Help with calculations
Jan 04, 2017
OK I have a challenge for someone...
I'm trying to develop an eLearning development calculator.
The idea is that me or the customer will enter in the approximate duration of the module, what is available in the way of a Storyboard or Graphics, which then produces a development cost.
See attached Storyline file.
The calculations are as follows:
Customer provides Storyboard and Graphics (I provide nothing) = £200 per minute
Customer provides Storyboard only (I provide Graphics) = £300 per minute
Customer provides graphics only (I provide Storyboard) = £350 per minute
Customer provides nothing (I provide Storyboard and Graphics) = £400 per minute
Once the tick boxes have been completed, then the minute rate is multiplied by the duration to get the total development cost.
Then I need to ask if voiceover is required?
If no - then there is no change in the cost.
If yes, then I need to add a total of £200 if the rate is £200; £250 for the £300 rate; £300 for the £350 rate and £350 for the £400 rate.
If anyone can work this out and can amend the Storyline file I'll be so grateful.
Thanks.
Nick
4 Replies
To add - ideally I'd like the figures to change as soon as boxes are ticked - but happy for a reset and submit button.
Hi Nick,
First, I'd like to try to talk you out of this. There's a bit of a conundrum here (as well as several reasons why automated calculators aren't that common in the first place).
1) You tie yourself into a specific range and budget.
2) You count very little in terms of context, added value, and interactivity levels (i.e. you treat all content and sources the same). This could come back to bite you, and
3) Let's assume I asked you to do exactly what you mentioned above (i.e. a calculator interaction). How much would you charge according to your chart above? There's no indication whatsoever in your model except for "timed" content (i.e. presentation related non-interactive content). As such, am I right to assume an interaction such as the one above would set me back around (£200 / 60 seconds =) £3.33 ? Probably not, right?
My point is, there's so many variables that you will encounter before, during, and even after completing ID & development (not to mention scope creep) that you're better off negotiating a ballpark (and an absolute max) figure instead.
To answer your initial question though, the calculation would be quite a bit easier to accomplish if you use JS.
Just my 2c,
Alex
Hi
I totally agree with what you say and as I've been developing eLearning for 10+ years I know exactly where you are coming from.
But I often get the question from customers asking for a ball-park figure to develop a 20 minute module, a 30 minute module, a 40 minute module etc.
One of my main questions is asking them what content they already have - am I working from a Storyboard with supplied graphics, or am I starting from scratch - in which case this allows me to give them the ball-park figure - with an allowance of maybe £1.5 to £2k either side.
I use a spreadsheet for a quick calculation, but wanted this on a website for ease.
Nick
I agree with Alex, however if you want to go ahead with this I would add all of your calculations to a layer, then when user clicks an object show the layer to run the whole calculation then hide the layer.
The only time this will not work is the length of the project as the control must lose focus to adjust the variable.
Should be simple to build
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