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davidwilson1504
Participant
April 5, 2020
Question

Community Developed eLearning course using HTML4, Flash, and JavaScript needs an update

  • April 5, 2020
  • 1 reply
  • 218 views

I have about 10 computer based training courses that were developed by the community and have not been updated since 2015. These courses use javascript and flash and are written in HTML4 as far as I can tell. I am in the National Guard and we are trying to find CBT's to conduct virtual drills so we can get these guys paid. I have the files that are labeled as HTML documents and I can see all the slides for the courses but I cannot make them run. If I open these files individually I can use and manipulate the slides, I just cannot make them run together. 

There is an index file that I believe is how you start the course, but the TextFetcher application is blocked by Java security. I fully admit that this project is way out of my league, but I am willing to try and figure it out. 

I am wanting to be able to change these files to a usable format and republish them to the community for use. 

 

Thanks for your help and if I can provide any more information please hit me up.

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    1 reply

    RodWard
    Community Expert
    RodWardCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 6, 2020

    If these courses were created in Captivate and published to SWF/HTM, then there is a possibility that you might be able to get them to run if you were to upload the modules to a web server and delivered them from there.  You won't be able to just send the files via email to each individual and expect them to run.  The security blocks that you are seeing come from the web browser from which you are trying to view the content locally.  Sometimes the same browser will allow the content if it's coming from a web server over the internet.

     

    However, since courses using SWF/Flash are not supported by many browser manufacturers nowadays, you may find that most end users will run into roadblocks trying to view the content unless they enable Flash in a browser that still allows it. 

     

    I notice you said you only have the output files.  A better option would be to try and get hold of the original Captivate project files and then republish the content again to HTML5 instead of SWF.  Then you could upload the courses to a web server and send everyone the link to view them.  If there are no Flash/SWF components then the web browsers should not choke on them.  

     

    So do you have any way of contacting the original developers?  Did your organisation perhaps require that the developers hand over the project files at the end of development?  You may find that they are buried on one of your file servers somewhere and then you can get started on republishing with just a license of Captivate.

    Lilybiri
    Lilybiri
    Legend
    April 6, 2020

    If that 'course' doesn't have a lot of interactivity, and you really have only access to the published SWF version, a workaround which I mentioned in a blog is:

    • Play the output version and record with Video Demo
    • Edit the video demo and publish to MP4
    • Import the mp4 in a cptx project and convert it into an interactive video, to replace the rare interactivity in overlay slides and eventually add overlay Knowledge Check slides

    Here is the link to that blog which is a survey to be used when needing to convert legacy SWF output to HTML5. Was meant to be part of a presentation in DC conference which has been cancelled:

    http://blog.lilybiri.com/using-cpquizinfoanswerchoice-for-survey-conversion-from-swf-to-html

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