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Venting about bad features.

Explorer ,
Apr 07, 2015 Apr 07, 2015

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Of all the software I'm forced to use... Course software has to be the worst.

I only use it because I don't know how to hook up SCORM to a different editing system. (If anybody has solutions please share. Would be great if somebody made edge work.)

Before I go on a tangent here - I love all other adobe products except Flash.

Captivate fits into that category here are the reasons:


1) You can't copy your work from one slide to the next. All the variables reset or it makes new ones. What a waste of time.


2) I have to hack everything. This is not software that allows a great user interface. EVENT DRIVEN? I have to problem solve the crap out of everything just to make a nice user flow.


3) Corporate clients expect better in todays online climate. The user experience is mandatory.


4) Most of the problem solving is done by people who can code. Why not make the tool more coder friendly. Editing Javascript is a nightmare.


5) Can't branch large courses - Don't know why but for some reason captivate won't wait and load everything. Videos don't work. I had to make separate courses and export them as different scorm packages just because Captivate can't handle a large amount of content if you branch.

6) Must buy the elearning package from Adobe even though I have the cloud and I'm paying for captivate monthly. How many ways do I have to pay.

7) Widgets - They barely work if ever (plus you can hardly customize them without going into flash). They should be removed entirely or made as slides that you can access and repeat functionality.

8) Slides should be objects that you can copy and have all the same functionality underneath. Think Javascript.

9) Mutli SCORM packager should have options of how it's displayed in the LMS.

10) The timeline - How bad is this thing(see edge or aftereffects for proper keyframing etc.)

As soon as I learn how to wrap SCORM around a different editing system I'm moving on. I lose more time trying to make captivate do the simplest of things. I understand that articulate is near as bad because everything is based on powerpoint.

WHY WOULD YOU BASE ANYTHING ON POWER POINT?

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Community Expert ,
Apr 07, 2015 Apr 07, 2015

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This is not the place to post that kind of lists, this is a user forum. It is only annoying to me that this mail fell also in my mailbox.

Just FYI: I NEVER USE POWERPOINT as a base for an eLearning course.

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Engaged ,
Jun 07, 2015 Jun 07, 2015

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This is a very discouraging reply to someone who truly needs help managing Captivate. I don't understand why the person was given such a put-down, and insulted, This is a help forum, and he or she feels helpless and at their wits' end, so they came here and asked for input.

Surely we've all had times when Captivate is simply overwhelming, without anywhere to turn in the horrible documentation. ?

I hope, if she's still forced to use the product, that someone will take her worries seriously and give her actual, meaningful responses to her worries.

That's what I usually get, and I'm deeply appreciative. I'm sure he or she would be too, especially if some of these concerns can be relieved by more experienced Captivate pros, who know workarounds, or even have simple solutions to her frustrations..

.

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Community Expert ,
Jun 07, 2015 Jun 07, 2015

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OK.  I'll respond. 

But for the record...in my experience, someone who HATES a software as much as this original poster is NEVER going to convert to liking it.  The die is usually long cast by now in their mind and their version of what the app SHOULD be is never going to be achieved.

But in the interest of answering SOME of the points raised, here goes:


1) You can't copy your work from one slide to the next. All the variables reset or it makes new ones.

ANSWER: You CAN copy your work from one slide to the next, but to avoid internal conflicts the newly pasted objects will receive new object IDs.  Where the slide or its objects are linked in some way to advanced actions or variables, those will also be duplicated for the same reason, to avoid possible conflicts.  On a side note, the functionality ALLOWING slides to be copied along with their AAs and Variables was something we users requested so that we could package up interactions on slides and transfer them from one project to another.  Obviously there would still be some rework required when you transplant stuff this way, but that's better than breaking the courseware every time you graft in some piece of functionality.  Programmers usually understand how easy this can happen.


2) I have to hack everything. This is not software that allows a great user interface. EVENT DRIVEN? I have to problem solve the crap out of everything just to make a nice user flow.

ANSWER: The user interface of your elearning modules is mostly what YOU the designer make it.  Event driven interfaces are not inherently ugly. That's up to the designer.


3) Corporate clients expect better in todays online climate. The user experience is mandatory.

ANSWER: I do lots of work for corporate clients.  Most are multi-nationals.  I've not seen them complain about the user experience of Captivate courses.  In fact, most are impressed with what can be achieved.  So again, I think this may simply be a design-related issue.


4) Most of the problem solving is done by people who can code. Why not make the tool more coder friendly. Editing Javascript is a nightmare.

ANSWER: Captivate was originally conceived as an authoring tool for people that COULD NOT AND DID NOT WANT to code.  Flash was Adobe's coder tool.  Over the years Adobe opened up Captivate to some extent by allowing AS3 coders to create widgets that could extend functionality.  (I know this because my company created and sells ten such widgets.)  Additionally, for many versions now it has also been possible to insert JavaScript directly into Captivate modules and execute the script via Advanced Actions.  But for serious coders NONE of this is ever going to be enough because they are accustomed to the total freedom of creating everything from scratch.  If you want to be that coder, by all means use another tool.  Captivate started out as a simple app for people that preferred something without the complexity.  It's now grown into this middle-ground tool that still TRIES to be simple, but with a lot of head-room for the tech-heads.  But if you want total freedom, go get Dreamweaver and program your stuff from scratch. Captivate is NEVER going to be YOUR tool.


5) Can't branch large courses - Don't know why but for some reason captivate won't wait and load everything. Videos don't work. I had to make separate courses and export them as different scorm packages just because Captivate can't handle a large amount of content if you branch.

ANSWER:  Captivate CAN certainly do branching and it can also do preloading.  But your issues here are most likely due to trying to create a single monolithic course module. That's simply a bad idea. You need to learn more about the SCORM standard and why it's advisable to break courses into smaller modules.  It will definitely also improve your user experience.  There can be any number of reasons why videos don't work, including that the video mime-type has not been allowed on your web server, you got the links wrong, or your LMS copies files to TEMP directories before delivery and that is breaking links.  Captivate is not necessarily the issue.

6) Must buy the elearning package from Adobe even though I have the cloud and I'm paying for captivate monthly. How many ways do I have to pay.

ANSWER:  There has been no version of the Adobe E-learning Suite since version 6.1.  That's now over 2 years ago.  Captivate doesn't belong to the Creative Cloud family. We all gripe about that, but it's Adobe's choice how they run their business.

7) Widgets - They barely work if ever (plus you can hardly customize them without going into flash). They should be removed entirely or made as slides that you can access and repeat functionality.

ANSWER: Removing all widgets just because SOME don't work as well as you would like is an extreme and somewhat selfish viewpoint.  Adobe originally provided Learning Interaction widgets bundled free with the app because users demanded them.  If they ditched all of them now there would be howls of protest from the user base.  If you hate them so much, don't use them.   

8) Slides should be objects that you can copy and have all the same functionality underneath. Think Javascript.

ANSWER: Again, Captivate already DOES this. You can copy a slide from one project to another and it will take all of its related variables and Advanced Actions along for the ride.

9) Mutli SCORM packager should have options of how it's displayed in the LMS.

ANSWER:  You need to learn more about what IS and is NOT configurable in SCORM...reliably. The SCORM Packager keeps very much to the areas that can safely be used across all LMSs.  How the content is displayed in the LMS player is mostly up to the LMS and needs to be configured there.  Some LMSs (e.g. SumTotal) provide for code to be added to the imsmanifest.xml file that will change how the content is displayed. But this add-in code is NOT part of the SCORM standard.  It's not Adobe's job to do this.

10) The timeline - How bad is this thing(see edge or aftereffects for proper keyframing etc.)

ANSWER:  Captivate's timeline is designed to communicate frame-based animation in a very simple way. Remember that Captivate was intended for NON-TECHNICAL, NON-CODER users.  If you want more complex timelines with keyframes, go to Flash or build your e-learning as video in After Effects. 

As soon as I learn how to wrap SCORM around a different editing system I'm moving on. I lose more time trying to make captivate do the simplest of things. I understand that articulate is near as bad because everything is based on powerpoint.  WHY WOULD YOU BASE ANYTHING ON POWER POINT?

ANSWER:  Both of these tools, Captivate and Articulate, were designed originally for users who were already comfortable with PPT content and wanted an easy transition into the complex world of e-learning.  As far as they go, they both do a great job and most users are very grateful that there are tools like these that make authoring of corporate e-learning accessible to almost anyone willing to spend some time learning how to use them.  HOWEVER, there is no ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL e-learning tool out there.  If you hate these tools, by all means move on to something more to your liking.  Life is too short to keep doing things you hate.

It's interesting to me that Captivate itself gets criticized by some for being too complex, while other people (like the original poster) criticize it for not being powerful or flexible enough.  Whenever I see a software tool that gets criticised alike from opposite directions for opposite reasons I think to myself that the designers of that tool have done a pretty good job of positioning it squarely in the middle of the marketplace.  Perhaps that's why Captivate still retains it's spot at the top of the market.

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Engaged ,
Jun 08, 2015 Jun 08, 2015

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‌Thank you, Rod! Everything you said makes total sense to me. And knowing how a disgruntled parent can be, no matter how far I've progressed with their child, I think you're probably right that the poster won't adjust and enjoy Captivate. In a learning place, it just doesn't feel right to see a discouraging response off the bat. Sure, if they continue. But if every angry child who believes they'll never learn to read got an immediate put-down from me, my chances of making them a success would be zero.

But this is one of the best things about great forums, to me. (I learned a Mac inside and out from scratch 20+ years ago, straight from David Pogue and the Apple forums!) The greatest part is that no matter how silly the forum pros considered the poster's questions, many still answered. And the other thousands of us who read those answers, searching for them ourselves, benefitted.

So whether the poster will read what you've said or not, or if it will sway them, I learned a tremendous amount, just in that one reply. I have no doubt that in other searches that untalented Captivaters like me do, that it will come up and enlighten them too. I love learning, and I love anything that facilitates learning, even if one has to do it alone, without friends. And forums make that possible, in a wonderful way.

And an odd but wonderful side effect is that the losers amongst us get to hear from one another and cheer each other on, thereby creating a circle of friends who look at our stuff and try to help, and give thoughts about it, outside of the forums, despite our woeful lack of knowledge! I love that we not-so-good ones can still have a team rooting for us.

I know I've griped so, so much here about Adobe's lack of how-to's for beginners, but still people have helped me. And I'm still here. And still trying. I've learned from countless posts that I've never made a comment in, from the wisdom of you and others responding to folks like me.

That's why I'm not a big fan of simply blowing people off because their post is annoying. Give it a good response (though you went over and above!)--and then if they persist in negativity, let them go. But your answers will turn up in countless searches and be invaluable.

You wrote:

It's interesting to me that Captivate itself gets criticized by some for being too complex, while other people (like the original poster) criticize it for not being powerful or flexible enough.  Whenever I see a software tool that gets criticised alike from opposite directions for opposite reasons I think to myself that the designers of that tool have done a pretty good job of positioning it squarely in the middle of the marketplace.  Perhaps that's why Captivate still retains it's spot at the top of the market.


I think you're absolutely right! And that's why I've stuck with it. As have others, though many do quit in discouragement. My simple wish is that Adobe would hire a person to write a true manual for beginners that gets them started, then supports them as they take the scarier and more confusing steps, like advanced actions and variables. I think there'd eventually be a lot more pros in here, helping.


One way or another, I'm going to make this thing work for me and my kids.


Thanks, RodWard‌ and others, for your ongoing teaching for all of us out here alone.

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Engaged ,
Jun 07, 2015 Jun 07, 2015

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@Mgrills, I'm sorry that I don't have an answer for you, because I'm a total novice, and have been for a couple years now. But I do feel your pain. I think your questions are legitimate ones, and it would be strange and unusual not to be able to post your questions, concerns and issues here, in a forum about the exact software in question. Isn't that what forums are for? Discussions about issues and problems?

I hope you get some feedback from the pros here who know tons about this product. Surely they can understand how one reaches a breaking point with frustration, and wants to list the problems they encounter daily, trying to get this thing to work. I'm there every day!

I feel that Captivate can do more than we know, but the documentation doesn't tell users how. Adobe should pay attention to this app, include it in the Cloud, for which I'm also paying, and give it the same treatment as they do for their more favored apps. It makes no sense at all for them to earn money on it, but not provide clear instructions. I've posted my issues to the link for it (I don't have it on hand), but don't believe that Adobe will pay any attention to that input.

I know pros here who constantly send Adobe input, and their requests too are often ignored.

Having said that, this forum is often incredibly helpful, and there are many experienced users who give great feedback on issues. There are also lots of people like me, who are trying desperately to master this software, but most give up because of frustrations like yours. I've lost many a buddy here in the forums, because they just give up on it. And I see why. I can't, as I can't find an alternative that would help me,  so I keep plodding onward. 😕

I wish you the best of all possible luck on getting practical replies to your concerns, and look forward to reading those solutions here. I know that they'd be helpful to me, too. I truly hope you get some responses that pertain to your concerns.

Venting isn't an evil thing.

.

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New Here ,
Nov 24, 2020 Nov 24, 2020

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Well, I really understand where the original poster of this thread is coming from.  We are now in the year 2020 (Yeah the year of COVID-19). I am at my witt's end with Captivate. 

 

> Trying to preview a responsive project - workaround needed

> Some of my changes on slide not being saved

> Excruciating startup time for Captivate to load from start when you open the app first time

> Font default change (what is Tahoms and why is it now a default?)

> Cannot work with my own 360 images when imported the display slide is blank but the images shows in the FILMSTRIP display

 

... and so mny more I could go on.

 

As a fairly new user 5 years and counting, I find the expert users here are very knowledgeable on how this tool works but for the most part tend to be very condescending in their answers to users. I have noticed this quite a lot. Their responses is mainly to blame the user and not recognise there is an inherent isue with the software or the tool is just not giving that acceptable user experience. 

 

For me I am extremely frustrated with it but my client has chosen it based on price. I recommended an alternative which has a very helpful and understanding community and support.

 

Based on my experience, given the choice I just cannot recommend captivate to potential clients, but if they choose it as their preferred option based on price, I am stuck with it if I want the business.

My suggestion here in this forum is for the major contributors to be more conscious of their tone when responding to frustrated users who are merely seeking help when they are in dire need. We do not need a condescending tone and put downs from expert users.

 

Interestingly enough I notice the Community Guidlines here states "Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting."

 

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