FAQ

Where do I start?
The first place to start is your existing training. Does it have specific learning objectives? Learning objectives focus attention on what knowledge or skills you need to impart and how you assess whether this has taken place.

Once you have your learning objectives in place, you can obtain the content you need from existing training, interviews with subject matter experts and company resources such as documents, graphics, video or audio.

We recommend all AUTHOR™ lessons be based on a script that details all the content in the module.

Can I try AUTHOR™ before I buy it?
Yes, an evaluation version of AUTHOR™ Standard is available in the Showcase/Downloads section. Simply register and then download an evaluation copy.

I'm a computer novice - can I use AUTHOR™?
AUTHOR™ was designed for use by novices. You should be able to complete the tutorial in around 3-4 hours which will equip you with the skills necessary to produce AUTHOR™ lessons.

How do I learn AUTHOR™?
A tutorial is supplied with AUTHOR™ which takes you through the creation of a multimedia module with text, graphics, audio and video. We also provide Beginners and Advanced training classes for groups of 3-5 developers.

Can AUTHOR™ lessons run from the Internet?

AUTHOR™ lessons run from the Internet as HTML (typically as a web folder with and index.html file) or as SCORM modules for a Learning Management System.

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Can I use my existing resources?
AUTHOR™ supports a wide variety of different graphics, audio and video formats. It also supports the importing of plain text, Rich Text format and HTML files. Graphics formats include BMP, JPG, PNG and GIF. Audio may be in WAV or MP3 formats. Video is MP4 format.

Different file types and compression rates will contribute to the final size of the lesson, which may be a primary consideration when saving or creating these files.

Can I use web-based resources?
AUTHOR™ allows for web links to be incorporated into lessons. The links can be opened within a browser embedded in your main page or an external browser window can be opened.


What does AUTHOR™ run on?
AUTHOR™ currently runs on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, 8, 10. Lessons published in HTML work on multiple Operating systems and browsers.


What multimedia formats does AUTHOR™ support?
AUTHOR™ supports a wide variety of different graphics, audio and video formats. It also supports the importing of plain text, Rich Text format and HTML files. Graphics formats include BMP, JPG, PNG and GIF. Audio may be in WAV or MP3 formats. Video is MP4 format.

Different file types and compression rates will contribute to the final size of the lesson, which may be a primary consideration when saving or creating these files.


How long will it take me to learn AUTHOR™?
The included tutorial should take around 3-4 hours to complete and will instruct you in creating multimedia lessons. Advanced use of AUTHOR™ should only take 1-2 weeks to learn.

Is a HTML lesson just web pages?
No a HTML AUTHOR™ lesson will look exactly like you designed it and will zoom to the size of the browser. It will not be a series of scrollable web pages, but a fixed screen area that will display the lesson (much like a Flash module).

Who uses AUTHOR™?
AUTHOR™ is used by Australia Post, National Australia Bank, Orica, PPG, Dunlop, CSL, State Services Victoria and a variety of TAFES and universities. Most AUTHOR™ developers are not computer people but come from a variety of backgrounds.

How do I distribute my lessons?

Your lessons may be distributed as HTML or as SCORM modules.

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Can I use my Power Point slides?
Not directly, however it’s relatively simple to save Powerpoint slides as HTML pages or images. You may then use the JPG or GIF files directly and import the HTML text.

You may also run them directly in a browser window that can be embedded in your lesson screens.

How does the licensing work?
An AUTHORdevelopment license allows you to create lessons for the Web with no royalties. 

What are the implications of distributing lessons on my organisation's computer network?
Author lessons are packaged into a single compressed file. The size of the file depends on the amount of content in your lesson. Textual information will be compressed and the use of compressed graphic (e.g. JPG), video (e.g. WMV) and audio formats (e.g. MP3) will minimize the size of the lesson.

You may choose to provide the lesson as just content (which will require the AUTHOR™ Player) as an executable that can be run from the Web or as a HTML/Javascript module.

Last modified: Monday, 13 August 2018, 11:12 AM