Enhanced experience with Adobe Captivate e-learning and AlterEgos Virtual Agents
We are often asked by our users how to integrate AlterEgos Avatars into e-learning solutions, this overview shows how to get the best out of the combination of AlterEgos Virtual Agent technology and the widely used Adobe Captivate. This post will demonstrate how you can easily obtain enhanced results with Adobe Captivate e-learning solution and AlterEgos Virtual Agents working together in your creative pipeline.
For those new to the Adobe Captivate e-learning community, Adobe Captivate allows you to rapidly author e-learning content without programming, from version 5 it introduced Text To Speech integration and has point and click design tools and of course the ubiquitous drag and drop. So if you are serious about your e-learning production Adobe Captivate is a fantastic tool to have in your production pipeline.
The benefits of Virtual Avatars in Adobe Captivate e-learning & CBT
Stanford University described the absolute benefits of using virtual characters (Also know as Virtual Agents, Virtual Avatars and Animated Talking Characters) within e-learning and CBT content.
AlterEgos HD was designed as a Virtual Agent composition development tool, consequently, it allows you to rapidly create animated, lip-syncing characters and output them in a variety of industry standard media types, ideal for enhancing all aspects of e-learning and CBT with perfect integration with Adobe Captivate e-learning software.
Stage 1: Record, Import or produce your Audio file.
With AlterEgos you can simply use the recording feature to produce your script, alternatively you can use an external audio solution or the Text To Speech facility within Adobe Captivate.
If you are using Adobe Captivates in-built TTS (Text to speech) facility, when you have generated the audio, all you have to do is export the file as a WAV file for use in AlterEgos HD.
Stage 2: Provide AlterEgos with your audio file and script.
(The following description presumes you have used and external recording or Adobe Captivates Text to Speech facility.
When you first launch AlterEgos you will be presented with the Script & Audio screen.
Use the Open External Audio File button on the right to import your audio.
Then paste the script that you used within Captivates TTS facility into the Script Editor Window.
Stage 3: Using the AlterEgos Wizard continue to produce your composition.
We will not cover all the stages of the composition production in this overview, but we will look at the final screen in the wizard, however at this point it is worth while mentioning that as Adobe Captivate does support transparent 
backgrounds (know as Alpha Channel) the idea output format would be SWF with a transparent background. To ensure you achieve this result ensure you tick the option for No Background on the Backgrounds & Decorators screen.
Stage 4: AlterEgos HD Virtual Agent Output Production.
The Adobe captivate e-learning software supports many forms of external media import, in this example we will be producing and importing a SWF file (as previously noted with No Background) so ensure you have the SWF option ticked, provide a production name and click on, Produce then go to – Publication.
When the production of your AlterEgos Virtual Agent is finished you will be presented with a screen that will allow you to open your composition directory, click on the button and you will see all of the files. The file we are interested in is the “PRODUCTION_NAME.SWF” this is the main video file.
Stage 5: Importing your AlterEgos HD Virtual Agent into Captivate.
To import your newly created AlterEgos Virtual Agent from within Adobe Captivate you can either “Drag-and-drop” the composition SWF file directly onto your active slide or use the menu options – “Insert” – > “Animation” and select the VA file.
Stage 6: The final results, an AlterEgos Virtual Agent animated and talking within your Captivate composition.
When it comes to impact, simplicity and effectiveness, we think the end-results speak for themselves. All done in a matter of minutes.
Note the standard Adobe Captivate e-learning softwares background behind the transparent AlterEgos HD Virtual Agent, no halos or having to black out a valuable piece of design real-estate within your e-learning or CBT production.
Check out AlterEgos HD Now and increase the effectiveness of your e-learning, you wont be sorry.
Take a look at the present collection of Virtual Agents available. All of the Series 300 Virtual Avatars come in the AlterEgos HD Complete Suite.
