Overview
You need powerful e-learning authoring capabilities with granular control over every interaction, variable, and advanced action—the kind of control the newer Captivate sacrificed for simplicity. This two-day course teaches you to master Adobe Captivate Classic (2019 and earlier), the timeline-based authoring tool that gives instructional designers complete control over complex interactions, sophisticated branching, and advanced simulations.
You’ll master timeline-based editing for precise control, create fully responsive projects with manual breakpoint management, build complex interactions using advanced actions and variables, develop software simulations with multiple learning modes, and leverage Captivate Classic’s powerful features that remain unmatched for creating sophisticated e-learning. Whether you’re maintaining existing Classic projects, building complex branching scenarios, creating advanced software simulations, or developing interactive courses that require precise control, this course gives you expert-level skills in the tool many instructional designers still prefer.
Format: 2 Days | VILT
Who Should Attend
- Instructional designers working with Captivate Classic legacy projects
- E-learning developers who need advanced control over interactions and logic
- Organizations with existing Captivate Classic course libraries to maintain
- Training professionals building complex software simulations
- Advanced users wanting to master Captivate Classic’s full capabilities
- Anyone who prefers timeline-based authoring over block-based approaches
What You’ll Learn
- Create and edit courses using Captivate Classic’s timeline-based interface
- Build fully responsive projects with manual breakpoint control
- Develop complex interactions using advanced actions, variables, and conditional logic
- Create sophisticated software simulations with multiple recording modes
- Design branching scenarios and non-linear learning experiences
- Publish SCORM packages and maintain legacy course libraries
Course Outline
Module 1: Captivate Classic Interface and Project Fundamentals
- Understanding Captivate Classic vs. the new Captivate: key differences
- Navigating the Classic interface: stage, timeline, filmstrip, and properties
- Project preferences and settings: responsive vs. non-responsive projects
- Working with slides: blank slides, question slides, and master slides
- Timeline fundamentals: objects, timing, and playhead control
- Filmstrip navigation and slide management
- Understanding project types: software simulations, responsive, and blank projects
Module 2: Objects, Timeline, and Precise Timing Control
- Adding and configuring objects: text captions, shapes, images, and buttons
- Timeline editing: adjusting object display timing and duration
- Layering objects: z-order and stacking
- Object styles and formatting for consistency
- Smart shapes and custom vector graphics
- Character and Learning Interactions objects
- Synchronizing objects with audio and timeline events
- Effects and transitions between objects and slides
Module 3: Software Simulations and Screen Recording
- Recording modes: demonstration, training, and assessment
- Recording settings: application, window, or screen region
- Automatic vs. manual recording modes
- Object preferences: click boxes, text entry boxes, and highlight boxes
- Editing recorded simulations: timing, captions, and interactions
- Full motion recording for smooth video capture
- Panning in software simulations for focused viewing
- Converting between simulation modes after recording
- System audio recording and mouse movement customization
Module 4: Responsive Design with Manual Control
- Creating responsive projects from scratch
- Understanding breakpoints: desktop, tablet, and mobile views
- Position properties: relative vs. absolute positioning
- Customizing layouts for each breakpoint manually
- Responsive text and smart positioning
- Object visibility and exclusion across breakpoints
- Testing responsive behavior in preview mode
- Troubleshooting responsive layout issues
- When to use responsive vs. separate mobile projects
Module 5: Interactive Objects and Click Interactions
- Click boxes: creating hotspot interactions
- Buttons: standard, transparent, and image buttons
- Text entry boxes with validation and scoring
- Success, failure, and hint captions
- Actions: configuring object behaviors and responses
- Rollover objects: captions, images, and slidelets
- Multi-state objects for complex interactions
- Drag and drop interactions for matching and sequencing
Module 6: Variables, Advanced Actions, and Conditional Logic
- System variables: understanding built-in project information
- User variables: creating custom data tracking
- Using variables in captions and objects dynamically
- Standard actions vs. advanced actions
- Building advanced actions with conditional logic
- Decision structures: if-then-else statements
- Shared actions: creating reusable logic templates
- JavaScript in Captivate Classic for extended functionality
- Troubleshooting and debugging advanced actions
Module 7: Quizzing and Knowledge Checks
- Question slide types: multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, matching, etc.
- Quiz properties: scoring, passing score, and reporting
- Question pools for randomization
- Random question slides from pools
- Branching based on quiz results
- Pretests and knowledge checks (ungraded questions)
- Custom feedback messages and remediation slides
- Quiz master slides for consistent appearance
- Review quiz functionality
- Partial scoring and negative scoring options
Module 8: Audio, Video, and Multimedia
- Recording slide audio and object-level audio
- Importing audio files: slide audio, background audio, and object audio
- Audio editing: silence detection, volume adjustment, and effects
- Text-to-speech with customizable voices
- Video import and embedding: event vs. progressive download
- Multi-slide synchronized audio
- Closed captioning for accessibility
- Animation effects and motion paths
- SWF file import (for legacy Flash content)
Module 9: Master Slides, Templates, and Themes
- Understanding master slides and their relationship to content slides
- Creating and editing master slides for consistent layouts
- Main master slide vs. content master slides vs. question master slides
- Placeholders and object locking on master slides
- Themes: applying and customizing pre-built designs
- Creating custom themes and templates
- Object styles library and management
- Skin editor: customizing playbar and table of contents
- Building reusable project templates for team use
Module 10: Advanced Features and Production Workflows
- Multi-state objects: creating complex interactive elements
- Geolocation and device-aware variables
- Aggregator projects: combining multiple projects
- Learning interactions: process circles, pyramids, and more
- Importing PowerPoint presentations and maintaining animations
- Branching scenarios and non-linear navigation design
- Project templates and rapid development workflows
- Localization and multi-language course development
- Version control and project collaboration strategies
Module 11: Publishing, SCORM, and Deployment
- Publishing to HTML5 vs. SWF (Flash) – understanding the differences
- SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, AICC, and xAPI publishing
- Configuring LMS reporting and tracking options
- Publish settings: scalable HTML content, responsive scaling
- Creating executables (.exe) for CD-ROM distribution
- Publishing to Captivate Prime and Adobe Connect
- YouTube publishing and video export
- Optimizing file size and performance
- Testing SCORM packages with SCORM Cloud or LMS test environments
- Troubleshooting common publishing and LMS integration issues
Prerequisites & Technical Requirements
- Computer running Windows or Mac (check Captivate Classic 2019 requirements)
- Adobe Captivate Classic (2019 or earlier version) installed
- Basic understanding of instructional design and e-learning concepts
- Familiarity with timeline-based editing helpful but not required
- No programming experience required, though logical thinking is beneficial
- Access to sample content or training materials for practice
Customization Options
This course can be customized for specific advanced development needs—complex software simulation and training applications, advanced branching and scenario-based learning, legacy project maintenance and updates, variable-driven adaptive learning experiences, or sophisticated assessment and testing systems. We can focus on advanced actions and JavaScript integration for developers, emphasize responsive design workflows, or concentrate on maintaining and updating existing Captivate Classic course libraries with your organization’s specific standards and requirements.