Demonstrate This
April 18, 2017
Demonstrate This
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Adobe Captivate
CTEC is using Adobe Captivate on a single project currently for Defense Acquisition University (DAU) with whom we have a contract. It is currently being used by CTEC's Human Capital and Training division—specifically the training team. The primary authoring tool we must use for distance learning is Composica, the platform used by DAU. Because there is a push to move away from Flash developed files (i.e. SWF output) for interactive elements, and I've had experience using Captivate 5.5, I recommended using Captivate not only to create interactive elements but also for its HTML5 output that would allow the elements to be viewed on different platforms.
- Software simulation: Captivate is excellent at recording screen captures and keystrokes.
- Video demonstration: With the right images and screenshots, I've used Captivate to create instructional videos to demonstrate to students how to play a particular instructional game designed for a course.
- Text-to-speech placeholders: Using the integrated computer voices to generate slide voice overs is helpful while developing a slide because you can use the timeline to synchronize entrances, exits, and movement of slide elements to the placeholder voice over. The placeholder voice over can be used as the final narration or can be replaced by recorded voice over of an actor, which might require some resynchronization of the slide elements.
- Timeline panel: When grouping slide elements that have motion effects, when they are grouped, the motion effects are lost and cannot be reapplied to the slide elements while they are in the group. It would be nice for the slide elements to retain any/all applied motion effects and to apply effects to individual slide elements within a group.
- Editing recorded narration: When a recorded narration file such as an MP3 file is edited/modified using the Slide Audio function/tool, the updated audio file is saved as a WAV file, which is typically a bigger file than an MP3. It would be nice that there is an option to save it as an MP3 file or to save the file to whatever the original file format is.
- Creating custom text captions: Currently, to create custom text captions, you have to create them in an external graphics application such as Adobe Photoshop. It would be nice to have an editor specific to Adobe Captivate to help create custom text captions.
- No "side" text captions: Currently, all text captions either have no arrows/pointers (callouts) or their callouts are from the top or the bottom of the captions. It would be nice to have text captions whose callouts come from the side.
- Naming of custom text captions and buttons: Currently, if you create a new text caption or button, incorporate it into a slide, and find that it needs to be updated, you have to either give the updated text caption or button a new name, or clear out the cache and restart Adobe Captivate. Both options can be frustrating when developing a course because it breaks development momentum. It would be nice to be able to simply update those elements without any renaming or restarting.
- We are able to create more engaging courses because we are able to integrate Captivate's HTML5 output into DAU's authoring tool, Composica.
- Lectora and Composica
Other than Composica, which we are required to develop our DAU courses in, Lectora is the only other authoring tool that I have used for potential use on another contract. Both are similar in that they are web-based. Both to rely on having effects (e.g., drop shadows, rotated graphics, motion paths) created in outside programs (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, etc.). Captivate has many of those features already built in.