what is largest resolution size I should use?

[Guest]

Hello, I'm working on my first solo project and need help (did some simple things with someone who knew how to use captivate). I'm using Captivate 1. I'm going to take screen shots (or import images) of rather large images (diagrams) one per slide, and then add a text box under which explains the diagram. I'll add a next and previous button to each slide. This is basically all I need. The end product will be on a website and users will have a menu and select what they want to see. Very basic at first. The complication is the diagrams I need to explain already take up most of a 17 inch screen at 1024/768. I have no experience with screen resolutions. I just sent one sample as an .EXE to someone using a 19 in monitor at 1024/768 and the bottom image got cut off and there is no scroll bar for her to scroll down. my monitor is a dell laptop 15in diagnal at 1400/1050. what is the problem? What is the largest size of recording window I should use to have most people able to view properly? Do I really need to think of what the end user will be veiwing with when i start a new project? sorry if I sound clueless.

[TPK]

Hi Eved_Taw,

I would think it would be a good practice to know the most likely resolution of your audience and develop toward that. There can be problems with capturing large programs that take up a lot of monitor real estate.

I work for a large corporation where all the monitors (17in) are setup as 1024x768. We use one Java based program that takes up the entire screen (if the user does not want scroll bars on the bottom ).

Whe I first began capturing content for this program I found the very same thing you have found, portions of the screen were cut off. To work around this problem I found I had to capture the series of slides, then reduce the size of the Project by about 8% (go to Project -> Resize Project). This would allow me to launch my training in a browser window (with no toolbar, short cuts, etc. and still have the entire program show.

At other times I found that capturing a portion (Custom Capture) of the program's screen (where I had to have some detail showing with the program being captured).

Lastly there was one other trick I tried. I set up my computer at the highest resolution I could, set up Captivate to capture the program window (Application Capture), and fussed with the window simensions until I could get rid of the horizontal scroll bar and still have the smallest window I could have and successfully capture the program.

I ended up trying several small projects and captures the screens using different parameters until I ultimatly found the balance I could live with.

You might have to do a little testing, and certainly try to view the project on a monitor with the same resolution as your audience.

Good luck,

TPK

[Netanel1111]

I'm also having a similar problem. I'm making a project for an unknown audience (going to post on a website) and don't know what size to make the movie. I guess I will assume most people will be able to view without getting cut off at 1024/768. In that case, why not just record the screen shots at about 8% less from the start rather than resize? Won't the resize option lose some image integrity and look a little more fuzzy?

[rbLearning]

My audience access their content through the corporate Intranet, and all users have a standardized configuration of 1024 x 768. They use Internet Explorer 6 to view the content in a browser window. The LMS launches the browser window with all of the extras (menu, toolbar, status bar, etc.) turned off to maximize viewable area.

To avoid triggering scrollbars on the right or bottom of the browser window, I've standardized on a maximum of 800 x 600 for my Captivate movies' dimensions. We don't use the control bar in our movies, but there's about 60 spare pixels (30 at top/botttom) left over. We use part of it for branding at the top, and then our own navigation controls at the bottom. There's quite a bit of space left over on the left/right sides.

You have to decide whether you want sharp images, or easy-to-capture images. If you want sharp images, then you'd have to capture at 800 x 600 (or whatever you end up using). If you want to go the easy route or can't live with capturing just a portion of the screen, then you'll have to live with fuzzier images that result from scaling things down.

Our captures are done at 1024 x 768 to get the entire application window - which is a necessity. Then I use the "Resize Project" function to scale them down to 800 x 600. Even with small fonts in the application, everything's legible. On occasion I use the Zoom feature to magnify a section, but overall it works out fine this way.

In a nutshell, if your audience is viewing your content in a browser on a machine set to 1024 x 768 resolution, producing your Captivate movies for 800 x 600 or smaller is your best move.

According to my own tests, you can display movies up to 999 x 672 (give or take 10px) in a browser window...but ONLY IF you use Javascript to disable the standard controls (menu/toolbar/statusbar,etc.)

Actually - you might get another 20 pixels (to 692) if an LMS isn't inserting a hidden frame in there -- you'll just have to try out some tests to see what your maximum usable area is.

[spritc]

quote:

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Originally posted by: rbLearning
We don't use the control bar in our movies, but there's about 60 spare pixels (30 at top/botttom) left over. We use part of it for branding at the top, and then our own navigation controls at the bottom. There's quite a bit of space left over on the left/right sides.

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rbLearning, hi.

This is something I would like to hear more about! I don't know how to do it yet, and your comment confirms that it can be done, but I would like to have my LMS take care of controlling the movie, and simply place animations into it. Can you please shed some light on how the LMS connects to the animations and controls them? Is this a hard process? I am having an LMS custom built for me, so I'm hoping the developers will be able to organize it, I just need to know what needs to be done on the Captivate side and what to tell them.

If you would prefer to break this out into a separate thread, please do.

Cheers,
spritc.

[capuser]

Here is a suggestion:
Our monitor standard is 1024 x 768. So we were setting our movie size to 800 x 600. However, due to the borders enlarging the files by an average of 30 pixels, we are now setting our movies to 800 x 570. This allows those who have sight problems to view our courses and navigation buttons.

Take care.

[Netanel1111]

You are a kind soul rblearning. Thanks for the info. I think you gave me just what I needed to not waste a bunch of time that i don't have. I'll give it a try in the next couple days and see if this size is what I need. For me, getting sharp images is a must on this project. I think your tip of capturing them at the same resolution as the final product (I'll try 800 x 600) is what I needed to hear.

[KCWebPlaza-5meuTi]

Just to chime in here. Since Captivate movies play back within a browser window, you need to allow for the browser's scroll bar, tool bar, status bar, menu bar, etc.

You can find the appropriate size by creating several Captivate movies at various sizes, and then publishing and playing them back in your browser. Set you resolution to 1024 x 768 or 800 x 600 - and test how the movie appears as if and end user is viewing them.

[lforman]

Hello,

I'm still a little confused about this resolution issue. My resolution is set to 1024 x 768 and my project is set to 800x600. I know that most of my users will run on 1024 x 768 through an internal intranet.

If I use Captivate to capture a screen of my app, do I have to reduce it? Right now I capturing screen shots of my app outside of Captivate for static use on only portions of the screen. I then have to make it smaller to fit the screen area in question using Photoshop which of course reduce quality cause it is smaller. I've been importing these images into Captivate.

I was wondering whether I would get better quality if I capture in Captivate and then resize it.

I guess I am still really confused.