Allow the user to copy and past text in published captivate content

Report · Apr 11, 2018

HI,

I am using captivate 2017 and would like to allow the user to copy and paste text from my published content so that they may use the content when teaching others or for sharing with others without having to share the whole course. Can this be done?

Report · Apr 11, 2018

There is a scrolling text area Widget that will facilitate this. Just make sure it's set for Read-Only. Alternatively, if you're capable of some simple HTML markup, you can insert a Web Object on your slide and create your own text box, scroll box, etc. using HTML and CSS (if you want to control the styling).

In Response To sabre123 · Apr 11, 2018

Thank you.. Where would one find this text area widget and how would it be used? Thank you.

In Response To sallyd44477050 · Apr 11, 2018

Hmmm, I have been using the Scrolling Text interaction quite a lot and wrote several blog posts. You find it with the other interactions under Interactions, Learning Interactions. It was more useful for SWF output because you could clear the content, which is not working for HTML output.

I use it as an alternative for the Text Entry Box, because it allows to have the user enter text or to offer text. The content of the interaction can be stored in an associated variable. I don't really understand why this could be a solution to your question or you should have to put everything in Scrolling Text interactions. That would be a lot of work, since formatting within that interaction is very limited. Here are some links to blog posts where I use the interactions:

Custom Short Answer Question - Captivate blog

Tips - Learning Interactions - Captivate blog

Are you aware of the Notes interaction? User can write in that interaction as much as they want, copy/paste will not be possible, but they can print the content of the Notes at the end.

In Response To Lilybiri · Apr 12, 2018

I don't want the user to write their own notes but rather be able to copy and paste the content I have in my course to external applications such as Word or email to share with others.

I don't feel like the above suggestions really address what I need.

In Response To sallyd44477050 · Apr 12, 2018

I understood that, but don't see any easy way of doing it. Both mentioned eLearning interactions allow to have the user write someting in the course, but that is it.

In Response To Lilybiri · Apr 12, 2018

How about by doing some HTML coding in the background?

In Response To sallyd44477050 · Apr 12, 2018

I mentioned HTML. You can add a web object and embed the markup on the page (minified). A very simple example:

<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><style>.textbox{background-color:white;overflow:scroll}</style></head><body><p class="textbox">Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.</p></body></html>

You can set a font stack in the Style section. If you want your custom font to be used, you'll have to use @font-face and go through some additional steps to get it in the set of files for publishing and use it in the program.

Report · Apr 13, 2018

I suggest that you are trying to do something that Captivate was not designed to do - ie using a can opener when a screwdriver will do.

My suggestion would be to take the course and "Print to Handouts" which will give you a word doc, and then either attach it as a downloadable job aid through a url reference in either word or pdf format. You could also place the pdf in a web object on a slide called "say resource". The end user can copy and paste content at will from either the downloaded job aid in word or pdf format or from the embedded pdf in the web object.

In Response To David Burnham HBA · Apr 13, 2018

Yes thank you David. I do believe that would be the best suggestion.

Thank you.