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P
Pete47
Inspiring
February 27, 2015
Question

Captivate programming?

  • February 27, 2015
  • 3 replies
  • 5141 views

I am searching for a new authoring environment. I've worked with Articulate Storyline 2 and older versions of Captivate. I've searched a bit for an answer but not finding any encouraging information on this forum.

I'd like to know if the current version of Captivate has any sort of programming language that I could use to manipulate content through code to help produce content faster, make global changes, or access an external database for live content. I'd like to be able to write a bit of code to do something like find every occurrence of a named object throughout a fifty slide lesson and move it, change its text (or caption if it were a button), change its color, or hide and show it as needed. My old authoring system would let me do all of that and a lot more, but it has been sold and resold and resold again and each time support by the new owner has shrunk until today, it isn't being actively supported at all.

So far it looks like the current crop of popular authoring systems are rather 'locked down' and don't allow an advanced user to get behind the scenes to use the make the tool do more than the GUI permits.

Thanks,

Pete

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

T
teamperform
Inspiring
March 7, 2015

Thanks for the clarification, Lilybiri.  The new API seems to have helped the interface significantly.

You don't have to put the bulk of the code in the script window.  It can reside in an external JS file so it can be used by multiple Cp projects.

    Lilybiri
    Lilybiri
    Legend
    March 7, 2015

    Yes, I'm aware of that. It was more to clarify the sentence 'CP8 has....' because it looked like being a new feature which is not the case.

    T
    teamperform
    Inspiring
    March 8, 2015

    Yes, Lilybiri, I know you're very aware of the changes to Cp8 and the advanced techniques.

    Are you still planning to come out with a book?  Hopefully, it will include JS for Cp.  We're going to need it since CaptivateDev is shutting down - that's a big loss.

    T
    teamperform
    Inspiring
    March 6, 2015

    Cp 8 has an Execute JavaScript window.  It's a type of advanced action and it works well.  For example, insert a button, in the Properties Panel, click on "Actions";  the in the "On Success" dropdown menu choose "Execute JavaScript".  Then type or paste your JS code into the script window.

      Lilybiri
      Lilybiri
      Legend
      March 7, 2015

      Execute JavaScript has been along since many versions, just to clarify. However in CP8 there is a unique API for JS valid both for HTML5 and SWF output.

      Captiv8r
      Captiv8r
      Legend
      February 27, 2015

      All you will find with Captivate is the Advanced Actions. These are a "point and click" method of advanced manipulation of code. There is no command line interface or anything natively in Captivate that would allow you to access an external database for live content.

      Captivate does offer "widgets" that may be programmed. This would require knowledge of Adobe Flash to create the widget.

      Cheers... Rick

      P
      Pete47Author
      Inspiring
      February 27, 2015

      Thank you for your quick reply. Unfortunately, you have confirmed my expectations. ActionScript 3 wouldn't be a problem but if the system isn't designed to permit this sort of manipulation, then I won't be able to do what I'd like to do with Captivate. Oh well...

      Thanks again,

      Pete

      TLCMediaDesign
      TLCMediaDesign
      Inspiring
      February 27, 2015

      Out of curiosity, what was the program you were using?

      Building courses with html5 is the way to go for what you want. We build lots of templates for interactions to make development easier.  Coders actually build the course, not instructional designers.

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