Adobe Captivate * Animations

Properties of animation objects
Add animations
Animated text

Adobe Captivate lets you add animation to Adobe Captivate SWF files. This introduces an element of motion that is effective and eye-catching for users. Add existing animation files to a slide or use the animated text feature in Adobe Captivate.

When you add an animation file to your project, it automatically gets added to the library to the Media folder.

You can add SWF or GIF animation files directly to a slide. Slides containing an animation file can be edited just like other slides containing an object.

Adobe Captivate contains a gallery that has buttons, sounds, and animations (in SWF format) for you to use in your projects. By default, the gallery is stored in the following location when you install Adobe Captivate: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Captivate 6\Gallery (on Windows) or /Applications/Adobe Captivate 6/Gallery (on Mac OS).
Note: If you want to add a Flash animation file (FLA), you must first convert it to a SWF file. To do this conversion, you must have the latest Flash version installed on your computer.
To add animated text, select from a number of interesting effects included with Adobe Captivate. Experiment with different fonts, colors, and effects to achieve the right look. Slides containing animated text, with their combination of text, movement, and sound (if you choose to add audio) make great opening slides for projects.

Note: Device fonts are not displayed in Adobe Captivate. If you import an animation file containing text created with device fonts, the animation appears in Adobe Captivate, but the text does not. For animations that will be imported into Adobe Captivate, try to use embedded fonts for text.

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Properties of animation objects

You can change the properties of animation objects using their Property Inspector (Window > Properties).

Animation name

Name: Enter a unique name for the object. You can use this name when defining the visibility conditions for the object.
Visible: Deselect this option if you want the object to be invisible on the slide. The object can be made visible using the Show option. For more information, see Controlling the visibility of objects.
Accessibility: Click to add accessible text to the object. For details, see Customize accessibility text for objects

Animation

Amimation Info: Click the icon to see the key information about the animation file you selected including version, width, height, and the number of frames that compose the file. The total duration of the animation file is also shown.
Linkage: Provides the link to the associated animation file.
Update: Click to reflect the modifications to the source file (if edited externally).
Source: Link to the source FLA file of the animation SWF file.
Edit: Click to edit the FLA file using Adobe Flash from within Adobe Captivate. This option is available only in Adobe Captivate that is installed with the Adobe eLearning Suite.
Alpha: The transparency of the animation file. A high Alpha value results in a bright version of the animation file and a lower value in a dimmer animation.
Swap: lets you replace the animation file with another from the Media folder in the library using the Slect Animation from the Library dialog box. If library does not have the required file, click Import in the dialog box to import the file to the Media folder.

Timing

Display For [Time]

The time the animation plays in the project.

Rest Of Slide: The animation plays until the slide stops playing. The animation plays once, unless the Loop option is selected.
Rest Of Project: The animation plays for the length of the project, even on other slides. The animation plays once, unless the Loop option is selected.
Duration Of Animation: The animation plays for its entire length once.
Specific Time: The animation plays for the specified time.

Appear After [#] Seconds

Delay between the first appearance of the slide and the first appearance of the animation.

Synchronize With Project

Synchronizes the speed at which the animation file plays with the Timeline speed. If you find that the animation file is not playing smoothly, test with this option selected and cleared to see which setting gives you better results.

Loop

Select this option to have the animation file loop (replay continuously).

Transition

Effect: Specify a transition effect for the animation. You can make an animation fade in during its entry, and fade out during its exit.
In [#] Seconds: Specifies the amount of time for the animation to fully fade into view.
Out [#] Seconds: Specifies the amount of time for the animation to completely disappear from view.

Shadow and reflection

Shadow: Select the check box to apply shadow to the animation. Choose one of the presets. You can customize a preset by clicking Custom.
Direction: Select the direction: inner or outer. The preview of the selected direction is displayed on stage.
Color: click to select a color for the shadow. Specify the alpha for the color, in percentage, in the adjacent field.
Blur: Specify a value, in pixels, for the blur of the shadow.
Angle: Specify the angle for the shadow.
Distance: specify the distance, in pixels, at which the shadow must be displayed.
Reflection: Select the check box to add reflection to the animation. Choose one of the presets.

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Add animations

In an open project, select Insert > Animation.
Navigate to the animation file you want to add to the slide, select it, and click Open.
In the Property Inspector, set properties and options as required.

The animation is added to the slide.

Note: Device fonts are not displayed in Adobe Captivate. If you import an animation file containing text created with device fonts, the animation appears in Adobe Captivate, but the text will not. For animations that will be imported into Adobe Captivate, try to use embedded fonts for text.

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Animated text

Animated text is text that has applied special effects. Adobe Captivate offers a wide variety of text animation effects that you can experiment with. For example, on the opening slide of a project, you can have text fly-in or fade-in for an eye-catching start.

The Property Inspector (Window > Properties) provide a preview of the animated text that you insert.

Text Animation

Name: Enter a unique name for the object. You can use this name when defining the visibility conditions for the object.
Visible: Deselect this option if you want the object to be invisible on the slide. The object can be made visible using the Show option. For more information, see Controlling the visibility of objects

General

Effect: The animation effect that is applied to the text.
Transparency: Specifies a transparency level for the animated text. For a very dim animated text effect, select a high number such as 90. For darker text, select a low number such as 10.
Properties: Click to display Text Animation Properties dialog box.

Shadow and reflection

Shadow: Select the check box to apply shadow to the animated text. Choose one of the presets. You can customize a preset by clicking Custom.
Direction: Select the direction: inner or outer. The preview of the selected direction is displayed on stage.
Color: click to select a color for the shadow. Specify the alpha for the color, in percentage, in the adjacent field.
Blur: Specify a value, in pixels, for the blur of the shadow.
Angle: Specify the angle for the shadow.
Distance: specify the distance, in pixels, at which the shadow must be displayed.
Reflection: Select the check box to add reflection to the animated text. Choose one of the presets.

Timing

Display For [Time]: Specifies the timing of the animated text. Click the pop-up menu and select an option. If you select the specific time option, you can enter the exact number of seconds for the animated text to appear.
Appear After [#] Seconds: Displays the animated text after the slide has been displayed for the selected number of seconds.

Transition

Loop: Select this option to have the animation file continuously loop (play over and over again) as the project plays.
Effect: Specify a transition effect for the animation. You can make an animation fade in during its entry, and fade out during its exit.
In [#] Seconds: Specifies the amount of time for the animation to fully fade into view.
Out [#] Seconds: Specifies the amount of time for the animation to completely disappear from view.

Properties of animated text

Use the Text Animation Properties dialog box of the animated text to set its properties.

Set font, transparency, and delay options:

Text: The text to which the animation is applied.
Font: Specify the font name and then style, size, effects, and colors.
Delay (Frames): The time elapsed, in Flash frames, between the display of one animated letter and the next. If you set a low number (for example, 0 or 1), all the letters appear quickly, one after the other. If you set a higher number (for example, 30 or 40), each letter appears more distinctly. Try different numbers and watch the text in the Preview window to select an appropriate number.
Note: The number you specify in Delay does not change the absolute amount of time the animated text feature appears. For example, suppose you specify, in the Options tab) a total animation time of 8 seconds. The value of the Delay option, whether it is 1 or 30, does not change the absolute time of 8 seconds.
Loop: Select this option to have the animation file continuously loop (play over and over again) as the project plays.

Add animated text

Select the slide to which you want to add animated text.
Select Insert > Text Animation.
In the Text Animation Properties dialog box, enter the text to animate.
Set the various options according to your requirements.
For properties with the icon, select either
- Apply To All Items To apply the effect to all objects that belong to the object type.
- Apply To All Items Of Same Style To apply to all objects that use the same object style.
Click OK.

The text appears in the preview section of the Property Inspector.