The Logical Blog by IconLogic

TECHSMITH CAMTASIA 9: Changes to the Duration Feature

by Kevin Siegel, COTP, CTT+

I recently received the following email from a reader of my TechSmith Camtasia 9 (Windows): The Essentials book. 

Hello Kevin,

I am really enjoying your Camtasia 9: The Essentials eBook that I purchased on Amazon recently, but I have run into a problem regarding how to extend the duration (pages 58-59) on the Timeline. 

I followed steps 1 and 2 on page 58 for the logo, but when I attempted to change (by typing) the Duration from 5 seconds to 20 seconds, I got the screen message “Please enter a number between .1 and 5,” and the time can’t be extended beyond 5 seconds. I am also attaching a screen shot so you can see the actual message. 

I have tried grouping the items as directed on page 59 and then trying to extend the duration in that manner, but that method doesn’t work either. 

I am using Camtasia Version 9.1.2. Any suggestions you might have would be appreciated.

I was able to replicate this issue on my computer, but I found this strange because when I wrote the book, the Duration feature worked just fine (changing the Duration of a Timeline object pushed items on the same track to the right). I reached out to TechSmith support and received the following reply (and the fix).

Hi Kevin, 

Sorry for the delay – I wanted to confirm some information with the Camtasia team first.  This change was a deliberate change made in Camtasia 9.0.1.  The reason for the change was because of feedback that we were receiving from users, which was (as Matt mentioned) that projects were getting out of sync when extending frames and durations.  So, this change was implemented, and we also published this tutorial with best practices on using ripple move and extend frame (similar to duration). https://www.techsmith.com/tutorial-camtasia-ripple-move-and-extend-frame.html   I am really sorry for any trouble this change has caused!  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Kind Regards,
Nate
Senior Support Specialist

Whew! It's good to know that I'm not losing my mind. To get past the Duration issue, press the [shift] key on your keyboard and manually extend the playtime for the object on the Timeline (instead of using Duration feature).

You can still use the Duration feature if there is enough space to the right of the selected object. For instance, you'll need a little over 5 seconds of space if you want to increase the Duration of an object by 5 seconds. Otherwise, you'll see the same error reported by the reader above.

New Adobe Captivate Advanced Actions and Variables Courses Posted

If you're an Adobe Captivate developer, here are some awesome new classes that are laser- focused on Variables and Advanced Actions.

• Variables and Actions 101: Quick Start
• Variables and Actions 201: Advanced Concepts
• Variables and Actions 301: Complex 
• Variables and Actions 401: Expressions

Each of these 3-hour classes are taught live, online, and are highly interactive.

ELEARNING PRODUCTION: Getting Audio from Microsoft PowerPoint to Work in Adobe Captivate

by Kevin Siegel, CTT+, COTP

We received the following distress email a few days ago:

 

I am using your workbook (Adobe Captivate 2017: The Essentials) and I'm in Module 11: Working with PowerPoint.

 

I have a PowerPoint (presentation) I created with voice recording. The PowerPoint imports just like the books says and the hyperlinks work. However, the audio is not coming working.

 

When I spoke with Adobe support regarding the issue, I was informed that the recording file in Microsoft PowerPoint uses the m4a file format. Captivate only uses the wav and mp3 file format. How do I get the audio in PowerPoint to work in Captivate? 

 

Interesting problem.

 

In truth, I never add the audio to PowerPoint slides while in PowerPoint. Instead, I always import the audio directly onto the slides after the PowerPoint-to-Captivate import process is complete.

 

I wanted to see if the audio worked for myself so as a test, I imported mp3 audio onto a PowerPoint slide and then took the slide into Captivate. The audio worked fine. Next I recorded audio directly onto a PowerPoint slide and then took that slide into Captivate. Sure enough, the pesky PowerPoint m4a file didn’t play nice with Captivate.

 

As a workaround, I right-clicked the audio in PowerPoint and selected Save Media as. I saved the m4a file to my computer (m4a is the only export option in the Save as type drop-down menu).

 

 

 

 

Then I used Adobe Media Encoder (it’s a program that is probably on your computer already) and converted the m4a file into a mid-quality mp3. That process took a few seconds.

 

To begin, drag the m4a file into Media Encoder.

 

 

From the right side of Media Encoder, expand Audio Only. Drag one of the MP3 options over to the m4a file you added to Media Endcoder. Then click the green arrow to convert the m4a to an mp3.

 

 

Once I had the mp3 file, I imported it onto a Captivate PowerPoint slide and all was right with the world.

 

Perhaps one day Microsoft will use mp3 files for recorded audio, or Adobe will one day allow for m4a imports directly into Captivate. Until either of those events occur however, at least there’s a workaround that will not require you to re-record your audio.

 

***

 

If you're looking to learn Adobe Captivate, check out these awesome online classes.

ADOBE PRESENTER 11: Creating Packages

by Kevin Siegel, CTT+, COTP

If you need to share an Adobe Presenter presentation with another developer, you’ll find the Presenter's Package tool very useful.

 

Presenter projects begin as a single, self-contained PowerPoint presentation. You can transfer them from one computer to another without worrying about leaving a part of the presentation behind. However, once you add audio or videos assets to a PowerPoint slide via the Presenter tab on the PowerPoint Ribbon, those assets aren’t embedded into the presentation. Instead, Presenter creates a folder that houses those assets every time you save. Should you forget to include the assets folder when you send the PowerPoint presentation to a colleague, the person opening the presentation will receive alert messages about missing files as Presenter attempts to load the assets.

 

When you package a Presenter project, everything a developer needs to open the project is included in the package (except for the actual Microsoft PowerPoint or Adobe Presenter software). A developer simply needs to double-click the prpkg file they receive from you to extract all of the project assets into a self-contained folder.

 

To create a Package, from the Adobe Presenter tab, Presentation group, click the Package tool.

 

 

 

Click the Browse button (the three dots) and select a folder for the package.

 

 

Click the Pack button and you're done. As mentioned above, the prpkg file contains everything a fellow developer needs to make changes to the project (assuming they have both PowerPoint and Presenter installed).

 

 

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My "Adobe Presenter 11: The Essentials" skills & drills workbook is available now on amazon.com. And if you are looking to learn all things eLearning, check out these live, online and awesomely interactive classes

 

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Kevin Siegel, CTT, COTP, is the founder and president of IconLogic. Following a career in Public Affairs with the U.S. Coast Guard and in private industry, Kevin has spent decades as a technical communicator, classroom and online trainer, public speaker, and has written hundreds of computer training books for adult learners. He has been recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide.

 

New 1-Hour Live, Online Course: Microsoft PowerPoint to eLearning via Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, TechSmith Camtasia, or Presenter

If you intend to create an eLearning course, it’s a good bet that you’re going to start the development process in Microsoft PowerPoint. However, PowerPoint is missing some key eLearning features to allow you to output finished eLearning content. For instance, PowerPoint cannot create software simulations or video demos. There is no way to add quizzes or learner interactions in PowerPoint. And, because there are no reporting features or provisions for SCORM or AICC, you cannot effectively integrate PowerPoint presentations with Learning Management Systems. 

Instead of relying on PowerPoint alone for your eLearning content, you’ll need to take your finished presentations into an eLearning development tool such as Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, or TechSmith Camtasia. While in those tools, you’ll add the necessary eLearning features and then publish your content. Alternately, you can rely on Presenter, a PowerPoint plug-in that works together with PowerPoint to accomplish many of the things you can do in Captivate, Camtasia, and Storyline.

But what happens to your beloved PowerPoint slides when they get incorporated into today’s eLearning tools? Do the animations still work? How about the hyperlinks? Does the voiceover audio you added to your PowerPoint slides still work when the slides are imported into your eLearning tool? Do the fonts look okay? If you or the subject matter expert updates the PowerPoint presentation outside of the eLearning tool, does the eLearning version update or do you have to re-import?

Attend this action-packed session and learn how PowerPoint works with the top eLearning tools of the day. You’ll learn the strengths and weaknesses of each eLearning tool via live demonstrations (there is no pre-recorded content). This is live, online training at its very best!

You’ll learn how to integrate PowerPoint with:

• Adobe Captivate
• Articulate Storyline
• TechSmith Camtasia
• Presenter

Learn more or sign up.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: The Hottest Tech Skills & Certifications for 2018

by Kevin Smith, COTP

According to reports published at Dice Insights (dice.com), a leading website for technology careers and The Channel Company, a top IT firm (CRN.com), there are some hot careers and certifications that you should definitely consider if you’re looking to maximize your income potential.

 

According to DICE, here are some of the fastest-growing tech sectors:

 

Application Service Provider: A business providing computer-based services to customers over a network, such as access to a particular software application using a standard protocol (such as HTTP)

 

Docker: An open platform for developers and system administrators to build, deploy, and run distributed applications.

 

HTML/HTML5: Hypertext Markup Language is the core language of the World Wide Web and is used to develop most websites.

 

Kanban: A lean method to manage and improve work across human systems that aims to balance demands with available capacity and improve the bottlenecks.

 

Help Desk: As the new technologies emerge and evolve, competent Help Desk personnel with a high-level of technology knowledge are in demand.

 

Network Attached Storage: A file-level computer data storage server connected to a computer network providing data access to a heterogeneous group of clients.

 

Mastering the skills above is a great idea, but according to CRN, getting certified is even better. Here is a list of some of the hottest IT certifications and how the CRN website describes them.

 

PMP: The Project Management Professional certification indicates someone has the knowledge and skills needed to guide projects to a successful conclusion, on-time, on-budget, and using available resources. Currently 1,400 jobs on Dice request PMP certification.

 

MCSE: Microsoft's Certified Systems Engineers is for professionals who spend their time maintaining, designing, implementing, and administering technology infrastructures using Microsoft 2000 Windows Server and other Windows server platforms. Nearly 1,000 available career opportunities on Dice request this certification.

 

CompTIA's A +: Professionals with this certification have demonstrated they can install networks, conduct preventative maintenance, secure them, and troubleshoot them. Currently more than 500 jobs on Dice require A+ certification.

 

CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associates can install, configure, run, and troubleshoot midsize routed and switched networks, know the basics about security and wireless, and can work with a number of protocols. There are more than 650 job opportunities on Dice request the CCNA designation.

 

MCP: Microsoft Certified Professionals include developers, trainer, system architects, and other IT professionals.

 

CompTIA's Network +: Network+ proves a technician's competency in managing, maintaining, troubleshooting, installing, and configuring basic network infrastructures. It's included in the certification programs of vendors including Microsoft, Novell, Cisco, and HP.

 

CISSP: Five years of experience in information security are needed before a professional can become a Certified Information Systems Security Professional. Nearly 750 open available career opportunities request this certification.

 

MCSA: The Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator certification is earned by experts in systems administration and troubleshooting networks that use the Windows Server operating environment.

 

ITIL: The three-tier IT Infrastructure Library certification comprises the Foundation Certificate (basic knowledge of ITIL terminology, service support, and service delivery), Practitioner Certificate (an understanding of specific processes within IT Service Management), and Manager's Certificate (expertise in overseeing service management functions).

 

CompTIA's Security +: Knowledge of system security, network infrastructure, access control, and organizational security is needed to obtain this certification.

 

If you don't think a certification is important for your dream job seach, check out the requirements for two IT jobs posted on the DICE site:

 

 

 

Over the next several weeks, I’ll be delving deeper into some of these technology skills and certifications in more detail.

 

***

Kevin Smith is a service veteran and has been teaching the CompTIA A+ Certification prep course since 1999. He has served CompTIA as an A+ Subject Matter Expert for several versions of the A+ examination. Kevin, who is the author and publisher of the “A+ Study Hall’ electronic courseware, which includes practice testing, received his A+ Certification in 1997 while owning a small computer service company. 

 

Kevin is a graduate of the SUNY Buffalo system, holds the CompTIA A+ Certification, and is a Certified Online Training Professional (COTP) with the International Council for Certified Online Training Professionals (ICCOTP).

Kevin Smith is a service veteran and has been teaching the Com

 

TEACHING ONLINE: True eLearning Integration via Adobe Connect

by Kevin Siegel, CTT+, COTP

When I teach my live, online Certified Online Training Professional course, one of the core concepts I encourage is blended learning (combining online digital media with traditional classroom teaching concepts). Specifically, there's great value in integrating eLearning (asynchronous training) with live (synchronous) training by providing access to eLearning content from within the virtual training space.

 

Published eLearning content can typically be provided to online students via a Materials pod or direct link (URL) you type into the Chat pod. All of the main training platforms (WebEx, GoToTraining, Adobe Connect) provide Chat and Materials pods, although they might give the pods different names.

 

The problem with sending students outside of the training space to engage with eLearning content is that the student leaves the virtual classroom. Once your learners are outside, good luck getting them back.

 

In my experience using many of the online training platforms, only one of the vendors offers a truly integrated blended-learning experience and allows you to share eLearning content directly from within the training room, and that’s Adobe with its virtual training platform Connect.

 

Here’s how you can share eLearning courses from within Connect. First, create the eLearning content in Adobe Captivate, and then publish as an SWF.

 

From within Adobe Connect, choose Share Document.

 

 

Click the Browse My Computer button and upload the SWF you published with Captivate. In the image below, I’ve already uploaded a SWF I created with Captivate called UsingNotepad. Once you’ve uploaded content, it stays in the Select Document to Share area so you don’t have to upload content again and again and again.

 

 

All you need to do now is click the OK button and everyone in the virtual room will not only see the eLearning, they’ll be able to interact with it independent of the other attendees.

 

 

The ability of virtual attendees to work through the eLearning content independently is so cool, it's the one feature that might encourage you to select Adobe Connect as your training platform above others... and Adobe Captivate as your eLearning tool. If you’re thinking about going the Connect route, head on over to Engage Systems, tell them your friends at IconLogic said hello, and then ask for a demo of Adobe Connect.

 

***

 

If you'd like to learn how to learn how to teach live, online classes, check out ICCOTP's certification course.

 

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Kevin Siegel, CTT, COTP, is the founder and president of IconLogic. Following a career in Public Affairs with the U.S. Coast Guard and in private industry, Kevin has spent decades as a technical communicator, classroom and online trainer, public speaker, and has written hundreds of computer training books for adult learners. He has been recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide.

ARTICULATE STORYLINE 360: Three Cheers for Text-to-Speech

by Kevin Siegel, CTT+, COTP

During our live, online Articulate Storyline Beginner classes, we teach students how to import and record voiceover audio. The most common question we get about voiceover audio is “Can Storyline convert text to audio files?” The answer has always been "no." However, “no” became “yes” thanks to a recent Storyline 360 update.

 

If you select the Insert tab on the Ribbon and click the Audiotool (located in the Media group), you’ll find Text-to-Speech. Yayyyy! (If you don't see Text-to-Speech as shown below, and you're using Storyline 360, start Articulate 360 and see if updates are available.)

 

 

Before using Text-to-Speech, I suggest a little pre-work. If you’ve created a voiceover script (or have access to it), you will save yourself a lot of extra work in Storyline because you can copy and paste the script text into Storyline’s Notes area (instead of typing). The Notes can easily be converted to Speech.

 

 

Next, choose Insert > Media > Audio > Text-to-Speech to open the Insert Text-to-Speech dialog box. From the upper left of the dialog box, you can select from an awesome number of languages.

 

 

Choose your narrator and, if you'd like, use the Preview Voice option to get a feel for how your narrator is going to sound.

 

 

 

You can type the script text manually if you're into that sort of thing (the typing I mean). But remember the Notes I encouraged you to create earlier? Click the Copy From Slide Notes button and those notes will instantly appear in the panel (there's no extra typing required... I love that).

 

Click the Insert button and you're done, done, done. The resulting audio file appears at the bottom left of the slide.

 

 

If you'd like to hear the resulting audio (and who wouldn't?), right-click the speaker icon and choose Preview.

 

 

After you've added the Text-to-Speech, you can change to a different language or Narrator by visiting the Audio Tools tab and clicking Text-to-Speech and clicking the Update button.

 

Thanks, Articulate for making the whole Text-to-Speech thing so fast and easy!

 

***

 

If you are looking to learn all things eLearning, including Articulate Storyline, check out these live, online and awesomely interactive classes.

 

***

 

Kevin Siegel, CTT, COTP, is the founder and president of IconLogic. Following a career in Public Affairs with the U.S. Coast Guard and in private industry, Kevin has spent decades as a technical communicator, classroom and online trainer, public speaker, and has written hundreds of computer training books for adult learners. He has been recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide.

IconLogic Now Offering CompTIA A+ Certification Prep Course

The CompTIA A+ Certification is the base-certification for the entire IT industry. The certification is required by various agencies within the US Government as well as many State and Local Governments.  Private business and industry have followed Government regulations and have made the A+ certification a condition of employment, continued employment, and career advancement. Dice Inc, the large IT Internet job board, has ranked the A+ Certification 3^rd out of all IT certifications as having the largest impact on income. 

The IconLogic A+ Certification curriculum maps to the CompTIA Published Examination objectives, via classroom instruction and courseware, “A+ Study Hall”

Featuring an A+ Certified trainer who is also a Certified Online Training Professional (COTP) with 15 years of IT experience, IconLogic provides each attendee the following:

• Support until you are certified. This support can be via email, telephone, or additional online study sessions.
• Job placement assistance via recommendation.
• If your IT experience level is not up to the level recommended by CompTIA, we will furnish approximately 25 basic lessons via internet download and furnish online basic instruction. 
• Unlimited online, 2.5-hour study sessions (held on regularly posted dates from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., Eastern).
• A methodology that works, but should you fail an exam, we will furnish your next exam voucher at no charge!
• Course attendees receive two exam vouchers, courseware, and practice testing.

Learn more about these Guaranteed to Run (GTR) courses.

ADOBE CAPTIVATE: Where Did The Old Trials and Assets Go?

by Kevin Siegel, COTP, CTT+

As a publisher of popular step-by-step workbooks such as “Adobe Captivate: The Essentials,” “Articulate Storyline: The Essentials,” and more, we know first-hand how frustrating it can be when assets mentioned in our books are moved or removed by the software vendors.

 

Take Adobe’s eLearning assets used by Adobe Captivate. With every new release of Adobe Captivate, Adobe posts new (fresh) assets to support the latest and greatest release. However, the old assets seem to disappear entirely making it impossible for users of older Captivate versions to install, much less take advantage of, the free assets.

 

Rejoice users of the older Captivate versions! Adobe hasn’t up and left you behind. The assets are available via one handy site.

 

Click the image below to access the asset site for several legacy versions of Captivate.

 

 

And if you’re looking for the legacy versions of the Captivate trials, Adobe has you covered there too. 

 

 

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Kevin Siegel, CTT, COTP, is the founder and president of IconLogic. Following a career in Public Affairs with the U.S. Coast Guard and in private industry, Kevin has spent decades as a technical communicator, classroom and online trainer, public speaker, and has written hundreds of computer training books for adult learners. He has been recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide.