Is there a way to import a Simulation project into a PowerPoint project?

[dianec71416484]

I created a 2 projects - one from a PowerPoint presentation and the other a Simulation.

I thought I would be able to embed the simulation into the PowerPoint project - i.e., create a button to run the simulation. But I can't seeem to figure out how.

Is this possible?

[StevePixel]

Hi Dianec,

Probably not, the only option I could offer is for you to publish your simulation as an MPG4 and import it as a video into your powerpoint. They won't be able to interact with it but they can view it as you interact with it.

Cheers

Steve

[dianec71416484]

Thank you for your quick reply Steve.

It actually is two separate projects created in Captivate: a "Software Simulation" project and a "From PowerPoint" project.

Although I redid my simulation as a video in Captivate and imported it into the "From PowerPoint" project. It had a similar result that I desired - just less of the visuals, (e.g., text captions, highlight boxes, etc.).

Lilybiri also responded below - I am looking at the first suggestion in their response as it is also applicable.

Sorry about the confusion - please let me know if you have any more suggestions.

🙂

[Lilybiri]

If you created a Video Demo, it is possible to add Highlight boxes, static images, Text Captions, Shapes. Have a look at this tutorial that I created quite a while ago (no longer valid for CP9), it is a Video demo with added static objects.

Simple vs Standard Action

[Lilybiri · Accepted solution]

I think Steve is misled by your title, he thinks you want to embed a simulation project created with Captivate into a ppt. When I read your question I suspect you mean combining two Captivate projects, one based on a ppt, the other one a software simulation. Could you confirm?

If my suspicion is correct, you have two ways to achieve this:

1. Use an interactive object in the first PPT-based CP-file, and link to the published Simulation project. You have to be careful when uploading both not to break the link. Are you publishing to HTML or to SWF?
2. Combine both projects in one CP-project, which is pretty easy provided they have both the same resolution (width and height in pixels). Open both projects, each will appear in a tab. Select the slide in the PPT-based project, after which you want to insert the simulation slides. Switch to the tab with the simulation project, select all slides in the Filmstrip, Copy them, go back to the first project and paste them. To provide navigation within that project you can use an interactive object (like a shape button, click box or button) to jump to the first slide of the simulation. You didn't specify which type of simulation: demo, training or assessment? If you publish to MP4 as Steve suggests, you should have lost all interactivity, which is especially important for training and assessment. If it is a demo, I would recommend not to use the classic capture (slide-based) but the Video Demo to have better quality if you opt to publish to MP4.

[dianec71416484]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions!

I this case  I did end up going with an MP4 because it was a demo - but in the future I will be creating the training and assessments as well. So would still need to know the work around.

I will look at ensuring future projects to combine have the same resolution.

I was publishing a swf of the combined project. For the first option, is there steps that I can find on how to use an interactive object in the first PPT-based CP-file, and link to the published Simulation project as I am not familiar with them.

Thank you

🙂

[Lilybiri]

You can rescale a project, but that will always lead to quality loss. You could also try, for the software sim slides, to use the approach I explained here: Create and Use a "Knockout" Master Slide - Captivate blog

You need to add a (shape) button, and for the Success action you can choose between:

1. Open another project, and point to the cptx file with the software sim: be sure to use a relative path. After having published both you have to upload them with the same hierarchy.
   
   
2. Open URL or file: you can point to the URL where the published sim file is hosted.