Can Captivate do this (yes, I'm researching)?

Why not straight HTML?
I don't know about scipting objects in HTML but I would think, perhaps,
that the Acrobat control (reader) offers some functionality that can be
accessed via javascript (?).
Is turning on/off layers in PDFs something that is even possible? If so,
can that layering be controlled via Javascript?

Flash may be able to do this for you but, afaik, you can't load an
outside control into Flash...so you couldn't actually load the PDF into
the Flash interface. I'd imagine the same holds for Flex.

Adobe's AIR, however, may well allow this.

The GREAT product to do this with is Adobe's, unfortunately EOD'd,
Authorware. You could load the PDF ActiveX control into the program and
affect the various properties. However, that would be a Windows-only
solution.

HTH
Erik

David Borrink wrote:
> A client and I are wanting to develop an interactive application for education,
> which would open PDF files with graphics with multilple layers created in
> Illustrator. We'd like to be able to offer the ability to turn on and off
> selected layers and print out the results. Can this be done in Captivate?

--
Erik Lord
http://www.capemedia.net
Adobe Community Expert - eLearning
http://www.adobe.com/communities/experts/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.awaretips.net - Authorware Tips!

>A client and I are wanting to develop an interactive application for
>education,
> which would open PDF files with graphics with multilple layers created in
> Illustrator. We'd like to be able to offer the ability to turn on and off
> selected layers and print out the results. Can this be done in Captivate?

You can jump out to the pdf, but you cannot control it from Captivate. The
rider to that is, if it's possible to control what the viewer sees when the
pdf is launched using a formatted URL or JavaScrip, then you should be able
to wok out a way to achieve that.

If you cannot control what the users sees through URL/JavaScript, then you
need to build your pdf in a way that offers controls to the user to achieve
what you want.

>
> We have a lot of files to put on a DVD and need an application to run a
> search
> and choose for them.

Captivate cannot do a search of the DVD for you.

<speculation>
But you can install a PHP server (or similar) to the DVD that you should be
able to use. Here you could launch a php web page form Captivate, and have
the search feature available in the web page.
</specualtion>

I've never done this, but I'm pretty sure it should be possible.

Steve


--
http://twitter.com/Stevehoward999

Adobe Community Expert: eLearning, Mobile and Devices
European eLearning Summit - EeLS
Adobe-sponsored eLearning conference.
http://www.elearningsummit.eu

Hi David

Captivate can certainly contain links that open PDF documents. I've done this.

I suppose you might be able to simulate turning layers off and on by simply creating different slides. Each slide would have an image with the layer in place or missing.

I'm totally confused by your mention of wanting an application to "run a search and choose for them". Grasping at some meaning and context here, I might imagine you are looking for something like RoboHelp to organize and provide searching for different Captivate videos. But without knowing more, I'm not sure.

Cheers... Rick