Adobe Captivate: Top Ten Tips

Adobe Captivate software enables anyone to rapidly create engaging simulations, software demonstrations, and scenario-based training without programming knowledgeor multimedia skills. For example, Captivate allows users to record an audio narration and at the same time capture screen movement (e.g. keyboard typing, opening of windows, mouse movement). Before you begin using Captivate, reading the overview may help you learn the program more quickly.

1. Where to find Captivate: Adobe Captivate is a keyservered application that can only be installed on PCs and used on campus. Find the instructions to download the Captivate Installer.
   
   
2. Whenever possible, plan out a script beforehand and make a practice run. Captivate has powerful editing capabilities that allow you to change mouse movements, edit audio, add captions and highlights, and control many other aspects of your project. However, avoiding re-recording a step and editing mistakes will save you a tremendous amount of time.
     
3. How to Learn:
1. View some of Adobe Captivate's Getting Started Tutorials on the opening window or under the Help Menu. Adobe also has help options throughout the program, usually seen on the lower left of pop-up windows next to an "i" icon.
   
   
4. Type of Projects: Adobe Captivate allows you to create two main types of Flash projects, in addition to Flash slideshows.
1. Software Stimulation is usually a basic "show me how" demo in the form of a linear Flash movie; choose this if you want to record the screen.
2. Scenario Stimulation is usually an interactive Flash tutorial that branches into different frames depending on selections made by the user (e.g. quiz that tells users whether they gave a right or wrong answer).
3. Other allows you to make quick Flash slideshows of images and powerpoint presentations.
   
   
5. To Adjust Recording Settings: Before you start recording, you should know that Captivate automatically records mouse/curser movements, highlights mouse clicks, and adds text captions ("Click the OK button" or "The error window opens"). You can later go through the recording and manually edit/delete them or you can adjust the settings beforehand in the Record window by clicking Options... Then in the Recording Options tab, next to Recording mode, click Edit settings...
   
   
6. To Record:
1. START/RECORD: in Monitor window, click the Record button.
2. PAUSE: press Pause key on keyboard
3. STOP: press the End key on keyboard OR click Captivate icon on lower right of computer screen
   
   
7. To Setup Optimal Viewing Area for Editing: Adobe has many features that can clutter up your screen. Go to View in the menu bar to adjust the viewing area.
1. Make sure Show Timeline and Show Thumbnails (i.e. slides) are checked.
2. Uncheck Status Bar, Show Library, and Show Slide Notes, which probably are not needed.
   
   
8. To Edit: First, make sure you are in the edit tab!
1. Slides: Captivate automatically divides your recording into slides, each one usually containing a separate action that you have taken. (For example, in Slide 1, you typed something. In Slide 2 you move the mouse across the screen.) 
2. Timeline: Captivate divides each individual object/action into a separate layer. You can click each layer and manipulate the duration of when an object/action appears. You can double-click and right-click on a layer to edit its properties.
   
   
9. To Preview an Entire Project: Click on the Preview button with the projector screen icon and select Project or press keyboard shortcut F4.
   
   
10. Publishing / Export format: You can publish your finished projects as Macromedia Flash .SWF files or standalone .EXE files.