Published .zip files editable?

[wittybib]

We had an outside vendor create our e-Learn modules and requested that they provide the original files so we could do our own updates.  They delivered the published .zip files, but no .cp files.  Is it possible to edit the .zip files (without opening them blindly in WordPad, etc. and re-publishing to the LMS to see results) or to convert them back to a .cp file so they are easily editable?  Or, do we just need to request they cough up their original .cp files?

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Lilybiri · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Will have to disappoint you. The ZIP-files contain the published SWF, JS and HTML-files. But there is no way to revert the publishing process and get back to the CP-file from the SWF.

Lilybiri

[Captiv8r]

Hi all

If I've said this once... I've said it.

please, Please, PLEASE I wish everyone would just hammer the wish form and saturate Adobe until they FINALLY understand that we need a decompiler for Captivate. This thread nicely exhibits just one of the reasons this would be oh-so-useful.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links Captivate Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Adobe Certified Captivate Training SorcerStone Blog Captivate eBooks

[Michael V Baker]

As a developer I certainly hope they do *not* provide a decompiler. I don't typically develop in Captivate so I don't know what the normal practice is, but I would hate to find out that an application that I built was being disassembled by my customer. If the source is supposed to be available to the client then that needs to be part of the deal. After so many years of doing this I always make sure that this is clear during the negotiations.

Mike

[Lilybiri]

Hello Mike,

Understand you fully and agree with you. I'm not a real developer but dislike it a lot when someone is using my courses (in the past, the paper versions) without asking permission, even putting their name on it. For the moment I'm feeling "protected" with my published Presenter and CP-SWF's.

Sorry, Rick, disagree with you in this case

Lilybiri

[Michael V Baker]

When you contracted to the outside source did you make them understand that you were supposed to get the source of the Captivate? It's not always a given that the customer get the source. Can we assume that you asked them for the source files and they declined?

Mike

[Captiv8r]

Hi all

FWIW, here's my take on it. We may as well face it. If someone really wants something. It really doesn't matter what you do to protect it. They will get it. After all, they could acquire Captivate or Camtasia and simply record your presentation and call it their own, no?

The bit that frustrates the snot out of me is when we see situations just like this one. Someone received a project. But received output. Now whether they contracted to receive the source is another matter. But let's say they did. And the person they contracted with is holding back and unwilling to provide the source. If the recipient could decompile it, that would be awesome.

In all the times I put into the forums over the years, I cannot tell you how many times folks were simply unaware of best practices with Captivate. They weren't aware they shouldn't work on CP files while they were on the network. Or that it's not a good thing to have hundreds of slides. So they hit that wall and BAM! Corrupt project! And they often have a perfectly fine SWF or EXE of the same project. I'm sure they might agree it would be a good thing if they could just convert it back to a functional CP file.

I'm saying that if Adobe really wanted to, they could do it. And they could probably do it where it would only decompile a file that that particular install created. Either that or ask for a key, same as you do when initially installing the product.

Anyhoo, those are my twisted little thoughts for today.

Rick

Helpful and Handy Links Captivate Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Adobe Certified Captivate Training SorcerStone Blog Captivate eBooks

[Michael V Baker]

Yup - dishonest people will do what they will. There's no need for us to make it flat out *easy* to do so. They could record your presentation but that wouldn't necessarily make things like replacing logos, trademarks, copyrights, or adjusting the interactivity easy tasks. Think about the client as well, the one who paid you for the work. You could give them the finished SWF and the source, they post the SWF on their site and allow people to take it. If there's a decompiler then someone could take the course, look in their browser cache for the SWF file and decompile it.

And just to be sure - I'm not suggesting that the OP is trying to get around contracted work or whether or not they're entitled to the source... just commenting about the concept of being able to easily decompile something I might have spent a lot of time building.

Mike

[Erik Lord]

FWIW, I agree with Mike, moreso in the sense that such things need to be handled by better practices.

Ensure source files are included in the contract.

Ensure backups are in place and reliable.

A compiler would be convenient...but I'd rather focus on the training aspect than workaround aspect 😉

Erik

[wittybib]

Just to clarify, I wasn't in on the original negotiations, but it's my understanding that it was discussed that the outside vendor would create the original files and then provide those to us for us to update.  We're not trying to undermine a contract or steal someone else's work so we don't have to pay for an update.  Whether, or how, that was spelled out in the contract, I don't know.

Thanks for the quick answer, though!