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WileyScouser
WileyScouser
Participant
November 8, 2021
Question

Interactive explainer video and quiz work flow

  • November 8, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 409 views

Hi,

I really want to get in to designing and building interactive video explainers, multiple choice quizzes and other educational projects.

 

As I want to incorporate video and animated infographics I think Aftereffects is the best choice for that part of the project.

But to add user elements such as buttons and hot spots to allow users to navigate to different parts of the project I think Adobe Animate may be best for adding those elements.

So in case I'm wrong (which isn't that rare to be frank) I would be grateful for any recommendations or suggestions which might point me in the right direction and save me a shed load of time.

Many thanks for any feedback!

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

Mylenium
Mylenium
Legend
November 8, 2021

For certain tasks also consider Adobe XD. It can export HTML canvas and SVGs to simulate interactions and when using e.g. different object states smartly, simple quizzes and puzzles can be built. otherwise of course there's always Captivate/ Adobe eLearning, but that's not part of the regular CC subscription and shelling out extra money may not be what you had in mind.

 

Mylenium

WileyScouser
WileyScouserAuthor
Participant
November 8, 2021

Thanks Mylenium,
I've never used XD but I'll deffo check it out now thanks.

 

I did have a look at Captivate. It seems very "powerpointy" if you know what I mean. Great for basic presentations that need turning around quickly but not going to blow anyone's socks off.

Maybe I'm not being fair about Captivate . . . ?

Mylenium
Mylenium
Legend
November 8, 2021

It's actually pretty powerful, but many of the features for forms and so on depend on Adobe's cloud, so it may not be ideal unless you are already subscribed to Document Cloud/ eLearning.

 

Mylenium

D
David Arbor
Inspiring
November 8, 2021

Yup, you have the right idea. If you want to make something interactive, for the web at least, then you need an application that can publish HTML projects, which is something Animate can do, or you go the route of more traditional web development and do this without a dedicated app. You also need to know JavaScript (which replaces ActionScript as the scripting language of choice when creating HTML vs Flash projects) to code the interactivity. There are other pieces of software out there that publish HTML projects, but you'll have to decide what's best for you based on the needs of your project.

 

I will say that I did one interactive project in Animate and it was quite a challenge due to limitations Animate has. You'll find a couple decade's worth of forum posts with people asking every question you could possibly have, but a lot of them relate to Flash and ActionScript which don't necessarily translate to HTML. A web developer friend of mine was able to help me with some of the JavaScript I couldn't write on my own, but even then he had challenges because Animate uses custom functions that he didn't know, so techniques you might use to add interactivity to a normal webpage with JS didn't necessarily work in Animate.

    WileyScouser
    WileyScouserAuthor
    Participant
    November 8, 2021

    Hi David and thanks for your comments.

     

    I have worked with Flash and Animate (off and on) over the years.  My javascript skills are pretty basic at the moment but I think I can achieve the level I need with a bit of extra effort.

    I think the bulk of my work will be in Aftereffects too. I just want people to be able to navigate their way around a project rather than just be led down a linear path. I've done the kind of stuff in the past. 

    I just wanted to be sure nothing had surpassed Animate because I've seen quite a few ads for 3rd party programmes when I did a search on Youtube on this topic.

    I wonder if there are any examples that might inspire me in the showcase gallery . . . that's the next stop.

    Thanks again

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