Adobe Captivate: The Essentials

Audience:

This class is ideal for those who create and work with software demonstrations and simulations.

Prerequisites:

Before taking this course, students should be familiar with the Microsoft Windows operating system, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and basic computer terminologies.

Description:

You will learn the core Adobe Captivate skills needed to create interactive eLearning and mLearning content. In this course, you will learn how to record and produce software demonstrations, interactive training simulations, and soft skills training. You'll learn how to control the mouse pointer and add such standard objects as text captions, images, and highlight boxes. You'll learn to record, import and edit audio, and further enhance the learner experience by adding interactivity via click boxes, buttons and text entry boxes. You'll learn to leverage and enrich existing Microsoft PowerPoint presentations by importing and linking into new or existing Captivate projects. Finally, you'll learn to publish your project in SWF and HTML5 formats so that your content can be uploaded to a web server for consumption on virtually any device, including the iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices.

Outline:

Lesson 1: Exploring Captivate

The Captivate Environment

• Topic A: Explore a Finished Captivate Project

Workspaces

• Topic A: Explore the Default Workspaces
• Topic B: Modify and Reset a Workspace
• Topic C: Create a Workspace
• Topic D: Zoom and Magnify
• Topic E: Navigate a Project

Previewing

• Topic A: Preview a Project

Blank Projects

• Topic A: Create a New, Blank Project
• Topic B: Insert Standard Objects onto Slides
• Lesson 2: Recording Screen Actions

Resolution and Recording Size

The Development Process

Preparing to Record

• Topic A: Rehearse a Script
• Topic B: Review Recording Settings

Access for Assistive Devices

• Topic A: Enable Access for Assistive Devices

Multimode Recording

• Topic A: Review Default Recording Mode Settings
• Topic B: Record Using Multiple Modes

Custom Recordings

• Topic A: Record a Custom Simulation

Panning

• Topic A: Record a Demonstration that Pans

Manual Recording

• Topic A: Record the Screen Manually

Lesson 3: Captions, Styles and Timing

Text Captions

• Topic A: Insert, Resize and Move Text Captions
• Topic B: Modify Text Caption Properties

Caption Styles

• Topic A: Edit the Default Caption Style

Callouts

• Topic A: Change a Callout Used by a Text Caption

The Timeline

• Topic A: Control Slide Timing
• Topic B: Control Slide
• Topic C: Check Spelling
• Topic D: Align Slide Objects

Lesson 4: Images and Smart Shapes

Images

• Topic A: Insert, Resize and Restore an Image
• Topic B: Transform an Image

The Library

• Topic A: Use the Library
• Topic B: Manage Unused Project Assets

Image Editing

• Topic A: Crop and Rename an Image
• Topic B: Remove a Background Color

Smart Shapes

• Topic A: Insert a Cloud Callout

Image Slideshows

• Topic A: Create an Image Slideshow

Lesson 5: Pointers, Buttons and Highlight Boxes

Mouse Effects

• Topic A: Add a Visual Click and Sound

Pointer Paths and Types

• Topic A: Modify the Mouse Pointer

Buttons

• Topic A: Insert and Format a Text Button
• Topic B: Set a Button’s Pause after Timing
• Topic C: Word with Image Buttons

Highlight Boxes

• Topic A: Insert and Format a Highlight Box

Lesson 6: Rollovers, Zoom Areas and Slidelets

Rollover Captions

• Topic A: Insert a Rollover Caption

Rollover Images

• Topic A: Insert a Rollover Image

Zoom Areas

• Topic A: Insert a Zoom Area

Rollover Slidelets

• Topic A: Insert a Rollover Slidelet

Lesson 7: Audio

Object Audio

• Topic A: Import Audio onto a Slide Object
• Topic B: Import Background Audio

Slide Notes

• Topic A: Add a Slide Note

Recording Audio

• Topic A: Calibrate a Microphone
• Topic B: Record Slide Audio

Slide Audio

• Topic A: Import Audio onto a Slide
• Topic B: Edit an Audio File

Silence

• Topic A: Insert Silence

Text-to-Speech

• Topic A: Convert Text-to-Speech

Lesson 8: Video, Animation and Effects

Video

• Topic A: Insert a Flash Video
• Topic B: Set Flash Video Properties

Animation

• Topic A: Add Animation to a Slide

Text Animation

• Topic A: Insert Text Animation

Object Effects

• Topic A: Apply an Effect to a Slide Object
• Topic B: Apply a Glow Filter Effect
• Topic C: Modify Effect Properties
• Topic D: Save and Import Effects

Lesson 9: Click and Text Entry Boxes

Demonstrations versus Simulations

• Topic A: Hide the Mouse

Find and Replace

• Topic A: Replace Phrases

Click Boxes

• Topic A: Insert a Click Box

Text Entry Boxes

• Topic A: Insert a Text Entry Box

Lesson 10: Working with PowerPoint

PowerPoint as a Starting Point

• Topic A: Import PowerPoint Slides
• Topic B: Resize One Object and Apply to All
• Topic C: Round-Trip PowerPoint Edits

PowerPoint Collaboration

• Topic A: Synch with Source

Rescaling Projects

• Topic A: Rescale a Project

Lesson 11: Introduction to Question Slides

Quiz Setup

• Topic A: Edit Quizzing Object Styles
• Topic B: Set the Quiz Preferences
• Topic C: Apply a Theme
• Topic D: Hide a Slide Image

Creating a Quiz

• Topic A: Insert Question Slides
• Topic B: Edit a Question Slide

Lesson 12: Finishing Touches

URL Actions

• Topic A: Create a Link to a Website

Skins

• Topic A: Apply a Skin
• Topic B: Edit, Save and Delete a Skin

Table of Contents

• Topic A: Create a TOC

Preloaders

• Topic A: Check Publish Settings & Add a Loading Screen

Publishing

• Topic A: Publish a SWF and PDF
• Topic B: Run the HTML5 Tracker
• Topic C: Publish as HTML5

Round Tripping

• Topic A: Export Captions
• Topic B: Perform a “Round Trip”