Cannot apply new theme

[cgokul]

Captivate 8.0.1.242 - Windows 7 - 64 bit

Currently, I'm trying to apply my custom theme and adobe won't let me apply it. When I try to apply a default theme again, i'm not able to apply it.

What are the possible ways for me to apply the my new theme to my courses. I really do not want to redo every file again as its more than 3 months work.

When this problem occurred, i thought it has to do with the duplicates in the object style manager and I had posted another question last week. Resetting Object Style Manager without user defined clones‌‌‌

[cgokul]

Has any one faced such a problem before with captivate saying "cannot apply new theme"? Maybe you can provide me with solutions which have tried and didnt work. This might narrow down the solution for me.

[Lilybiri]

Did you clear cache and refresh Preferences? And is this an included theme

or a custom one? Normal or responsive?

[cgokul]

I did clear the cache and used your link on the previous post to follow the post on backing up the custom files. But I didn't refresh the preferences. How do i do it?

It is a custom theme I'm trying to apply. But even when I try to apply a adobe theme, i get the same result. All my projects and themes are not responsive.

[Lilybiri]

In the subfolder Utils of the installation folder you will find a

CleanPreferences file that you have to rum while CP is closef.

[cgokul]

Yes I have cleared the preferences. Still when I load my course and try to apply the custom theme or the included theme, i get the dialog box saying "cannot apply the new theme".

I do not know what else to do now to make it work.

[C2Tech]

This happened to me just the other day, I ended up having to uninstall captivate, clear the reg edit, and I made sure that all the preferences and folders were deleted. Then rebooted and reinstalled and it worked great after that. Some how the file I had got corrupt and needed a clean install. =/

[cgokul]

C2Tech‌ when you say file got corrupted, do you mean the saved captivate file or you mean captivates software files?

[Lilybiri]

Resetting preferences normally gets rid of corruption of Cp. Is this a

custom theme created originally in this version?

[cgokul]

Yes. I have been using the same version for over 5 months now. Actually I even tried redoing the theme again few days ago and still the same effect.

[C2Tech]

The software itself. It worked fine one day and the next day it wouldn't do anything.

[Alice_Acker]

Did you install new fonts, driver...? Can you change to another theme?

[cgokul]

No I need to web safe verdana for everything. Nope, none of my custom theme or the included themes are getting applied.

[cgokul]

Sorry for the typos. I meant I use only web safe verdana font which is included with captivate. Also, when I try to apply any theme, both custom and included, it cannot be applied.

[Lilybiri]

Did you have an older version of Captivate installed before this one? If

yes did you delete the Layouts folder before installing this version or

even a patch?

[cgokul]

Nope. Not even an update.

[cgokul]

I have just last week created a new theme. Completely from scratch. Now, I used it on a template. Then I used this template to recreate my old courses to apply with the new theme. While i was working with the new files, I made a change to the theme and I saved the theme as a different file. Now when I apply this newer theme to the template, again I'm getting cannot apply the theme. This post is open for almost 20 days now. Can any abode staff help me out?

[Lilybiri]

Adobe staff only occasionally pops in, this is a user forum. If a post is open so long (I have been trying to help) it is mostly because you offer too little details. Only when I can recreate the problem will it be possible to give you a real answer.

You say 'create from scratch', what was your work flow? Do you have a custom theme colors palette?

Do you run Captivate as Administrator? Can you apply the theme to a cptx-file instead of a template file. Is this a responsive theme in 8.0.1.242? Do you really need a template, because the only thing it will add to a theme (= object styles, master slides with/without placeholders, skin) are perhaps some default slides?

[cgokul]

Captivate 8.0.1.242 - Windows 7 - 64 bit - Project is normal layout. Not responsive. Flash and not HTML

Currently, I'm trying to apply my custom theme to my old course and captivate won't let me apply it. I get the dialogue box "cannot apply the new theme". When I try to apply a default theme again, i'm not able to apply it. Hence, I have created a new theme.

How new theme was created:

• I opened a new blank project of the exact size I have for my old course.
• Deleted all slides from the master slide other than the questions, results and blank slide.
• Manually, created duplicates of blank slide.
• Made new layouts which I need.
• Renamed every master slide the way I need.
• Changed object styling for each new text boxes and shapes.
• Each style was created as with a new style name so it doesn't change the default styles.
• Saved the theme. Created a new template file and applied this theme to it.
• Created the normal slide flow I expect in each course in the template file.
• Saved the template file.
• Created a new file cptx from this template.
• Copy pasted the old courses slides which no one let me change theme.
• After copying, each layout is changed. Hence, I again change the layout for each slide manually to the appropriate one I want.
• While working on this file, I needed a change in the theme and made it.
• Then saved the theme as a separate theme file.
• Now, want to apply this new theme to the template file.
• But when I try, cannot apply theme.
• When I try applying to other cptx files created in the same method, again cannot apply the new theme.
  

Points about the captivate file

• Template, theme, captivate file all were created in the same version of captivate.
• Never had any other version of captivate in the computer other than the current version for creating the files.
• No new fonts were installed. Using only web safe verdana font.
• Normal layout and not responsive
• Never made any custom color palette.
• Using template to have uniform content across the entire course.

Solutions already tried:

1. Clearing cache
2. Clearing preference
3. Reinstalled captivate

After all this, again facing "cannot apply theme" problem.

[Lilybiri]

A very thorough description of your work flow, thanks. You kept the minimum 6 master slides required.

One forgotten question 'Do you run Captivate as Administrator'?

All courses were created with this version of Captivate, not the one before the patch?

Themes coming with CP8 are responsive. Since you edited a theme in a non-responsive project, only the Primary view was changed.

Where did you store the custom cptm files? You cleared cache and cleared preferences, but did you ever delete the working Layouts folder in the Public Documents? You can first copy the custom cptm files which can be stored there as well (along with the themes coming with CP) to a safe place.

[cgokul]

Oh crap. I forgot that I did run it in admin and still the same problem.  As far as I remember in the last 5 months I haven't patched captivate. Hence, everything has been in the same version too. None of these files were even part of the test courses I built when using the trial version.

Ya I did delete the layout in public documents too. I think it was mentioned either in your blog or in one of the other posts in the forum. Also I never stored any of my custom files in there.

Finally regarding the themes being responsive by default, could that be the problem for this?

I can actually let go of themes not applying for these files. But I need to create further more courses and if this problem happens even for them, then I will be in big trouble.

If there any specific work flow I can follow between themes (object styles, master slide layouts, skins) and template to not face this problem again?

[Lilybiri]

I have created non-responsive themes from one of the default themes, and am using them without any real problem. But I don't use templates much at this moment, with the themes and shared actions (have an external library with actions) rarely see any advantage in using a template.

My work flow when creating a theme is in sequence:

• create a custom theme colors palette
• create styles, ad define them as default in the Object Style Manager, using my Theme colors etc
• create/edit master slides after the object styles, using theme colors palette, adding shape buttons with actions...
• edit Skin

What cannot be done within a theme is editing the Learning Interactions based on the theme colors palette. If I was certain to be using some interactions that could be a reason to have a template.

We didn't find the cause of your problems yet, taking over my work flow will not be any guarantee but I find this the most logical way. If Object styles are defined before editing the master slides, you will immediately see them in those master slides. I keep my custom themes inside of the Public folder.