Developing on a laptop - Issues?

[lforman]

Hi,
I just started a project to convert old product demo built in Robo. I have none of the specifications used to create the old course. I will be working on a laptop and was wondering whether there are resolution, size size issues that I should now about before I start capturing screens. I suspect my audience will be viewing the final product on both laptops, as wells as desktop screens.

Thanks in advance,

Lisa

[retro74]

Start with this application - Sizer: http://www.brianapps.net/sizer.html
Once it is running just right click in the title bar of your application and pick the screen size.

You may be limited by the programmer's minimum size to run the application without hacking off part of the application.

My two cents as a developer and the guy that builds the Captivate projects is that 800 X 600 is a minimum. All of our end users are on laptop machines and 800 X 600 went out in 2000 when 1024 X 768 came along. So 1024 X 768 is the minimum macine these days. Note that if you have Section 504 disability issues to write for, then you will need 800 X 600 to make the images larger.

For my web-based demos (live), I run at 1024 X 768 and that is a good compromise for bandwidth use as well as Browser buttons and toolbars.

Like the movie (and book) The Graduate form the 1960's, I have one word... BANDWIDTH. You'll use a ton of it if you go higher than 800 X 600 and things slow down beyond 1024 X 768. If the system is run on a intranet or a high-speed university-class system, then you have more bandwidth to play with, but for web-based training, cut it down a bit.

Save your Captivate frames as Standard and not high resolution for every slide. Again, that will conserve bandwith. Also consider your server limits and hits. If this is a website, then you might get charged for using too much allocated space, especially if the Flash demo is popular and huge in size.

Start with the application's minimum screen size (800 X 600 or 1024 X 768) and then record a simple operation like printing or opening a file. Try that at two different sizes. i do not like to resize my projects because the images get interpolated and I can easily get it right at one size level.

Check out some of our demos at http://www.finsoft.net/FinSoftFrames/Arpage.htm
and at:
http://www.ablpage.com/FLASH_General/GeneralTutorials.htm

These are at 800 X 600

Joe C.

[lforman]

hi,

thanks for the great information. I have to set my resolution to 1024 x 768 because I cannot see the whole application on my screen at 800x600. Even at 1024 x 768 some of the bottom of the app drops off. I'll let you know how it goes.

thanks

[Captiv8r]

Hi Joe C

Just curious here, why do you recommend the sizer app? Don't get me wrong, I believe it's a terrific little app and worth its weight in gold. But with Captivate offering the ability within the application itself to force the application being recorded into a specific size, it would seem to make Sizer redundant.

Just curious... Rick

[retro74]

Rick,
Of course you are correct that Captivate2 has nice sizing of application options. I use Sizer because I often try to look at the screens before I get started to make sure that things fit. I guess you could say that I reherse what I'm going to do at that screen size first. For the purpose of this post topic, it would allow a user to see the size of the application (perhaps play with the application at that size) and then try another size before taking the time to record and edit a project.

Like a good carpenter, measure several times, cut once.

Joe C.

[Captiv8r]

Thanks Joe!

It was more of a curiosity question than anything else.

Consider me sated... LOL

[lforman]

hi again,

I still am confusing or something. The app I'm capturing is online. On my laptop set at 1024 X 768 and running an external monitor, I cannot see all of the app. Ok so I may need to hack off some of the app. However, my captivate project is set to 800x500 right now and may make it 800x600.

The screen shots are going to be really big and I suspect that I will have to reduce their size to fit in my captivate project. OR maybe I don't understand and Captivate will resize them for you. I just am concerned that the size reduction will reduce view quality and make it difficult for learns to see areas of the screen.

Thanks lisa