If you are an instructional designer or technical writer, you have no doubt spent time attempting to perfect the art of teaching programs using fewer and fewer words. If you are in the business of educating, you know how difficult this job can be.
These days, interactive lessons that can be viewed over the Internet or from a mobile device are all the rage. There are many programs that can be used to capture a computer's screen, mouse action and audio. Unfortunately, the resulting movies can be huge--a five minute lesson could easily gobble up nearly 100mb of storage space on a hard drive. Downloading a file that large will take a lot of time, even if a user has a fast Internet connection. Large file sizes are just part of the problem. The movies may not be cross-platform (they may not work on both Macs and PCs). Interactivity is a feature most of the "mouse capture" applications do not support. And there are few of these programs that allow images to be imported.
In short, the technology for creating interactive lessons WAS bad. But not anymore. Using Adobe Captivate 6, you can capture screen shots on your computer and quickly turn them into lessons (movies). The movies you create can be interactive--you can add images, captions, rollovers, clickable areas, typing areas and sound effects.
Note: There is an Errata Page for this workbook due to updates in the Captivate 5 software. Click here to download.
This book includes the following eLearning and Adobe Captivate 5 concepts:
eLearning and Captivate
In this module you will learn about
- Education Through Pictures, page 2
- Planning eLearning Projects, page 4
- The Captivate Environment, page 7
- Workspaces, page 10
- Previewing, page 18
- Blank Projects, page 20
and you will learn to
- Explore a Finished Captivate Project, page 7
- Explore the Default Workspaces, page 10
- Modify and Reset a Workspace, page 12
- Create a Workspace, page 14
- Zoom and Magnify, page 16
- Navigate a Project, page 17
- Preview a Project, page 18
- Create a New, Blank Project, page 20
- Insert Standard Objects onto Slides, page 25
Recording Demos and Sims
In this module you will learn about
- Resolution and Recording Size, page 28
- The Development Process, page 29
- Preparing to Record, page 31
- Access for Assistive Devices, page 37
- Multi-Mode Recording, page 38
- Custom Recordings, page 48
and you will learn to
- Rehearse a Script, page 33
- Review Recording Settings, page 34
- Enable Access for Assistive Devices, page 37
- Review Default Recording Mode Settings, page 38
- Record Using Multiple Modes, page 42
- Record a Custom Simulation, page 49
Captions, Styles and Timing
In this module you will learn about
- Text Captions, page 54
- Caption Styles, page 61
- Callout Types, page 64
- The Timeline, page 65
and you will learn to
- Insert, Resize and Move Text Captions, page 54
- Modify Text Caption Properties, page 57
- Edit the Default Caption Style, page 61
- Change a Callout Type Used by a Text Caption, page 64
- Control Slide Timing, page 65
- Control Slide Object Timing, page 67
- Check Spelling, page 69
- Align Slide Objects, page 71
Images and Drawing Objects
In this module you will learn about
- Images, page 74
- The Library, page 80
- Image Editing, page 83
- Smart Shapes, page 87
- Image Slideshows, page 91
and you will learn to
- Insert, Resize and Restore an Image, page 74
- Transform an Image’s Size and Position, page 76
- Use the Library, page 80
- Manage Unused Project Assets, page 82
- Crop and Rename an Image, page 83
- Remove a Background Color, page 85
- Insert a CloudCallout, page 87
- Create an Image Slideshow, page 91
Pointers, Buttons and Highlight Boxes
In this module you will learn about
- Mouse Effects, page 94
- Pointer Paths and Types, page 96
- Buttons, page 99
- Highlight Boxes, page 105
and you will learn to
- Add a Visual Click and Sound, page 94
- Modify the Mouse Pointer, page 96
- Insert and Format a Text Button, page 99
- Set a Button’s Pause After Timing, page 102
- Work With Image Buttons, page 103
- Insert and Format a Highlight Box, page 105
Rollovers and Zoom Areas
In this module you will learn about
- Rollover Captions, page 110
- Rollover Images, page 114
- Zoom Areas, page 115
- Rollover Slidelets, page 118
and you will learn to
- Insert a Rollover Caption, page 110
- Insert a Rollover Image, page 114
- Insert a Zoom Area, page 115
- Insert a Rollover Slidelet, page 118
Audio
In this module you will learn about
- Object Audio, page 122
- Slide Notes, page 126
- Recording Audio, page 127
- Slide Audio, page 131
- Silence, page 136
- Text-to-Speech, page 138
and you will learn to
- Import Audio onto a Slide Object, page 122
- Import Background Audio, page 124
- Add a Slide Note, page 126
- Calibrate a Microphone, page 127
- Record Slide Audio, page 129
- Import a Voiceover onto a Slide, page 131
- Edit an Audio File, page 133
- Insert Silence, page 136
- Convert Text-to-Speech, page 138
Video, Animation and Effects
In this module you will learn about
- Video, page 142
- Animation, page 146
- Text Animation, page 148
- Object Effects, page 150
and you will learn to
- Insert a Flash Video, page 142
- Set Flash Video Properties, page 143
- Add Animation to a slide, page 146
- Insert Text Animation, page 148
- Apply an Effect to a Slide Object, page 150
- Apply a Glow Filter Effect, page 151
- Modify Effect Properties, page 152
- Save and Import Effects, page 153
Converting Demonstrations Into Simulations
In this module you will learn about
- Demonstrations versus Simulations, page 156
- Find and Replace, page 157
- Click Boxes, page 159
- Text Entry Boxes, page 163
and you will learn to
- Hide the Mouse, page 156
- Replace Phrases, page 157
- Insert a Click Box, page 159
- Insert a Text Entry Box, page 163
Working With PowerPoint
In this module you will learn about
- PowerPoint as a Starting Point, page 168
- PowerPoint Collaboration, page 175
- Rescaling Projects, page 177
and you will learn to
- Import PowerPoint slides, page 168
- Resize One Object and Apply to All, page 172
- Round-Trip PowerPoint Edits, page 173
- Synch With Source, page 175
- Rescale a Project, page 177
Introduction to Question Slides
In this module you will learn about
- Quiz Setup, page 180
- Creating a Quiz, page 184
and you will learn to
- Edit Quizzing Object Styles, page 180
- Set the Quiz Preferences, page 181
- Insert Question slides, page 184
- Format a Question slide, page 185
- Add an Image to a Question slide, page 187
Publishing
In this module you will learn about
- URL Actions, page 192
- Skins, page 195
- Preloaders, page 202
- Publishing, page 205
- Round Tripping, page 214
and you will learn to
- Create a Link to a Web Site, page 192
- Apply a Skin, page 195
- Edit, Save and Delete a Skin, page 196
- Create a TOC, page 199
- Check Publish Settings and Add a Loading Screen, page 202
- Publish a SWF and PDF, page 205
- Run the HTML5 Tracker, page 209
- Publish as HTML5, page 210
- Export Captions, page 214
- Perform a “Round Trip,” page 216
More Recording Modes
In this module you will learn about
- Recording Video Demos, page 220
- Recording Outside the Box, page 224
- Recording Manually, page 227
and you will learn to
- Create a Video Demo, page 220
- Record a Demonstration that Pans, page 224
- Record the Screen Using Manual Mode, page 227
Kevin Siegel is the founder and president of IconLogic, Inc. He has written more than 100 step-by-step computer training books including: Essentials of Adobe Captivate 6, Essentials of Adobe Captivate 5, Essentials of Adobe Captivate 4, Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3, Essentials of Macromedia Captivate, Essentials of RoboDemo 5, Essentials of RoboDemo 4, Essentials of RoboDemo 3, Essentials of Adobe Dreamweaver CS3, Essentials of QuarkXPress 7, Accelerated QuarkXPress 6, Essentials of Adobe InDesign CS3, Essentials of Adobe PageMaker 7 and Essentials of Adobe RoboHelp 8 and many more.
Kevin spent five years in the U.S. Coast Guard as an award-winning photojournalist and has more than 24 years experience as a print publisher and technical writer. He is a certified technical trainer, has been a classroom instructor for more than 18 years and is a frequent speaker at trade shows and conventions.
Kevin has been recognized by Adobe Systems, Inc., as one of the Top Five Most Highly-Rated Adobe Certified Instructors Worldwide.
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