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Captivate 4: Simulation Actions Lessons Learned

Deleting Variables and Advanced Actions

Recently, while debugging a simulation demo, I found myself in a bit of a Catch 22. Here's the situation. After finding a flaw in logic, I decided it would be easier to completely delete the offending routine in the Advanced Actions submenu.

Choosing Project -->Actions-->Advanced actions-->Delete brought a dialog box saying the action was in use (and couldn't be deleted). The same thing occurred when I chose to delete a variable. Captivate thoughtfully provides a Usage button to show where the variables and actions are used. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your view, you can't just go back to the root location in the list to remove things. Adobe is protecting you from yourself (Thanks to the Blues Brothers movie, I hear Aretha Franklin singing "You better think about what you're trying to do...!").

There may be a better way, but one solution I found is to go to each frame (refer to the Usage button list, Project-->Actions-->Advanced actions) where the code or variable is used. Right click on the object using the code, such as a button or text field, and then change the action to some other choice (and replace with a new advanced action later). I chose "Continue." Once all references to the name of the action are removed, Now Captivate will allow you to delete the action. Lesson learned!