Where is the 'Let me practice' mode?

[Guest]

hi all,
I am new to this so help on this issue is greatly appreciated.
I recorded a short movie on how to use IE7, but when i published the file to flash, i can only see the movie part, not the practice bit, have i missed soemthing?
thanks!

[Captiv8r]

Hi FreeMan04

When you recorded initially, you had the choice of different recording modes. One is Demonstration and the others are Simulation.

Did you choose one of the Simulation types?

If all you did was record in Demonstration mode, that's what you get. A movie that plays back just like a movie with no interactivity or "Let me try". Your post sounds as if you only recorded in Demonstration mode and are expecting Captivate to just know how to create a "Let Me Try" from what you have.

Normally, to do this, you need to record two movies. One is a Demonstration, where the user passively watches what is done. The second is a Simulation, where they actually interact. There is no magick switch where Captivate just knows to create a "Let Me Try" from a Demonstration. You have to record that way initially, or save the Demonstration to a new file and add the interactive bits to it.

Cheers... Rick

[CatBandit]

Hi FreeMan04,

It seems to me that "Captiv8r" has misunderstood, but perhaps it is I who is off-track. I'm betting you DID record in both "Demo" and "Simulation" mode, as hehas suggested, and are wondering, why, when published, is only the "demo" in the output.

The demo and sim recording mode options will create the recordings, but it doesn't "splice" them together for you ... and I wonder if that is where the confusion lies. So if you have opted to record the "Demo" AND a "Sim" (aka assessment), and you now want the demo to play followed immediately by the assessment or training movie, there are several ways to do it. Perhaps one of the two suggestions below will help

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#1
If you want to splice them in the sense that they weill be kept serparate but the sim will play after the demo, open the demo for editing and go to:

EDIT > PREFERENCES > PROJECT > START AND END > PROJECT END OPTIONS > OPEN OTHER PROJECT

From there, you can click to select your sim-movie (by name) as the "other project" to open as the "End option" action when the demo reaches its end.

==================================
#2
Another way to do it if you wish to create one larger project with both the demo and sim included in a single movie with the simulation following the demo is, once again, to open the "Demo" project. Then, "select" (highlight) the last slide in your Demo movie, and go to:

FILE > IMPORT > SLIDES/OBJECTS > (navigate to and choose your simulation movie at this point)
(be sure you "Select All" so that all slides and objects in the simulation are included, and begin import)

The simulation movie and all its objects will be brought into the Demo movie, and you can now publish the single project to view the demo, followed by the simulation of the demonstrated action.

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There are other considerations, such as do you want a "separator" or "introduction" between the two movies, setting up scoring as you wish and other considerations. But either of the above suggestions will - I think - get you started inthe direction you want to go.

Best of fortune to you!
Larry

[Guest]

Thanks for all the feedback. I should have made myself clear in my initial post. I created a CP file in both Demonstration and Training Simulation, (and I assumed Training Simulation is where i do the 'let me practice' bit.)

CatBandit - I followed your first suggestion but i couldn't find the Training Simulation link. It seems it only links to other CP file?

What i am after is 1 recording and 2 outputs - the "show me", which is the Demo and the "let me practice", which is the Training Simulation.

When I publish the recording/CP file, will the end user see a page with 2 links - SHOW ME and LET ME PRACTICE? I want them to able to select their own learning path.

Thanks again for your help guys!

[CatBandit]

Hi Freeman04,

In the first of my options, you will create and publish both Demo and Assessment (or Training) movies to be played consecutively - automatically. To play one after the other automatically, you need to link them as I suggested in #1 above - that is, go to the Project Preferences and set the link as the "END" option.

You said you want a menu but no "menu" will be created by any of this. That can be done but is a separate action you will have to accomplish after creating the movies. I would suggest trying the "Menu Builder" application reached from Captivate by going to the FILE menu (at the MAIN USER INTERFACE) and selecting RECORD/CREATE > MENU BUILDER PROJECT.

Back to the original problem: When you are ready to preview or play the two movies (Demo and Try Me) the SWF movies and all accompanying support files must exist in the SAME FOLDER. This is important and it requires that you manually move them so they are all together ... because Captivate 3, by default, creates a separate folder for each of the movies you produce and publish.

I hope this is helpful. Let us know either way, and have a great day!

Larry

[Guest]

Thanks so much CatBandit! I have got it working. Captivate is quite different to the tool i used before. That tool creates 1 file from 1 recording, and generate multiple outputs, eg, Demo, Practice, PDF.
It will then generate a menu page with 3 link to encourage the learners to pick their own prefer training method.
May be Adobe can look into this for its future release of Captivate?