If you are wondering what you do with RoboDemo, you create interactive tutorials. Who would benefit from this type of software? Anyone who helps others learn….online help systems, people in sales and marketing, IS support, teachers, technical support, and developers. Anyone who takes the time to demonstrate how something is done, will benefit from using RoboDemo. I use it all the time for my reviews and for my SIG. I have created tutorials, how-to’s, etc. and sent them to people who needed help doing something with an application or computer related. If you have ever tried to explain something to someone over the phone and they weren’t getting it, then you know how much an application like this can help you. You simply takes some screen shots, add the text necessary to explain the steps, and then email it them. It works like a charm! The eLeanring Edition takes RoboDemo a step further by allowing you to add question and answer sections complete with the ability to score the tests. This adds a whole new range of possibilities to working with this version. Testing, feedback, etc., all at your fingertips with the simple insertion of a Q&A pages or pages.

(Opened project – all frames view)

Another excellent feature about RoboDemo is that it’s easy to understand. You can use it right away and then as you use it, you discover all the extra features that are built into it. It’s not one of those applications that take ages to learn and then may not live up to your expectations. A new user can make a demo in minutes following the simple steps and then as you look at the options and features in the menu’s you will be able to add all kinds of extra touches that bring truly professional results to you tutorials or demonstrations.

Features Include:

Text Captions Interactive Click Boxes Images

Audio Hyperlinks Animated Frames

Highlight Boxes Interactive Text Fields Transparent Captions

Intro’s, Trailers, & Branching Rollover Effects

Transitions

And a new Film Strip Interface

There are so many extra bells and whistles built into RoboDemo that I am still discovering them as I use it. Each time I wish to myself that I could do something that I didn’t think it did, I discover that it does! Case in point, at my Graphics SIG last month, I was showing some demo’s of the new AutoFX products and I had added blank slides to the demo and then added images to it ( I used this method because I had two images on the page). When I ran the demo the blank slide, text, and image appeared in transitions. You would see the blank slide items (delayed) longer after it was changing to the next one. I knew that I must have missed something because I did care for this look. I went back and removed the fade in and out transition between the slide frames and that was an improvement but didn’t completely fix what it was doing. Then I right clicked on the image to see what I had in options and discovered the "merge" (embed image) feature. I embedded each image into the frame, after positioning it where I wanted it (because this is a permanent step and can’t be undone) and then I had each frame moving seamlessly from one image to another.

Very simply, you create a demo or tutorial by selecting the recording size (size of the tutorial: Applications, Custom, Full Screen, or Pocket PC), taking screenshots, adding image slides, adding text, and then exporting the file. Once you have you frames and images, you can add many more features from the moving mouse that follows your steps (you set the path it follows), with or without the audio "mouse click", select the type of mouse pointer, add images and sound, and the question and answer section (if desired). Export project file types: Flash, Email, Exe, Word, FTP upload, Captions, FLA, Linux, and includes support for Macintosh.

(Insert Image Frame Options Example)

What if you have screenshots and images you already have taken and want to use them as frames? This works too……..and very well I might add. Once you set up the size of the recording, I do this by choosing the custom setting and taking a single screen shot and then ending the recording, then for each new frame that I want to add with my pre-made images I just select the "Image Frame" option from the "Insert Menu". This opens up a window that allows you to select the image and after an image is selected, then a dialog box opens that asks how you want to import the image, "crop" or "rescale", and then it creates the frame with the images you selected. Every image that you already have prepared can be used in the project using this method or by using a blank frame and then adding the image. I have a habit of collecting images and taking screen shots as I am preparing for a review and adding the flash demo, "Image Frame" is my preferred method of adding my images to frames.

eLearning also supports Macromedia’s Authorware and Questionmark’s Preception.

(An example of the MenuBuilder )

I really love working with RoboDemo. It has greatly improved my ability to bring better options to my SIG section online as well as been the perfect solution to demonstrate the products that I review and show others how to do a particular procedure. I can make a flash demo and then bring it to my SIG meetings and show our members exactly what the product we are discussing does. I can include many examples of the images I have worked on to offer them a substantial overview of a product and its features. I use this application so often that I wonder how I ever got along without it! RoboDemo eLearning is the perfect tool for my needs. I encourage anyone who has similar needs to look into either RoboDemo 4 or the eLearning edition. Click here to view a  demo of RoboDemo 4 eLearning Edition.