Custom mouse cursor not positioned correctly

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
January 31, 2022
3 replies
748 views

Hello,

I'm running into an issue with mouse positioning, which is hard to describe accurately but easy to spot. I've included a link below to a 47-second demo of the issue.

I'm using Captivate 2019 to build video instruction for an application that measures quantities in architectural plans. The application has about a dozen custom mouse cursors, with each cursor conveying meaning about the context and state. Understanding these nuances is a crucial part of the lesson content. I've imported each of these custom cursors into the .cptx file so I can select them where appropriate. The problem is that when I select one of these cursors for a slide's mouse properties, this actually changes the position of the mouse such that the clicked location is aligned with the center point of the cursor graphic rather than the top left tip of the arrow. However--it's not apparent when working in Captivate that the mouse position is wrong! It only shows up after I've generated an mp4 or html5.

I can fix most of these issues by painstakingly moving each mouse a few pixels up and to the right--but the exact direction and number of pixels is not consistent, and not all slides can be fixed this way. If the mouse should not move between slides A and B, but the cursor selection is different on each, then at the start of slide B the mouse jumps a few pixels away, and then moves in a curved path back to its original position (from where it should never have strayed). I haven't found a way to fix this. Again, it's not apparent in Captivate--only when viewing the generated video.

In the video linked below, you can see a sidebar showing screen shots of each corresponding slide's mouse as it appears in Captivate, compared to what's happening in the video. Pause to compare as needed. In Captivate, the pink arrow always aligns perfectly with the tip of the cursor's arrow--but the resulting video is not WYSIWYG.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2cubjyy44u4xsrj/Compare_Captivate_m4_mouse-position.mp4?dl=0

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! I have four hours of videos that I need to fix for this issue.

This topic has been closed for replies.

Lilybiri

Brainiac

Sorry, but I never download from unknown sources. It is possible to add an URL to a published video in this forum.

You didn't mention if your goal is an interactive tutorial (Training or Assessment mode for Software sim) or passive video? For passive video, please use a video capturing application like Video Demo or Camtasia. You could also replace full motion recording slides in a software sim by Video Demo slides.

A

Anita G, OregonAuthor

Inspiring

Thanks. I'm not sure whether attaching the video to this post makes a difference, but here it is just in case.

My goal is a passive video--no interaction. I tried recording a video demo, but ran into the issue discussed on this forum that the mouse doesn't appear at all (I replied with more detail above).

https://community.adobe.com/t5/captivate-discussions/mouse-pointer-not-visible-on-recorded-video-demo/td-p/4672726

Compare_Captivate_m4_mouse-position.zip

RodWard

Community Expert

This is perhaps NOT the suggestion you wanted to hear, but I think you would have been better off using Video Demo to create the content for these modules. That way the mouse cursors shown, and their positions, would have been recorded exactly.

Slide-by-slide capture is appropriate for some types of training, but not necessarily the best choice in all cases. The same is true of Video Demo. Each type of capture has advantages and disadvantages.

A

Anita G, OregonAuthor

Inspiring

Thanks. I tried using a video demo, but I run into the issue others have identified where the custom mouse doesn't show up at all. It picks up the effects of the mouse-clicks, but not the mouse itself.