Skip to main content
September 8, 2011
Question

URL in Powerpoint not working in Captivate 5.0

  • September 8, 2011
  • 2 replies
  • 3447 views

I created a new Captivate file by importing a Powerpoint 2007 file.  The file contains many links to external URLs, most of which work fine when I preview the file.  However, on two slides, where there is one link each, the links do not work in Preview mode. The links are different. One of these URLs exists elsewhere in the Captivate file on a different slide and it works fine there, so it is not the link itself.  It has something to do with the individual slides. When I edit either slide, the links are there.  When I run the slides in Powerpoint's Slide Show mode, the links open the URLs in Internet Explorer as they are supposed.  I've tried deleting the links and creating new ones in Powerpoint, but that doesn't work.  There are no animations active on either slide in Powerpoint and no other objects except for the header and body text boxes. 

I've also done the Flash Security Settings fix to eliminate that as a culprit.

I don't want to create buttons in Captivate to handle these URLs because buttons either pause the play when clicked (continue playing is turned off) or continue the play (continue playing is turned on), and neither action is acceptable because there is a separate Continue button which shows up after 5 seconds pauses the play and sends it to the next slide when clicked.  This button, which is on every slide throughout the file, doesn't work correctly when another button is on the screen. 

Anybody have any ideas how to fix these links? 

---------------------------------------

Since I first asked this question 9/8, I recreated these two slides from scratch in a new Powerpoint file (9/12), and then imported them into the Captivate.  There is a photo on each slide, which I captured via Snag-it, so when I recreated the slides I wasn't using the original image files.  I also cut and pasted the text to Notepad and back into the new ppt file to remove all formatting.  When I ran the ppt in Slide Show mode, the links worked.  When I imported these new slides into Captivate, the links still did not work and when you run your mouse over the links, they do not change to a hand cursor.  Again, it's odd because one of the links is found on another slide in the Captivate and works fine there.  Any ideas out there???

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    2 replies

    AndyKingInOC
    Legend
    September 20, 2011

    I don't think text links in PPT convert to Cp.  I'll admit I don't normally import slides to Cp so maybe I'm wrong, but you can't create a text link in Cp so I was under the impression it didn't work.

    To make text hyperlinks in Cp, the workaround is to use a transparent button or a clickbox positioned in a layer above the text.

    Inspiring
    September 20, 2011

    Yes, I did that on a project I worked on – just made it look like a hyperlink with a transparent button.

    Mary

    Inspiring
    September 20, 2011

    I don't know if this will help you or not, but I was also having trouble with a link in Captivate 5.  I went through similar steps (Flash security settings, etc).  In the end, the answer was just to put it on our web server. All worked fine from there. I'm not sure that you will be posting to a web server, but hopefully you will and this will solve your issues.  As far as the hand symbol goes, that is a setting in the Properties box under Options -- simplye select the box "Show Hand cursor over hit area."  Hope this helps!

    Mary

    September 20, 2011

    Are you saying that even though it didn't work in Preview mode, once you put it on the Web Server, the link did work?  I will be putting this on a hosted LMS, so, yes, it will be on a Web Server once it is moved into production.  Should I try that now and see if the link works, even though it didn't work in Preview?

    Inspiring
    September 20, 2011

    No, sorry. My link worked in Preview mode. Do you have more than one link on the slides that do not work?