New Captivate 12.3 Not Opening Up Large Captivate Files

[LWDavidson]

Dear Community,

While I work with Adobe Support on this issue (see below), I'm posting here as well.  Perhaps someone has experienced a similiar issue when updating their New Adobe Captivate to the recently-launched version (12.3) and can provide me with some guidance/insight.

Since updating to the 12.3 version, my project files are not opening properly.  The software program buffers and then generates the following error message ("An unexpected error has occurred, which may cause Captivate to behave unexpectedly. You can restart Captivate with backed-up project.").  I have tried but cannot figure out how to restart my project with the BAK files.  I tested it out with a work colleague of my mine; they can open the same project file on their computer.  They did not update their Captivate to the latest 12.3 version.

I have tried to uninstall and reinstall a fresh version of Adobe Captivate.  However, the fresh online version seems to be with the 12.3 updates.  Still experiencing the same error message.  Also, the project files that are ‘not opening’ and generating the error message are rather large (around 2,000 MB).  I’ve tested the updated 12.3 Captivate with some smaller project files (200 MB) and they are opening properly.  No error message.

I am using Windows 11 Enterprise, version 21H2.  The project files in question are located within a OneDrive work account.  I know cloud computing can cause issues for Adobe Captivate; however, I didn't have a problem with them before this update.  Also, the smaller project files that are opening properly are still located within that OneDrive cloud folder.  I have since moved the larger problematic files to a non-cloud folder on my C:/drive.  Still cannot open them.

Thanks in advance for any guidance you may offer.  This has completely halted my work.  So frustrating.

[Lilybiri]

I never had issues with OneDrive neither, until this version. I would move them outside of the location which is synchronised with OneDrive to check it out. It is very annoying but I don't use OneDrive anymore for Captivate projects in that new version.

Those files are HUGE, that is not normal. Are you using a lot of video, audio? What is the size of the output folder?

[LWDavidson]

You are correct @Lilybiri, the project does include embedded video.  They are episodic.  The video itself is around 405 MB.  You will have to clarify for me.  I'm still learning Adobe Captivate.  Which folder is considered the 'output' folder?  Are you referencing within the SCORM package (or what is published)?  Or something else?   

[LWDavidson]

@Lilybiri, as the expert and top contributor in this community, perhaps you can help me better understand a quirk of Captivate.  Or I am misusing it somehow. 

I've just realized, looking into this issue, that the project files keep getting bigger and bigger.  Again, what I am building is episodic--a distance learning on-demand course for ESL students.  So Episode 1, 2, 3, etc. etc.  Each episode includes a preview, the embedded episode video itself (as I mentioned before, around 405MB in size), and two checkpoints to check for comprehension of the story in the video.  An entire episode captivate file is between 30-35 slides in total.

Because the episodes are very formulaic, and what I originally built in Episode 1 can be used like a template for Episode 2, Episode 3, etc, my workflow for this project so far has been the following...

1) Upon completion of one episode, 'save as' that file and then create the next episode file from the previous one.  So change the file name (from Ep 1 to Ep 2).

2) Change the content within it (i.e.: different episode video, different comprehension questions, different previous episode images, etc.).

3) Once done, repeat Step 1 and 'save' as' to the next episode file (from Ep 2 to Ep 3).  Rinse and repeat.

I have realized each episode captivate file increases in large increments.  Episode 1: 1,700MB.  Episode 2: 2,400MB. Episode 3: 3,600 MB. Episode 4: 4,600MB. Episode 5: 5,500 MB.  What the heck is going on here?!  Is this somehow related to cache files not being cleared when I am essentially copying all episode material into a new file?  My project has 16 episodes in total.  This seems completely unmanageable. 😞  I also don't want to build each episode from scratch--and all of the interactive components within each slide.  Especially since they are so formulaic.        

[Lilybiri]

Some may label me as expeert, but all my expertise was thrown in the trash bin with the release of this version. I am unable to use it for any consultancy job, and I do not want to train for this version. In 6 months this version crashed more than all the crashes in two decades of the Classic version.  What I appreciated in Captivate and made me stick with it, trying to help users, is all gone. This is a very bitter comment but try to imagine what it means when suddenly someone decides that all what you have learned during thousands of hours need to be forgotten.

I cannot answer your questions but will ask you some questions:

• With the size of your projects, it will be very difficult to view them on mobile devices since they are have much lower possibilities (hardware, connection speed, software) than desktop/laptops. With this new version you don't have the choice for non-responsive projects.
• Since this new version threw away the possibility to create a solid theme (the one available is a very weak version of former themes) for design consistency, you choose to use a complete project as a sort of template. This clearly was never in the mind of the developers (although I warned them) and probably is the cause of the growing file sizes. It looks like everything what has been used in the previous projects is included in the new project built on an older one. Normally
• I would recommend to check the Project Library and delete all unused items, but.... they threw away the Library as well, although I was promised it would be there 4 years ago. Marketing of Captivate hates me at this moment and act on that hate. Of course, I am only a user who is too honest, have tons of experience with  solving problems for users, but I am a woman (problem in India as you know).

Reusability and collaboration with other Adobe applications (which would be very useful in your situation) is also completely gone. 

I am still waiting for the promised experts on the new version to assist in this forum. I never have given an answer if I didn't have double-checked it. I am NOT an expert on the new Captivate version but continue to help the users of Captivate Classic, where the most recent version also added a lot of bugs (I hope not on purpose) and causes a lot of panic with my clients who were not warned that this recent version is incompatible with the stable 11.5.5.553 version and are now coping with many corrupted projects without the possibility to get back to the previous version. Once Captivate Classic is abandoned, I leave this forum.

[LWDavidson]

I'm sorry this is the predicament you find yourself in.  I can only imagine how frustrating that must feel for you. 

Thanks for the detailed insight @Lilybiri.  Yeah, using a completed project as a template does appear to be the cause of this unmanageable increase in file size.  I'm glad I caught it now, before I reached the half-way mark with this course build.  

I wish I could access this Project Library.  It sounds like that could've been the solution to 'clear' those caches and all older data that was transferred from the Episode 1 project file to Episode 2 project file and on and on and on.

Crossing my fingers that a live chat with Adobe Support will give me some sort of manageable fix.  So much time and effort on this course build would be wasted otherwise.  Feeling your pain @Lilybiri, if only slightly. 😞      

[Lilybiri]

If they can fix your problem, I would like to hear about the workflow. Allow me to be a bit sceptical. 

[LWDavidson]

Commitment and desperation is keeping me hopeful for now.  We will see.  Ha!

[LWDavidson]

If interested, I figured out the ballooning file size issue.  Open the Captivate file, click on the File dropbox and select 'remove unused items.'  Perhaps this serves the purpose of the 'Project Library' you mentioned earlier @Lilybiri?  With, of course, less control and backend access.  Second, click on the Edit dropbox and select the Preferences option.  Then clear the cache. 

This has brought my files (the ones I can access right now anyway), for this massive episodic ESL Distance Learning course down to their original size.  So glad I caught this now. 

[Lilybiri]

I know about the Clear cache in the Preferences. Thanks for the tip abbout unused items, although I would hesitate to use it, as long as a project is not completely finished. Indeed, being a control freak, I'd prefer the former way using the Project Library to clean a project from unused items.

[LWDavidson]

For anyone who might have been following this issue, I am going to share the results in this post thread.  No explanation behind the phenomenon, but it was a 12.3 version issue.  As soon as I was able to convince Adobe Support to share with me CP 12.2 (before I updated), all of these large 'problemmatic project files' became accessible once again.  I can open them up, edit, and have been able to reduce down to a manageable size with the 'remove unused items' option under the File dropbox.  Brought the files down to around 950 MB each.  

Took two weeks to solve and a halted timeline in development, but hey, lessons learned I guess?  Do not update while in the middle of a build.  I never had to consider that before with other programs.  Sigh.  Oh well.     

[Lilybiri]

This ia partially due to hiding that functionality. In Captivate Classic when the Project Library had too much unused items a warning appeared automatically. BTW you had full control over all the warning messages and could override the defaults, which is now lost as well.

Often wrongly told as a solution for output which is too big: deleting unused items will NOT decrease the file size of the output folder. I even read it here recently and had to correct it.