Authorware VS Captivate

I'm an old Authorware developer too (started with version 2). Like so many other loyal Authorware programmers, I sometimes miss it very much. I've had to come to terms that I need to move on to other software products.

As such, I try to keep abreast of the e-Learning software space that Authorware was in, and really can't yet a replacement with it's full range of capabilities. Director and Toolbook, along with other products, are options.

Bottom line is, Captivate has many less features than Authorware. The list is huge - no scripting, access to variables, integration with APIs, integration with databases and middleware, etc.

I've accepted that the features Captivate does have are fairly easy to use. In fact, Captivate is doing well for the direction e-Learning authoring is going: rapid development by non-programmers and SMEs. I try to find work-arounds for issues with Captivate, and sometimes, I simply can't offer a solution. I'd say I can do 60% of what I used to do with Authorware - but I develop that 60% very efficiently.

I concur Flash is the runtime engine of the future for e-Learning - and learning Flex, AIR, etc. are good investments.

This was some discussion and it leads to areas that developers always talk about and that is what is the best tool. It always seems to me that NO one tool can do it all especially if you have training/marketing etc. that is complicated and you want more realistic interactions.

For those of us who do not have a programming or icon dragging background and who do not have access to more sophisticated tools, there needs to be simpler methods.

For those who read this post but want a simpler answer, I setup whatever motion I want in powerpoint and then use the motion recording feature of Captivate. I use a custom size movie that only captures the motion and either import it as a powerpoint or click the run button in powerpoint and record in captivate. This gives me the option of having a .SWF to import that can either be an animated slide or just an animation on a slide. I have created some very interesting effects that give the visual I want without knowing Flash or anything else.

It's not sophisticated but for those of us who only have simple tools (read small budget) it does work.

> Actually Adobe still has Authorware 7 that you can purchse. They have not
> discontiuned the program.


:-)


It's 5 years old. Adobe announced End Of Development for Authorware close to
a year ago. They may still be selling it, but Adobe made it clear they are
not developing Authorware any further - so it's as good as a dead product.

Steve


--
Adobe Community Expert: eLearning, Mobile and Devices
European eLearning Summit - EeLS
Adobe-sponsored eLearning conference.
http://www.elearningsummit.eu

Actually Adobe still has Authorware 7 that you can purchse. They have not discontiuned the program.

There's absolutely no doubt that Captivate does not have all the features
and functionality of Authorware. Anyone who thinks differently has been
misinformed. For developers with advanced requirements, you need something
other than Captivate, but for many people Captivate has all they need for
many, most, even sometimes *all* of their eLearning needs.

Take a look at this article - it should help identify some of the strengths
and weaknesses of Captivate:-

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/captivate/articles/authorware_cp3.html


Steve


--
Adobe Community Expert: eLearning, Mobile and Devices
European eLearning Summit - EeLS
Adobe-sponsored eLearning conference.
http://www.elearningsummit.eu

> Not so Steve, to create motion in Authorware all I need to do is drag a
> motion
> icon to the line, move the object from point a to b, and tell it how fast
> to
> move in the motion icon's property box without "creating the animaition
> fairly
> easily in Flash".


Yes - if all you want to do is MOVE the thing, but not if you need to
rotate, scale, tween or anything.

> The animation was created and self contained in the
> application that created it, and is not dependent on another application.
> Yes
> you can import Flash as well as a number of other types of media into
> Authorware.
>
> It seems to me that you have replaced an application that was the gold
> standard for CBT creation, with a sub-standard one that is cumbersome to
> use
> for anything but software simulations and quizzes, but that is just me.
>

I didn't replace anything, by the way :-).

I'm one of it's biggest fans, but Authorware is a LONG way from a gold
standard. It has SO many problems - no decent way to dynamically format text
at runtime, no way to scale content, archaic web player, ancient interface
and I could go on for hours more about issue with Authorware. It was time to
either rebuild it form the ground up or move on.

Steve


--
Adobe Community Expert: eLearning, Mobile and Devices
European eLearning Summit - EeLS
Adobe-sponsored eLearning conference.
http://www.elearningsummit.eu

Welcome to our community, russcub

Actually you can do that with a bit of creative manipulation. I just replied to this type of question in another thread a couple of days back. I'll put the link below. In that thread, I also provided an example and a downloadable file to examine.

Click here to view the thread

Cheers... Rick