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A
Anonymous
November 18, 2009
Answered

Captivate: Keeping Cursor in Text Entry Box

  • November 18, 2009
  • 1 reply
  • 1958 views

I would like to confine the cursor to the text entry box in a slide, regardless of where the user happens to click.

I'm doing a training project for a text-interface application, and I simulate the application's entry field by placing a single text entry box on the slide.  Although the cursor starts in this field when the slide displays, if the user happens to use the mouse to click anywhere but the text entry box, the cursor disappears and the user can't enter data until he or she clicks on the text entry box with the mouse.  This problem occurs in both the Preview and the .EXE output.

I've tried enabling and disabling the "mouse click" option under Select Keys... in the Text Box Properties settings.  I've also tried setting the On focus lost action to Enable for the text control, or getting it to display a caption that says "Click in the Selection Box."  Apparently, taking the cursor away from the box is not quite enough to trigger the "Lost Focus" event.

While this is not a complete show-stopper, it is an irritation I'd rather not have my users deal with.

I'm using Captivate 4 v4.0.1 Build 1658.

Thanks for any assistance you can give...

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Captiv8r

    Hi there

    I was able to accomplish this as follows.

    Insert a Click Box object programmed to go to the last slide when clicked.

    Insert a Text Entry Box and configure it so that it doesn't retain the text.

    Insert a blank slide just before the slide with the TEB, then time it so it's .1 seconds long. You should also give it the same background as the slide with the TEB. Otherwise, you see a "flash" as the previous slide is visited.

    The way this works is that the user clicks anywhere but the TEB and the action of the Click Box transports to the previous slide. But that slide is really super short. .1 seconds So it is visited and the playhead re-enters the slide with the TEB.

    One thing to be aware of is that if you plan on posting the Captivate "at large", meaning that you have no idea what browser is being used to view it, you should consider inserting a Button object on the first slide that forces the user to click it. This way focus is shifted to the Flash Object sitting inside the browser.

    Cheers... Rick

    Helpful and Handy Links

    Captivate Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form

    Adobe Certified Captivate Training

    SorcerStone Blog

    Captivate eBooks

    1 reply

    Captiv8r
    Captiv8rCorrect answer
    Legend
    November 19, 2009

    Hi there

    I was able to accomplish this as follows.

    Insert a Click Box object programmed to go to the last slide when clicked.

    Insert a Text Entry Box and configure it so that it doesn't retain the text.

    Insert a blank slide just before the slide with the TEB, then time it so it's .1 seconds long. You should also give it the same background as the slide with the TEB. Otherwise, you see a "flash" as the previous slide is visited.

    The way this works is that the user clicks anywhere but the TEB and the action of the Click Box transports to the previous slide. But that slide is really super short. .1 seconds So it is visited and the playhead re-enters the slide with the TEB.

    One thing to be aware of is that if you plan on posting the Captivate "at large", meaning that you have no idea what browser is being used to view it, you should consider inserting a Button object on the first slide that forces the user to click it. This way focus is shifted to the Flash Object sitting inside the browser.

    Cheers... Rick

    Helpful and Handy Links

    Captivate Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form

    Adobe Certified Captivate Training

    SorcerStone Blog

    Captivate eBooks

    A
    Anonymous
    November 19, 2009

    Rick:

    Thanks for the help.  Although this works, it didn't compeltely solve my problem, because the slide also has a 20+ sec audio track, and I didn't want to repeat it every time a user clicked in the wrong spot.

    However, your suggestion of using the click box did put me on to an idea that has solved the problem for me.  I have placed a click-box under the TEB, so if the user clicks anywhere else on the screen, the failure message displays.  The failure message is a caption pointing to the TEB, and instructing them to click there.  I've set a "No action" setting as the action on Success for the click box, so the captions stop bugging them once they click in the right place.

    Granted, if they click away again after having once clicked in the right place, the captions don't return, but you can only allow for so many miscues.

    It still seems like in a completely logical world, either the cursor would not respond to a click outside the entry area, or the "Enable" command would move the cursor to the enabled object, but <<news flash>> we don't live in a completely logical world.

    Thanks again for your help.

    Doug

      Captiv8r
      Captiv8r
      Legend
      November 19, 2009

      Hi there

      I'm pleased to hear that you found something that works!

      Please do take a moment and file a Bug Report on this.

      Link is in my sig.

      Thanks... Rick

      Helpful and Handy Links

      Captivate Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form

      Adobe Certified Captivate Training

      SorcerStone Blog

      Captivate eBooks

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