Captivate scrolling capture failture in software simulation mode

[jennyt83516063]

I'm making an interactive video using software simulation mode, and in the video I need to have a scroll button that users can drag from the left of the slider to the right, but Captivate didn't capture the action and there wasn't a scrolling item shown that I can drag. Can anyone help to solve the problem? Thanks a lot.

[Lilybiri]

I suspect you are using the Software simulation, probably in Demo mode? Those 'moving' actions should be captured in a FMR slde. FMR is Full  Motion Recording. That worked fine for SWF output. However I learned that it is not always working OK for HTML5 output. Since several versions I do use another workflow: I stop the recording when I expect such a slide to occur, and insert/record a Video Demo slide instead. After that slide I continue the normal sim recording. Bit cumbersome, but it gives a much better result.

[Gaanf]

If I understand Jenny correctly, she expects those data range sliders in the image above to actually be operational (that is the learner could actually drag them to and fro horizontally) after capturing in Training Simulation mode.

If that's the case Jenny, you're asking too much of that poor Simulation feature here. Captivate has no native support for data range sliders, and thus no tools on board to simulate that. If you wanted to implement such functionality, you would have to  build that in JavaScript or include some JavaScript library that adds support for range sliders.

[jennyt83516063]

Thanks. Sorry, I didn't make it clear. I am using the software simulation in training mode.

[Lilybiri]

In that case it is not possible out of the box to make that interactive at all.

@Gaanf  Do you know any rapid authoring simulation tool that is capable of it out of the box? I know that Captivate's simulation is in need of refurbishing, but it is still a lot more powerful than other screen recording tools when you talk interactivity.

[Gaanf]

No, I don't. I think Storyline has a native Slider Object, but I doubt that it would automatically bring it in when recording a simulation.

Anyway, it just occurred to me now that what I wrote was misleading and apparently gave you a wrong impression. Sorry, my fault. I didn't mean to say Captivate was poor as in 'featureless' here. I meant that I pity it because so much is asked of it :-).

[RodWard]

Storyline DOES have native sliders and rotator objects.  They're a little clunky in that the sliding effect simply shows or hides different images to give the effect of a changing background.

They certainly don't work as seamlessly as the Slider and Rotator component widgets from Infosemantics (for Captivate SWF output only). And Storyline's sliders have minimal configuration options. But you can at least set up some kind of slider interaction with them and you CAN publish it for HTML5.

[Lilybiri]

Still miss the rotator and slider widgets we could use for SWF output.

Rod, this was about having a slider automatically being inserted in a software simulation. I doubt this is done by SL or am I wrong?

[Lilybiri]

They have a slider and a rotator, but soubt it is inserted automatically in a software sim when needed.

[RodWard]

You are correct.  To my knowledge the slide is only going to be present in the project if the developer elects to insert one and set it up.  It doesn't happen automatically during a capture session.  It would take considerable work to achieve the effect of replicating a slider that was present in the original app being captured.

The point I was making was just that Storyline at least DOES have some in-built capability in this area whereas Captivate does not.

This is just one of several areas where Storyline happens to beat out Captivate.  I remain hopeful that ONE DAY the powers that be inside the Captivate development team will realise that they need to listen to their user base instead of their marketing dudes and close off all of these 'functional holes' where Storyline nails them.

[Lilybiri]

Totally agree; Rod, but you are aware of that I suppose.

[RodWard]

Yes I know you're aware of it.  Any e-learning developer that is required to use whichever tool the client happens to prefer will be able to tell you their relative strengths and weaknesses. Adobe seems addicted to the endless encrustation of Captivate with new features that will only ever be used by a tiny fraction of the user base, while completely ignoring the issues that a majority of users have complained about for many years. 

If I sound bitter, it's because I AM.  I love this tool. I prefer it for building e-learning. But I hate the way it misses so many opportunities to be better.

[Lilybiri]

Sighing, how true!

[akaskens]

I've recently discovered Atomi's Active Presenter, which seems to have all the features of captivate but is easier to use, with more flexibility, especially for the software sims and video demo. So I've made the big switch from captivate to active presenter.