DEVELOPMENT TIP OF THE WEEK: Quickly Hide Desktop Icons

When creating software simulations or video demos using Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, or TechSmith Camtasia, you might find yourself needing to capture an event that includes your desktop. Of course, that begs the question: how clean... or messy is your desktop? Does the image below remind you of a desktop near and dear to your heart?

Look, your desktop is your desktop so clutter away. However, it's not a good idea to include those icons in your eLearning project. Besides being a security risk, nobody really wants to see your icons.   Fortunately, you don't have to clean up your desktop prior to recording your screen. All you need to do is right-click your desktop and choose View > Show desktop icons.

If the icons were there, they are gone. If they were hidden, they're back.   Remember this little gem the next time you're getting ready to click the Record option on your eLearning tool of choice and you'll save yourself a bunch of work de-cluttering.