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Strategies and Techniques for Designers, Developers, and Managers of eLearning
A publication of
THIS WEEK — DEVELOPMENT TECHNIQUES
2004
Repurposing PowerPoint:Authorware’s New ConverterBY JOSEPH GANCI
The converter is included in Author-ware 7 and later. Some bugs in Version7 were fixed in Versions 7.01 and 7.02. Ihighly recommend that you download the7.02 update (free of charge) from Macro-media so that you don’t have to dealwith any potential bugs resident in theprior versions. See www.macromedia.com/support/authorware/download.htmlif you haven’t already updated your version.
The converter has been tested mostextensively with the latest versions ofPowerPoint, but should work with earlier
versions as well, at least back toPowerPoint 97.
PowerPoint? Say it isn’t so!Let’s get one thing out of the way: I
do not advocate the use of PowerPointfiles as a delivery medium for excellente-Learning. I’m sure some of you outthere will swear up and down that youhave imparted the wisdom of the ages toyour personnel or customers through thebest kick-butt PowerPoint presentationyou brilliantly created in a moment ofintense inspiration brought on by The
W W W. E L E A R N I N G G U I L D . C O M
Microsoft PowerPointhas become a ubiqui-tous storyboarding andprototyping tool for e-Learning development.In addition, many proj-ects seek to convertstatic slideware, devel-oped to support instruc-tors, into interactive e-Learning applications.In either case, designershand off the PowerPointfiles to developers whocopy, paste, or rewritethe contents in a morerobust authoring tool.Macromedia provides a built-in converter tomove PowerPoint direct-ly into Authorware, sav-ing a step and savingtime and money. Readthis article to learn howto use this valuable fea-ture of Authorware!
Among its many new features, Macromedia® Authorware
Version 7 introduced one that should be of particular
interest to designers and project managers who find
themselves sitting on top of a great deal of learning material in
the form of PowerPoint files. Authorware’s PowerPoint convert-
er can help kickstart your e-Learning by bringing PowerPoint
storyboards or rapid prototyping materials you may already
have into Authorware, and then letting you change and build
upon those converted files.
Ultimate e-Learning Muses. That may beso, but I haven’t seen your presentationnor have I seen any PowerPoint presenta-tion yet that did much more than presentfacts and knowledge points or that con-veyed more than a very few aha! mo-ments of understanding. Of course, it isthat understanding that is the goal of allgood e-Learning.
Without a doubt, over the years Power-Point has become more powerful and itis possible to build some limited interac-tivity, navigation, and progress tracking,but comparing PowerPoint’s features towhat a product like Authorware or Flashcan do for you is a bit like comparing thecapabilities of a tricycle to those of aHarley-Davidson VRSCB V-Rod.
On the other hand, those who are de-signing e-Learning often employ Power-Point to create their storyboards or usePowerPoint when doing rapid prototyping.These PowerPoint files are usually hand-ed over to developers or programmers
who then copy and paste or rewrite thecontents of those storyboards in Author-ware. This is silly; wouldn’t it be muchbetter to save a step? Why not convertthose materials in an organized mannerand then build the proper interactivity,navigation, and progress tracking on topof the PowerPoint slides? It makessense to me!
What the converter can and can’tdo for you
PowerPoint and Authorware are twovery different products with differentaims. It should come as no surprise thatPowerPoint files sometimes will not con-vert completely and perfectly to Author-ware, much as translating Chinese toEnglish will result in a loss of nuanceand other difficulties when word mean-ings don’t quite match perfectly betweenthe languages.
For example, PowerPoint contains aset of transitions that you can apply to
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DEVELOPMENT / t e c h n i q u e s
The eLearning Developers’ Journal™ is design-ed to serve the industry as a catalyst for inno-vation and as a vehicle for the dissemination ofnew and practical strategies and techniques fore-Learning designers, developers and managers.The Journal is not intended to be the definitiveauthority. Rather, it is intended to be a mediumthrough which e-Learning practitioners can sharetheir knowledge, expertise and experience with others for the general betterment of theindustry.
As in any profession, there are many differ-ent perspectives about the best strategies,techniques and tools one can employ to accom-plish a specific objective. This Journal will sharethese different perspectives and does not posi-tion any one as “the right way,” but rather weposition each article as “one of the right ways”for accomplishing a goal. We assume that read-ers will evaluate the merits of each article anduse the ideas they contain in a manner appropri-ate for their specific situation. We encourage dis-cussion and debate about articles and provide anOnline Info Exchange board.
The articles contained in the Journal are allwritten by people who are actively engaged inthis profession at one level or another — not by paid journalists or writers. Submissions arealways welcome at any time, as are suggestionsfor articles and future topics. To learn moreabout how to submit articles and/or ideas,please refer to the directions on our Web site:www.eLearningGuild.com.
Publisher David Holcombe
Editorial Director Heidi FiskEditor Bill Brandon
Copy Editor Charles Holcombe
Design Director Nancy Marland
The eLearning Guild™ Advisory BoardRuth Clark, Conrad Gottfredson, John Hartnett,
Bill Horton, Eric Parks, Brenda Pfaus,Marc Rosenberg, Allison Rossett, Lance Dublin
Copyright 2004. The eLearning Developers’ Journal™.Compilation copyright by The eLearning Guild 2004. Allrights reserved. Please contact The eLearning Guild forreprint permission.
The eLearning Developers’ Journal is published weeklyby The eLearning Guild, 525 College Avenue, Suite215, Santa Rosa, CA 95404. Phone: 707.566.8990.The eLearning Guild is an operating unit of FocuszoneMedia, Inc., 1030 Beatrice Street, Eagan, MN 55121.
The Journal is included as part of Guild membership.To join the Guild go to www.eLearningGuild.com.
This publication is by the people, for the people.That means it’s written by YOU the readers and members of The eLearning Guild!We encourage you to submit articles for publication in the Journal.
Even if you have not been published before, we encourage you to submit a queryif you have a great idea, technique, case study or practice to share with your peersin the e-Learning community. If your topic idea for an article is selected by the edi-tors, you will be asked to submit a complete article on that topic. Don’t worry if youhave limited experience writing for publication. Our team of editors will work withyou to polish your article and get it ready for publication in the Journal.
By sharing your expertise with the readers of the Journal, you not only add to thecollective knowledge of the e-Learning community, you also gain the recognition ofyour peers in the industry and your organization.
Refer to www.eLearningGuild.com for Author Guidelines.
Get It Published in...
Do you have an interesting strategy or technique to share?
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objects and slides just as Authorwaredoes. However, most of the transitions inPowerPoint don’t match those that Author-ware offers. In this case, you can guidethe converter so that it maps transitionsto your liking. Other features in Power-Point don’t have a direct equivalent inAuthorware, so they may not comeacross as expected.
If you take any PowerPoint file andconvert it to Authorware, you can expectthat about seventy to eighty percent ofthe features will come through. Not goodenough? Consider this: if eighty percentof a PowerPoint file converts correctly,you’ve just cut five days of work down toone!
Once you come to understand whichfeatures convert directly from Power-Point, you can create templates inPowerPoint that avoid unsupported fea-tures, making conversion to Authorwarean easy exercise. This article shouldhelp.
What’s going to happen?This section is for the curious among
you. You don’t have to be too concernedwith the details of the conversion but it’ssometimes nice to know what’s happen-ing behind the scenes.
Converting a PowerPoint file to Author-ware is a two-step process, though thereis an option to combine these two stepsinto one.
Step 1 will create a folder in a locationyou choose and will name it the same asyour PowerPoint file followed by(Internal Media), such as: Ganci — Developing Great
e-Learning (Internal Media)
The folder will then contain a series offolders, one for each PowerPoint slide.The folders will be titled slide followedby the slide number:slide0
slide1
slide2
slide3
Each of the above folders will containthe images and text from the respective-ly numbered PowerPoint slide. Note thatthe first folder, numbered 0, will containthe text and images from your Power-Point file’s master slide.
In addition to the folder, the converterwill create an XML file with the samename as your PowerPoint file. This XML
file contains all of the information need-ed to reconstruct the slides in Author-ware.
Step 2 will import the XML file and allof the image and text files from these
folders and create an Authorware filecontaining a Framework icon and aFramework page for each PowerPointslide converted. Voilà! The conversion is complete.
FIGURE 3 The Options dialog box
FIGURE 1 Choosing the PowerPoint converter
FIGURE 2 The PowerPoint converter dialog box
Getting startedBefore you can use the converter, you
must close PowerPoint if it is currentlyopen. To access the command inAuthorware, choose Commands >Converters > Microsoft
PowerPoint to Authorware XML, as shown in Figure 1 on page 3.
The dialog box in Figure 2 on page 3will appear. Next, you will click the Foldericon in the first field to choose thePowerPoint file to convert. The OutputDirectory field will automatically fill inwith the same folder you chose, thoughyou can change it if you wish.
Setting OptionsIf this is the first time you’re using this
command, you will want to set someoptions before performing the conver-sion. Click the Options button. The dia-log box in Figure 3 on page 3 will appear.
It’s important to review these optionsand set the appropriate ones to addressyour needs. They can be the differencebetween an easy conversion and onefraught with problems. Once you’ve setoptions, they will be remembered forfuture conversions. Sidebars 1, left, and2 on page 5 list all of the options andtheir settings. Note that the choices inthe right pane of the Options dialog boxare all checkboxes that you can eithercheck or leave unchecked.
Setting TransitionsRemember that many PowerPoint tran-
sitions don’t have direct correlations tothe Authorware transitions. You have theability to map any transition you may beusing in PowerPoint to the Authorwaretransition you wish. Of course, you couldchange all your transitions one by one in Authorware, but using the converteroption is much faster, letting the conver-sion take care of all the transitions atone time. However, after the conversionis done, you can still change any individ-ual transition in Authorware to your lik-ing. You have the best of both worlds.Figure 4 on page 6 shows you the Tran-sitions dialog box. Table 1 at the end ofthis article (on page 9) shows you howeach transition is mapped by default.
Performing the conversionAfter setting the options you wish, you
can close the Options dialog and clickthe Convert button. You will see the
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SIDEBAR 1 The left pane of the Options dialog box in Figure 3
Rich Text Export
The text in the PowerPoint file will beexported to RTF (Rich Text Format) filesbefore being imported into Authorware.Let’s say that in your PowerPoint file,your text changes format sometimesfrom character to character within thesame word, for instance:
GanciIn this case, you’ll want to choose the
Character Level option. Otherwise, leaveit as Word Level, as this will result in afaster conversion.
Setting: Character LevelChoose this setting only if your
PowerPoint file changes text formattingat times from one character to the nextcharacter, as shown in the exampleabove.
Setting: Word Level (default)Choose this setting if your PowerPoint
text is pretty consistent and onlychanges formatting word to word.
Exported Image Format
The converter will export the imagesin the PowerPoint file in any of four for-mats: Bitmap, JPEG, PNG, or TIFF.Choose your preferred format (thedefault is to export images as bitmaps).
Draw Mode
The Draw Mode option allows you tochoose how Authorware displays bothtext and graphics. The choices include allsix of the standard Authorware formats.You may want to choose transparent forboth graphics and text. However, youshould experiment to find the best choic-es for you.
Navigation Mode
You can apply navigation to the con-verted PowerPoint file in Authorware bychoosing one of four options.
Click Screen or Space Bar (default)Move to the next PowerPoint slide
whenever the presentation window isclicked or the space bar is pressed. Youwill have to add your own provision formoving backwards if you wish thisoption.
Next and Back ButtonsInclude a set of Next and Back but-
tons that will take you between slides.
NoneDon’t include any navigation. You will
be responsible for adding your own.
SpacebarMove forward only when the space bar
is clicked. You will have to add your ownprovision for moving backwards if youwish this option.
Presentation Window Size
Choose the size of the presentationwindow from the options given, whichinclude all of the ones normally availablewithin Authorware. By default, Based onPowerPoint file is chosen, which willresult in the Authorware file being set toVariable and then to the specific dimen-sions of the PowerPoint file. If you pickthe Variable option, you can supply theexact width and height desired.
Based on PowerPoint file (default)Variable512 x 342 (Mac 9”)512 x 384 (Mac 12”)640 x 350 (EGA)640 x 400 (Mac Portable)640 x 480 (VGA, Mac 13”)640 x 870 (Mac Portrait)800 x 600 (SVGA)832 x 624 (Mac 16”)1024 x 768 (SVGA, Mac 17”)1152 x 870 (Mac 21”)Use Full Screen
These five options control how the converter will import your text and images intoAuthorware and how they will be displayed, which style of navigation (if any) the con-verter will add to the PowerPoint slides, and how large the presentation window forthe converted file in Authorware will be.
Slide Number and Shape Numberfields count while it is converting the file,as seen in Figure 5 on page 6.
When the conversion is done, if youhave not chosen the Automaticallyimport into Authorware option, youwill be told that you can import the filenext and you will be given a location. Toimport the file, choose File> Importand Export > Import XML menu
item. When you do so, you will be toldthat this will create a new file so yourcurrent file will be saved and closed.
Reviewing the resultsAs mentioned earlier, the results in
Authorware will take the form of aFramework icon and attached pages. Anexample appears in Figure 6 on page 6.
Each object from PowerPoint has beenplaced in its own Display icon (you cansee these on the right side of Figure 6),which allows each to have a separatetransition applied to it. The Frameworkicon itself (on the left side of Figure 6)will contain whatever navigation you hadchosen when performing the conversion.
This is now an ordinary Authorwarefile. You can build upon or make changesto the Authorware file any way you wish.Note too that you don’t need to deliverto your end users the PowerPoint file orthe XML file that was just created.
Potential pitfallsMost of the time, you’ll find converting
PowerPoint files to Authorware a smoothprocess, especially as you get a few con-versions under your belt. If you run into aproblem, see if one of the following situ-ations applies to you.
If you get the error message “XML wasaborted.”
You may receive the error messagedialog in Figure 7 on page 6.
As you can see, you can view the errorlog by clicking the View Log button.However, most of the time, this errormessage will appear because you forgotto set one of two options in the Optionsdialog box:• You haven’t set the list and decimal
separators correctly; or • You haven’t set the draw mode to one
of the choices provided.Be sure to check that those options
have been set correctly. If you haven’t,then:
1. A typical log might contain the mes-
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SIDEBAR 2 The right pane of the Options dialog in Figure 3
Show dialog when unsupported shapeis detected
Some shapes in PowerPoint cannot beconverted. For those that cannot, check-ing this box will display a dialog box eachtime one of those shapes is detected.
Include Master Slide in outputCheck this box to include the text and
images from the PowerPoint master slideas a background in Authorware.
Use images for text blocksText blocks in PowerPoint will be
brought in as images into Authorware ifyou check this. This will preserve theappearance of the text box more faithful-ly but will mean you won’t be able to editthe text. Also note that because text willbe turned into images, the draw modeyou choose for graphics will be the oneused for the converted text as well andthe draw mode you choose for text willbe ignored.
Keep log fileChecking this box will create a log file,
called LOG.txt, in the same folder show-ing each step that was performed.
Use PowerPoint names for icon titlesIf you leave this box unchecked, icons
in each Framework page will be titledgenerically Shape 1, Shape 2, etc.Checking it will name the icons accordingto PowerPoint names, such as Picture 1and Rectangle 1.
Output PPT.xml (raw PowerPoint XMLdata)
Checking this box will output a filecalled PPT.xml in the same folder thatcontains very detailed data regarding theconversion.
Include text shapes starting with“Click to edit”
In PowerPoint, when you create a newtext object, it will start with the words“Click to...” to remind you to changethose words to your text. Setting thischeckbox tells Authorware to convert
those text objects that you haven’tchanged yet in PowerPoint. You probablywill not want to check this option.
Include text shapes contained inbrackets (<text>)
When you set up a new PowerPointfile, you will see, at times, text shapes inbrackets. For instance, you will see thefollowing on the Master slide when youcreate a new file.
This option, when checked, will con-vert these text shapes. You normally willnot want to do this.
Automatically import into AuthorwareCheck this to combine the steps of
exporting the PowerPoint file and import-ing the resulting files into one step.
Create output directoryThis allows you to specify the output
directory if you check this. Otherwise, itwill be called Exported Files.
Use System SeparatorsIt is important to set this option to
your local settings before converting afile. You will need to set the SystemSeparator in the spaces provided forboth List and Decimal. You can easilyfind the List separator in Authorware bylooking up the value of the system vari-able ListSeparator. This will be either acomma (,) or a semicolon (;). Second, forthe Decimal separator, use either a peri-od (.) or a comma (,) depending on whatyour local standard is. For instance, ifyou write numbers in your country as1,234.56, use the period as your deci-mal separator. If you write numbers as1.234,56, use the comma.
Note: To change the values of the listand decimal separators, you must havethe checkbox off. After you’ve set theseparators, check the option to turn it on.
These 11 check box options determine how the objects in the PowerPoint slides willbe handled, where the converted files will be stored, and how local settings will behandled.
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sage shown in Sidebar 3a on page 7when you haven’t set the separators correctly.
2. If you haven’t set the draw mode cor-rectly, you might see in the log file some-thing like the message in Sidebar 3b.
If you get the message “UnsupportedShape”
If you’ve set the option Show dialogwhen unsupported shape is detect-
ed you may see the dialog box in Figure 8below appear, perhaps more than once. Infact, you will see it each time an unsup-ported shape is detected.
You can stop the dialog box from ap-pearing again by clicking the checkboxshown in the dialog box.
Many times you will see this box ap-pear even when all shapes appear totransfer correctly. This is because theremay be an unsupported background ob-ject that does not cause any visualeffect in your file.
If you get the message “Cannot CreateFile”
You may see a message such as thisone:Cannot Create file
H:\Tests\Test.xml
The most common reason for this isthat you have chosen to output to a drivesuch as a CD-ROM or a restricted networkdrive. If you can’t write to a location, youwill receive this message. Change thelocation to an unrestricted drive.
If you get the message “Microsoft virtual machine cannot be found”
You may see a message such as thisone:
FIGURE 6 Typical Resulting Flowline
FIGURE 5 The Transitions Dialog Box
FIGURE 4 The Transitions Dialog Box
FIGURE 8 Unsupported Shape message
FIGURE 7 This error message appears ifyou forgot to set one of two options; thelog will tell you which one.
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Unable to start the applica-
tion. The Microsoft virtual
machine cannot be found.
You should update your version ofAuthorware to 7.02. Earlier versions ofthe PowerPoint converter relied on theJava Virtual Machine, which is normallynot included in Windows. It has to bedownloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/java/ and installed sepa-rately. However, using the latest versionof the converter eliminates this need.
PowerPoint slides with no transitionsget converted to “Wipe-Right” transi-tions in Authorware
If you have slides in PowerPoint thatdon’t use any transition but, when con-verted to Authorware, have a Wipe Righttransition applied to them, you canchange the default setting easily.
1. Open the PowerPoint ConverterCommand.
2. Click the Transitions button.3. Choose the Cut transition in the left
SIDEBAR 3 These log entries indicate why XML was aborted during conversion.
a. Log entry: Separators not set correctlyMessage:Function > SetFileProperty
Args > [AWWindowSize, [#type:#variable #size:point(720540)]]
Error KO.LastResult: 1
If you’re an experienced Authorware scripter, you might notice the error in the above.If you’re not, don’t worry: it’s not important! If you’re curious, though, as to what ishappening, notice the number 720540 on the third line. This is incorrect. The Pointfunction requires two arguments, not one, and the numbers 720 and 540 in thiscase represent the width and height to which to set the Authorware presentation window. Because the list separator was not set in the Options dialog box, the twonumbers 720 and 540 were not separated properly.
b. Log entry: drawMode property not set correctlyMessage:Function > BuildDisplay
Args > [65545, [[#rect:rect(54,180,666,270), #type:#rtf,
#antialias:1, #fileName:”D:\\Projects\\PowerPoint to
Authorware\\Ganci - Developing Great e-Learning 2 (Internal
Media)\\slide1\\3.rtf”, #attributes:[#drawMode:#]]]]
Error KO.LastResult: 0
Notice that the drawMode property is not being set correctly.
Register Today! Call 1.707.566.8990 or visit www.eLearningGuild.com
October 18 - 21, 2004 • Orlando, Florida
If It’s e-Learning, You’ll Find It Here...
Your needs are unique. You’re a professional e-Learning producerinvolved in the design, development, and management of e-Learning in your organization. You are seriously focused on increasing the effec-tiveness and impact of your organization’s e-Learning efforts. You prideyourself on your quality, consistency, and success.
The eLearning Producer Conference & Expo 2004 — the annualconference of The eLearning Guild — is specificallly designed to meetthe needs of professionals like you. Everything about this conference isfocused on one thing... e-Learning. This singular focus ensures that youwill be learning and networking with other professionals who do exactlywhat you do every day. This is what separates this conference from allthe others. It’s the focus and depth of the program that ensures it willbe the best conference you can choose to attend this year.
To learn more about this conference, visitwww.eLearningGuild.com
DEVELOPMENT / t e c h n i q u e s
panel.4. In the right panel, choose [inter-
nal] in the Authorware TransitionCategory.
5. Choose None for the AuthorwareTransition.
6. Click the Generate XSL button.You will be told that the Export is com-plete.
You should not see the problem re-occur for any subsequent conversionsyou perform. Note that following thischange, all PowerPoint Cut transitionsthat were in your original PowerPoint filewill also be affected — that is, they willalso be converted to “None” in Author-ware.
Text in PowerPoint does not appear inAuthorware
This problem would appear at times inVersion 7.01. You should update yourversion of Authorware to 7.02. If youmust stay with Version 7.01, be sure tosee the following tech note on theMacromedia site and follow the direc-tions there: http://www.macromedia.com/support/authorware/ts/documents/701_ppt_fix.htm
ConclusionThe PowerPoint converter is a very
useful feature in Authorware for anyone
needing to convert storyboards, rapidprototyping documents, presentations, or any other PowerPoint-based materialsinto Authorware. Following the directionsabove, you should find the process easyand should also find it will save you aconsiderable amount of time.
Thanks go to Macromedia, particularlyJamil Zainasheff, Mike Baker, Stefan vanAs, and Tom Neuhold-Huber, and to twogentlemen who were instrumental in ensur-ing this feature was implemented. Mr.Christopher Swenson of Dazzle Technolo-gies Corp. created the first step of theprocess, reading the PowerPoint slides andoutputting the correct XML and XSL files.Mr. Erik de Bruin of S-5 Multimedia createdthe second step, creating Author-ware codefrom the XML and XSL files.
AUTHOR CONTACTJoseph Ganci isPresident of DazzleTechnologies Corpora-tion, located in Sterling,Virginia, just outsideWashington, D.C. Hehas been involved in
every aspect of multimedia and learningdevelopment since 1983, with an empha-sis in development. Joe has taught class-es and seminars at leading universities
and in many government facilities, com-mercial firms, and educational institu-tions. He has also spoken at severalindustry conferences. Joe is a publishedauthor, having written several books andarticles about e-Learning, and he is widelyconsidered a guru for his expertise in e-Learning development. He has consult-ed on a wide range of multimedia andlearning applications worldwide for manyorganizations. Joe holds a degree inComputer Science.
Joe will be at the eLearning ProducerConference & Expo 2004, leading a one-day preconference workshop entitled,“Tools for Creating Effective e-Learning:Combining RoboDemo, Flash, and Author-ware.” He will also present three sessionsduring the conference, entitled, “Author-ware Scripting for e-Learning,” “Strategiesfor Getting ID and Developers to Work inPerfect Harmony,” and “Prototypes andAuthoring Tools for Developing Section508 Compliant e-Learning.”
Contact Joe at [email protected].
Additional information on the topics covered in this article is also listed inthe Guild Resource Directory.
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The eLearning Guild has created The Guild Online Forum Series, a new series of online events that willbe held throughout 2004. On the 2nd Thursday of every month (except January) you can register to partic-ipate as an individual, or as a group, in a one-day “virtual conference” that includes four highly interactiveseventy-five minute sessions designed to explore a specific topic.
e-Learning for e-Learning Professionals...
Individual orSite Registration:
Participate as an indi-vidual or you can pay a site fee, set up yourmeeting room, andhave your e-Learningteam participate in anOnline Forum as a group!
S E P T E M B E R 9 , 2 0 0 4
Beyond e-Learning: OtherTechnologies & Strategiesfor LearningLearn about Communities of Practice,EPSS, Knowledge Management, blogs,and other methods that can extend thereach of e-Learning. The true implementa-tion of “24x7” learning will be discussed,and the impact of global, social, businessand educational factors on e-Learning willbe explored.Target Audience: This Online Forum isgeared to those who want to examine alter-native and complimentary ways to deliverinformation and education to their learners.
To learn more about eachupcoming Online Forum and to register, go to:www.eLearningGuild.com
Here’s a brief descriptionof the next Online Forumin the series...
Here’s how the Online Forums work:
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TABLE 1 Default conversion mapping. PowerPoint transitions to Authorware transitions
AppearBlindsHorizontalBlindsVerticalBoxInBoxOutCheckerboardAcrossCheckerboardDownCircleOutCombHorizontalCombVerticalCoverDownCoverLeftCoverLeftDownCoverLeftUpCoverRightCoverRightDownCoverRightUpCoverUpCrawlFromDownCrawlFromLeftCrawlFromRightCrawlFromUpCutCutThroughBlackDiamondOutDissolveFadeFadeSmoothlyFlashOnceFastFlashOnceMediumFlashOnceSlowFlyFromBottomFlyFromBottomLeftFlyFromBottomRightFlyFromLeftFlyFromRightFlyFromTopFlyFromTopLeftFlyFromTopRightMixedNewsflashNonePeekFromDownPeekFromLeftPeekFromRightPeekFromUpPlusOutPushDownPushLeft
PowerPointtransition
NoneVenetian BlindVertical BlindIris InIris OutCheckerboardCheckerboardSpiralNoneNoneCover DownCover LeftCover Down-LeftCover Up-LeftCover RightCover Down-RightCover Up-RightCover UpNoneNoneNoneNoneWipe RightWipe RightNoneDissolve, PixelsFade InFade InNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNonePush DownPush LeftPush RightPush UpNonePush DownPush Left
Default Authorwaretransition
PushRightPushUpRandomRandomBarsHorizontalRandomBarsVerticalSpiralSplitHorizontalInSplitHorizontalOutSplitVerticalInSplitVerticalOutStretchAcrossStretchDownStretchLeftStretchRightStretchUpStripsDownLeftStripsDownRightStripsLeftDownStripsLeftUpStripsRightDownStripsRightUpStripsUpLeftStripsUpRightSwivelUncoverDownUncoverLeftUncoverLeftDownUncoverLeftUpUncoverRightUncoverRightDownUncoverRightUpUncoverUpWedgeWheel1SpokeWheel2SpokesWheel3SpokesWheel4SpokesWheel8SpokesWipeDownWipeLeftWipeRightWipeUpZoomBottomZoomCenterZoomInZoomInSlightlyZoomOutZoomOutSlightly
PowerPointtransition
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The eLearning Guild organizes a variety of industry events focused on participant learning:
The eLearningGuild™ is a globalCommunity ofPracticeThrough this member-driven com-munity of designers, developers,and managers of e-Learning, theGuild provides high-quality learn-ing opportunities, networkingservices, resources, and publica-tions.
Guild members represent adiverse group of instructionaldesigners, content developers,web developers, project man-agers, contractors, consultants,managers and directors of train-ing and learning services — all ofwhom share a common interest ine-Learning design, development,and management. Members workfor organizations in the corporate,government, academic, and K-12sectors. They also are employeesof e-Learning product and serviceproviders, consultants, students,and self-employed professionals.
The more than 13,000 membersof this growing, worldwide com-munity look to the Guild for time-ly, relevant, and objective informa-tion about e-Learning to increasetheir knowledge, improve theirprofessional skills, and expandtheir personal networks.
Resource DirectoryThe Guild hosts the e-Learning industry’s most comprehensive resource management systemthat includes more than 4,500 (and growing) e-Learning related resources in a searchabledatabase. Guild Members can post resourcesand can update them at any time.
Surveys & StudiesThe eLearning Guild conducts continuous pollsand more than a dozen surveys and studieseach year — including an annual salary survey.Guild Members have unlimited access to all dataand analyses.
The eLearning Developers’ JournalThe Journal provides in-depth articles about how e-Learning professionals can make e-Learningmore successful in their organizations. It’s aweekly online publication in PDF format andGuild Members have unlimited access to thesearchable archive of every issue published.
Job BoardThe Guild Job Board should be your first stopfor solving employment related issues. Whetheryou are an employer looking to fill a key positionor an e-Learning professional looking for a newjob, you’ll find success here.
Info ExchangeThe Info Exchange enables members to askquestions of, and get feedback from, other members around the world in a discussionboard format.
Member DiscountsGuild Members receive a 20% discount on alloptional services offered by The eLearning Guildthat are not included in your membership. Theseservices include all face-to-face and onlineevents produced by the Guild, special publica-tions, and other services as they are developed.
The Online Forum Seriese-Learning for e-Learning professionals! TheGuild Online Forum Series enables you, or your team, to explore the most pressing issuesfacing e-Learning professionals today with someof our industries smartest people — right fromyour desktop or conference room.
Engaging SymposiaThe Guild’s unique and focused symposia drill into the most critical issues for e-Learningdesigners, developers, and managers. These are
intensive learning events with limited enrollment.Participate in person or online, as an individualor as part of a team.
Annual ConferenceThe eLearning Producer Conference, held inthe fall each year, offers comprehensive and in-depth content for all e-Learning professionals ina collegial environment conducive to learningand sharing.
Event ProceedingsIf you attend a Guild event, you have immediateaccess to all event proceedings. If you do notattend, as a Guild Member you still have accessto the proceedings 90 days after an event ends.
Guild e-ClipsA Guild Members-only publication sent by emailevery week. It’s short, easy to read, and includes“clips” designed to keep members connected tothe latest information about Guild publications,surveys & studies, and learning events.
eLearning InsiderThe eLearning Insider is sent by email everyother week and includes current e-Learningindustry news, excerpts from Journal articles,highlights from Guild surveys, e-Musings, andinformation on Guild matters.
Professional Development Through Active EngagementIn order to maintain a vital community and provide relevant information, The eLearningGuild seeks the active involvement of all GuildMembers and Guild Associates. Consider theseways to engage:
Speak at Guild Events: Members andAssociates are encouraged to submit presentation proposals for any and all Guild events.
Write for the Journal: The eLearningDevelopers’ Journal articles are written byindustry leaders and practitioners just like youwho are working in this field every day.
Join the Program Advisory Committee:This committee works to craft the program content of all events produced by the Guild.
Join the Research Advisory Committee:This committee works to identify the topics forGuild surveys and studies, and also developsthe survey instruments.
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About the Guild
