How do I align animations and audio in Captivate 9?

[Allen4Know]

How do I align animations and audio in Captivate 9?

[Lilybiri]

To avoid confusion about terminology: what do you mean by 'animation'? Is that an animation created in an external application, like an OAM or an animated GIF? In that case, please add audio in that external application. Or are you talking about Captivate effects appied to objects or groups? Or maybe something different?

As for the audio: which type of audio do you want to synch. Slide audio, object audio or audio started with 'Play Audio'?

[Allen4Know]

I have imported a PPTX file into Captivate 9. I created an audio file using Captivate's Record option. I'm looking for a way to trigger each section of the animation I created in PPT. Obviously, the audio file just runs, start to finish. But the PPT animation is supposed to appear in several parts as the audio plays. How do I make that happen?

...and I'm doing this on each slide, with various text and/or graphic objects on each slide, so the timing will be different for each slide.

[Lilybiri]

Sorry, will not be able to help you because importing a PPT is the only Captivate feature which I never use. Each PPT-slide is converted into a sort of movie lside reproducing the timing setup in PPT. Trying to synchronize with audio recorded later on will be a pretty frustrating work flow. I love and use Captivate all the time, but that import feature is too limited. It is OK to convert quickly a presentation, but don't expect more. Crossing my fingers that someone else can help you. Even when I present before an audience, I always use Captivate to create a presentation...

[Allen4Know]

Well, I agree that it's a clunky workflow, and it can take multiple passes through a slide to align the animations. I made it work, but it wasn't quick for the slides that had multiple parts to the animation. I used the Captivate timeline and noted when each part of the animation should appear, and then I went back to the PPT (edit in PPT) and adjusted each animation section's timing as necessary.

I had to use this type of workflow because I didn't have the choice to work solely in Captivate; I was working with a Subject Matter Expert who did the original content development work in PPT.

[RodWard · Accepted solution]

Yes that workflow will always be far less efficient than just working from scratch in Captivate.

However, if your future intentions are to have this content delivered as HTML5, then you are also in for more 'surprises' because those animations in PPT get converted into SWF animations when initially brought into Captivate.  But HTML5 doesn't support SWF animation.

So, the bottom line is that, sooner or later (if you ever want mobile content), you will need to ditch the PPT workflow.

[Allen4Know]

Thanks for that information! I have even more justification for staying with one software tool, instead of jumping between then for one project!