Smart shape effects on a content slide...

Report · May 13, 2016

Hello there,

I can't make any adjustments on an effect that was added to a smart shape on either effects window or object manager on Captivate 8. Particularly, I can' t add an effect to a smart shape on a content or a master slide... Am I missing something?? a newbie...

Thanks in advance.

Report · May 13, 2016

Can you give some more details? Which exact version of Captivate 8 do you use? Were the effects created as 'time-based' and in this version, which kind of effects? The Object Style Manager is only about styles, there is no way to add an effect in that manager. The only place is the Effects panel. Since effects need a duration, and objects on a Master slide do not have durations (there is no Timing panel for them), you cannot apply Effects to objects on a master slide, only on normal slides. Maybe post some screenshots?

Report · May 14, 2016

Hello there Lilybiri,

Thanks for your response. My captivate version is 8.0.3.290. (I mentioned the object style manager for it has also a panel for the transitions which is related to effects somehow.) The project is the one from Captivate's template projects. It's name is CloudAir_Softskills. The first one on the top left. For example, the 24th slide, from the quiz. The dark yellow smart shape has a StretchFromRight effect which I can say that, it was also added to some smart shapes on previous slides itself. I can't edit these effects on the ones that was brought from the content question slides. Screenshots of timeline, master slide view, and effects window of a selected smart shape are also added. Thanks for your help again...

Report · May 14, 2016

Not a template, but a sample project. I'm just busy writing out an article, trying to dissipate a little bit the eternal confusion between themes and templates which I see everywhere. A sample file is something totally different.

Transitions are a very old feature you could add to objects even before effects existed. In an early version of Captivate every object had such a transition. You have almost no control over it, just the duration.

I must confess that I'm bit stupefied, had a look at that sample project, would know how to realize the same thing, but not how the developers of the sample project did it (maybe I'm overlooking something). Here is what I found:

That dark yellow shape with StretchToRight effect on the content slides is a separate object on each content slide; myself I would have timed it for the rest of the project and hidden after the content slides when I don't need it anymore. That would have meant less work, but no mystery in the content slides.
For the question slides: the shape is not on the question slide itself, but on the master slide. As I told before, there is no way to add an effect to an object of the master slide, or I must have missed it totally. It is normal that the shape is getting behind the embedded quizzing objects because that is the design of quiz slides. But I have no idea why the shape is having the same effect. I looked if it was timed for the rest of the project on a previous (content) slide but couldn't find it.

If you want an effect on that shape, or another effect: either use the same work flow as on content slides, or take over my work flow of having a shape with effect on a previous slide timed for the rest of the project. Do not forget to hide it when you do not need it anymore. I use that type of scenario a lot for question slides. Look at some examples in:

Buttons on Question/Score Slides in Captivate 6? - Captivate blog

Report · May 14, 2016

Thanks for your concern. Solution is, create a smart shape with an effect on a normal slide adjust it, do whatever you want and than paste it on a content slide with the effect you want, it works

Thanks again.

Report · May 14, 2016

When you say 'content slide', do you mean a master slide? That was the first work flow I tried as well, but it will not work at all. Maybe we have a terminology problem? Can you explain what you mean by a 'content' slide?

I unmarked this as Correct answer, because it could confuse other users. Please explain what you mean by content versus normal slides. Because normal slides are content slides and question slides.

Report · May 14, 2016

Master slide holds everything you want to be on every slide in a project. Content slide holds the things you want them to be on the slides that you decide. That's why we chose the content slide that our slide will be based upon from the properties tab / master slide pull down menu. That is what i know about this subject in brief. Confusing? Don't think so.

My question was about having the same effect on my slides in my project. I don't want to create the smart shape and the effect one by one to the my slides. That's why I want to put it once in a content slide which are on the master slide tab, and choose it when I want my new slide to be based upon.

So, copying&pasting thing worked for me. When you have a better solution, mark it as a correct answer. Thanks again.

Report · May 14, 2016

So a content slide is a normal slide. There are many different master slides in a project, your statement that a master slide holds everything you want to be on every slide is not correct at all. For question slides (you were showing question slides in the screenshots), you cannot ever choose a master slides, because they are very strictly defined with embedded objects that have a lot of functionality that is hidden. Your original question was already very confusing, quote:

"I can' t add an effect to a smart shape on a content or a master slide... "

I gave you twice a better work flow, that will avoid a multitude of shapes with effects, which will save a lot of time and a lot on file size as well:

Put the shape with its effect on the first slide (content slide in your terminology, normal slide in Captivate terminology).
Go into the Timing Properties panel, choose the option 'Rest of Project', and "Always on top"
The shape with its effect will not be visible on every slide in your project, whatever master slide they use
It will also be visible on question slides, but because the embedded objects on question slides have absolute priority in the stack (they don't have a visible separate timeline), the shape will be behind those embedded objects. That is what you see in that ''sample" file, which is not at all a template file.

I mark this thread as Assumed answered, without indicating any correct answer. I will not spend more free time to try to help you since there is a clear misunderstanding concerning Captivate terminology.

Report · May 14, 2016

I learned the name "content" from Pooja Jaisingh and Anastasia McCune. Please teach them also your "normal" captivate terminology. I mentioned that I am new to this programme but now feel very sorry for not being taught by you in your not confusing, clear way of using the programme. Very clear misunderstanding concerning humility terminology.