What is largest resolution size I should use?

Question

Hello, I'm working on my first solo project and need help
(did some simple things with someone who knew how to use
captivate). I'm using Captivate 1. I'm going to take screen shots
(or import images) of rather large images (diagrams) one per slide,
and then add a text box under which explains the diagram. I'll add
a next and previous button to each slide. This is basically all I
need. The end product will be on a website and users will have a
menu and select what they want to see. Very basic at first. The
complication is the diagrams I need to explain already take up most
of a 17 inch screen at 1024/768. I have no experience with screen
resolutions. I just sent one sample as an .EXE to someone using a
19 in monitor at 1024/768 and the bottom image got cut off and
there is no scroll bar for her to scroll down. my monitor is a dell
laptop 15in diagnal at 1400/1050. what is the problem? What is the
largest size of recording window I should use to have most people
able to view properly? Do I really need to think of what the end
user will be veiwing with when i start a new project? sorry if I
sound clueless.

Answer 1

My audience access their content through the corporate
Intranet, and all users have a standardized configuration of 1024 x
768. They use Internet Explorer 6 to view the content in a browser
window. The LMS launches the browser window with all of the extras
(menu, toolbar, status bar, etc.) turned off to maximize viewable
area.
To avoid triggering scrollbars on the right or bottom of the
browser window, I've standardized on a maximum of 800 x 600 for my
Captivate movies' dimensions. We don't use the control bar in our
movies, but there's about 60 spare pixels (30 at top/botttom) left
over. We use part of it for branding at the top, and then our own
navigation controls at the bottom. There's quite a bit of space
left over on the left/right sides.
You have to decide whether you want sharp images, or
easy-to-capture images. If you want sharp images, then you'd have
to capture at 800 x 600 (or whatever you end up using). If you want
to go the easy route or can't live with capturing just a portion of
the screen, then you'll have to live with fuzzier images that
result from scaling things down.
Our captures are done at 1024 x 768 to get the entire
application window - which is a necessity. Then I use the "Resize
Project" function to scale them down to 800 x 600. Even with small
fonts in the application, everything's legible. On occasion I use
the Zoom feature to magnify a section, but overall it works out
fine this way.
In a nutshell, if your audience is viewing your content in a
browser on a machine set to 1024 x 768 resolution, producing your
Captivate movies for 800 x 600 or smaller is your best move.
According to my own tests, you can display movies up to 999 x
672 (give or take 10px) in a browser window...but ONLY IF you use
Javascript to disable the standard controls
(menu/toolbar/statusbar,etc.)
Actually - you might get another 20 pixels (to 692) if an LMS
isn't inserting a hidden frame in there -- you'll just have to try
out some tests to see what your maximum usable area is.