Best Practice for Time Dimension

I am designing a new outline. I need to set up a time dimension for every day, perpetually. In the past I would set up one member for years i.e. 2010, 2011, 2012... and a second dimension with the days i.e. Jan 01, Jan 02.
Is there a better way than this? I would like to do it in one dimension if possible.

If you create a new ASO (remember, this does not work in BSO) database, right click in the outline (okay, the completely blank outline).
You should see a pop up menu with "Create date-time dimension..."
I should also note that you have to click on the word "Outline: dbname" to do this.
I wonder if you are trying to do this in a BSO app as that will make the menu item show up unselected.
Regards,
Cameron Lackpour

Similar Messages

Current best practice for Time service settings for Hyper-V 2012 R2 Host and guest OS's

I am trying to find out what the current best practice is for Time service settings in a Hyper-V 2012 environment. I find conflicting information. Can anyone point me in the right direction. I have found some different sources (links below) but again the
are not consistent. Thanks
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/virtual_pc_guy/archive/2010/11/19/time-synchronization-in-hyper-v.aspx
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/virtual_active_directory_domain_controller_virtualization_hyperv(v=ws.10).aspx
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/12709.time-services-for-a-domain-controller-on-hyper-v.aspx

From the first link provided by Brian, it does state that the time service should be off, but then the update changes that statement. Still best to rely on the first link in the OP - it was written by the guy that has been responsible for much of what
gets coded into Hyper-V, starting from before there ever was a Hyper-V. I'd say that's a pretty reliable source.
Time service
For virtual machines that are configured as domain controllers, it is recommended that you disable time synchronization between the host system and guest operating system acting as a domain controller. This enables your guest domain controller to synchronize
time from the domain hierarchy.
To disable the Hyper-V time synchronization provider, shut down the VM and clear the Time synchronization check box under Integration Services.
Note
This guidance has been recently updated to reflect the current recommendation to synchronize time for the guest domain controller from only the domain hierarchy, rather than the previous recommendation to partially disable time synchronization between the
host system and guest domain controller.
. : | : . : | : . tim

Best practice for real time requierement

All,
I am trying to find out what is the best practice for reporting against real time data ?
is it while using
1 - webi against universe/bex query on the top of hybrid cubes ?
2 - Crystal report directly against the ECC data ?
3 - using another solution such as Data Fedrator ? or something different ?
I am looking to know if anyone got such req and also to share their experience
did they get some huge challenge against hybrid cubes ?
Thanks in advance for your help
Philippe

Well their first requierement was to get real time data .. if i am in Xcelsius and click refresh then i want it to load my last data ..
with live office , i can either schedule a crystal report and get the data delayed or use the option from live office to make iterfresh as right now .. is that a correct assumption ?
I was talking about BW, just in case they are willing to change the requierement to go from Real time to every 5 min
Just you know we are also thinking of the following option:
1 - modify the virtual provider on the CRM machine to get all the custom fields needed for the Xcelsius Dashboard
2 - Build some interactive report on the top of these Virtual Provider within CRM
3 - get the link to this report , it is one of the Report feature within CRM
4 - design and build your dashboard on the top of it
5 - EXport your swf file to the cRM web ui
we are trying to see which one is the best one
Philippe

Best practice for passing parameters to a Timer event handler?

The code hinting is suggesting that I use a Timer object rather than setTimeout or setInterval, however I need to pass a parameter to the timer handler.
What is the best practice for doing this?
+ Subclass Timer?
+ Subclass TimerEvent?
+ Global variable?
+ other?
Thanks

Hmm. I don’t think I would’ve chosen that option. I would probably create a class that listens for the TimerEvent dispatches a custom event. Unless there is information you need in TimerEvent, I don’t see a need to extend it.

Best Practice for Multiple iTunes and One Account?

My wife and I share our account for our iPhone Applications and Songs in iTunes.
Can someone point me to a topic that covers a best practice for multiple iTunes syncing?
I travel a lot and keep my iPhone synced to my Macbook Pro while she uses the workstation at home to sync to. We keep the addresses and contacts and calendars synced through MobileMe, however, I'm trying to find the best way of pushing applications and songs I've bought over to the other PC so they're still around while I'm traveling for her to sync with.
Thoughts?

Hi Steve,
Might be trying for solution for a long time, If i understood your question clear let me clarify you few points.
You are trying to access the bex query which is designed with the exit's in the background based on the logic and trying to call the entire dimensions and key-figures in a single connection. Then you are trying to map those data in the charts.
Steve, try to make more connections based upon the logic and split them. use the same query but split them by sales per customer group, sales per day, sales per week by making three different connections and try. You can merge the prompts from all connections.
Hope this Helps!!!
Sorry if i misunderstood your question.
--SumanT

Best practices for Refreshing Unv Structure for SAP based universes

This may sound basic and I apologize for asking this, but the refresh structure in SAP based universes is somewhat different from noraml universes.
Here is what i'd like to do:
- Hide all the L00 objects.
- Rename all the L01 objects and move them to a new Class.
- Change some of the detail (attribute) objects to dimension objects.
- Hide the format and Unit for key figures.
- Hide all of the classes/subclasses that get automatically generated when a SAP based universe is created.
I have noticed that when I do the above and refresh the universe, it assumes that all these objects have gone missing from the original classes and adds them back to the universe.
I also want to make sure that if the select of an object gets updated and the object is re-named, then it should automatically pick up the change.
Lastly, I have some reports which were built prior to this renaming. I want to make sure that the reports do not break.
Thanks,
Kashif

Hi,
This thread is really old.
Yes it was a common problem back in the earlier XI 3.x days . a lot of bugs in this area were eliminated by the time of XI 3.1 SP03 FP3.x - you don't quote your version.
Actually, you need to be aware that a refresh structure is often not needed, and can corrupt the olap universe . Pls check out Note 1278216 - What are the best practices for OLAP Universe Change Management when using SAP Integration Kit?
in essence :
Only use 'Refresh Structure' functionality If:
- A new Object (Dimension/Characteristic) has been added to the BEx query (Rows/Columns/Free Characteristics)
- A new Variable Restriction has been added to the Bex query Filters
Do not use 'Refresh Structure' functionality after:
- Having modified a STRUCTURE in BEx. i.e. 'Detail view of Formula' or 'Details of Selection', or changing the General Description of structure members.
- Doing manual actions on objects/classes in the OLAP Universe like: Move ; Cut/Paste ; Drag/Drop ; Hide ; Delete.
(because these workflow can lead to corruption)
regards,
H

What are the Best Practices for Optimizing Images in InDesign Files

Is there a best practice for using images InDesign to optimize the document before converting to a PDF? Specifically, what I'm asking is, will the PDF file compress better if the images are cropped prior to placing them in Indesign? I'd like to know the answer for both creating PDF files for printing using images that are 300dpi and for creating PDF files for online delivery using images that are 72dpi. I have an employee that insists images need to be cropped to actual dimensions before placing in the InDesign document. I've never done it that way and believe that her recommended process is way too time consuming and leaves you with no leeway to tweak your page design since the images are tightly cropped.

As for absolute cropping, I agree with your stance. Until the layout is fixed, preserving your ability to easily manipulate photo size and positioning is key.
Some clever image management methods have been described in the discussion forums, and one that appealed most to me was the use of duplicate linked image folders. Having a high-res (CMYK) folder and a low-res (RGB) folder to switch between for different output enables you to use both to your advantage. Use the low-res images for layout, for internal proofing, and for EPUB/online PDF/HTML output. Then it's simply a quick switch to the high-res image folder for print purposes. You can easily prepare the alternate collection of images with a Photoshop batch convert script or with the Photoshop Image Processor. Save your presets!

Best practices for ARM - please help!!!

Hi all,
Can you please help with any pointers / links to documents describing best practices for "who should be creating" the GRC request in below workflow of ARM in GRC 10.0??
Create GRC request -> role approver -> risk manager -> security team
options are : end user / Manager / Functional super users / security team.
End user and manager not possible- we can not train so many people. Functional team is refusing since its a lot of work. Please help me with pointers to any best practices documents.
Thanks!!!!

In this case, I recommend proposing that the department managers create GRC Access Requests. In order for the managers to comprehend the new process, you should create a separate "Role Catalog" that describes what abilities each role enables. This Role Catalog needs to be taught to the department Managers, and they need to fully understand what tcodes and abilities are inside of each role. From your workflow design, it looks like Role Owners should be brought into these workshops.
You might consider a Role Catalog that the manager could filter on and make selections from. For example, an AP manager could select "Accounts Payable" roles, and then choose from a smaller list of AP-related roles. You could map business functions or tasks to specific technical roles. The design flaw here, of course, is the way your technical roles have been designed.
The point being, GRC AC 10 is not business-user friendly, so using an intuitive "Role Catalog" really helps the managers understand which technical roles they should be selecting in GRC ARs. They can use this catalog to spit out a list of technical role names that they can then search for within the GRC Access Request.
At all costs, avoid having end-users create ARs. They usually select the wrong access, and the process then becomes very long and drawn out because the role owners or security stages need to mix and match the access after the fact. You should choose a Requestor who has the highest chance of requesting the correct access. This is usually the user's Manager, but you need to propose this solution in a way that won't scare off the manager - at the end of the day, they do NOT want to take on more work.
If you are using SAP HR, then you can attempt HR Triggers for New User Access Requests, which automatically fill out and submit the GRC AR upon a specific HR action (New Hire, or Termination). I do not recommend going down this path, however. It is very confusing, time consuming, and difficult to integrate properly.
Good luck!
-Ken

Best Practices For Household IOS's/Apple IDs

Greetings:
I've been searching support for best practices for sharing primarily apps, music and video among multple iOS's/Apple IDs. If there is a specific article please point me to it.
Here is my situation:
We currently have 3 iPads (2-kids, 1-dad) in the household and one iTunes account on a win computer. I previously had all iPads on single Apple ID/credit card and controlled the kids' downloads thru the Apple ID password that I kept secret. As the kids have grown older, I found myself constantly entering my password as the kids increased there interest in music/apps/video. I like this approach because all content was shared...I dislike because I was constantly asked to input password for all downloads.
So, I recently set up an individual account for them with the allowance feature at iTunes that allows them to download content on their own (I set restrictions on their iPads). Now I have 3 Apple IDs under one household.
My questions:
With the 3 Apple IDs, what is the best way to share apps,music, videos among myself and the kids? Is it multiple accounts on the computer and some sort of sharing?
Thanks in advance...

Hi Bonesaw1962,
We've had our staff and students run iOS updates OTA via Settings -> Software Update. In the past, we put a DNS block on Apple's update servers to prevent users from updating iOS (like last fall when iOS 7 was first released). By blocking mesu.apple com, the iPads weren't able to check for or install any iOS software updates. We waited until iOS 7.0.3 was released before we removed the block to mesu.apple.com at which point we told users if they wanted to update to iOS 7 they could do so OTA. We used our MDM to run reports periodically to see how many people updated to iOS 7 and how many stayed on iOS 6. As time went on, just about everyone updated on their own.
If you go this route (depending on the number of devices you have), you may want to take a look at Caching Server 2 to help with the network load https://www.apple.com/osx/server/features/#caching-server . From Apple's website, "When a user on your network downloads new software from Apple, a copy is automatically stored on your server. So the next time other users on your network update or download that same software, they actually access it from inside the network."
I wish there was a way for MDMs to manage iOS updates, but unfortunately Apple hasn't made this feature available to MDM providers. I've given this feedback to our Apple SE, but haven't heard if it is being considered or not. Keeping fingers crossed.
Hope this helps. Let us know what you decide on and keep us posted on the progress. Good luck!!
~Joe

BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING DISCOVERER DATABASE CONNECTION -PUBLIC VS. PRIV

I have enabled SSO for Discoverer. So when you browse to http://host:port/discoverer/viewer you get prompted for your SSO
username/password. I have enabled users to create their own private
connections. I log in as portal and created a private connection. I then from
Oracle Portal create a portlet and add a discoverer worksheet using the private
connection that I created as the portal user. This works fine...users access
the portal they can see the worksheet. When they click the analyze link, the
users are prompted to enter a password for the private connection. The
following message is displayed:
The item you are requesting requires you to enter a password. This could occur because this is a private connection or
because the public connection password was invalid. Please enter the correct
password now to continue.
I originally created a public connection...and then follow the same steps from Oracle portal to create the portlet and display the
worksheet. Worksheet is displayed properly from Portal, when users click the
analyze link they are taken to Discoverer Viewer without having to enter a
password. The problem with this is that when a user browses to
http://host:port/discoverer/viewer they enter their SSO information and then
any user with an SSO account can see the public connection...very insecure!
When private connections are used, no connection information is displayed to
SSO users when logging into Discoverer Viewer.
For the very first step, when editing the Worksheet portlet from Portal, I enter the following for Database
Connections:
Publisher: I choose either the private or public connection that I created
Users Logged In: Display same data to all users using connection (Publisher's Connection)
Users Not Logged In: Do no display data
My question is what are the best practices for creating Discoverer Database
Connections.
Is there a way to create a public connection, but not display it in at http://host:port/discoverer/viewer?
Can I restrict access to http://host:port/discoverer/viewer to specific SSO users?
So overall, I want roughly 40 users to have access to my Portal Page Group. I then want to
display portlets with Discoverer worksheets. Certain worksheets I want to have
the ability to display the analyze link. When the SSO user clicks on this they
will be taken to Discoverer Viewer and prompted for no logon information. All
SSO users will see the same data...there is no need to restrict access based on
SSO username...1 database user will be set up in either the public or private
connection.

You can make it happen by creating a private connection for 40 users by capi script and when creating portlet select 2nd option in Users Logged in section. In this the portlet uses there own private connection every time user logs in.
So that it won't ask for password.
Another thing is there is an option of entering password or not in ASC in discoverer section, if your version 10.1.2.2. Let me know if you need more information
thnaks
kiran

Best Practices for Using Photoshop (and Computing in General)

I've been seeing some threads that lead me to realize that not everyone knows the best practices for doing Photoshop on a computer, and in doing conscientious computing in general. I thought it might be a good idea for those of us with some exprience to contribute and discuss best practices for making the Photoshop and computing experience more reliable and enjoyable.
It'd be great if everyone would contribute their ideas, and especially their personal experience.
Here are some of my thoughts on data integrity (this shouldn't be the only subject of this thread):
Consider paying more for good hardware. Computers have almost become commodities, and price shopping abounds, but there are some areas where spending a few dollars more can be beneficial. For example, the difference in price between a top-of-the-line high performance enterprise class hard drive and the cheapest model around with, say, a 1 TB capacity is less than a hundred bucks! Disk drives do fail! They're not all created equal. What would it cost you in aggravation and time to lose your data? Imagine it happening at the worst possible time, because that's exactly when failures occur.
Use an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS). Unexpected power outages are TERRIBLE for both computer software and hardware. Lost files and burned out hardware are a possibility. A UPS that will power the computer and monitor can be found at the local high tech store and doesn't cost much. The modern ones will even communicate with the computer via USB to perform an orderly shutdown if the power failure goes on too long for the batteries to keep going. Again, how much is it worth to you to have a computer outage and loss of data?
Work locally, copy files elsewhere. Photoshop likes to be run on files on the local hard drive(s). If you are working in an environment where you have networking, rather than opening a file right off the network, then saving it back there, consider copying the file to your local hard drive then working on it there. This way an unexpected network outage or error won't cause you to lose work.
Never save over your original files. You may have a library of original images you have captured with your camera or created. Sometimes these are in formats that can be re-saved. If you're going to work on one of those files (e.g., to prepare it for some use, such as printing), and it's a file type that can be overwritten (e.g., JPEG), as soon as you open the file save the document in another location, e.g., in Photoshop .psd format.
Save your master files in several places. While you are working in Photoshop, especially if you've done a lot of work on one document, remember to save your work regularly, and you may want to save it in several different places (or copy the file after you have saved it to a backup folder, or save it in a version management system). Things can go wrong and it's nice to be able to go back to a prior saved version without losing too much work.
Make Backups. Back up your computer files, including your Photoshop work, ideally to external media. Windows now ships with a quite good backup system, and external USB drives with surprisingly high capacity (e.g., Western Digital MyBook) are very inexpensive. The external drives aren't that fast, but a backup you've set up to run late at night can finish by morning, and if/when you have a failure or loss of data. And if you're really concerned with backup integrity, you can unplug an external drive and take it to another location.
This stuff is kind of "motherhood and apple pie" but it's worth getting the word out I think.
Your ideas?
-Noel

APC Back-UPS XS 1300. $169.99 at Best Buy.
Our power outages here are usually only a few seconds; this should give my server about 20 or 25 minutes run-time.
I'm setting up the PowerChute software now to shut down the computer when 5 minutes of power is left. The load with the monitor sleeping is 171 watts.
This has surge protection and other nice features as well.
-Noel

Best Practices for Defining NDS Java Projects...

We are doing a Proof of Concept on using NDS to develop non-SAP Java applications. We are attempting to determine if we can replace our current Java development tools with NDS/WAS.
We are struggling with SAP's terminology and "plumbing" for setting up/defining Java projects. For example, what is and when do you define Tracks, Software Components, Development Components, etc. All of these terms are totally foreign to us and do not relate to our current Java environment (at least not that we can see). We are also struggling with how the DTR and activities tie in to those components.
If any one has defined best practices for setting up Java projects or has struggled with and overcome these same issues, please provide us with some guidance. This is a very frustrating and time-consuming issue for us.
Thank you!!

Hi Peggy,
In Component Model we divide software projects into small components.Components can use other components in well defined manner.
A development object is a part of a component that can be changed or developed in some way; it provides the component with a certain part of its functionality. A development object may be a Java class, a Web Dynpro view, a table definition, a JSP page, and so on. Development objects are always stored as sources in a repository.
A development component can be defined as a frame shared by a number of objects, which are part of the software.
Software components combine components (DCs) to larger units for delivery and deployment.
A track comprises configurations and runtime systems required for developing software component versions.It ensures stable states of deliverables used by subsequent tracks.
The Design Time Repository is for versioning source code management. Distributed development of software in teams. Transport and replication of sources.
You can also find lot of support in SDN for the above concepts with tutorials.
Refer this Link for a overview on Java development Infrastructure(JDI)
https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/com.sap.km.cm.docs/library/webas/java/java development infrastructure jdi overview.pdf
To understand further
Working with Net Weaver Development Infrastructure :
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/03/f6bc3d42f46c33e10000000a11405a/content.htm
In the above link you can find all the concepts clearly explained.You can also find the required tutorials for development.
Regards,
Vijith

Best Practices for new iMac

I posted a few days ago re failing HDD on mid-2007 iMac. Long story short, took it into Apple store, Genius worked on it for 45 mins before decreeing it in need of new HDD. After considering the expenses of adding memory, new drive, hardware and installation costs, I got a brand new iMac entry level (21.5" screen,
2.7 GHz Intel Core i5, 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 memory, 1TB HDD running Mavericks). Also got a Superdrive. I am not needing to migrate anything from the old iMac.
I was surprised that a physical disc for the OS was not included. So I am looking for any Best Practices for setting up this iMac, specifically in the area of backup and recovery. Do I need to make a boot DVD? Would that be in addition to making a Time Machine full backup (using external G-drive)? I have searched this community and the Help topics on Apple Support and have not found any "checklist" of recommended actions. I realize the value of everyone's time, so any feedback is very appreciated.

OS X has not been officially issued on physical media since OS X 10.6 (arguably 10.7 was issued on some USB drives, but this was a non-standard approach for purchasing and installing it).
To reinstall the OS, your system comes with a recovery partition that can be booted to by holding the Command-R keys immediately after hearing the boot chimes sound. This partition boots to the OS X tools window, where you can select options to restore from backup or reinstall the OS. If you choose the option to reinstall, then the OS installation files will be downloaded from Apple's servers.
If for some reason your entire hard drive is damaged and even the recovery partition is not accessible, then your system supports the ability to use Internet Recovery, which is the same thing except instead of accessing the recovery boot drive from your hard drive, the system will download it as a disk image (again from Apple's servers) and then boot from that image.
Both of these options will require you have broadband internet access, as you will ultimately need to download several gigabytes of installation data to proceed with the reinstallation.
There are some options available for creating your own boot and installation DVD or external hard drive, but for most intents and purposes this is not necessary.
The only "checklist" option I would recommend for anyone with a new Mac system, is to get a 1TB external drive (or a drive that is at least as big as your internal boot drive) and set it up as a Time Machine backup. This will ensure you have a fully restorable backup of your entire system, which you can access via the recovery partition for restoring if needed, or for migrating data to a fresh OS installation.

Best practices for office 365 SHARED CALENDAR for whole school / organization

hi
we need guidance on best practice for setting up SHARED CALENDAR on Office365 exchange server for entire organization (school)of150 staff.
Requirements
+ all staff should have read only / reviewer permissions on calendar
+handful staff should have editor permissions on calendar
+ the calendar should synchronise custom categories and colors
Current Solution
at the moment we have found that a shared mailbox is the best solution because;
- allusers can add the shared mailbox on outlook 2010as additional mailbox as readonly
- all the categories & colors for the calendarare automatically synchronised because the color categories are stored within this mailbox.
- you can edit calendar permissions in outlook to allow some users as "editor" of the calendar.Problem with Current Solution
the problem however is that the users also need to access this...
This topic first appeared in the Spiceworks Community

Hi Aleksei,
I think Inactive mailboxes in Exchange Online is the feature that you want. This feature makes it possible for you to preserve (store and archive) the contents of deleted mailboxes indefinitely.
A mailbox becomes inactive when an In-Place Hold or a
Litigation Hold is placed on the mailbox before the corresponding Office 365 user account is deleted.
But I'm afraid that it might be impossible to "easily share certain folders or even whole mailbox with people in the company". As can been seen from below articles, this only allows administrators, compliance officers, or records managers
to use the In-Place eDiscovery feature in Exchange Online to access and search the contents of an inactive mailbox:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn144876(v=exchg.150).aspx
http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2013/03/21/preserve-mailbox-data-for-ediscovery-using-inactive-mailboxes-in-exchange-online.aspx
Anyway, this is the forum to discuss questions and feedback for Microsoft Office client. For more details about your question, I would suggest you post in the dedicated forum of
Exchange Online, where you can get more experienced responses:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/msonline/en-US/home?forum=onlineservicesexchange
The reason why we recommend posting appropriately is you will get the most qualified pool of respondents, and other partners who read the forums regularly can either share their knowledge or learn from your interaction with us. Thank you for your understanding.
Regards,
Ethan Hua
TechNet Community Support
It's recommended to download and install
Configuration Analyzer Tool (OffCAT), which is developed by Microsoft Support teams. Once the tool is installed, you can run it at any time to scan for hundreds of known issues in Office
programs.

Best practices for setting up projects

We recently adopted using Captivate for our WBT modules.
As a former Flash and Director user, I can say it’s
fast and does some great things. Doesn’t play so nice with
others on different occasions, but I’m learning. This forum
has been a great source for search and read on specific topics.
I’m trying to understand best practices for using this
product. We’ve had some problems with file size and
incorporating audio and video into our projects. Fortunately, the
forum has helped a lot with that. What I haven’t found a lot
of information on is good or better ways to set up individual
files, use multiple files and publish projects. We’ve decided
to go the route of putting standalones on our Intranet. My gut says
yuck, but for our situation I have yet to find a better way.
My question for discussion, then is: what are some best
practices for setting up individual files, using multiple files and
publishing projects? Any references or input on this would be
appreciated.

Hi,
Here are some of my suggestions:
1) Set up a style guide for all your standard slides. Eg.
Title slide, Index slide, chapter slide, end slide, screen capture,
non-screen capture, quizzes etc. This makes life a lot easier.
2) Create your own buttons and captions. The standard ones
are pretty ordinary, and it's hard to get a slick looking style
happening with the standard captions. They are pretty easy to
create (search for add print button to learn how to create
buttons). There should instructions on how to customise captions
somewhere on this forum. Customising means that you can also use
words, symbols, colours unique to your organisation.
3) Google elearning providers. Most use captivate and will
allow you to open samples or temporarily view selected modules.
This will give you great insight on what not to do and some good
ideas on what works well.
4) Timings: Using the above research, I got others to
complete the sample modules to get a feel for timings. The results
were clear, 10 mins good, 15 mins okay, 20 mins kind of okay, 30
mins bad, bad, bad. It's truly better to have a learner complete
2-3 short modules in 30 mins than one big monster. The other
benefit is that shorter files equal smaller size.
5) Narration: It's best to narrate each slide individually
(particularly for screen capture slides). You are more likely to
get it right on the first take, it's easier to edit and you don't
have to re-record the whole thing if you need to update it in
future. To get a slicker effect, use at least two voices: one male,
one female and use slightly different accents.
6) Screen capture slides: If you are recording filling out
long window based databse pages where the compulsory fields are
marked (eg. with a red asterisk) - you don't need to show how to
fill out every field. It's much easier for the learner (and you) to
show how to fill out the first few fields, then fade the screen
capture out, fade the end of the form in with the instructions on
what to do next. This will reduce your file size. In one of my
forms, this meant the removal of about 18 slides!
7) Auto captions: they are verbose (eg. 'Click on Print
Button' instead of 'Click Print'; 'Select the Print Preview item'
instead of 'Select Print Preview'). You have to edit them.
8) PC training syntax: Buttons and hyperlinks should normally
be 'click'; selections from drop down boxes or file lists are
normally 'select': Captivate sometimes mixes them up. Instructions
should always be written in the correct order: eg. Good: Click
'File', Select 'Print Preview'; Bad: Select 'Print Preview' from
the 'File Menu'. Button names, hyperlinks, selections are normally
written in bold
9) Instruction syntax: should always be written in an active
voice: eg. 'Click Options to open the printer menu' instead of
'When the Options button is clicked on, the printer menu will open'
10) Break all modules into chapters. Frame each chapter with
a chapter slide. It's also a good idea to show the Index page
before each chapter slide with a progress indicator (I use an
animated arrow to flash next to the name of the next chapter), I
use a start button rather a 'next' button for the start of each
chapter. You should always have a module overview with the purpose
of the course and a summary slide which states what was covered and
they have complete the module.
11) Put a transparent click button somewhere on each slide.
Set the properties of the click box to take the learner back to the
start of the current chapter by pressing F2. This allows them to
jump back to the start of their chapter at any time. You can also
do a similar thing on the index pages which jumps them to another
chapter.
12) Recording video capture: best to do it at normal speed
and be concious of where your mouse is. Minimise your clicks. Most
people (until they start working with captivate) are sloppy with
their mouse and you end up with lots of unnecessarily slides that
you have to delete out. The speed will default to how you recorded
it and this will reduce the amount of time you spend on changing
timings.
13) Captions: My rule of thumb is minimum of 4 seconds - and
longer depending on the amount of words. Eg. Click 'Print Preview'
is 4 seconds, a paragraph is longer. If you creating knowledge
based modules, make the timing long (eg. 2-3 minutes) and put in a
next button so that the learner can click when they are ready.
Also, narration means the slides will normally be slightly longer.
14) Be creative: Capitvate is desk bound. There are some
learners that just don't respond no matter how interactive
Captivate can be. Incorporate non-captivate and desk free
activities. Eg. As part of our OHS module, there is an activity
where the learner has to print off the floor plan, and then wander
around the floor marking on th emap key items such as: fire exits;
first aid kit, broom and mop cupboard, stationary cupboard, etc.
Good luck!

Best Practice for Time Dimension

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for