Tab Key not working

[BigDaddyNAZ2006]

I am creating a low-level simulation where the end-user will type data into several fields.

What I have is a text-entry box with "Tab" selected as the shortcut key to continue. The next action is another text-entry box with "Tab" used again for the shortcut key. Both of these interactions are set-up on the same slide with space between each interaction.

When I test the project and press the "Tab" key, several actions have happened:
1. Occasionally it works (maybe 25%)
2. Mostly nothing happens (50%)
3. A yellow box appears around the "Rewind" button (25%)

I have checked the properties of the interaction to ensure they are set correctly to what I am trying to accomplish (at this stage):
Correct Entries: (I left the field blank) On Success: Continue
Incorrect Entry: 1 attempt with Continue
Shortcut Key: Tab

I have no effect selected and nothing checked on the Options.

Any suggestions?

My next thought is to separate the interactions onto two different slides to see what happens.

[Captiv8r]

Hi BigDaddyNAZ2006

I would think splitting into two slides would provide the answer you are seeking. I'd probably start by clicking the slide in question and pressing Ctrl+D to duplicate it. Then adjust accordingly.

Cheers... Rick

[BigDaddyNAZ2006]

I am still getting random issues as described above.

I have split the slides to have one interaction on each slide; still not working properly. I have changed the shortcut properties and tried all of the options (with and without): Allow mouse click, Include Numeric Keypad.

I created the same type of simulation last month in Captivate 1 and it worked properly but I have since upgraded to Captivate 2.

Any other thoughts?

[DilbertG]

Are you saying here that, you had a project which was working in Captivate 1, and it stopped working as soon as you upgraded it to Captivate 2 (No alterations)?

thanks

[BigDaddyNAZ2006]

A similar project with the exact interactions.

This project was completely built in Captivate 2 using the same interactions I had used in Captivate 1 where the end-user is simulating data entry. They key data into a field, then press the Tab key to continue to the next field.

I had created a basic overview in Captivate 1 allowing the end-user to simulate entering data into seven fields. This module is an advanced version where they will repeat the data entry process using data from 10 documents, allowing them repetitive practice.

What is extremely odd is it is random. The Tab key shortcut may work on the first five interactions before it stops. The next time I run it it may stop on the second interaction. Occasionally the "rewind" button becomes highlighted; as if the Tab key is being used by Captivate 2 for another shortcut key.

[DilbertG]

Do you have Question Slides also in your part. Are you tracking the result of interactions also?

If the answer to above questions is NO, then go to the properties of interactions. Go to the reporting tab. De-select the Include in quiz option. Re-publish.

thanks

[BigDaddyNAZ2006]

At this point, I am only trying to get the interactions to work properly before I try to track. So, no to both the Question Slide and Tracking.

I had the the quiz option De-Selected prior. Didn't work.

I tried selecting it with no reporting. Didn't work.

I also tried it by ensuring all of the boxes (Report Answers & Add to Total) were unchecked in the quiz option. Didn't work.

Again, it occured randomly. I even deleted a slide where the interaction didn't work and tested it again; nothing changed.

I will try again in the morning.

[BigDaddyNAZ2006]

I created a 9 slide project today from scratch using the Tab Key as the shortcut after the end-user would key in the information.

Same results as mentioned above. Captivate 2 seems to want to use Tab Key as the Rewind shortcut.

I have tried everything..............

[Captiv8r]

Hi BigDaddyNAZ2006

I really doubt that Captivate 2 is using the Tab as the shortcut key for rewind. My guess is that you are seeing it become highlighted as focus is being placed on it. It seems the Flash player is determining that Tab should place focus on that element next.

Cheers... Rick

[DilbertG]

Can you try without the playback control. See if that works?

thanks

[roryf]

Hey BigDaddyNAZ2006 -

Rick is exactly on target with his thought on focus being the issue. I have yet to upgrade to Cap 2, but I have yet to get tabbing to work reliably in Cap 1 when I am publishing to SWF for the web. It will work properly in preview, but once published it tends to break, with focus going to playback controls.

If you have a Cap 1 project that has Tab working properly from TEB to TEB and for continuing to the next slide I would be interested in seeing how you have it setup.

Rory

[BigDaddyNAZ2006]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I eliminated a Flash animation of a scrolling window that was included on each slide. It seems to have solved the Tab issue.

Now I have to figure out how to get the Flash animation to work.

Thanks again,
Jim

[BigDaddyNAZ2006]

I think I have a final resolution..........

I thought to myself, "I have tried everything with this software, maybe.....just maybe it is a hardware issue." Hmmmmm.......

I swapped out the keyboard, inserted my Flash animations back in, and ran the simulation 10 times without anything causing an error.

Isn't technology great?!?

Thanks again,
Jim

[BigDaddyNAZ2006 · Accepted solution]

After multiple attempts at changing everything in Captivate 2 to get this interaction working properly, the following changes seem to be working the most effectively:

Removed playback control bar
Changed the Accessibility function of my Flash animation (in Flash; not Captivate) to "Not Accessible"

As Rick and Rory wrote about the Flash Player changing the focus on the next element, it dawned on me that it must be an issue in Flash so I researched on the Flash forum board and it seems to be working.

Thanks for all of the suggestions!!

Jim

[Guest]

I do not use the play bar in my Captivate projects but I am experiencing problems with Captivate 2 similar to what you described with Captivate 1. You state that you changed the Accessibility function of my Flash animation (in Flash; not Captivate) to "Not Accessible". Are you importing the captivate file into Flash and then publishing it from Flash?

[Julie88]

Hi There,

I have to chime in as I was researching just about the same topic. I am using v1 and I have two text entry fields both that will continue on a TAB.

The first text entry box should pause after 1.5 sec and the second one pauses after 2 sec. If I put in an incorrect entry, it works. However, if I just tab out of the field without inputting anything it advances to the 2nd text enrty box and the failure message from the 2nd text entry box appears. I can't put this on two slides because the 1st text entry box has a couple of correct answers and I don't know which one they would have entered.

Since this was was similiar to this topic I thought I would ask for help in here.

Thanks in advance!

[heatherp123-zQh6er]

I am going to post what I have discovered here, just in case it helps someone else in the future, since I have been banging my head against a similar (but not identical) problem. My problem was with the Tab key going to the Address line in Internet Explorer (rather than staying within the module as it should). As above, the problem seemed like it was inconsistent, but turns out there was a trigger. After much trial and error I discovered that all tab interactions that occured before I put in a Question Slide worked just fine, but any that occured after the first instance of a Question slide started going up to the address line. So, I am either going to have to eliminate the question slides, or put them at the end (mine is a software simulation, so either will work). FYI - this was happening in both Captivate 2 and Captivate 3.

[Guest]

I'm having the same problem "Tab key going to the Address line in Internet Explorer (rather than staying within the module as it should). " and I don't have any question slides but am still getting this problem.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Pam

[lbcministry]

*NOTE: I found this workaround on the web and it worked for me

In all versions of Macromedia's Flash Player prior to version 7.0.14.0, once typing focus was established (by clicking on the Flash movie), pressing the Tab key would move you between fields or objects in the movie - maintaining focus in the movie itself. As of version 7.0.14.0, the Flash Player switched to a behavior called "seamless tabbing". In this version, pressing the Tab key moved the focus right out of the movie and on to fields in the web page, the browser address bar, etc.

Needless to say, this has caused some difficulty to authors using Flash (or RoboDemo) to create simulations where the learner needs to tab. So, as of version 7.0.19.0 of the player, seamless tabbing is now an html parameter. Here's the official scoop from Adobe's release notes of that version of the player:

Disabling seamless tabbing
This release of ActiveX Flash Player supports a new HTML parameter called SeamlessTabbing. The default value is true; set this parameter to false to disable "seamless tabbing", which allows users to use the Tab key to move keyboard focus out of a Flash movie and into the surrounding HTML (or the browser, if there is nothing focusable in the HTML following the Flash movie). ActiveX Flash Player has supported seamless tabbing since version 7.0.14.0. Disabling seamless tabbing restores the tabbing behavior of Flash Player 6, in which tabbing from the end of the tab order inside a Flash movie wraps the focus back to the first focusable object in the Flash movie. Here is an example of disabling seamless tabbing:

<object ... >
...
<param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="false">
...
</object>

NOTE: In version 7.0.14.0 there is no way to disable seamless tabbing. Meaning that your simulation might just never work with this version. Fortunately it only took Adobe one 'sub-release' to realize and correct this problem.

So, if you're encountering this problem you'll want to:

Publish the project with html checked
Edit the HTML field for any media types which display Flash movies (including flash output from other programs like RoboDemo) and
Add the line
<param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="false">
somewhere in between the <object... .../object>
save the Html File.

I know this is a lot to take in, but it's really a simple fix.