Not quite getting it. How do i record a lesson?

[NetSupport_Inc]

I've recorded a shot tutorial but when I preview it, it only plays about the first 10 seconds and then stops. I have to click to get to the next frame and then from then on, all the audio that I recorded with it doesnt play. It does this also after I publish it. What am I doing wrong?

I want to record about a 3 minute lesson with audo and then publish it.

[Captiv8r]

Hi NetSupport Inc and welcome to our community

Sounds like you recorded in simulation mode and not Demonstration. If you click Options > Recording Options... and look at the Recording Options tab, look at the Recording mode field. This is where you choose what mode you record in. If the mode is any form of simulation, Captivate adds something called a Click Box object where you click the mouse. This is because you are trying to simulate what is going on. So your user would have to click where you clicked to make the simulation progress.

Cheers... Rick

[NetSupport_Inc]

Ok, that was it. Awesome!!!

However, when I play it back there are a few wierd things that happen. Im sure its just some configuration somewhere.

1) Sometimes it isnt getting my mouse motion and I either dont see the mouse moving or there is a black box that moves where the arrow should be.

2) When I went to open up a program from the start menu, It didnt record some of the menus coming up. Also when the machine opened up the program that I opened, it recorded just a blank square on the screen of where the app was. Any idea on whats doing that?

[Captiv8r]

Hi again

Interesting stuff you are seeing. My knee jerk reaction prompts me to ask if you are certain your PC is up to specs.

Then you have the way other applications use the hardware and operating system. For example, Captivate normally relies on clicks to determine changes and when to snag a screen capture. If you have menus that fly out when hovered, for example, Captivate regularly ignores these. But you can press the Print Screen key to force captures to happen, even if you are auto-recording.

As for the black areas, have you ensured you are working from a clean boot up and perhaps only the application you are documenting and Captivate are the only two players on the field?

Just some thoughts... Rick

[NetSupport_Inc]

I know what it is. I'm remoting into the compter that Im recording. So, thats got to be what it is. Heres the problem. The machine that I need to record how to do this on doesnt have captivate and my machine doesnt have the program that I need to record the lesson on.

Ill work that out. Thanks for the help

[NetSupport_Inc]

One last question. When I publish it, what options (output options) should I choose? Html, zip files, autorun for cd

[Captiv8r]

Hi again

The options depend on how you intend to use the file. If you are placing it on a server, you probably definitely want the Export HTML option. This gives you an HTML page in addition to other files that you place on the server and link to. If you are burning to CD-ROM, you probably want the Standalone (EXE) format and autorun turned on.

Give me an idea of how you intend to use the output and I can be more specific about the options you might consider and why.

Cheers... Rick

[NetSupport_Inc]

They are going to be links on our website in the training page where people can click on them and it will load the short tutorial.

[Captiv8r]

Hi again

Then I would probably Publish as Flash (SWF). I would also leave the Export HTML selected. If you do nothing else, you will normally end up with four files to push to your server.

* standard.js
* projectname.SWF
* projectname_skin.SWF
* projectname.HTM

You then point your link at the projectname.HTM to run it all.

I've got some information about these files at this link.

Hopefully this helps... Rick

[NetSupport_Inc]

Lastly, and Im sorry for being such a pest, I published it and checked pretty much all of them. The one file that looks to be the correct one is an .swf file. I double click on it to play it and it says it's looking for a program to play the file. I have Flash player installed on my machine so Im not understanding why it isnt playing it.

[Captiv8r]

It does seem odd. But does it play if you double-click the .HTM file? It should.

[NetSupport_Inc]

No, the HTM file is 1k and I get a blank page if I double-click it. In order to play it by itself I had to save it as a windows executable file.

[Captiv8r]

Hmmm, I do recall that earlier you mentioned two different machines being involved. Are you certain this PC has Flash Player installed? click here to test

[NetSupport_Inc]

Positive that flash is installed on this machine AND I verified it with your test.

[Captiv8r]

Getting the blank page when double-clicking the .HTM file can also mean that you didn't ship all four files to the server. Are you able to right-click the .SWF and select Open With, then open it using Internet Explorer?

[NetSupport_Inc]

Don't know exactly what you mean by shipping all four files to the server. I published it and it saved it to a local directory. In that directory, a zip file, there are the following files;

Autorun.inf
nsmdeploy.htm
nsmdeploy.swf
nsmdeploy_skin.swf
standard.js

Im obviously doing something wrong

[Captiv8r]

Hi again

Okay, this is finally making more sense. I'm just guessing here. Have you much experience with using the .Zip file format?

You need to publish again. This time through, DE-select the zip option. This option simply creates a single file containing other files. Because they are all inside the zip, they cannot see one another. I would also DE-select the autorun option. This is only needed if you are plopping the whole thing on a CD.

After you do this and publish again, you should end up with four files.

nsmdeploy.htm
nsmdeploy.swf
nsmdeploy_skin.swf
standard.js

You copy those four files to your web server. Then you point a link at nsmdeploy.htm. Once that file opens, it loads and uses the other three.

Cheers... Rick

[NetSupport_Inc]

Ok, thanks.

Here is the issue. I am trying to show what we can do with this product so we will buy it. Our corporate offices are based int eh UK and that's where they controll the website and trying to get them to put something on there is like pulling teeth. So what I need to do then is just publish it using the windows.exe file so I can at least show the powers that be what this product can do. Once they decide to buy it, THEN I can work with the Web team in the UK with the other files.

Thank you. You've been a tremendous help.