"Adobe Captivate 4: The Essentials" Now Shipping!

I am proud to announce that my new book, "Adobe Captivate 4: The Essentials" is available here.

Book Overview:

The technology for creating interactive lessons WAS bad. But not anymore. Using Adobe Captivate 4, you can capture screen shots on your computer and quickly turn them into lessons (movies). The movies you create can be interactive--you can add images, captions, rollovers, clickable areas, typing areas and sound effects.

This book will introduce you to the essential Adobe Captivate 4 skills you need to know to get up and running with Captivate as quickly as possible. If you are an experienced Adobe Captivate user, consider our Adobe Captivate 4: Beyond the Essentials book.

Lessons include:

eLearning and Captivate

• Education Through Pictures
• Planning eLearning Projects
• The Development Process
• The Captivate 4 Interface
• Set General Preferences
• Explore a Project
• Explore Project Views
• Navigate a Project
• Preview a Project
• Zoom Closer to a Slide
• View the Timeline and Library

Recording Demonstrations and Assessments

• Rehearse a Script
• Set Recording Preferences and Keys
• Record a Demonstration
• Record an Assessment Simulation
• Record a Training Simulation
• Record a Custom Assessment Simulation

FMRs, Panning and Image Slideshows

• Create an FMR
• Record a Lesson With Panning
• Create an Image Slideshow

Text Captions & the Timeline

• Duplicate a Slide and Hide the Mouse
• Insert, Resize and Move Text Captions
• Change Text Caption Properties
• Change an Object’s Slide Position and Size
• View the Timeline
• Change a Slide’s Display Time
• Change Timeline View Settings
• Use the Timeline to Set Object Display Times
• Show/Hide Timeline Objects
• Use Options to Control Object Timing
• Set Mouse Properties
• Check Spelling
• Align Slide Objects

Images and Drawing Objects

• Insert and Delete Slides
• Insert an Image
• Set Image Size and Slide Position
• Use the Library
• Manage Unused Project Assets
• Control Transparency
• Create an Image Watermark
• Set Image Timing Options and Transition Effects
• Work With Image Stacks
• Add a Visual Mouse Click and Click Sound
• Insert a Drawing Object

Pointers, Buttons and Highlight Boxes

• Change the Pointer Path
• Change the Pointer Type
• Edit Slide and Object Display Times
• Insert a Text Button
• Set a Button’s Options
• Insert an Image Button
• Insert and Format a Highlight Box

Rollovers and Zoom Areas

• Insert a Rollover Caption
• Set Rollover Area Properties
• Insert a Rollover Image
• Insert a Zoom Area
• Insert a Rollover Slidelet
• Set Rollover Slidelet Properties
• Format and Position a Slidelet
• Insert a Caption Into a Slidelet
• Insert an Image Into a Slidelet

Slide Labels, Notes and Audio

• Change Slide Background Quality
• Add a Slide Label
• Add a Slide Note
• Add Sound to a Slide Object
• Add Background Audio
• Calibrate a Microphone
• Record Audio
• Import Slide Audio
• Edit an Audio File
• Insert Silence
• Convert Slide Notes to Speech

Animation and Flash Video

• Change a Project’s Frame Rate
• Add Animation to a Slide
• Change an Animation’s Slide Position
• Insert Text Animation
• Add Flash Video

Animation and Flash Video

• Change a Project’s Frame Rate
• Add Animation to a Slide
• Insert Text Animation
• Insert Flash Video
• Set Flash Video Properties

Converting Demonstrations Into Simulations

• Hide the Mouse
• Replace Phrases
• Insert a Click Box
• Set Click Box Options
• Change a Slide’s Display Time
• Set a Text Caption Transition
• Insert a Text Entry Box

Introduction to Question Slides

• Set Quiz Preferences
• Insert a Question Slide
• Add an Image to a Question Slide
• Reuse a Slide Background
• Format the Question Title
• Use the Slide Grid
• Format the Progress Indicator

Publishing

• Link to a Web Site
• Apply a Skin
• Edit and Save a Skin
• Delete a Skin
• Add a Loading Screen
• Set Project Information
• Create a TOC
• Publish a Flash (SWF)
• Publish Word Handouts
• Export Captions
• Perform a “Round Trip”

Note: Adobe Captivate 4 does not come with this book. The software can be purchased directly from Adobe. You can download a trial version of Adobe Captivate 4 here.

Comments

[Ray Ballard]

How does Captivate interface with Scate Ignite? I've been using Ignite for a while and like it, and I also like the whole ignitecast idea for online content sharing. But I've also heard good things about Captivate. I'm trying to discover which ways I can use both of them to create the best content I can.

[Melinda Kreth]

I have added a background audio file (WAV) to my Captivate presentation and have also recorded narration for each slide. However, the background audio doesn't play in either preview mode or after the presentation is published. I have followed the simple instructions in Captivate 4 Help, but so far no background audio will play, only the recorded narration. Suggestions? And is there no way to insert background audio in Adobe Presenter?