Bookmarking in Captivate (Classic and New) - Introduction

Intro

One of the new features in Charm (new version 12) release is the possibility to have bookmarks on any content slide. In Captivate Classic you bookmarks are only available on a slide with slide video (to create an interactive video.

What do you expect from a bookmark in its original meaning? Looking this up in multiple dictionaries, two possible meanings appear everywhere:

  1. A strip of leather, cardboard, or other material used to mark one's place in a book. It has a digital version in ebooks as well. In the digital world you'll find this has also become..
  2. A saved shortcut that directs your browser to a specific webpage.

I planned to summarize my experiences with bookmarking fo navigation purposes in one blog post.  However, after weeks of exploring, I realize this would lead to a short booklet instead of a short article, hence the decision to split the content up in multiple articles. Main purpose is to compare and explain the present differences between the new (Charm) version 12 and Classic Captivate.

This introduction will explain the terminology. A Captivate tutorial, demonstrating the terminology is inserted. This tutorial was created in version 11.5.5.553. Explanation of workflows both for New and Classic Captivate will follow in next articles.

Example

You can watch this 8-slide tutorial using this link (to be preferred) for a scalable version, or watch the embedded static version. Please turn on your audio, there is narration. Slide 7 is a long video slide, taken from one of the presentation in an online Adobe conference. Be patient, the Next button if you want to skip appears after 30secs.




Terminology

When you watch the example output below, you'll see that I see two types of bookmarks for navigation: static and dynamic. My choice of adjectives refers to what is used for text fields as well: static text doesn't include variables and when publishing the content is defined and will not be changed on runtime. Dynamic text fields, as you see on the score/results slide in a project with scored objects and/or question slides, need to be rendered on runtime, because they contain variables for which the value will be defined based on actions by the learner.

Static bookmark: is linked to a fixed frame on a fixed slide. Examples: start of an important part in an interactive video. It is a bit similar to what you can have in a Table of Content, but on frame instead of slide level. Have a look at this interactive video, where the menu uses static bookmarks to allow you to access them easily:

Custom Play/Pause button

Static bookmarks can also link to non-video slides, and are not limited to navigation within the same slide. That is valid both for version 12 (New) and Captivate Classic. However, due to the absence of bookmarks in Captivate Classic, you need to use Micro-navigation. If you want an intro to this type of navigation to frames, have a look at:

Intro to Micro-navigation

Dynamic bookmark: the frame for the bookmark can be chosen by the learner, and will allow to return to that frame if wanted. This is the closest digital equivalent to putting a real bookmark in a book after a reading session. The bookmark is created on runtime, reason why I use the adjective "dynamic", referring to the difference between static text and dynamic text. At this moment dynamic bookmarks can only be created in Captivate Classic, not in the New version 12.

Editing Ready-to-go slides (Quick Start Projects) - part 2: Interactions

Intro

Many users wanting to take advantage of the Ready-to-go slides available through the Assets panel in 11.5, are blocked when trying to customize those slides. In a previous article I offered a step-by-step workflow to find texts or images you want to replace by your text or images. That was not so hard, and you learned to use several panels (Timeline, Master Slide, Object States, Library).

For Interactions the situation is more complicated. You will not find a complete 'How-to' in this blog. Some interactions are rather easy to understand and customize, other interactions however need an in-depth knowledge of Advanced actions and variables. Those slides never use Shared actions, which would be easily found in the Project Library. This blog will try to help you identify the components (actions) of the interactions, how to 'read' them and tips for customizing. The workflow will be explained using a Knowledge Check slide from the project 'Alliance'. The interaction can be told to be of intermediate level. Understanding this workflow will allow you to customize easy and intermediate level interactions. For more complicated interactions this may not be sufficient. Maybe find help from someone experienced in Advanced actions.

Step 1: Find Interaction components

On the slide with the Interaction to identify, open the Advanced Interaction panel from the Project menu or with the shortcut key F9. The slide will be selected in that panel and with the default setup you will see all the actions in that slide, and the events to which they are attached. Here is an example:

The selected slide is slide 26, labeled Knowledge Check in the Quick Start Project 'Alliance'. You see in the table that the On Enter slide event has no action attached, the field 'On Success' on the slide line mentions 'No Action'. This means that the interaction is only created using Success events of interactive objects, which you can also find in this panel.

The level below slide level shows all interactive objects and their Success actions (when clicked) in the 'On Success' column. In this case 5 Smartshapes have been defined with the option 'Use as button' and they all trigger an Advanced action. From the labeling of the objects and the actions you can suspect that 4 of those advanced actions are similar (on shapes KC1 - KC4) and one is unique (on the unlabeled Smartshape). When you select one of the lines associated with an interactive object, the object will be selected on the slide. 

Step 2: "Read" actions (components of interaction)

Let us continue with the same slide from the Alliance project. Select the object KC_1. Its Properties panel shows up, switch to the Actions tab. Open the Advanced action 'KnowledgeCheck_Select1' by clicking the Browser icon. It shows a list with 5 lines, which I will label as 'commands':

The first command line 'Assign.... true': gives a value 'true' to a user variable 'sales_knowledgeCheck_correct'. The name of this variable indicates that it needs to be true for a correct answer, 'false' for a wrong answer. You can check this by reading one of the actions on the three other objects (KC_2...KC_4), where you will read that the given value is 'false'. 

The other command lines are used to change states for the objects, to indicate which object has been selected (active). You can find more explanations about multi-state objects in the first part which I mentioned in the intro.

Open now the unique action 'KnowledgeCheck', linked to the unnamed Smartshape_337. In the Timeline you can see that it is the Submit shape button.  In the Advanced Actions dialog box you see that this is 'conditional' (marked in red). In that case "reading' will be easier if you switch to the Preview window, which you do with the arrow button top right, which I marked with a green box:

In the Preview window you see that the state of two multistate objects will be changed depending on the value of the user variable sales_knowledgeCheck_correct. Identifying those multistate objects allow you to edit the states as explained in the first blog.

Step 3: Customizing examples/tips

In the example the first answer is deemed to be correct.  You can move the shape buttons KC1-KC4 around, to put the correct answer in another location. No problem, the interaction will continue to work as expected.

Less answers

You can safely delete one of the wrong answers in this particular use case. That may not be the case for all interactions. Here however the final action (Submit button) is in no way checking or taking into account the number of answers. You only need at least one correct and one wrong answers.

More answers

If you want an extra answer, you'll have to decrease the size of the answer shapes KC1-KC4. For the 5th answer you can duplicate one of the answers with the right-click menu or the shortcut key CTRL-D (Cmnd-D on Mac). Use the Align options (or toolbar) in the right-click menu to put everything in place. The name of the duplicate answer will probably start with KC_ as well, but not necessarily be 'KC_5'. You don't need to edit the name but I did so (Properties panel) just to clarify. That duplicate answer will have the same states as the source answer. You can check using the Object State panel.

It is however necessary:

  1. To edit the existing action for the four older answers, because the state change for the new answer needs to be added.
  2. To create and edit a duplicate advanced action for this new answer.

Editing actions KnowledgeCheck_Select1....

Open one of those actions using the Browser icon in the Actions tab (see Step 2 for a screenshot).

The first command line is fine. The Change State lines set the state for the selected answer to Active, the other answers get state Normal. For all those actions a sixth command is necessary to set the state of the new answer to Normal. Steps for KnowledgeCheck_Select1 are indicated in the screenshot below and you'll find the numbers in the explanation:

  1. Select the last command line
  2. Use the Copy button
  3. Move to the next empty command line
  4. Use the Paste button
  5. Double-click the empty third field and type KC: only the items having KC in their name will appear. Remember: I named the new answer 'KC_5'
  6. Choose 'KC_5'
  7. Click the down arrow in the next field.
  8. Choose the state 'Normal'.
  9. Click the button 'Update action' at the bottom and the action is complete now, including the 5th answer.
  10. To save time editing the three remaining actions, use the Copy button again on the last command line which sets the state to Normal for the last answer KC_5..

Switch to the action KnowledgeCheck_Select2 using the top right dropdown list:

Go immediately to the first empty command line and use Paste (step 4), and save the action (step 9)
Repeat step 10 and do the same for KnowledgeCheck_Select3 and KnowledgeCheck_Select4.
Do not close the Advanced Actions dialog box, you still need a fifth action.

Creation of KnowledgeCheck_Select5

The new action will be created as a duplicate of KnowledgeCheck_Select4. Select that action in the Advanced actions dialog box, follow the steps in the screenshot below

  1. Duplicate the action
  2. Edit the name to KnowledgeCheck_Select5
  3. Set the state of KC_4 to Normal instead of Active
  4. Set the state of KC_5 to Active instead of Normal
  5. Save the action and close the dialog box.

You still need to attach this new action to the answer KC_5 and you are ready for testing:

Tip: if you want to explore the Advanced Actions dialog box, you can read this blog.

More?

This is only one example of customizing a Ready-to-go slide. Some interactions are more complicated in those projects, some are easier. If you are in for a challenge, look for the Flipcard interactions, Glossary interaction or some Click/Reveal interactions. 

Do not hesitate to post questions, comments if you are stuck. If possible I will try to help.

Game: using JavaScript in a Shared action

Intro

Last week I presented at the Adobe eLearning World 2020 “Deep dive into Captivate with Advanced and Shared actions’. I had prepared 3 different scenarios, to be ready for any audience. Due to the poll before the session I decided to go for the ‘newbie’ scenario because the majority was new to Shared actions, and a considerable amount of attendees even to Advanced actions. That means that intermediate and advanced users were perhaps disappointed. To remediate I plan some blogs and examples as illustration. This is the first one.

Javascript and Shared actions

It is possible to have the command ‘Execute Javascript’ embedded in a shared action. When talking about games, randomization is mostly used but not a ready-to-go feature in Captivate. In the session I showed a very simple board game where the tossing of a dice is simulated, and the board cursor advances based on the result of the dice toss. That was realized with one shared action.

This game uses random numbers as well. It is a memory game which can be used in many variations due to the flexibility of shared actions, variables and multistate objects.

Game

You will learn about the game rules in the game. There is an easy and a more complicated way to play the 3 games. Hope you don’t keep only the easy one if you are in for some memory training:

Play with the rescalable version using this link or with the embedded (fixed resolution) version:

Have fun!


Who is afraid of ... Shared Actions - Crash course Introduction

For any Captivate user, new, intermediate or advanced.

Even if you are very new to Captivate, continue reading!

Contrary to Advanced Actions and JavaScript, Shared actions can be USED without needing to write out or edit scripts, nor to create variables. You don't need to be able to assemble an engine for your car to be able to drive, isn't it? What do you need?

  1. One or more shared actions created by a friend/colleague who is more advanced with Captivate
  2. To understand what a  'parameter' is (new term in your personal Captivate glossary)
  3. To learn how to add shared actions to your project, slides and interactive objects. Description and name of the shared action will help you (contrary to advanced actions).
  4. To choose the parameter values based on their descriptions. Automatic filtering by Captivate is a big help.

You read the introduction to a short ourse for adventurous newbies, including:

  1. A demo project with 4 useful interactions. All interactions can be realized using shared actions without having to create variables nor scripts.
  2. Explanation of the term 'parameter'

The course for newbies has TWO lessons. Each lesson comes in two 'flavors' to adapt to your taste:

  • Short video
  • Step-by-step text

To facilitate your learning/understanding, you'll get a start project  to practice the workflow.  You will also be able to use your personal project for the second lesson.  Both lessons are about one of the 4 interactions in the Demo project (see below). Depending on the 'welcome' by the community, may repeat this workflow for the other interactions or even for a game like  MatchStick game

Demo project

Watch this project, which includes 4 typical interactions:
  • Dashboard interaction (menu going to 4 chapters)
  • Slideshow
  • Click/Reveal
  • Toggle buttons

I used design elements from the new Quick Start Project ‘Diverse’. You can open the demo project using this link:

UsingSharedActions

Or watch it below  (fixed resolution):



What is a Parameter (in shared actions)?

This is my definition: a parameter is an ‘item’  replaceable by another item when you (re)use the shared action either in the same or in another project. That ‘item’ doesn’t always have a fixed type! It depends on the used command. Look at a some examples for clarification:
  1. Command Jump to slide: needs one parameter which is the slide. It is clear that you cannot change to another type of item than a slide.
  2. Command Change State of…: needs two parameters, first is the multistate object, second is the state you want to show. The first parameter has to be a multistate object of any type: shape, caption, button (for custom states), image, video, animation… Second parameter needs to be a state of that multistate object.
  3. Commands Hide/Show: need one parameter. Anything that can be shown or hidden is possible: shape, caption, button (for custom states), image, video. But also groups are possible! Look at the practice session below to see how this extends shared action functionality beyond what you are used to.

You may skip the explanation about the two types of parameters and go directly to the first lesson if you don’t like definition texts. Knowing the differences between parameters is not so important in this crash course, . BTW: the terms ‘compulsory’ and ‘candidate’ are just my personal choice, not official terms.

Compulsory parameters

All the items mentioned in the previous examples are compulsory: you will always have to choose them in any shared action.  Even though some will be the same in all instances of that shared action.

Candidate parameters

You probably know the command ‘Assign’ to store a value in a user variable or a system variable of the category ‘Movie Control’. A variable when used in a shared action can be a parameter, but it is not compulsory. If it is not a parameter, here is a rather unknown secret: importing the shared action in a new project will automatically create that variable, with the same name, description and value as designed originally. 
In some circumstances it is necessary to define the variable as parameter. You will see an example in the practice session for the toggle action.

In a conditional action you can have another candidate parameter, the ‘literal‘. Example: you want to limit a number of attempts by the learner to a maximum of 5. If you want to be able to edit that maximum number, you could define the literal as a parameter. This can be a bit tricky, but is beyond the scope of this basic blog.