Importing a Powerpoint to Captivate, Javascript Error.

[COBO]

I cannot import a .ppt file created using MS Office 2011 for MAC OSX to Adobe Captivate 2017 on Mac High Sierra.

I get an error message "To use the "java" command-line tool you need to install a JDK. Click "more info..." to visit the Java Developer Kit download website.

So I follow the link and download the latest Java from Oracle, check System Preferences on my Mac and verify I have installed and am running the latest Java. Still I cannot import it -Adobe Captivate 2017  hangs and I need to force quit out, whilst it still displays the same Java error message.

I have tried this over 15 times and always get the same result.

I have tried cutting up the powerpoint (its 62 slides and is 8mb ) into powerpoints of 10 slides and still it doesnt work.

Anyone got any ideas!? I would really appreciate it!

Barney

[Gamashire]

I suggest not importing a PowerPoint file into Captivate. You would generally be better off sending the PowerPoint diaporama to people than doing that. You'll lose a lot of control over your material by importing it.

If you are doing this to make the training more interactive, you won't get it that way. You have to redo the work in Adobe Captivate from scratch (which will not take that long since the design and wording decisions have already been made).

What is it you want to do exactly with the content of the PowerPoint file? If you tell us what your endgame is, I'm sure some people here on the forum will be able to help you achieve this in the easiest way possible. There could be shortcuts to get what you want, but I doubt that importing the PPT file is one of them.

[COBO]

Hi there,

Thanks for the reply. I am fairly new to Captivate and have >10  ppts each with around 80 slides- the powerpoints also include a 10 page quiz at the end of them. I want to make the quizzes interactive (which I don't mind redoing in Captivate) and then convert these to Scorn files to publish across a cloud intranet for a client (a Global Corporate),

I have spent time learning Captivate this month by following the great instructional videos over at Lynda.com. It is important to my workflow to retain the Powerpoint slides until the last minute, before using Captivate to convert them. The powerpoints themselves are being produced by a Comms Consultant and a number of Scientists (neither of whom have the time/ remit to learn Captivate). They send me the powerpoints on a template I have designed for them -I am a Graphic Designer. The elearning decks are then to be used as by sales/marketing people within the Company to improve product learning/awareness.

The client has 50,000+ employees globally and the new cloud intranet site is new for them; they have a requirement now and in the future for elearning-- all of which will be produced as outlined above.

I suggested we try Adobe Captivate as I have been using the Creative Suite since 1997 and am very familiar with Adobe products. Adobe also advertises Captivate here: http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/captivate/features.html

as being able to convert Powerpoints: but clearly there is a problem.

At this stage I am not sure whether to pursue using with Adobe Captivate - which seems a bit unstable- or recommend to my client we try using Articulate.

Any further ideas would be really appreciated!

Barney

[RodWard]

Barney,

Is this PPT deck a .ppt or pptx file?  I know you said .ppt, but I thought I would check.  If it's PPTX, save it as PPT and try importing that.

[COBO]

Hi Rod

Thanks-  I tried this approach but it still doesn't seem to make any difference to the outcome.

Barney

[RodWard]

OK.  Just one more thing.  To eliminate the possibility that there might be some dodgy component or corruption in the current PPT you are trying to import, try creating a new PPT file with only one or two slides and nothing on those slides except maybe some text.  Then try to import that as a PPT file (not PPTX).

If that doesn't work then it would appear that there is some deficiency in your installation or some bug in Captivate 2017 for MAC.

However, if that file DOES import correctly, then you may need to look closer at your current PPT looking for corrupt or unusual components that might be causing this issue.

You could also try giving the same PPT file to someone running a Windows version of Captivate 2017 to see if they can import the PPT without issue.  (That would indicate whether this is a MAC only issue.)

[COBO]

Hi Rod

Many thanks for the swift reply. I'll try as you suggest.

Barney

[RodWard]

OK.  Now that you have laid out more detail about what you are trying to do I would advise that you stop and think carefully before proceeding with Captivate for this job.

The truth is that Captivate doesn't really 'convert' PPT files.  That is, it doesn't take a PPT deck and convert the slides and objects on those slides into Captivate slides and Captivate slide objects which you can then edit as if they were native Captivate objects. That might be very important.

When a PPT deck is imported into a CPTX project file (or linked to one) the PPT slides and objects actually remain as they were..in PPT.  In order to make any edits to those slides or objects, you need to do what is referred to as RoundTripping.  That is, you open up either the original PowerPoint application and make edits to the PPT deck linked to the CPTX and then pull in the update.  Alternatively, if the PPT was actually imported completely into the CPTX (not just linked) then you open a sawn-off version of PowerPoint to make edits and update the PPT again.

Either way, the bottom line is that you DO NOT get to use all of the power available to you from the animation and interactivity Captivate can give. The PPT slides mostly just end up as static graphics sitting behind the Captivate slides. But you DO still end up with the original PowerPoint file for you or or your colleagues to keep working on.

The alternative here is to use another application like iSpring or Articulate Storyline, both of which actually DO convert the PPT into native slides and objects for the authoring tool.  That allows you to use their animation and interactivity functions to build your e-learning, but it also means you can't go back to the original PPT afterward.

So consider what is more important to you and then make your choice...carefully.

[MarcusM20002]

You may need to redownload the old packets: Here is the apple link to Download Java for OS X 2017-001

[tonyb99714846]

Running into the exact same issue.  But looks like someone suggested we don't do it this way. However, would be nice to not have it as a feature if there's a bug in the programming code.