Why are custom skin themes not available from other projects?

[user370955456]

Adobe Captivate 2017: 10.0.0.192

MacBook Pro late 2013. macOS Sierra: 10.12.5

So I have a skin theme (Environmental Awareness_Skin Theme) I want to use that has already been created and saved from within another Captivate project (Hot Weather Exposure):

But it isn't accessible from my new Captivate project:

What gives? Isn't the whole point of saving themes to make them available to other projects so you don't have to manually adjust 500 settings? Am I doing something wrong? Is the default save location of themes (wherever that is) not accessible by other projects or something?

[RodWard]

Are these themes all created with the same version of Captivate?

[user370955456]

Yes actually, I think the theme I am trying to use might have been created in an older version of Captivate from the one I am using. Perhaps this is the problem.

[Lilybiri]

I was bit puzzled by the title, on phone couldn't see the images.

You are not talking about a real theme, but only about the setup for the skin, wondering why? Custom themes can be stored anywhere on your system and you can browse to them using the Browse link under the Themes button. I never created just a 'skin' theme. Rod is correct that using a theme created in an older version could lead to some issues, but not always. It depends on the changes in between the versions. DId you try to apply the theme (after finding it, has extension cptm) with the Themes button instead of using the Skin editor?

Maybe you could read this article about themes

What's in a Theme - a Template? - Captivate blog

[user370955456]

Thank you for the article.

So if I understand correctly, the skins are simply one component of a theme? And to apply the skin from one project to another, I must first apply that project's entire theme?

[Lilybiri]

I even think that Rod was pointing to the themes, extension cptm. The default themes are stored in the folder 'Layouts' which is a copy of the original folder either in Public documents (Windows) or Shared (? not sure, I don't have a Mac) docs. If my memory is correct, the skin 'theme' you are talking about had a separate file many versions ago, but (prepared to be corrected) I shouldn't know where to look for them now. All components of a theme (object styles, master slides, recording defaults, skin) use the same Theme colors palette. I start every project by creating or editing that theme, have never limited that to changing the Skin settings. It is so simple to save a custom theme, even if you changed only small things.  When a client wants to change one color, and the theme is set up in the proper way, it is just changing one color in the palette and all is OK. Even most learning interactions can use the Theme colors. Themes appeared with CP6 and since that version I never used nor created any template, especially since I am also using external libraries and shared actions a lot across projects.

What is the problem about applying a theme instead of only changing the skin? 

As for themes created in older versions, most issues will only occur when important features have changed. Example: with CP9 the quizzing master slides changed (Review buttons is only one of the changes), that leads to more manual work as I had to explain yesterday to someone. Fluid boxes are another example, they didn't exist in previous versions, which means that upgrading the theme will need more work for responsive projects.