# Setting movie preferences

This dialog box allows you to set a variety of movie preferences. Any preferences you select are for the currently opened movie only, enabling you to set different preferences for different movies.

Note: If you want to set movie preferences and use those same preferences to create more movies in the future, you can do it easily. Simply create a blank movie, set preferences using the steps below, and then save the blank movie as a template. You can use the new template to create as many movies as you require.

#### To set movie preferences:

1. Open a Captivate movie.

2. From the Movie menu, select Preferences.

The Movie Preferences dialog box appears.

3. Make changes as desired.

4. Click on the Start and End tab.

   Loading Screen: This option displays a loading screen at the start of the movie. A loading screen might be useful if the first slide of the movie is large or contains audio and takes a few moments to display. Click More to select an image.

   Note: Captivate includes several loading screen images you can use or create a custom image. To make a custom image available as a loading screen option, use Windows Explorer to copy and paste the image into the following folder: Program files/Macromedia/Captivate/Preloaders. The image must be in BMP file format.

   Password protect movie: Thisoption establishes a password that users must enter before being allowed to view the movie.

   Movie expiration date: This option sets a date for the movie to expire. When a movie expires, it can no longer be viewed and the playback controls do not appear.

   Message line 1: This option enables you to write an expiration message. The message appears if the movie has reached its expiration date (set above) and a user tries to view the movie.

   Message line 2: This option allows you to add a second line of text to the move expiration message, if necessary.

   ##### Movie end options

   Action: Click on the drop-down arrow and select an action to take place at the end of the movie.

   - Stop movie: This option stops the movie after it plays once.

   - Loop movie: This option continuously replays the movie. (When the end is reached, the movie restarts.)

   - Close movie: This option closes the browser window at the end of the movie.

   - Open URL or file: This option specifies a URL or file to load at the end of the movie.

   - To load a URL, type in the full path to a website (e.g., http://www.website.com). Click the drop-down arrow to select the window in which the URL should appear; choose from Current, New, Parent, and Top.

   - To load a file, click More, browse to the file, select the file, and click Open. Click the drop-down arrow to select the window in which the file should appear; choose from Current, New, Parent, and Top.

   - Execute JavaScript: This option executes a specific piece of JavaScript code. Click More to browse to the JavaScript file.

   - Open other movie: This option opens another movie at the end of the current movie. Click More, browse to the movie file (.rd file), select the file, and click Open. Click the drop-down arrow to select the window in which the file should appear; choose from Current, New, Parent, and Top.

   - Send e-mail to: This option opens the default e-mail browser and sends an e-mail message at the end of the movie. Type in the full e-mail address (e.g., jdoe@companyzyx.com).

5. Click on the Preferences tab.

   Advanced movie compression: This option compresses slide data that is shared between slides, thereby reducing overall file size.

   Note: In certain circumstances, compressed movies may not appear correctly when imported into Macromedia Flash. In such case, do not select the advanced movie compression option. (When the compression option is not selected, file size increases.)

   508 compliance: This option

   Compress compiled SWF file: This option compresses the SWF file so it is smaller in size. A smaller SWF file is easier to play, open, and send through e-mail, especially on older computers. (Please note that compressed SWF files can only be used with Macromedia Flash 6 or later—earlier versions of Flash cannot play compressed SWF files.)

   Movie background color: Specifies the background color of the movie. Depending upon the type of slide and how screen shots were captured, the background color may or may not appear on all slides. Double-click the color box to open the Color dialog and select a new color.

   JPEG image quality: Specifies the quality level for JPEG images. You can adjust this setting depending upon the images used in your movie. (Often, JPEG images are detailed and contain many colors so greatly lowering their quality is noticeable.) Higher percentage values allow for high-quality images. Of course, this also increases file size.Change the quality by clicking the arrows to select a higher number or lower number.

   Audio quality: Specifies the quality level for audio included in the movie. A higher quality setting increases file size.

   Include mouse when movie is generated: This option includes any recorded mouse movement in the movie.

   Include audio when movie is generated: This option includes any audio files that have been added to the movie.

   Play tap audio for recorded typing when movie is generated: This option plays tapping sounds in the final movie whenever keys on the keyboard were pressed when you recorded the movie. (For example, if you recorded an e-mail message being sent, you most likely typed in an address to which the e-mail should be sent. The sound of the keys being pressed to enter the address was recorded and, using this option, a tapping sound can be played for each of the keystrokes.)

6. Click on the Playback Control tab.

   Position: Select the screen location for the playback control buttons. Click the drop-down arrow and choose an option.

   Style: Select the style for the playback control buttons. Style not only refers to the visual elements of the playback control buttons, but also the actual buttons that appear. Some styles include more buttons than others. When you click on a style, the Preview window shows the selected playback control. Use the slider at the bottom of the Preview window to view all of the buttons if they are not visible.

   Note: If you are creating a Captivate movie that will be placed in a Producer presentation, you can select a playback control style to match the Producer skins for a professional and coordinated look. The playback controls named PresenterBlack, PresenterBlue, and PresenterSilver correspond to the Black Skin, Blue Skin, and Silver Skin in Producer.

   Show progress bar: (This option only displays if a playback control style that includes a progress bar is selected from the Style pop-up menu above.) Select this option to display a progress bar that shows users where there are (graphically) in a movie.

7. Click on the Background Audio tab.

   : Click to play audio file.

   : Click to stop playing audio file.

   : Click to remove background audio file.

   Edit: Displays the Edit Audio dialog. This powerful dialog enables you edit the audio file in a variety of ways, such as inserting silent periods, adjusting the volume, and more.

   Audio: Displays the name of the audio file.

   Record new: Click to open the Record Audio dialog. (Recording audio requires some basic equipment.)

   Import: Displays the Import Audio dialog. This dialog enables you to browse to an audio file and import it for use.

   Select Existing: Click to open the Audio Library. The Audio Library lists all audio files that are already part of the currently open Captivate movie.

   Fade in [#] seconds: Specifies the number of seconds for the audio to fade in to full volume. Type in a number or use the arrows to set a number.

   Fade out [#] seconds: Specifies the number of seconds for audio to fade out to silence. Type in a number or use the arrows to set a number.

   Lower background audio volume on slides with additional audio: Select this option to lower the volume of the background audio on slides that contain any additional audio files.

   Loop audio: Select this option to have the background audio file continuously loop (play over and over) as the movie plays. This feature is useful if the audio file is shorter in length than the movie.

   Stop audio at end of movie: Select this option to stop playing the audio file when the movie finishes.

4. Click OK.