Captivate programming?

[Pete47]

I am searching for a new authoring environment. I've worked with Articulate Storyline 2 and older versions of Captivate. I've searched a bit for an answer but not finding any encouraging information on this forum.

I'd like to know if the current version of Captivate has any sort of programming language that I could use to manipulate content through code to help produce content faster, make global changes, or access an external database for live content. I'd like to be able to write a bit of code to do something like find every occurrence of a named object throughout a fifty slide lesson and move it, change its text (or caption if it were a button), change its color, or hide and show it as needed. My old authoring system would let me do all of that and a lot more, but it has been sold and resold and resold again and each time support by the new owner has shrunk until today, it isn't being actively supported at all.

So far it looks like the current crop of popular authoring systems are rather 'locked down' and don't allow an advanced user to get behind the scenes to use the make the tool do more than the GUI permits.

Thanks,

Pete

[teamperform]

Hey Rod - I know you have your own company - Infosemantics.  I'm working through your Advanced Actions Guide pdf right now, specifically the shared actions section.  I was just wondering if you had something else, specifically something that covers CP8.  It's a bit improved since Shared Actions allows variables now.  I'm looking for a way to avoid repeating as much drop-down menu programming as possible, because my background includes actionScript.  Looks like Shared Actions for CP8 tries to be more helpful with that, and there is a youtube video on the CP8 enhancements:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaltK7aXAyQ

However, Shared Actions still seem, as you might say, a "wee-bit dodgy".

What I would love to understand is how to make reusing and modifying advanced actions more efficient.  Such as when it's faster to just Duplicate, rename and change advanced actions versus using Shared Actions.  I think you said in your book that it was more efficient to use Duplicate when reusing actions within a project, but not across projects.   Is that still the case with CP8?  Also, are there any principles for how to make setting parameters more efficient for reusing Shared Actions?

[Lilybiri]

‌Shared actions can be very useful, Rod knows that I did not agree with him. In most projects I will use more shared then advanced actions at this moment. I have a Library with much used shared actions, which I can open as External Library whenever needed. At this moment I am composing a 'cookbook' where both types will be explained, reasons why to choose for which type. I have some articles on my blog about shared actions.

[teamperform]

Thanks Lilybiri.  I forgot to mention your chapter in the Mastering Adobe Captivate 8 book as a resource.  It is very helpful indeed and clearly written.

I noticed that in your Driving in Belgium example file, when creating the parameters for the Shared Action, you didn't check the value of 1 and give it a description. The value of 1 doesn't seem necessary when you reuse the Shared Actions later.  Is this why you didn't create a parameter for the value of 1?

Lilybiri, it looks like your methods with Shared Actions saves a lot of time.  Big thanks!

Looking forward to your cookbook.

[RodWard]

Lieve likes to remind me that when Shared Actions first came out I went on record as saying that they were not very useful and it was actually much quicker to just duplicate a Standard or Conditional Action multiple times and rename than to jump through all the hoops to create a Shared Action.  Additionally, at that time Shared Actions did not allow variables as parameters, which for me was a major bummer because I'm almost always using variables in Conditional Actions.  So I just didn't find them useful.

I stand by my initial criticisms of Shared Actions as they were FIRST implemented.  However, Shared Actions were definitely improved in subsequent versions of Captivate.

In my opinion, they can NOW be considered a viable proposition for any situation where you will be repeatedly required to execute what is essentially the same Advanced Action with only minor changes to parameters in each case. 

As to when it's worth using a Shared Action and when setting up all the configurations is more trouble than it's worth, that's hard to say.  If you're only going to use the action a few times in a project, then I'd still go with duplicating and renaming. If you're likely to need the same action 5-10 times or more then I could see them being useful.  Additionally, if you've slaved over a really complex Advanced Action that you think you might use in multiple projects, then saving that as a Shared Action could be worth it.

However....you need to remember that, once created, you cannot actually Edit the original Shared Action itself.  So, for me that's still a major bummer.