Cleaning up background images in version 3

[DennisTheTrainer]

Hi All:

I have been struggleing with a file size issue. After full motion recording about 30 screens, I have decided to only use 5 or them, however, the .cp filesize clearly does not remove the unused backgrounds.

Does anyone know how I can remove the unused backgrounds from the project?

[Captiv8r]

Hi Dennis

Is your CP file size too large and is causing problems? If it's not causing problems, note that if you only have five slides in actual use, that is all that will be in the output and its size will be dramatically different than the CP file size.

The only sure fire way I'm aware of to reduce file size for the CP file is to create a totally new, blank project sized identically to the one that is too large. Do this in a new and second instance of Captivate. Then select the five slides in the old project and paste them into the new.

Cheers... Rick

[DennisTheTrainer]

Thanks Rick:
I have been making a second one to illiminate the extra screens, but I have 100's of Captivates to do and see this as becomming very time consuming.

To answer your first question, no the published files do not include the extra screens, however, I am sharing the .cp files on a webserver for group work and was hoping to find a "built in" method of cleaning the .cp file of unused library items to reduce the size.

Thanks for the advice,
Dennis

[RoboWizard]

Hi again Dennis

When you say: ...however, I am sharing the .cp files on a webserver for group work... I'm a bit confused. Do you mean by this that various group members will actually open and work on the Captivate projects while they remain on the server?

Your mention of "web server" would seem to imply that the medium is read only. But one never knows.

What you need to be acutely aware of is that Captivate doesn't much like working with files while they are on a server. And bad things will often result if you choose to work that way. It's fine to keep files there as a backup plan, but when you are editing, you always want to be editing while the file is on the local C drive.

Cheers... Rick

[DennisTheTrainer]

Hi Rick:

Sorry about my delay in getting back to this.

I have found the solution to cleaning up unused objects (not just backgrounds).  By the time i got back here, Lyonlover had also posted the correct solution.

The correct solution is to Select View->Library, at teh top of the library panel you have the Select unused and Garbage icons, however, you normally have to Drag the Library window larger to see them (hidden by default).

Once this is completed, the file size is realistic given the amount of interactions embedded.

As for the web server, I should have clarified "The SharePoint server" using the Checkout and Checkin tracking.

Best Regards,

Dennis

[Guest · Accepted solution]

Hi Dennis,
There is a built in way to remove unused items from the library. Although it doesn't always work for everyone.

Click View>Library

Just above the list of library items is a Select Unused items icon that looks kinda like a sideways padlock. Click it and it will highlight all unused library items, then click the trashcan icon to delete them.

After doing that, do a Save As on the file. This works for me to reduce .cp file size most of the time.

HTH,
Peter