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How to align objects in Adobe Captivate Classic

  1. Captivate Classic User Guide
  2. Introduction to Captivate
    1. What's New in Adobe Captivate
    2. Adobe Captivate System Requirements
    3. Responsive Project Design with Adobe Captivate
  3. Captivate Classic Release Notes
    1.  Adobe Captivate Classic 11.8.3 Release Notes
    2. Adobe Captivate Classic 11.8.2 Release Notes
    3. Adobe Captivate 11.8.1 Release Notes
    4. Adobe Captivate 11.8 Release Notes
    5. What's New in Adobe Captivate (2019 release) Update 5
    6. What's New in Adobe Captivate (2019 release) Update 2
    7. Adobe Captivate Release Notes
  4. Create Projects
    1. Create different types of projects in Adobe Captivate
    2. Customize the size of an Adobe Captivate project
    3. Responsive Project Design with Adobe Captivate
    4. Create Virtual Reality (VR) projects
    5. Work with responsive text in Adobe Captivate
    6. Work with themes in Adobe Captivate
    7. How to apply view specific properties in responsive projects
    8. How to create backup files for Adobe Captivate projects
    9. Asset panel
    10. Create branching and forced navigation in Captivate
    11. Replace image on the stage
  5. Add and Manage Objects
    1. Work with multi-state objects in Adobe Captivate
    2. Object effects
    3. Insert web objects in Adobe Captivate projects
    4. Work with object styles in Adobe Captivate
    5. How to rotate objects in Adobe Captivate
    6. How to manage objects with the Main Options toolbar
    7. How to merge objects in a slide
    8. How to manage objects in the library
    9. How to group objects in Adobe Captivate
    10. Edit object information using the Advanced Interaction panel
    11. How to copy, paste, and duplicate objects in Adobe Captivate
    12. Control the visibility of objects
    13. How to change the display order of objects in Adobe Captivate
    14. Apply shadows to objects
    15. How to align objects in Adobe Captivate
    16. How to add reflection to objects in Adobe Captivate
    17. Import assets into a Captivate project
  6. Slides
    1. Add slides to an Adobe Captivate project
    2. Editing slides in an Adobe Captivate project
    3. Delete Adobe Captivate project slides
    4. Change slide order in Adobe Captivate
    5. Set slide properties in Adobe Captivate
    6. Add and convert slide notes to audio files with Adobe Captivate
    7. Set up knowledge check slides in Adobe Captivate
    8. How to add slide transitions in Adobe Captivate
    9. How to work with master slides in Adobe Captivate
    10. How to lock Adobe Captivate slides
    11. How to hide or exclude slides in an Adobe Captivate project
    12. How to group and ungroup slides in Adobe Captivate
  7. Timeline and grids
    1. Use rulers and guides
    2. Work with grids in Adobe Captivate
    3. Work with the timeline
    4. Shortcut keys in Adobe Captivate
    5. Working with the filmstrip
    6. How to customize the Adobe Captivate workspace
    7. How to use the Adobe Captivate Library
    8. How to use the Branching panel in Adobe Captivate
  8. Create Quizzes
    1. Insert question slides in Adobe Captivate projects
    2. Set quiz preferences for Adobe Captivate
    3. How to enable learners to submit all quiz responses simultaneously
    4. How to set up question slides with Adobe Captivate
    5. Using random question slides in Adobe Captivate
    6. How to allow users to return to quiz
    7. Import questions from CSV format files
    8. Import questions from GIFT format files
    9. How to insert pretests in Adobe Captivate
  9. Audio
    1. How to insert audio into an Adobe Captivate project
    2. How to preview audio in Adobe Captivate
    3. How to edit audio files with Adobe Captivate
    4. View audio details in Adobe Captivate
    5. Set audio recording preferences and recording audio
    6. How to export audio from Adobe Captivate
  10. Video
    1. Slide videos
    2. Work with event videos in Adobe Captivate
    3. Differences between events and synchronized videos in Adobe Captivate
  11. Interactive Objects
    1. Add interactive buttons to your Captivate projects
    2. Create click boxes in Adobe Captivate
    3. Add text entry boxes with Adobe Captivate
    4. How to add audio to boxes and buttons
    5. How to add JavaScript to boxes and buttons in Adobe Captivate
  12. Interactions
    1. Create drag-and-drop interactions in Adobe Captivate
    2. Use Adobe Captivate variables in widgets
    3. Set the properties of widgets with Adobe Captivate
    4. How to create static, interactive, and question widgets in Adobe Captivate
    5. How to add widgets to your Adobe Captivate project
  13. Non-interactive objects
    1. Create and edit smart shapes
    2. Edit and create text captions with Captivate
    3. How to use images and rollover images with Captivate
    4. How to customize smart shapes in Adobe Captivate
    5. How to create zoom areas in Adobe Captivate
    6. How to set audio for noninteractive objects
    7. How to create rollover slidelets in Adobe Captivate
    8. How to create rollover captions in Adobe Captivate
    9. Change mouse properties in Adobe Captivate
    10. Use highlight boxes in Captivate
    11. Work with swatches in Adobe Captivate
    12. Fix size and position of non-interactive objects
    13. Add animations to a Adobe Captivate project
  14. Advanced Editing and Project Reviews
    1. How to link Adobe Captivate projects
    2. Import, export, and delete content
    3. Skins
    4. Create accessible projects in Adobe Captivate
    5. Create a table of contents (TOC) with Adobe Captivate
    6. Resize Adobe Captivate projects
    7. Projects and project preferences
    8. How to preview projects in Adobe Captivate
  15. Variables and Advanced Actions
    1. Adobe Captivate variables
    2. How to create user-defined variables in Adobe Captivate
    3. Advanced actions in Adobe Captivate
    4. Shared actions in Adobe Captivate projects
    5. Edit or delete user-defined variables in Adobe Captivate
    6. How to assign advanced actions to an event
  16. Record Projects
    1. Create interactive videos
    2. Automatic and manual recording with Captivate
    3. Set recording preferences in Adobe Captivate
    4. Record video demonstrations with Adobe Captivate
    5. How to record software simulations in Adobe Captivate
    6. How to pause recording
  17. Publish Projects
    1. Preview and publish responsive projects
    2. Publish project to Adobe Captivate Prime
    3. Publish projects as HTML5 files with Adobe Captivate
    4. Publish projects as executable files
    5. Publish projects as MP4 files with Adobe Captivate
    6. Set publishing preferences in Adobe Captivate
    7. Using web fonts from Adobe Fonts in Adobe Captivate
    8. Report quiz results to an internal server
  18. Use Adobe Captivate with Other Applications
    1. Import and edit PowerPoint presentations in Captivate
    2. Upload an Adobe Captivate project to a Learning Management System
    3. Learn about the Common JavaScript interface for Adobe Captivate
    4. How to publish Captivate projects to Microsoft Word
    5. Using Adobe Connect with Captivate
    6. How to add Captivate projects to a RoboHelp online help system
    7. How to package multiple SCOs using the Adobe Multi-SCORM Packager
  19. Troubleshoot Adobe Captivate
    1. Resolve known issues and limitations in the latest versions of Adobe Captivate, Adobe FrameMaker, and Adobe RoboHelp.
    2. Early build for Captivate (2019 release) on macOS Big Sur (macOS 11)
    3. Hotfix for VR content not playing on devices
    4. Configure SSL for Live Preview on Devices
    5. Captivate (2019 release) activation issues on macOS Catalina
    6. Captivate responsive courses will not auto-play on browsers
    7. Issues with Asset panel in Adobe Captivate (2019 release)
    8. Error 103 while installing Adobe Captivate
    9. Issues when previewing a Captivate project

Align multiple objects on a slide

If you have multiple objects on a slide, Adobe Captivate Classic can automatically and perfectly align the objects for you. This is an easy way to create precise and professional-looking project slides.

You have many options for aligning objects both vertically and horizontally. Some of the alignment options depend upon the location of the anchor object. The anchor object is simply the first object you select. You might want to select the largest object or the object that appears first as the anchor object. So that you can easily identify the anchor object, it appears with white resizing handles, while any subsequent objects you select appear with black resizing handles.

The alignment is based on the registration point of an object, which is the upper left corner of the surrounding box of the object. This point is constant in Adobe Captivate Classic and cannot be changed. In objects with thick strokes, the registration point is in the center of the strokes.

  1. Open the slide in which you want to align the objects. The slide must contain multiple objects.

  2. Select Window > Align. The alignment options display above the main toolbar, as shown below:

  3. Select the objects on the slide by holding down the Shift key and clicking the individual objects.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • Click an alignment option on the alignment toolbar.

    • Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the selected objects, choose Align, and select the appropriate option from the pop-up menu.

The x (horizontal) and y (vertical) coordinates of the mouse are automatically displayed in the lower-right corner of the Adobe Captivate Classic project window as you move the mouse. Knowing exact coordinates can help you place objects in a precise location on a slide. When aligning objects, it can be helpful to display the grid.

You can move objects using only the keyboard. Select an object and press an arrow key on your keyboard to move 1 pixel at a time. To move an item by the number of pixels defined in the grid, select an object and press Control+arrow key.

To change the height or width of an object by 1 pixel, hold Alt and press an arrow key. Similarly, hold Alt+Shift and an arrow key to change the size 15 pixels at a time.

Align objects using smart guides

Smart guides appear as dotted lines when you drag objects to reposition, resize, or rotate them. Smart guides are vertical or horizontal lines through the center of an object. Based on these guides, objects that you drag are aligned with the nearest object within the threshold distance.

Note:

Smart guides do not appear when you try to reposition or resize objects using keyboard.

Smart guides are enabled by default. To disable smart guides, click View > Show Drawing/Smart Guides.

Aligning objects on the Timeline

The Timeline lets you align objects easily. For example, you can align objects to the playhead, the start of a slide, the end of a slide, another object, or a point in time.

Display the Adobe Captivate Classic Timeline

  1. In an open project, double-click a slide that contains objects you want to align.

  2. If it is not open already, show the Timeline by clicking the splitter bar. To expand the Timeline, click the display arrow. You can also open the Timeline from the View menu by selecting the Show Timeline option, or using Control+Alt+T.

Align an object to the playhead

When you sync an object to the playhead, the object moves to the location of the playhead in the Timeline.

  • Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) an object on the Timeline and select Sync With Playhead.

Sync with Playhead
Sync with Playhead

Align an object to the start of a slide

  • Click an object on the Timeline and drag it to the left side of the Timeline.

Extend the playing time of an object to the end of a slide

  • Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) an object on the Timeline and select Show For Rest Of Slide.

Align an object to a point in time

  • Click an object on the Timeline and drag it to the left or right so that the left edge of the object bar aligns with the correct time in the header.

    For example, if you have a caption that currently appears at the same time the slide displays, but you want a slight delay, drag the caption so that its left edge aligns with 2s (a 2-second delay) or 4s (a 4-second delay) in the header.

    You can select multiple objects and move them at the same time. Hold down the Shift key and click objects to select consecutive stacked objects in the Timeline or to select nonconsecutive objects, hold down the Control key and click the objects to move.

    You can adjust the zoom level of the Timeline easily. Click in the Timeline ruler and spin the mouse wheel on your mouse to increase or decrease the zoom level.

Align objects with the grid

Adobe Captivate Classic contains an optional grid that you can display while working on individual slides. The grid lets you more accurately place and position objects on a slide.

You can also select the Snap To Grid option if you want objects that are placed near grid lines to automatically “snap” to the nearest lines.

Display the grid

Select View > Show Grid in an open project.

The grid, a light pattern of dots, appears on the slide.

Align objects with grid lines

Select View > Snap To Grid in an open project.

To test the snap-to-grid behavior, add an object such as a highlight box to the slide, and then move the box. As you move the box, it automatically lines up with the grid lines.

Change the grid scale

  1. In an open project, select Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Adobe Captivate Classic > Preferences (Mac OS).

  2. In the Category panel, select Global.

  3. In the Grid Size field, enter a new value for Grid size. Larger numbers display fewer grid lines; smaller numbers display many grid lines for more precise object placement.

The x (horizontal) and y (vertical) coordinates of the mouse are automatically displayed in the lower-right corner of the Adobe Captivate Classic project window as you move the mouse. Knowing exact coordinates can help you place objects in a precise location on a slide.

You can move objects using only the keyboard. Select an object and press an arrow key on your keyboard to move 1 pixel at a time. To move an item by the number of pixels defined in the grid, select an object and press Control+arrow key.

Snap objects to guides

To precisely align objects to guides, use the Snap To Guide menu in View > Snap to Guide.

Object edges will snap to (be pulled toward) the nearest guide when you draw, move, or resize objects.

The exact range within which an object snaps to guides is called the snap-to zone, which you can adjust by specifying the offset.

Keep the following guidelines in mind as you align objects to guides:

  • To snap an object to a guide, drag an object toward a guide until one or more of the object’s edges is within the guide’s snap-to zone.
  • Guides must be visible for objects to snap to them. 

To align objects to guides, complete the following steps:

  1. Choose View and make sure that Snap to Guide is selected (checked).

  2. To specify the snap-to-zone, choose Edit > Preferences > Default > Snap to Guide offset.

  3.  In the Snap to Guide offset box, set a value between 5 and 25 pixels and click OK.

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