The Logical Blog by IconLogic

APRIL 6, 2020

As teachers in many areas of the country struggle to take their classroom activities into the virtual training world, here’s what we’re finding.   Many are familiar with online teaching tools that they have been using in their classrooms: tools such as Quizlet, and Kahoot!, and Quizziz, and Swivl. Collaborative tools such as Google Docs are also in use.

Authoring Tools 100

Authoring Tools Teach Corporate eLearning Online 100

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

APRIL 3, 2020

While working on a recent eLearning project in Articulate Storyline 360, there was a delay in getting the voiceover audio back from our voiceover professional. The dealy was particularly problematic because several slides had image builds that had to be synchronized with the voiceover audio. While these kinds of delays are common, they don't need to derail the entire development process.   To keep the project moving forward, I copied the voiceover script into the Notes window on each S

Text-to-Speech 130

Text-to-Speech Voiceover Articulate Adobe Captivate 130

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MARCH 6, 2020

Let’s say you’re creating icons for some eLearning and you’d like some letter icons. You might approach this by drawing a circle and layering a text box over the top of it or by typing the letters directly onto the shapes. For some applications, this approach might be perfectly fine, but there are a few instances where you may find this approach has shortcomings.     Shortcoming 1: You want the letter to be cut out of the icon’s shape so that you can see the background through the ic

PowerPoint 36

PowerPoint Convert Microsoft Long Tail 36

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

OCTOBER 29, 2019

I've long trumpeted the benefits of using Object Styles in Adobe Captivate. However, there may be times when you don't want to work with styles but still want to quickly apply an object's formatting to other objects. In that case, you'll love Captivate's copy and paste appearance feature.   Before I show you how to use the copy/paste appearance feature, let me review Object Styles (using styles is truly the most efficient way to work in Captivate).

Adobe Captivate 100

Adobe Captivate Adobe Captivate Adobe Presenter 100

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

JUNE 27, 2019

Articulate 360 Rise allows you to create beautiful, responsive eLearning courses using just your web browser and the Articulate 360 Rise application. Since its launch in late 2016, Articulate has been slowly but surely adding amazing new features to Rise. One of the latest is the ability to display data and structured information in tables.    If you’ve worked with Rise, you know that everything is created in “blocks.

Articulate 133

Articulate Format Picture Synchronous 133

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

JUNE 26, 2019

Adobe recently updated Captivate 2019 from 11.0 to 11.5. While much of the look and feel between versions 11 and 11.5 remain unchanged, there are some feature enhancements that I'll be addressing in future posts (if you scroll down you'll see a recent post on the new Assets). Legacy versions of Captivate upgrade to version 11.5 nearly seamlessly.

Adobe Captivate 100

Adobe Captivate Captivate Adobe Upgrade 100

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MAY 21, 2019

I received a Photoshop file the other day for use in a Captivate project. Moments later, I received a frantic call from the person who sent it to me. He was in a bit of a panic because he had sent me a Photoshop file (PSD) instead of the.jpg image I had requested. He then remembered that I didn't have Photoshop on my computer and was wondering if he needed to head back to the office and send the jpg image instead.   I was able to save him the trouble.

Adobe Captivate 140

Adobe Captivate Photoshop Captivate Adobe 140

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

FEBRUARY 11, 2019

While attempting to apply a Theme to a Captivate project I received the alert shown below.      My only option was to click the OK button and try again. Of course, no matter how many times I attempted the task, I received the same failure message.   When Captivate misbehaves, the first thing I always attempt is to reset the program’s Preferences.

Adobe Captivate 20

Adobe Captivate Captivate Adobe Mac 20

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

FEBRUARY 7, 2019

One of the more common questions that I get from new eLearning developers is how much time does will take to produce published content. The answer I provide is dependent upon a couple of factors. For instance, which eLearning tool are you going to use? Is it Adobe Captivate? How about TechSmith's Camtasia? Or maybe you're going to use Articulate Storyline?

Simulations 100

Simulations eLearning Developer Software Simulation eLearning 100

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

FEBRUARY 7, 2019

Adobe just released update 5 for Adobe RoboHelp 2019. To get the free update, choose Help > Updates. You'll see that version 14.0.5 is available for immediate download. All you'll need to do is click the Update button. Depending upon your internet speed, the update should only take a few minutes (you'll need to close RoboHelp while the update is in process).

Adobe 20

Adobe Mentoring Version Internet 20

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

JANUARY 4, 2019

Creating software simulations has always been one of Captivate's core strengths. From the Home screen, double-click Software Simulation, select the area of the screen or application to record, select your mode (or modes), click the Record button, and away you go.   The recording process is seamless, except when it's not. These days I'm seeing a particularly frustrating error appear for more and more of my students.

Adobe Captivate 113

Adobe Captivate Captivate Adobe Simulations 113

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

NOVEMBER 13, 2018

by Kevin Siegel, COTP , CTT. Not all that long ago controlling what learners see first in Adobe Captivate published eLearning content was as simple as creating a visually-appealing first slide in the project. However, if you’ve created content with either Adobe Captivate 2017 or 2019 things aren’t quite as simple. Perhaps you’ve noticed that a mysterious screen now appears when your lesson opens within most web browsers.   The default startup screen is a bit plain-looking (it's n

Adobe Captivate 100

Adobe Captivate Adobe Captivate Project 100

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

OCTOBER 1, 2018

by Kevin Siegel, COTP, CTT.   I’m a huge video fan. In my experience, videos offer a higher level of learner interest and knowledge retention than just text and/or images. However, as much as I love videos, I’m not happy with a core video limitation… a lack of learner engagement or interactivity. Sure, learners can stop, rewind, and fast-forward through most videos, but those abilities hardly equate to interactivity or engagement.    I was delighted to learn that Captivate 2019

Adobe Captivate 34

Adobe Captivate Captivate Interactive Adobe 34

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

AUGUST 16, 2018

by Jennie Ruby, CTT, COTP. The Assessment recording mode in Adobe Captivate creates a step-by-step software simulation that is intended to function as a test. It is part of the three-part formal software lesson: Demo, then Training (practice), then Assessment (test). The Assessment requires the learner to click through the steps without any hints, and it is set up to report each correct click as a point.

Simulations 127

Simulations Software Simulation Adobe Captivate Adobe 127

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

JUNE 25, 2018

by Kevin Siegel, CTT, COTP. When it comes to audio in eLearning, my experience strongly suggests that adding voiceover audio to your project enhances the learner experience. Does this mean that you need to hire professional voiceover talent? Absolutely not. If you’ve got the budget, hiring professional talent is the best way to go. However, home-grown audio featuring you as the voiceover talent works great.

Voice 53

Voice eLearning Developer Adobe Captivate Voiceover 53

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

JUNE 20, 2018

by Kevin Siegel, COTP. With Articulate Storyline, adding a high-level of interactivity is pretty easy if you begin with some of the built-in Interactive Objects. Take dials for instance. If you visit the Storyline 360 Insert tab on the Ribbon, Interactive Objects area, you'll find Button, Slider, Dial, Hotspot, Input, and Marker. If you click the Dial tool, you'll find three built-in Dials that are totally drag-and-drop ready.

Articulate 96

Articulate Interactive Custom Convert 96

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MAY 11, 2018

After receiving an email from a Camtasia developer looking for Camtasia shortcuts, I started creating a handy-dandy document that was going to list some of the more helpful keyboard shortcuts available in Camtasia. But then it occurred to me, why build a better mouse trap? Check out the Camtasia keyboard shortcut page TechSmith built (if you find a shortcut missing from the list, do tell).

TechSmith 49

TechSmith Develop Create Help 49

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MAY 8, 2018

by Jennie Ruby, COTP. People like to hear themselves talk. I don’t mean that in a bad way. What I mean is, people like to express themselves and feel heard. Feeling heard helps us feel connected to the others we encounter, the people we interact with, and—here’s my point—the people we learn with. Feeling connected with the instructor/facilitator and the other students/participants plays a huge role in our engagement with an online class.

Teach 113

Teach Online Classes Courseware 113

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MAY 7, 2018

by Willam van Weelden, COTP.   I recently received the following email from a concerned RoboHelp user:   Our [help system] documents are available on the internet if you search for them. Is there a way to keep them private so they don’t show up on Google?   The issue here is that the RoboHelp user created content in RoboHelp and then published the output files to their web server.

Google 154

Google Adobe Server Apache 154

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MARCH 12, 2018

If you're an Adobe Captivate developer, here are some awesome new classes that are laser- focused on Variables and Advanced Actions. Variables and Actions 101: Quick Start. Variables and Actions 201: Advanced Concepts. Variables and Actions 301: Complex  Variables and Actions 401: Expressions. Each of these 3-hour classes are taught live, online, and are highly interactive.

Adobe Captivate 22

Adobe Captivate Adobe Captivate Classes 22

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MARCH 9, 2018

by Kevin Siegel, CTT+, COTP. We received the following distress email a few days ago:   I am using your workbook ( Adobe Captivate 2017: The Essentials ) and I'm in Module 11: Working with PowerPoint.   I have a PowerPoint (presentation) I created with voice recording. The PowerPoint imports just like the books says and the hyperlinks work.

Adobe Captivate 0

Adobe Captivate Audio Microsoft PowerPoint 0

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MARCH 8, 2018

by Kevin Siegel, CTT+, COTP. If you need to share an Adobe Presenter presentation with another developer, you’ll find the Presenter's Package tool very useful.   Presenter projects begin as a single, self-contained PowerPoint presentation. You can transfer them from one computer to another without worrying about leaving a part of the presentation behind. However, once you add audio or videos assets to a PowerPoint slide via the Presenter tab on the PowerPoint Ribbon, those assets

Adobe Presenter 0

Adobe Presenter Adobe Create PowerPoint 0

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MARCH 5, 2018

by Kevin Smith, COTP. According to reports published at Dice Insights ( dice.com ), a leading website for technology careers and The Channel Company, a top IT firm ( CRN.com ), there are some hot careers and certifications that you should definitely consider if you’re looking to maximize your income potential.   According to DICE, here are some of the fastest-growing tech sectors:   Application Service Provider: A business providing computer-based services to customers over a network

Informal 0

Informal Technology Skills Server 0

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

by Kevin Siegel, CTT+, COTP. When I teach my live, online Certified Online Training Professional course , one of the core concepts I encourage is blended learning (combining online digital media with traditional classroom teaching concepts). Specifically, there's great value in integrating eLearning (asynchronous training) with live (synchronous) training by providing access to eLearning content from within the virtual training space.   Published eLearning content can typically be prov

Adobe Connect 0

Adobe Connect Adobe Blended Learning Teach 0

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

JANUARY 9, 2018

by Jennie Ruby, CTT, COTP. Our reader Linda Tromanhauser of ADP (Automatic Data Processing, Inc.) writes:  "We often use GoAnimate videos in eLearning. One thing I discovered on my most recent project is that in Storyline, you can insert a GoAnimate and have clickable items on top of it, on the same slide. So the video plays, and then the learner can select an option.

Integrate 124

Integrate Adobe Presenter Productivity Product 124

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

DECEMBER 20, 2017

by Kevin Siegel, COTP, CTT.   Deleting a portion of an object on the Camtasia Timeline (a few seconds from the end of a video for example) is simple: drag the red in- and/or green out-point on either side of the Playhead, right-click, and then choose Delete. However, after deleting the selection from the Timeline media, you’ll typically be left with a gap.

TechSmith 124

TechSmith Adobe Captivate Adobe Articulate 124

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

JANUARY 2, 2018

Ah, the model employee. You know the type – they’re the first to volunteer when something needs doing and the last to complain if it means working a little late. But, what happens when good employees go bad? Are your most reliable and efficient workers starting to miss deadlines or make mistakes on reports and client deliverables? Are they suddenly coming in late and leaving early?

Issue 0

Issue Performance Problem Job 0

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

DECEMBER 8, 2017

by AJ Walther, COTP. Raise your hand if this is you. You want to animate something on a slide and then on the next slide, you want that same object to do something else.   The problem is that you used motion paths to move this item from Point A to Point B on Slide 1 and then on Slide 2 you want that object to appear in the exact spot it ended on Slide 1 before it does something else.

PowerPoint 124

PowerPoint Microsoft Slides Tips 124

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

OCTOBER 18, 2017

by Kevin Siegel, COTP, CTT. One of Adobe Captivate's most often overlooked features is its ability to generate support documentation for your eLearning content. By simply choosing File > Print and opening the Print dialog box, you gain the ability to create Word documents that can be printed, emailed to your learners, or uploaded to a Learning Management System as course materials.   In the image below, notice that there is a Type drop-down menu in the Print dialog box that offers f

Adobe Captivate 0

Adobe Captivate Adobe Captivate Mac 0

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

SEPTEMBER 7, 2017

by Kevin Siegel, COTP. Over the past few months, I've received more and more calls and emails about the pros and cons of adding background music to eLearning projects (specifically projects created using Adobe Captivate and TechSmith Camtasia).   First and foremost, it's a simple process to add background music using your tool of choice.

Music 14

Music eLearning Developer eLearning Consultant Develop 14

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

JULY 13, 2017

by Kevin Siegel, COTP, CTT. Fluid Boxes, introduced with Adobe Captivate 2017, make the process of creating a responsive eLearning project faster than ever. I introduced you to Fluid Boxes a few weeks ago.  If you've spent any time playing them I think you'll agree that they're pretty, well for lack of a better word, fluid. However, if the amount of email I've received recently is any indication, I'm betting you're struggling a bit with how to control the way conten

Adobe Captivate 113

Adobe Captivate Adobe Captivate Simulations 113

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

JULY 13, 2017

Creating eLearning these days has never been easier. However, easy does not mean instant. Unfortunately, the boss heard about how fast it can be to crank out eLearning content and asked if you can have 60 minutes of content ready to go within a week. Yikes!   But seriously, how long does it take to create eLearning?   A few years ago, we created a tool that helps eLearning developers determine how long it can take to develop eLearning in Adobe Captivate.

eLearning Developer 0

eLearning Developer Flash Player Free Adobe Captivate 0

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MAY 26, 2017

by Willam Van Weeldon. While Adobe's chief concern when releasing RoboHelp 2017 was improving the Responsive HTML5 output (with search suggestions and improved accessibility), there were other nice enhancements. This week I’d like to focus on Thumbnails (small images that expand when clicked). Here are step-by-step instructions for adding Thumbnails to your RoboHelp project.

Images 113

Images Adobe Adobe Captivate Press 113

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MAY 25, 2017

by Jennie Ruby, COTP. Years ago, as a new classroom instructor, I used to wonder why some of my colleagues used brainstorming techniques in the classroom. After all, as the instructor, I knew the content I wanted to see brought forward, and the students were there to learn from me, right? So why would I ask the students to brainstorm? Why shouldn’t I just list the important items on the whiteboard or on a bulleted slide and be done?

Online 113

Online Training Train Microsoft 113

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MAY 18, 2017

by Kevin Siegel, COTP. If you create a software simulation using Adobe Captivate, you can elect to have Captivate automatically create text captions for you. This awesome feature isn’t new… in fact, it’s been around since the earliest incarnations of the tool. All you need to do to ensure that the captions are created is enable Text Captions prior to recording a simulation.

Adobe Captivate 49

Adobe Captivate Captivate Adobe Simulations 49

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

MARCH 23, 2017

Did you say you wanted something cool. and for free? OK, fine! This countdown timer is the perfect thing to display when you send your online class out on a break (and you're concerned they'll just never come back on time). The time is an Adobe AIR application that will run on Macs and PCs and features custom away and return messages, along with multiple timer settings.

Classes 113

Classes Free Mac Online 113

The Logical Blog by IconLogic

JANUARY 19, 2017

by Kal Hadi, CTT,  COTP       The long anticipated Articulate Storyline upgrade was announced recently by Articulate and came not as Storyline 3 (as many expected) but rather in the form of the subscription-based  Articulate 360 , a suite of tools that includes every tool that Articulate makes. Articulate has decided to change the way upgrades to their products are going to work in the future.

Articulate 100

Articulate Upgrade Mac Version 100