Adding Flash Video to an Adobe Captivate Project - Part I


Towanda Jones
Instructional Support Specialist
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: September-October 2007

Category: » Tech-skills-software » Adobe-captivate

Part I | Part II

With Adobe Captivate, faculty can add Flash video (.flv) files to their captivate learning object. It can improve communication and students' comprehension of online learning.

Adobe Captivate is a powerful and engaging software tool that will allow educators to create interactive demonstrations and simulations for e-learning in Flash format.  With this tool, faculty can easily capture and record screen actions, create quizzes and tutorials as well as integrate audio and video within the presentation and much more.  The best part about this software is that there is NO programming or multimedia experience required.

This tutorial is a two-part series:

  • Part I focuses on importing flash video into Adobe Captivate and publishing to your local computer;
  • Part II focuses on importing flash video into Adobe Captivate and publishing to a remote server will be featured in the next edition.

This tutorial assumes that your are familiar with Adobe Captivate and have it installed on your computer as well as have Flash Video (.flv) available on your computer.

 

Part I. Importing Flash Video into Adobe Captivate and Publishing to your Local Computer

Step 1: With Captivate open, select Flash Video from the Insert menu.

Step 2: From the Flash Video dialog box select the Flash Video tab and fill in the following fields:

  • Video Type: Select "Progressive Download Video"
  • File Link: Click on the Browse and navigate to your .flv file.
  • Skin: Select the skin you prefer. Skins are playback controls for your video.  Once the .flv file has been selected, the width and height of the video will be added to the field.
  • Constraint: Checked
  • Auto play: Checked
  • Auto rewind: Unchecked

Next, select the Options Tab and fill in the following fields:

  • Display for:  Select "duration of video"
  • Appear After: 0.0
  • Effects: No transition 
  • Select OK 

Step 3: Select Project from the Preview menu.

Step 4: Select Publish from the toolbar.

From the Publish dialog box fill in the following fields:

Flash (.swf) options

  • Project Title: Name your project
  • Folder: Click on "Browse" to locate your captivate file.

Output options

  • Zip files: Unchecked
  • Full screen: Unchecked
  • Generate autorun for CD: Unchecked
  • Export HTML: Checked
    (Note:  This will generate your html  file when you are ready to publish)
  • Flash Version: Select Flash Player 8
    (Note:  This will generate your .swf file)
  • Select Preferences button

From the Project Preferences dialog box select the Start and End tab, and fill in the following fields:

Project start option:

  • Loading Screen: Checked
  • Password protect project: Unchecked
  • Project expiration date: Unchecked
  • Fade in on the first slide: Checked

Project end options:

  • Action: Select "Stop project"
  • Fade out on the last slide: Checked

Select the Preferences Tab, and fill in the following fields:

Output options

  • Advanced project compression: Checked
  • Compress compiled SWF file: Checked
  • Publish Adobe Connect Enterprise metadate: Unchecked
  • 508 compliant: Checked
  • Frames per Second: 30

Visual and sound effects

  • Project background color: White
  • JPEG image quality: 100%

Note: These settings are global and will override side settings at runtime:

  • Included mouse when project is generated: Checked
  • Include audio when project is generated: Checked
  • Pay tap audio for recorded typing when project is generated: Checked

Select the Background Audio tab, and fill in the following fields:

Audio

  • Lower background audio volume on slides with additional audio: Checked
  • Loop audio:  Checked
  • Stop audio at end of project:  Checked

Select the Defaults tab, and fill in the following fields:

Default project setting:

  • Slide duration: 3.0
  • Preview Next:  5

 


Select the OK button to complete the settings setup. This will bring you back to the Publish dialog box. Next, select the Publish button to finish publishing.

 

Select the View Output button from the Publish process dialog box.

Select the OK button from the Adobe Flash Player Security dialog box.

Clicking on the OK button will launch the Captivate project within your Web browser.

When publishing the presentation to your computer, Captivate generates the following files:
  • finename.htm
  • skinname.swf
  • filename.swf
  • filename_skin.swf
  • standard.js
The .htm and .swf files are generated from the options selected in Step 4: Publish to Web.  The skinname.swf file is the playback control that was selected in Step 2.

Stay tuned for Part II - Importing Flash Video into Adobe Captivate and Publishing your Presentation to a Remote Server to be featured in a future edition.

About the Author(s)

Towanda Jones is an Instructional Support Specialists for the Center for Support of Instruction. Towanda's professional background is in educational instructional support, and development with course learning, object development, faculty support, quality assurance for delivery of online courses, and web design and development. Her experience encompasses a wide range of skills to web, multimedia, working with synchronous and asynchronous technologies, implementing simulations, and leading projects across multiple disciplines.

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