MacDirectory Magazine

FEA TURE REVIEW You can use Flash to create a wide variety of library objects ranging from animated transitions and animations to more complex interactive elements that can function independently or be combined using the included Aggregatorapplication. The Flash elements can be scripted as scoreable objects (SCO) that will interface with Captivate’s assessment and scorekeeping systems. The Aggregator will also let you combine several standalone Captivate projects, making it useful for team workflows. Captivate also lets you use a PowerPoint slide show as a starting point. In this mode, the purpose of the filmstrip is fairly obvious, however the animation becomes an incredibly useful workspace that gives you the ability to fine tune the timing of every animation element in a slide. All of Captivate’s tools are available to further enhance the slides. Unfortunately, the Mac version of the eLearning Suite does not include Presenter, a handy utility that converts PowerPoint decks directly into Flash files. Considering the number of Mac shops set up with Boot Camp and virtualization software, it’s unfortunate that they didn’t include the PC version anyway (and its absence does not give us a price break). Many of Captivate 5’s new features represent major breakthroughs for the program. In earlier releases, Captivate presentations always looked like Captivate presentations because changing the appearance from the default meant modifying each and every element by hand. Captivate 5 incorporates project- wide object styles as well as master slides and templates so design changes are easily reflected throughout a project. The master slides have one cute trick: the elements can be positioned in the foreground, on top of a slide, where they still offer continuity and branding but are not quite as constricting. As always, Captivate 5 lets you import video in a variety of formats via the Adobe Media Encoder (or directly as FLVs). But with the new version, video elements can span several slides, which can be timed to change at predetermined playback points. As is the case with animated elements, the timeline makes these cue points fairly easy to manipulate. Roundtrip to the Suite If you opt for the eLearning Suiteyou’ll discover that Captivate 5 is a real team player. Virtually all the file types from the Suite’s applications can be embedded in Captivate projects as Smart Objects, meaning that any changes in the object are reflected in the Captivate project. As you would imagine, this can be particularly useful with Flash Pro, because of the multiplicity of ways that Flash elements can be used in Captivate projects. But what your audience may appreciate even more is the integration with Adobe’s audio editing and sweetening application, Soundbooth. A well-made soundtrack can make a huge difference in a presentation (as can badly-made one). It’s a given that narrations cannot always be professionally recorded. Fortunately, one of Soundbooth’s strong points is its ability to let you clean up audio tracks without having to master a lot of complex tools and arcane concepts. In a way, it’s a bit like Photoshopfor sound. With the eLearning Suite, you can round-trip audio created in Captivate to even out volume levels, splice together takes and add music tracks. It can even remove annoying background sounds with a tool that operates visually. (If you’re completely at a loss for voice talent, Captivate can make use of any of the Mac’s diverse collection of voices for text-to-speech with the ability to have multiple, synthesized narrators.) And obviously Flash Professional is a big part of the Captivate production effort. Like the Creative Suite applications, eLearning Suite 2 takes advantage of Acrobat.com, Adobe’s online collaboration system and AIR, its browser-free link to online applications and content. Geographically diverse groups can review and comment on Captivate projects while they’re in development. In fact, the review can be done with an AIR application without the need for a copy of Captivate. However, when the system is released into production, Acrobat.com can again be used to store and transmit assessment results online either via Acrobat.com or on your own server. For many, this could be a viable alternative to a dedicated Learning Management System (LMS). Captivate 5 is a welcome addition to Adobe’s product lineup for the Mac platform. The performance is good, though not yet as impressive as the finely tuned Creative Suite applications we’ve come to know and love. Though there’s a good deal of flexibility when it comes to editing and updating projects, Captivate is definitely notan application that lends itself to the stream-of-consciousness school of design. Product Adobe eLearning Suite Made by Adobe Systems Price $1,799 ($799 Captivate only) Pros A full-featured learning management system; Powerful round-tripping between applications; Versatile capture options Cons Steep learning curve for new users; Lack of Presenterapplication Rating ★★★★ 126 MacDirectory

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