Steps to Create a Topic

This checklist is a summary, which you can print out for easy reference.  More detailed explanations are included in the numbered Topics.

Outline, capture, and editing of interactive version

1. Create outline and submit for approval.

2. When the outline has been approved, create the course title graphic (may be provided for you).

3. Start a new project based on the template.  
   Do not open the template directly–you risk making accidental changes to the template.

4. Import Capensys Preferences file.  (File>Import>Preferences)

5. Complete Edit>Preferences>Project>Info.
   Under Recording>Full Motion Recording, update the Working Folder (temporary).
   Under  Global>General Settings, update the default 'Publish' folder if necessary.

6. Set application screen to “790x545 browser.” (See To size the application screen.)

7. Set up a white background – A blank Notepad document, maximized, works well.

8. Start Captivate 4 using "From Template" under "Start Project."  Choose the Capensys_Template2 template.

9. Starting after the last slide, record steps in ‘Training simulation” mode, with 990 x 570 size (determined by template).  To record in "Training simulation" mode, click the camera symbol at the side of the red capture box, and under "Mode," choose "Training simulation."
   The application screen goes in bottom right corner of capture area.
   Tip:  it may be easier to re-position the application screen inside the red Captivate capture box than to re-position the capture box. Click here for an illustration.

10. Tip: Take lots of extra captures, especially if you are capturing remotely, and save a copy of the project as “[name]_backup,” in case you need the additional captures later.  If you do this, you can safely delete the extra slides, backgrounds, etc. from the active version.

11. Save project as "[name]_interactive."

12. Change topic name in the title box at left of example slide, and the course name at the top of the screen.

13. Verify that both elements are set to display for rest of project, and lock them both in place.

14. Delete informational text in main text box in left column, and copy text box to the captured slides.
    
    TIP: Since the Capensys elements (the logo, etc.) are locked in place on the first slide from the template, you may find it easier to copy the background, click boxes, etc., from the first captured slide, and paste them to that slide, than to unlock and copy the Capensys elements to the first captured slide.  Either way is acceptable, though.

15. Set all appropriate items to “rest of slide” (Ctrl-A selects all items in a slide.)

16. Review all slides and capture more frames if necessary.

17. Name slides and components.  Slide name is the step taken, e.g. "TableButton" (no spaces).  Component names are [slidename] + "audio" or "bg" (for background), e.g. "TableButton bg."
    Tip:  To see which slide a background image is used in, right-click and select "Usage."

18. Add any keystroke equivalents ("Select keys" button in Click Box dialog box.)

19. Captivate doesn't have an "insertion point" function, but it can be created by inserting a small text entry box and turning off all options to "show text box frame," etc.  It should be used only when it is absolutely necessary. Usually the static insertion point captured in the screenshot is enough.

20. Copy and paste text for left column boxes.  The font should be black, and left-aligned. Instructions should read “the next step is to click,” or similar, with the actual instruction in bold, and the name of the element in single quotation marks. Whenever possible, the wording should serve for both the Interactive version, where the user takes an action, and the Demo version, where the action is taken by Captivate, to avoid re-recording the audio.  If space allows, give the instruction a paragraph of its own.
    
    For example: The next step is to click the 'Continue' button.

21. Failure captions:  Verify that each user action (click box, etc.) is set as seen here. (This should be done automatically by the template and Preferences.)

22. Verify that the ‘Include in Quiz” option has been cleared in click boxes and other user actions.

23. Verify that the "On Success" and "If the user clicks outside..." options are set to "Next slide."
    
    Tip:  Use Project>Advanced Interaction to check that all the above are set correctly.

20. Review all items for position, options, etc. and proofread text. Spell-check in both US English and British English. (Edit>Preferences>Global>Change>Main Dictionary Language) Consider re-wording if necessary to use neutral spelling.

21. Apply appropriate skin.

22. Delete the slides you don't need.  

23. Test and proofread thoroughly.

24. Submit for approval and voice-over audio.

Voice-overs will be recorded in Interactive voice, which should also serve for the Demo voice-over.

After initial topic has been approved

1. Save copy of topic, including voice-over, as “[Name]_demo.”
   
   Caution: From this point on, you are working in two, then three different versions.

In demo version:

1. Enable mouse for each slide, and verify that the mouse click position is correct.

2. Check timing of voice-over with other elements – e.g., highlights and mouse.  The mouse should start during the “The next step is to …,” and take about two seconds to run.

3. In most cases, remove the "Continue" button.

4. In click boxes, remove option to “Pause project until user clicks.”

5. Test and proofread thoroughly.

In interactive version:

1. Save copy of project as “[name]_exercise.”

In Exercise version

1. Rewrite text in left column.

2. Remove highlights (Find and Replace).

3. Delete all audio except music from the Library list. (This will delete it from the slides.)

4. Change the settings for user actions (click boxes, etc.) as follows.
   On the Click Box tab: Allow user: 1 attempt
   On the "Options tab: Clear the option for "failure caption"
   Apply Reporting (10 points).  
   Apply to all.

5. Verify that any 'Continue' buttons have the "Include in Quiz" box cleared, and that they have "2 attempts" checked, and the failure caption in place.

6. Create a duplicate to follow every slide with a user action.  
   See 7. Demo and Exercise for more details of the following steps.

7. In original slides, change "on success" to "Jump to slide" and select slide following the duplicate. Do not use the "Apply to All" feature to do this–the original and duplicate slides have different settings. Verify that "After last attempt" is set to "Next slide."

8. In duplicate slides, clear the "Include in Quiz" box. (Do not use "Apply to All"–it will clear the scoring in the original slides as well.)

9. Verify that in duplicate slides, the "On success" and "After last attempt" are set to "Next slide."

10. In each duplicate slide, insert a call-out text box telling the user what to do.

11. Remove all voice-overs (delete the audio files) and add background audio to project.

12. Shorten the timeline for each slide to 10 seconds or less.

13. Delete closing slide and unhide results slide.

14. Remove unused components.

15. Test and proofread thoroughly.
    Tip: Go through each exercise with all correct answers, then again with all incorrect answers.  The first time should result in a perfect score, the second with no score. This will verify that the reporting is correct, and that all failure captions have been removed and all call-out captions added.  

In all versions:

1. Check that the links in the opening and closing slides (other topics) are correct and work.

2. Submit for final review of all sections.