Add Jing to your system for quick and easy screenshots! A little more flexible and elegant than the Snipping tool - and free! Or upgrade to SnagIt for some wonderful options.
In your place of employment, how fancy does your boss like for you to get? I would think content is more important than visuals, but visuals really help, also.
When I started, we had 0 eLearning courses, so in the beginning, they wanted it really basic. WIth every course, I have been introducing more and more design elements into the courses. Each course has slightly better graphics, is slightly more interactive, and just slightly better than the previous.
Lectora Inspire (includes snagit, flypaper, and camtasia)
Captivate 5
Adobe CS5 - great for graphic design and video/ audio editing
Audacity
Let me know if you want to learn more about how we use it.
I'd happy to share it!
Yes, can you please explain the purpose of each? I am just discovering ID and am planning to begin my Master's soon! I love reading the experiences of soon-to-be IDs and professionals!
I use alot of Sony Vegas (video editing software). I deal with alot of videos courses to be converted into articulate. I cut up the video/ audio in sony vegas, then export the parts as needed. I can also apply audio filters or video filters in sony vegas. I can cut up the video into many parts and tag each part with a number, corresponding to the slide number it will match.
PowerPoint serves for majority of the graphic purposes - clip arts, shapes, custom shapes using curves, etc
Audio - generated from Captivate text to speech
FastStone - for Screen capture
Photoshop - Advanced image editing (used rarely)
Audacity - in rare cases to tweak the audio
Soon to join our tools is the Adobe Production Premium Suite (yay..!!). Mainly being bought as a support for our Corporate Communication section to make some Corporate Videos but I am sure it will help us in bringing some new stuff in our e-Learning wing as well...
Harlan Hogan Porta-Booth, a short mic stand, and a cheap pop filter (for the GoMic)
MP3 Gain (to normalize audio levels across the entire course)
Canon PowerShot SX20IS (for both still shots and short video)
home made green screen
My favorite is the Canon camera and the green screen. I wish I had the full Adobe Creative Suite so I could make transparent Flash video for my courses but I know a guy who can do that for me,
My boss's favorite is Audacity / Go Mic / Porta-Booth. We had a very poor sounding course about a year ago. She was viewing it and said something about doing better quality audio. We did a bit of research and came up with the mic and booth. She has been very happy with the audio in our courses since them.
Wow, this is a lot! But I can see the purpose of each. I'm so excited to begin my program. I am eager to learn about the green screen and using the camera. Did you make the green screen?
Also how long have you guys been using the software/hardware and how long did it take for you to be proficient?
Among the favorite tools in my toolbox: Adobe Fireworks is a vector / raster creation tool hybrid that works great for everything from interface construction to prototypes to illustrations. Love it. It's spendy to buy by itself. Inkscape and other tools are a bit cheaper but I find FW offers most of what I want including:
PNG is the source file format. Save your PNG and you can use it (albeit a little inefficiently) as an output.
Vector data is maintained within the source. So lines, vertices (points) and fills are all based on math.
Nice vector editing tools are included
Many Photoshop (basic) raster features work in FW
Library items help with repeat elements
Multi-state behaviors and slicing tools
Plug-ins (commands) for more complex things
Batch processing wizard is pretty ez and powerful
Live preview of compression settings and side-by-side comparison for tuning sizes
There's more, but these are the favorite features. I use PS and FW both but find that for much of my first stage build-ups, FW provides an efficient and pleasant workflow.
Harlan Hogan Porta-Booth, a short mic stand, and a cheap pop filter (for the GoMic)
MP3 Gain (to normalize audio levels across the entire course)
Canon PowerShot SX20IS (for both still shots and short video)
home made green screen
My favorite is the Canon camera and the green screen. I wish I had the full Adobe Creative Suite so I could make transparent Flash video for my courses but I know a guy who can do that for me,
My boss's favorite is Audacity / Go Mic / Porta-Booth. We had a very poor sounding course about a year ago. She was viewing it and said something about doing better quality audio. We did a bit of research and came up with the mic and booth. She has been very happy with the audio in our courses since them.
Hi Job,
Great to know that you have a home made green screen set up... Could you please tell us more? Do you have the lights also installed? If yes, what lights? How big is the studio / room? Do you shoot videos for green screen yourself? (Sorry... thats a lot of questions.. )
Wow, this is a lot! But I can see the purpose of each. I'm so excited to begin my program. I am eager to learn about the green screen and using the camera. Did you make the green screen?
Also how long have you guys been using the software/hardware and how long did it take for you to be proficient?
Hi MJ,
Lets us wait to hear more from Job on the green screen. To answer your second query.. Most of the software are easy to learn..especially Articulate and PowerPoint 2007...this community is the best resource for learning these.. Adobe Software like Captivate, Photoshop, Premiere Pro will take more time to learn... but if you have the interest you will love the whole process.. Other software like Screen Capturing, Audacity etc are very easy to learn..
Harlan Hogan Porta-Booth, a short mic stand, and a cheap pop filter (for the GoMic)
MP3 Gain (to normalize audio levels across the entire course)
Canon PowerShot SX20IS (for both still shots and short video)
home made green screen
My favorite is the Canon camera and the green screen. I wish I had the full Adobe Creative Suite so I could make transparent Flash video for my courses but I know a guy who can do that for me,
My boss's favorite is Audacity / Go Mic / Porta-Booth. We had a very poor sounding course about a year ago. She was viewing it and said something about doing better quality audio. We did a bit of research and came up with the mic and booth. She has been very happy with the audio in our courses since them.
Hi Job,
Great to know that you have a home made green screen set up... Could you please tell us more? Do you have the lights also installed? If yes, what lights? How big is the studio / room? Do you shoot videos for green screen yourself? (Sorry... thats a lot of questions.. )
My original green screen was just a 6' by 6' piece of cloth that I pinned to the wall. I shot my own video by setting my camera up on a tripod and them moving into the frame. Since then I have only upgrade to a bigger piece of green cloth (from Joanne Fabric).
The lighting is very critical to get a good video and not leave ghosting when you key out the green. I have access to a large room with lots of windows in which I can record. Sunlight is SO much better than artificial light if you can find a way to do it.
You can use a blue cloth or a green cloth - depends on what you are wearing.
Wow, this is a lot! But I can see the purpose of each. I'm so excited to begin my program. I am eager to learn about the green screen and using the camera. Did you make the green screen?
Also how long have you guys been using the software/hardware and how long did it take for you to be proficient?
I've been using PhotoShop and Premiere Elements since version 6 (quite a few years). Many of the other tools for just as long (except Articulate - just about a year with it). I am capable with all of the software. Still working on proficient. :-o
In your place of employment, how fancy does your boss like for you to get? I would think content is more important than visuals, but visuals really help, also.
Thanks for your input.
I think this is not the right way to view it. Today great look-n-feel is a must. Your learners (all our learners) are used to, and exposed daily, to the best visuals and high-end look-n-feel out there. They don't care that that company spent millions for this tiny ad or that website or the cool app. They are used to a high standard, and they are very spoiled and expect all to be that fun and engaging, and the other content they encounter daily.
If we go with the - content is more important than visuals perspective,we are creating an unprofessional impression from the start (I'm talking about the learner, not your boss or the internal\external customer).
22 Replies
Hi MJ,
I keep it simple overhere - I use the Articulate programs, Paint Shop and the Microsoft Snipping Tool.
Nothing fancy for me
Add Jing to your system for quick and easy screenshots! A little more flexible and elegant than the Snipping tool - and free! Or upgrade to SnagIt for some wonderful options.
Photoshop
Audacity
Windows moviemaker
Photomporh
Captivate 4
Format factory
Also sometimes use SAAS sites for example to pull down video from youtube (legally of course)
In your place of employment, how fancy does your boss like for you to get? I would think content is more important than visuals, but visuals really help, also.
Thanks for your input.
When I started, we had 0 eLearning courses, so in the beginning, they wanted it really basic. WIth every course, I have been introducing more and more design elements into the courses. Each course has slightly better graphics, is slightly more interactive, and just slightly better than the previous.
Articulate
Lectora Inspire (includes snagit, flypaper, and camtasia)
Captivate 5
Adobe CS5 - great for graphic design and video/ audio editing
Audacity
Let me know if you want to learn more about how we use it.
I'd happy to share it!
I use alot of Sony Vegas (video editing software). I deal with alot of videos courses to be converted into articulate. I cut up the video/ audio in sony vegas, then export the parts as needed. I can also apply audio filters or video filters in sony vegas. I can cut up the video into many parts and tag each part with a number, corresponding to the slide number it will match.
Articulate Studio - for obvious reasons..
Captivate 4 - for screen recording demonstrations
PowerPoint serves for majority of the graphic purposes - clip arts, shapes, custom shapes using curves, etc
Audio - generated from Captivate text to speech
FastStone - for Screen capture
Photoshop - Advanced image editing (used rarely)
Audacity - in rare cases to tweak the audio
Soon to join our tools is the Adobe Production Premium Suite (yay..!!). Mainly being bought as a support for our Corporate Communication section to make some Corporate Videos but I am sure it will help us in bringing some new stuff in our e-Learning wing as well...
PowerPoint (still on version 2003)
Articulate Studio '09
Captivate 4 (screenr.com occasionally)
Adobe PhotoShop Elements
Adobe Premiere Elements
Audacity
SnagIt
Inkscape (to open Adobe Illustrator files)
Samson Go Mic (usb microphone)
Harlan Hogan Porta-Booth, a short mic stand, and a cheap pop filter (for the GoMic)
MP3 Gain (to normalize audio levels across the entire course)
Canon PowerShot SX20IS (for both still shots and short video)
home made green screen
My favorite is the Canon camera and the green screen. I wish I had the full Adobe Creative Suite so I could make transparent Flash video for my courses but I know a guy who can do that for me,
My boss's favorite is Audacity / Go Mic / Porta-Booth. We had a very poor sounding course about a year ago. She was viewing it and said something about doing better quality audio. We did a bit of research and came up with the mic and booth. She has been very happy with the audio in our courses since them.
Wow, this is a lot! But I can see the purpose of each. I'm so excited to begin my program. I am eager to learn about the green screen and using the camera. Did you make the green screen?
Also how long have you guys been using the software/hardware and how long did it take for you to be proficient?
Image design - Artweaver
eLearning Publisher - Articulate
Image design and base system - PowerPoint
Sound editing - Audacity
Quiz - Quizmaker
Stock Images -Shutterstock
PLN - Twiter & Articulate
My new fav tool is Storyline but that is all I can say about that.
Among the favorite tools in my toolbox: Adobe Fireworks is a vector / raster creation tool hybrid that works great for everything from interface construction to prototypes to illustrations. Love it. It's spendy to buy by itself. Inkscape and other tools are a bit cheaper but I find FW offers most of what I want including:
There's more, but these are the favorite features. I use PS and FW both but find that for much of my first stage build-ups, FW provides an efficient and pleasant workflow.
Hi Job,
Great to know that you have a home made green screen set up... Could you please tell us more? Do you have the lights also installed? If yes, what lights? How big is the studio / room? Do you shoot videos for green screen yourself? (Sorry... thats a lot of questions.. )
Hi MJ,
Lets us wait to hear more from Job on the green screen. To answer your second query.. Most of the software are easy to learn..especially Articulate and PowerPoint 2007...this community is the best resource for learning these.. Adobe Software like Captivate, Photoshop, Premiere Pro will take more time to learn... but if you have the interest you will love the whole process.. Other software like Screen Capturing, Audacity etc are very easy to learn..
Premiere Elements is awesome for green screen. Does a superior job for the price.
BTW - here is a pretty good tutorial about making your own green screen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6brdwY-dvU
Thanks James... that is a good tutorial for starting up with the green screen..
My original green screen was just a 6' by 6' piece of cloth that I pinned to the wall. I shot my own video by setting my camera up on a tripod and them moving into the frame. Since then I have only upgrade to a bigger piece of green cloth (from Joanne Fabric).
The lighting is very critical to get a good video and not leave ghosting when you key out the green. I have access to a large room with lots of windows in which I can record. Sunlight is SO much better than artificial light if you can find a way to do it.
You can use a blue cloth or a green cloth - depends on what you are wearing.
It easier than you might think.
I've been using PhotoShop and Premiere Elements since version 6 (quite a few years). Many of the other tools for just as long (except Articulate - just about a year with it). I am capable with all of the software. Still working on proficient. :-o
I think this is not the right way to view it.
Today great look-n-feel is a must. Your learners (all our learners) are used to, and exposed daily, to the best visuals and high-end look-n-feel out there. They don't care that that company spent millions for this tiny ad or that website or the cool app. They are used to a high standard, and they are very spoiled and expect all to be that fun and engaging, and the other content they encounter daily.
If we go with the - content is more important than visuals perspective,we are creating an unprofessional impression from the start (I'm talking about the learner, not your boss or the internal\external customer).
This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.