, 2011 at 01:21 PM
The SlideNumbering widget comes with Captivate 5. Just right click, Insert->Widget and choose it. Ensure that your directory is set to Adobe->Adobe Captivate 5->Gallery->Widgets.
Posted by: Lori Smith | June 02, 2011 at 08:13 AM
Hello
This widget is just what I've been looking for to help make my training 508 compliant! Thanks. Is there any way to make the highlight transparent? I have a gradient background on my slides.
Thanks,
Birgit
Posted by: Birgit Schulz | June 20, 2011 at 01:45 PM
The widget as delivered does not allow for a transparent background. You can make the whole widget semi-transparent using the Alpha on the properties panel, but that will affect the page numbers as well. You can put in a request to Adobe via the forums. Sometimes they update the widgets in between releases.
Posted by: Lori Smith | June 20, 2011 at 04:25 PM
Modifying the Alpha really helped.
Thanks, Lori!
Birgit
Posted by: Birgit Schulz | June 21, 2011 at 11:27 AM
When I hide the widget on one slide using the action you supplied above, the widget then does not appear on subsequent slides or when I navigate to previous slides.
Posted by: J Jordan | April 12, 2012 at 01:37 PM
Correct J Jordan. Once hidden, an object will remain hidden until it is shown again. When you want the object to be visible to the learner again, just use the "Show" command.
Posted by: Lori Smith | April 13, 2012 at 03:34 PM