Importing PowerPoint Templates and saving as Master Slides in Captivate 2019

[rafaelm28]

Hi! I'm very new to Captivate and would like to know if I can import my pptx template into Captivate 2019 as Master Slides and then save for future projects?

Raf

[Lilybiri · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the Captivate world, Raf.

I'll try to explain why the answer is negative and offer you a link to a blog post as well. Templates in PPT (which is a presentation, not an eLearning tool) have a lot less functionality than the THEMES in Captivate. Master slides in Captivate are indeed included in a theme, but that is only one component. Master slides in Captivate can contain interactive objects with attached actions. Some master slides are needed in any Captivate theme: that is the case for the Blank master slide (which is used for software simulations and PPT import - a workflow you better never use), and 5 master slides with InBuilt functionality for the quizzes. Look at the Blank theme (if you are on CP2017 or earlier) which has only that set of master slides.

Moreover if you ever want to create a responsive project in Captivate you need a responsive theme. PPT is NOT responsive at alll.

Create your themes from scratch in Captivate, at least you'll have a lot more functionality. Have a look at this blog post:

What's in a Theme - a Template? - Captivate blog

Challenges for Starters - Captivate blog

[rafaelm28]

outstanding and detail answer!!! Thank you.

can you elaborate on why not to follow import PowerPoint workflow?

cheers!!!

[Lilybiri]

Basically the PPT slides would be converted to 'movie' slides which mimick the animation behavior of the PPT as closely as possible. However, since you will not have timelines for the individual objects, you will not be able to do a lot with those slides.

As I wrote: to me a presentation tool like Powerpoint is very different from an eLearning tool like Captivate. A presentation is meant to be 'presented' by a presentator, and helps to emphasize his presentation, at least if it is a good presentation (which is rarely the case).

An eLearning authoring tool is meant to create an eLearning course, which will be 'consumed' by learners in an individual and personalized way. To me that is such a different goal.

Because I am a big Captivate fan, I will use Captivate for presentations, because it has everything I need for a presentation and it will be much easier for me to convert it later on to self-controlled presentation to offer to the attendees. That is much more than 'handouts', because it will have some of the interactivity and control that you'll find in a good eLearning course.  You could have a look at some of my published presentations. Just fear that this would take time to be approved (links), so will post them in  another answer.

Sorry, forgot that you posted directly in the forums, not in the portal. Here I am whitelisted. Some examples of presentations I gave with a Captivate file, but then converted to a self-controlled published movie:

Captivate's Timeline

Shared Actions

If you want to create good eLearning and need to start from a PPT, please unzip the PPT (it is ireally a zipped folder). Take out all the assets and import them in the Library of a new Captivate project (responsive or not). Create the course from scratch, eventually by customizing first a theme, and using the assets in the Library. It may look to be more work, but it will prevent a lot of frustrations later on.

[rafaelm28]

Thanks so much !!!!

raf

[nielsv28596894]

Just testing Captivate as an alternative to Storyline. The lack of ppt support is disappointing. In Storyline I can import a ppt file and will get editable text boxes and shapes. I can then even save these as a template that gives me the option to chose from the ppt slides as possible layouts for a new slide. As far as I can see, if I want to use a ppt layout I got from another source, the only option is for me to manually recreate it in Captivate.

I couldn't see any options for importing InDesign files either.

This would mean a massive extra amount of work when creating courses. So far, not impressed I have to say...

[Lilybiri]

If it is a priority to have good PPT import to create eLearning xourses, please stay with StoryLine.  It also happens that people buy a car because they like the color, but do not look at the other features.

If you need fully responsive project, VR projects, interactive video, reusability with internal and external Libraries, advanced/shared actions, powerful themes, roundtripping with Photoshop, Audition, Illustrator, the possibility to create aaps with Phonegap you may have a look at the other features of Captivate. Just a personal opinion, have explored and compared Lectora, SL and CP, and never regretted the choice for Captivate. But priorities are prioirites, yours may be totally different.

I don't understand what you mean by importing ID files? Do you mean Id files with their limited interactivity, or files meant for print? I know ID quite well, am an ACP.

[nielsv28596894]

LOL... If you don't like the product as it comes, please use another one... Why not make Captivate better than it is now? There's no need to get defensive really. I am just a bit disappointed, because I am using Adobe products for 20 years now, and Captivate doesn't seem to be on the same standard as other products. I remember when InDesign came out in it's 2nd iteration and was just so much better than Quark. So when I got InDesign for testing the first time, 2 years ago, I expected it to be far better than Storyline. But apart from the fluid boxes, I wasn't impressed at all. So my hopes were high with the new version once again. But, how can I say this, Captivate doesn't feel like it's a part of the Adobe family at all. Then again, I am just starting to test it and play with it. I kinda want to love it, but it doesn't allow me yet...

What I mean about InDesign, the same as with ppt, is to import the elements and styles of another file to use as a template. This would safe tons of time, not having to recreate elements from scratch for every single slide within Captiavate, where your tools and options are more limited compared to other Adobe products. I have a few templates within ppt that I need to use for elearning. With Storyline I can simply import a ppt, and have the 60 slides with each element being fully accessible and editable. I can then save that as a Storyline template and whenever I add a new slide, I can choose from those 60 template slides. Practical, time saving.

[Lilybiri]

It was more the teacher in me than the Captivate fan who was speaking. I try to use the right tool for the right purpose. That is the reason why I do not care for PPT import in Captivate, which is indeed much better in SL.  I have used both Indesign and Framemaker a lot. But I would never use InDesign for a written course, Framemaker is a lot better for that purpose. I have used presentation tools (Harvard Graphics, Freelance Graphics, both kille by less poswerful PPT) even before PPT was releasesd.... for presentations, not for eLearning. I will not use Photoshop for vector images, but Illustrator.

A theme in Captivate has so much more than a theme in PPT. SL has nothing compared with that, just like they don't even have a Library, nor project library nor common libraries. I would love having access to CC libraries in Captivate (it is so in Captivate Draft).

SL is essentially based on PPT, with all the consequences which you may not yet see.

What I dislike in Captivate is the UI, I wished we got back to the Adobe branded interface. It is at this moment bit chaotic.

There are too many options, features in Captivate. Like a swiss knife, on top of its core feature (interactions for eLearning) it has features from Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Framemaker, Audition, Dreamweaver, Muse. None of those have all the possibilities of the original applications, just like the scissors or screwdriver on your swiss knife will not be as powerful as professional alternatives. ,I totally  agree, that  Importing PPT slides is a weak feature. That is why i said keep with a PPT addin if you are convinced that PPT will remain the starting point of your courses. Or keep to SL.

[nielsv28596894]

"SL is essentially based on PPT, with all the consequences which you may not yet see."

That's a very good point and explains why the functionality is so different. Right now, my team is using Storyline for 5 years now, and the great thing about SL is, anybody can learn it in a day. But we might have the possibility to offer learning on mobile in the future, so Captivate is interesting for responsive design for us. I'll have to play more with it though and I kinda have the feeling that there's a lot more capability that I haven't explored yet and that might be a game changer for us.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

PS: if you could tell me a one handed (or one hand plus mouse) short cut to zoom in Captivate I'd be forever grateful.

[Lilybiri]

Thanks for this answer!

Only one shortcut? Try CTRL-+ to zoom in, CTRl- to zoom out (same as in other Adobe applicatins)

I use a lot CTRL-0 for Best Fit, CTRL-1 for 100%,  CTRL-2 for 200%, CTRL-4 for 400%.

The good with those shortcuts is that they work on any keyboard (not the case with all Adobe shortcuts in other apps). I am on a Belgian AZERTY keybarod, where numbers normall need SHIFT key, but not for the shortcuts, nor for the + (which normally also in capital position).

Have a look at my website lilybiri dot com) and my blog. This one may be interesting:

Challenges for Starters - Captivate blog

I wrote a lot about themes as well, just busy writing blog about branding in 11.5 when using QSP slides. to fit in a company theme.