Create Engaging eLearning using Adobe Captivate: Buttons and images Part 2

Make dry material more engaging by using rollovers, interactions, audio, and visual design.

Click here to view a demonstration

The course was developed for fire inspectors about mechanical codes, how interesting is that!!!

First, rollover objects were used to make the lesson more visual. 

Then click boxes, in conjunction with images, were used to make learning more engaging by allowing the learner click on each definition and see, not only the description but a visual representation of the definition.

First decide if it is important for the training material that the user views all the interactions on the slide before they can move forward. My courses were typically Statute based (meaning the user is required to attend by law) so I hid the Next button until all interactions have been viewed. I add check marks, so the user knows which definitions they have viewed.

In the presentation the user can click any definition, in any order, but they must click all the words before the Next button appears.

NOTE: These instructions are for the more advanced captivate user – they do not describe step by step instructions on advanced actions, you should already have a base understanding of how to create advanced actions. 

If you use a Playbar, you will need to hide it for this slide, here’s how:

Slide properties

Action/On enter/Assign

Assign: cpCmndShowPlayBar (typically is the default)

With: 0

Warning 1 (if you want the Playbar to show on the next slide, you must do the same thing, but Assign with 1 to show the Playbar)

Warning 2 (you MIGHT need to Assign the Playbar with 1 for the rest of the slides if you are uploading to an LMS and you allow users to exit out of the course and reenter the course where they left off, in some LMS’s if the user enter’s back in after the slide that hides the playbar, even if you show the play bar on the next slide but not all slides, the playbar will still not appear).

I use Photoshop to create my images/definitions.

Insert all the images into your captivate project on the same slide

Name each image

Make each image invisible on enter

Align all the images exactly on top of each other

Insert the Check mark images

Name the check marks

Make them invisible

Insert the Close (X) button (you only need one)

Name the close button

Make it invisible

 Insert the Next button

Name the next button

Make it invisible

 Add an invisible Clickbox anywhere on the slide

In the properties/Options/Click the check box next to ‘Pause Project until User Clicks’

This click box will prevent the slide from moving forward (allowing the user to click all the buttons multiple times) until the user clicks the Next button.

The timeline will be quite large. Feel free to group objects on your timeline.

Click the eye to make objects invisible in order to manipulate them.

NOTE: objects at the top of the timeline are in layered above the objects below them

Insert transparent buttons over the words/objects you want the user to click.

 NOTE: you do not need a pause for each button. In the image below you see how many objects are on the timeline. In Captivate 6 you can group objects on the timeline to make it easier to control.

Create a Variable for each definition

Click Project/Variable

Add New

Create the variable that have the same name as your definitions

With a Value of zero (0)

Save

Repeat for each definition

Create the Conditional Action - This action will allow users to click on any definition, in any order, will check off each definition as the user goes, but will not show the Next button until the user has clicked all the definitions.

If you don't know how to create Advanced Actions view my demonstration on You Tube at: 

:

Project/Advanced Action

Action Type – click the drop down and select Conditional actions

Name the action (use the first definition as a name)

You should of already inserted a transparent button over the definition

In Perform Action if (all actions are true)

In the first column: Double click and select ‘Literal’, type in the number 1

In the next column to the right, double click and select ‘is equal to’

In the next column to the right, double click and select ‘literal’ type in 1, click Enter

In Actions

In the first column, double click and select ‘Assign’ in the column to the right select the variable that applies and select Literal and type in the number 1.

In the next row down, select ‘Show’ and show the image that is associated with the definition

Then show the Close button (X)

Then show the check mark

In the following rows down, hide all the other images

In Button Properties

Action/On Success: select Execute Advanced Actions

Script: select the conditional action you  just created

NEXT to force the user to click on all definitions before the Next button appears

Click on the middle button

Name it by double clicking within the button

Under IF, Perform action if (all conditions are true)

double click on the first column and select Variable/Select the variable that is associated with the definition

to the right of that, double click and select ‘is equal to’

to the right of that, double click and select ‘Literal’ type in the number 1 and click Enter

Repeat for all definitions

Under Actions

Double click in the first column and select ‘Show’

Double click on the second column and select the Next button you named

Duplicate the Conditional Action for all the definitions

Project/Advanced Actions

Select the drop down and select the conditional action you just created

Double click on the icon in the upper right hand corner to duplicate the action

Rename the conditional action to the next definition

Change the Assign to the next definitions’ variable

Change the previous definition to Hide

Change the next definition to Show

Show the next definitions check mark

Click SAVE

Repeat duplication for all definitions

NOTE: don’t forget to attach each button in the properties/Action to Execute Advanced Actions and then Script to the Conditional Action you created.

Test it out!