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You can add slide notes and convert them into an audio file using the text-to-speech converter in Adobe Captivate. You can also convert slide notes to closed captioned text. Unlike slide notes, closed captioned text appears on the slide during runtime.

You can also use slide notes to communicate with users who do not have any audio equipment or are hearing impaired. Slide notes are a good location for adding extra information about a slide, such as numerical details, supporting materials, or footnote text.

Add slide notes

  1. Select Window > Slide Notes.

  2. In the Slide Notes panel, click the + icon to add a new slide note.

  3. Type the slide notes

Slide notes can act as instructions for developers or as reminders for unfinished items. Notes are not displayed when the movie is played.

Slide notes are automatically imported when you import slides from Microsoft PowerPoint.

If you export your project to Microsoft Word to create handouts, you have the option to include slide notes in the document. This can be useful when you want to add extra information for reviewers when you publish the project as a Microsoft Word document.

Convert slide notes to speech or closed captioned text

You can convert text in the slide notes into an audio file using text-to-speech software from NeoSpeech™. The following voices from NeoSpeech are supported in Adobe Captivate:

  • Kate: English female voice

  • Paul: English male voice

  • Bridget: British English female voice

  • Julie: US English female voice

  • Chloe: Canadian French female voice

You can install NeoSpeech using the Adobe Captivate installation CD or download it from the Adobe website. For detailed instructions on how to install NeoSpeech, see Install text to speech converters.

Note:

You can also use third-party voices or the voices installed with your operating system. See Using third-party voices for speech text.

When you use NeoSpeech voices, you can modify different aspects of the narration using the native NeoSpeech tags. See www.adobe.com/go/learn_neospeechtags_en to know how you can tweak the speed, pitch, and volume of NeoSpeech voices.

When you convert text to speech, the audio file is inserted into the corresponding slide. Multiple slide notes are merged into a single audio file and appear on the Timeline as a single object. You can also convert slide notes in the panel to closed captions in a single click.

The audio file pauses at locations where you have inserted commas or periods in the slide notes.

When you play the movie:

  • The slide notes are read aloud to the user.

  • The closed caption text on the slide is displayed to the user.

  1. To convert the slide notes to audio:

    1. Select the check boxes in the text-to-speech column and corresponds to the notes you want to convert to audio.

    2. Click Text-to-Speech.

    3. In the Speech Management dialog box, select a speech agent and click Generate Audio.

    To convert additional text to speech, click the + icon, type the text, and then click Generate Audio.

    Note:

    When you edit a slide note, you must click Generate Audio again for the changes to be applied.

  2. To convert the slide notes to closed captions:

    1. Select the check boxes in the closed captions column and corresponds to the notes you want to convert to closed captions.

      Note:

      The closed captioning check boxes are greyed out if you the slide does not contain an audio. If a slide contains video closed captions and then you add audio closed captions, the latter takes precedence.

    2. Click Closed Captioning.

    3. Click the + icon to add additional closed captions. Click the ‘-’ icon to remove closed captions.

    4. To time a closed caption, click the header of the caption that displays the start and end time, and drag the playhead in the audio clip.

    5. Click CC Project Settings to change the font, size, color, background, and the number of lines in which the captions must be displayed.

    6. To enable the display of closed captions in the published projects, go to Project > Skin Editor, and click Closed Captioning.

      The ‘CC’ button appears in the playbar. While playing or previewing the project, click the ‘CC’ button to view the closed captions.

Install text to speech converters

If you have not installed the text-to-speech software during installation, do one of the following:

If you have problems installing the text to speech software, see www.adobe.com/go/learn_ttsmac_en.

Using third-party voices for speech text

You can purchase voices from third-party vendors and use them seamlessly in Adobe Captivate.

Note:

Ensure that these voice comply with your operating system’s speech APIs.

Install the voices on your computers using the installers provided by the vendors. The new installed voices get listed in the Speech Agent list of the Audio > Speech Management dialog box.

Resolving the, “unable to decode and import the selected wav - mp3 file” error

This error might be displayed when you are using Adobe Captivate on Windows Vista. You must register the Adobe DLL to fix this error.

  1. Close Adobe Captivate.

  2. Run Command Prompt in the admin mode.

  3. Enter the location of the directory where you have installed Adobe Captivate.

  4. Run regsvr32 NSAudio.dll. The message, “Registration of DLL successful” is displayed.

  5. Right-click Adobe Captivate in the Program Files menu, and select Run As Administrator.

Add speech text to multiple slides

You can add speech text to multiple slides using the Speech Management dialog box. To add variety to the movie, you can choose different speech agents for different slides. For example, you can use a male voice and a female voice for alternate slides.

  1. Select Audio > Speech Management.

  2. In Speech Management dialog box, select the slides to which you want to add the slide notes, and click the + icon.

  3. Type the slide notes in the highlighted areas.

  4. To generate audio for the slide notes:

    1. Select the slide notes to be converted to audio.

    2. In the Speech Agent list, select the voice that you want to use for the audio.

    3. Click Generate Audio.

      Note:

      When you edit a slide note, you must click Generate Audio again for the changes to be applied.

Disable closed captions in a slide

You can prevent closed captions from appearing when the movie is played. Clear the check boxes in the closed captions column corresponding to the notes in the Slide Notes panel.

Delete slide notes

To delete slide notes, click next to the arrow that corresponds to the slide notes and then click the ‘-’ icon.

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