Multiple hide & show commands for images in groups doesn't work

[wmsgva]

I have created a complex slide with several buttons which each trigger a different sequence (they use cpCmdGotoFrameAndResume to relaunch the movie header in the correct place). Overall it works very well despite its complexity.

The objects in the different sequences are originally hidden and then shown using an Advanced Action, depending on the button pressed. Some of these objects are in groups.

I have noticed that when one of the objects to show/hide is in a group, it will sometimes not be displayed after issuing a "Show" command for that group if the object is an image. The problem can be solved by using a shape with an image as a background instead of an image object.

Not sure where to report bugs in Captivate 2019 following the pre-release stage which I was involved in, but this clearly seems to be a bug.

One related topic is that of objects grouped in a responsive project not being treated as responsive, even if they all have the same start time and length (grouping makes it easier to address multiple objects in scripts). If someone from the Adobe Captivate team reads this, perhaps this is an improvement in a future release that would be welcomed.

[TLCMediaDesign]

I have a feeling that it is related to you jumping frames. Never seen that type of behavior.

[wmsgva]

Don't think it has to do with jumping frames, as all I'm doing is returning to just after the position in the movie in which the different buttons pause (to play thereafter, with the objects shown/hidden according to the button the learner pressed).

It works fine after using shapes with image backgrounds instead of image objects, so I don't think that's the issue. I tend to think, as I hinted and Lilybiri suggested, that the problem is related to using grouped objects in responsive fluid boxes.

[Lilybiri]

I never did see this problem myself, and I am using a lot of Advanced actoins with and without groups.

In responsive projects with the fluid boxes workflow groups should never be used.

[wmsgva]

Lilybiri​ This is what I was hinting at in the last part of my post.

Adobe should correct this in Captivate and make it possible to use groups in responsive fluid boxes to group objects that all share the same time parameters (length and start). It makes your life so much easier if you need to address many objects in a script (just address the group).

[Lilybiri]

There are much more limitations with fluid boxes than just grouping. Many objects cannot be used (highlight, click box, line object, zoom object). You cannot use objects timed for the rest of the project neither, nor overlapping objects even if they do not appear at the same time. Fluid Boxes 2.0 didn't change anything to those limitations.

[wmsgva]

Lilybiri​ I'm aware of the other limitations you mention, but they don't have a direct impact on making your life easier when you script complex sequences. Not being able to use groups does.

Can we hope Adobe looks into this sometime? To be honest, I don't see why this wouldn't be feasible from a coding perspective, as Captivate could consider the objects as individual objects from a canvas display perspective (allowing them to be responsive) and just use the groups feature for scripts (e.g. to hide all objects in a group with a single action).

[Lilybiri]

I miss timed for the rest of the project a lot. As for groups, I learned to use multistate objects whenever possible instead of groups.

[RodWard]

You can HOPE all you like about what you want Adobe to do, but if you want any chance that they will even look at it, then you (and lots of other users) need to be logging enhancement requests for such a feature.

As far as Captivate viewing objects as groups, this might be more difficult than you think.  As a similar issue, although you can group objects on a slide in Captivate's EDIT mode, and use HIDE SHOW actions applied to the group, the fact is that these items are not actually grouped in the underlying code at all.  Captivate still has to individually hide and show all of the same original objects.  Using grouping in the UI is just hiding the underlying complexity from you the user.  I suspect that groups in responsive design will be done similarly.

[wmsgva]

Rod, I agree with your comment regarding feedback, but could you specify where users are to log such requests? It was easy during the pre-release period as a member of the test team to do so, but not sure now that this phase is over.

Similar question: where does Adobe provide a roadmap for upcoming features in Captivate?

As far as coding is concerned, I did expect the objects not to be grouped in the underlying code, which in fact should make it easier to ignore the groups when dealing with displaying the objects within a group in a fluid box and only use it when interpreting the advanced actions.

[RodWard]

If you want to log a feature enhancement request or report a bug, you use the same web form that everybody else does here:

Adobe Captivate

If Adobe DOES happen to have a road map for future features they intend to build into Captivate, I have never seen it published anywhere.  And they certainly do not share it with ordinary users like ourselves.  You'd need to be part of the Captivate development team in order to have any chance of seeing such a document.

As far as coding is concerned, you're welcome to make any assumptions you wish, but I don't really think Adobe is much interested in our coding abilities or else they'd be asking our opinions more often about such topics.  This user forum is basically just a way for Adobe to have unpaid experts support their customers who purchased Captivate software.

At one time many years ago, before finalizing the list of features to be included in the next Captivate version, Adobe would canvas thoughts and opinions from a smallish group of recognised expert users. I was privileged to be among them.  However, that doesn't happen nowadays.  They just build what the marketing gurus believe will sell the most licenses and then invite some users to participate in the pre-release AFTER the features are nailed in well enough to be hammered by users that actually DO create e-learning courses for a living so that they can shake out any show-stopper bugs before going live.

That's the current state of play, and it's terribly frustrating for those of us that have been waiting several years to see much-needed enhancements and fixes for basic functionality that hasn't changed in a decade or more, when each new version bolts on yet more features that will only be used by a tiny fraction of the user base.

I LOVE Captivate as an application, but I often despair about the way it continues to neglect its core strengths.

[Lilybiri]

@Rod also nostalgic about those 'good old days' of real prerelease with lot of discussions and time to improve the product?

[wmsgva]

RodWard​ Thanks for the link to the Adobe feedback form.

I hadn't realised the extent to which you and Lilybiri​ were outside of the Adobe organisation. The way you previously worked with them seems to be the right way, namely have experts and users provide input into the next version of a product.

As one of the people involved in the pre-release testing team for Captivate 2019, I also had the feeling they were only interested in obtaining feedback on bugs. Many of us made suggestions for feature improvements, but no feedback was given on any of this (it would have been nice to know if it was a no-go, a feature for future review or a planned future feature).

Before being involved in training design, I worked for many years in marketing (I was the head of EMEA marketing for an international company in my last employment), yet as a marketer I would find it very unprofessional to just guide a design team to provide features related to the latest trends and not gather any feedback from the existing client-base.

Perhaps we should find a way to encourage Adobe to listen to its users?