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E-Learning
Products
RapidBuilder® v3.1 Features and Benefits (At a Glance ...)
| Highlights of RapidBuilder v3.1 include: |
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- Continuous Desktop Capturing - RapidBuilder uses a continuous “pixel-based” desktop
capturing technique. Rather than taking a snapshot of each screen within the
software application, RapidBuilder captures pixel changes from screen to screen
during the live recording (similar to a video camcorder). This enables RapidBuilder
to record and completely capture all live Windows desktop activity and live
interactions with Windows-based desktop or web software applications (including
screen changes, mouse movements, mouse clicks, keyboard entries, dialog box
interactivity, etc.). RapidBuilder’s unique capturing capability
enables developers to create interactive software simulations easily (i.e.,
with reduced time and effort).
Prior to recording, RapidBuilder enables developers to specify various
capture settings, which control how much of the desktop area will be captured
(i.e., the entire desktop, a selected screen area, or only active windows)
and define what aspects of the recording will actually be captured. Of course,
due to the flexibility and power available during the authoring stage, the
developer has the capability to alter these settings in any way or form when
authoring the captured simulation.
XStream Software also offers a special
version of RapidBuilder that fully captures all interactivity in text/DOS-based
applications (in addition to Windows-based applications). This type of
simulation capturing functionality is very difficult to find in other simulation
products/technologies.
- Interactive & Non-Interactive - RapidBuilder automatically creates simulations
that are interactive (where the end user directly interacts with the simulation
by clicking the mouse and pressing keys), non-interactive (where the simulation
plays back as a “movie” that the end user simply watches
without participating), or a combination of both interactive and non-interactive
elements. Recorded simulations are ready for playback immediately; no
further editing is required.
- Non-Recorded Content Screens - In addition to automatically capturing desktop
activity (to create interactive software simulations), developers may also
manually append/insert non-recorded content screens (including blank frames,
pre-defined screen templates, and imported movie frames) into a RapidBuilder
file. This capability is ideal for creating presentations, tutorials, CBT/WBT
courses, and more. Developers have the flexibility to create RapidBuilder
files containing only captured desktop screens, files containing only inserted/appended
content screens, and files containing a combination of captured screens
and content screens.
- 80-97% File Compression – Using powerful proprietary
compression algorithms, RapidBuilder generates efficiently
small files. This allows for richly authored simulations without
the worry of greatly increased file size.
- 100% Programming-Free Drag-and-Drop Editing - RapidBuilder
makes it easy to record and edit interactive simulations.
There is absolutely no programming or scripts involved. Developers
may modify and/or enhance the simulation using RapidBuilder’s
extensive multimedia edit suite, which includes drag-and-drop
object palettes (including edit objects, button objects, and
draw objects), a large variety of multimedia elements/options,
and a large variety of properties, options, and effects available
for each object/element.
- User-Friendly WYSIWYG Environment - In RapidBuilder, developers
truly have a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) environment.
The layout of each screen is completely under the control
of the developer. At runtime, each screen will appear exactly
the way the developer designed it and laid it out.
- Tremendous Flexibility During the Authoring
Stage - RapidBuilder
developers may perform a variety of edit actions to easily
customize a simulation, including the following:
- Changing the order of recorded screens/frames.
- Appending/Inserting
content frames at any point in the simulation.
- Temporarily or permanently deleting certain frames.
- Importing frames from other RapidBuilder files and
video files.
- Cutting/Copying and Pasting frames (to reuse frames
multiple times).
- Recording another simulation from
within an existing simulation (which prevents having
to rerecord the simulation if steps were missed or
errors were made during recording). If the developer
made some errors during recording, or there were some
steps the developer forgot to record, the developer has
the capability to correct any mistakes made or to record
any missing steps (from within the existing recording)
during the authoring stage. This prevents the developer
from having to rerecord anything from scratch.
- Converting an interactive simulation to a non-interactive
simulation, or converting a non-interactive simulation
to an interactive simulation.
- Making certain parts of a simulation non-interactive
and other parts interactive.
- Disabling captured mouse clicks, mouse movements,
and keystrokes.
- Specifying a frame delay (from 1 to 60 seconds) on
any frame. This represents the amount of time the
frame is displayed on the screen during playback.
- Designating any frame as the point at which playback
will end.
- And more…
- Multiple File Formats - In addition to native .RBX/.RPR
file format, RapidBuilder files may be converted
to a variety of popular media formats, including
Flash (SWF), EXE, and various video formats (MPEG,
MOV, ASF, and AVI).
- Export to Flash (SWF) Functionality - RapidBuilder’s
80-97% compression technology generates relatively
small Flash files, which can be played in browsers
without requiring a separate/proprietary plug-in.
- Video Files - Simulations may be saved as MPEG,
MOV, ASF, and AVI video files, which may be played
just like any other regular video file.
- EXE Files - Simulations may be saved as self-executing
.EXE applications that do not require a separate runtime
player in order to be played.
- Printing RapidBuilder Files - RapidBuilder includes Printing
Capability. Developers may print all or selected screens/frames
from a RapidBuilder file directly to paper in order to
create a printed document version of the file. This printing
capability is useful for providing developers/authors
with document printouts of RapidBuilder files for purposes
of quick review, reference, quality assurance, etc.
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