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Multipurpose
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- Create computer-based training (CBT) projects
- Create web-based training (WBT) and distance learning projects
- Build multimedia presentations with video and audio
- Simulate other applications
- Prepare a visual front-end for a database
- Create a hypertext help system/performance support system
- Distribute via diskette, CD-ROM or electronically
- Play back under Microsoft Windows and via Internet/intranets
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Easy-to-use Editors
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- Create pages visually (drag and drop) with VisualPage editor
- Edit book/page flowchart with Book editor
- Modify object properties with Attributes editor
- Program in A-pex3 (Basic-like) language with Code editor
- A-pex3 Assistant writes code for you (easy!)
- Create pull-down menus with Menu editor
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High Productivity
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- Create pages individually (for maximum flexibility)
- Or, employ page templates (for maximum speed)
- Invent your own page templates and save into a library
- Share template library among multiple authors on network
- Page preview instantly runs current page for quick trials
- Test run multiple pages while authoring (no compiling!)
- Edit-on-the-fly (make changes during test run & resume
instantly...dramatically reduces development time)
- Import dozens of the most popular file formats so you can use
the existing materials you have
- Branch test entire project in seconds for proper branching
- Project packager creates distribution disks & setup
- Context sensitive on-line help (thousands of hypertext links)
- Import and edit Summit Authoring System (DOS) courseware
for legacy applications
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Internet and Intranet
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- Real-time play back via Internet and intranets (think of
Everest as the Web browser for CBT and multimedia)
- No plug-ins needed!
- Full featured: none of the limits of HTML or Java/Javascript
- No need to learn HTML or Java/Javascript
- Granularity: end-users can view your projects without downloading
the whole project first
- FAST! Proprietary look-ahead technology anticipates user's
next action and automatically pre-downloads the content
- Edit-on-the-fly. Spot a problem while testing? Edit instantly,
and update your site in real time
- Allow anyone in the world to run your projects, or limit
access to only those you authorize
- Daily, monthly and yearly passwords provide a means for you
to charge a fee for the use of your projects, if you desire
- Link/download resources simply by specifying the URL
- Load and display text of HTML files
- Automatic handling of .ZIP files: minimizes download time
by storing your entire project in ZIP form
- Send email from within your projects
- Upload user results/bookmarks via FTP for central storage and analysis
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Icon Objects / Reusability
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- Pages consist of a collection of objects, represented by icons
- Built-in icons: jump label, window layout, text box, hypertext box,
scalable picture, animation, multimedia, input field,
masked input, answer judging, 3-D scrollable lists, 3-D
command button, 3-D option button, 3-D check box, 3-D frame
3-D drop down lists, scroll bars, programming, wait,
timer, picture (icon) bin, hypertext links, erase, and more
- Multi-column listboxes
- Object attributes can be read and changed at both design and
run time for greater efficiency in simulations
- Place objects into a library and re-use/share as needed
- Link objects together for easier global changes
- Duplicate any existing object (quick!)
- Select and edit multiple objects simultaneously (fast editing)
- Customize default values for object attributes
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Extensibility (Snap-ons, Add-ins)
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- Add third party component objects (.VBX, .OCX and ActiveX files)
- Add-in objects are visually incorporated into editing
environment (Toolset expands to hold additional icons)
- Supported by objects from Microsoft, Borland, Autodesk,
FarPoint, Progress, Visual Tools and many others
- Thousands of objects available (more than any other format)
- Display graphics stored in any of dozens of formats
- Multimedia: animation, speech synthesis, special effects,
fractal images, sound effects, Video for Windows, QuickTime
- Database: read/write ASCII, Access, Btrieve, xBase, Excel,
Paradox, SQL, ISAM, B+ trees, ODBC, spreadsheets, etc.
- Programming: call DLLs, incorporate routines written in your
choice of Visual Basic or C/C++
- Other: device control (scanner, fax, instruments, etc.), AI,
...neural networks, communications, data compression, etc.
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Multimedia and Graphics
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- Employ MPC compliant multimedia (industry standard)
- Display BMP, GIF, JPG, PCX, ICO, RLE, TGA, TIF, WMF graphics
- Automatically uncompress graphics stored in ZIP
form for the ultimate in space and downloading efficiency
- Animate multiple background sprites
- Control CD-ROM, videodiscs, DAT, VCR and DVD devices
- Play WAV WaveAudio, MIDI, MP3 and CD audio sound
- Play musical notes through computer's speaker
- Run industry standard FLI, FLC and AAS animations
- Display Microsoft Video for Windows AVI files
- Play back MPEG video files
- Automatically scale objects to match window/monitor size
- Create user-scrollable virtual size windows
- Employ attractive 3-D shading on objects
- Display pictures/icons on objects, such as buttons
- Access hundreds of icons in the libraries provided
- Use both bitmapped and vector-based graphics
- Link to or embed files (embedded files compress up to 97%)
- Scale bitmaps to any size
- Employ any of over 20 page transition effects: wipe, slide,
etc. (effects automatically adjust to speed of computer)
- Draw graphics based on user interaction
- Fill a window with a graduated background color
- Display text in any Windows font
- Choose bold, italic, underlined or transparent text
- Overlay text with drop shadows on pictures
- Rotate vector fonts to any angle for fancy displays
- Display irregularly shaped bitmaps (transparent color)
- Open and display up to 8 windows at once
- (Appropriate multimedia hardware required)
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Interaction
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- The authoring system PC Magazine rated #1 for CBT
- Create fill-in, multiple choice, true/false, check box, button,
slider, select from list, pull-down menu and mouse questions
- Auto-shuffle multiple choice options
- Easy exam creation via auto-select from question bank
- Set color, max length, mask, time limit and other attributes
- Create password fields for application simulations
- Employ multiple fields per screen (over 100)
- Judge user responses individually or as a group
- Sophisticated answer judging: exact match, similar match,
wild card, spelling allowance, pattern match, word search,
phonetic sound-alike, mouse/touch region, anticipated
incorrect, ignore
- Create hypertext jump and popup words
- Let user drag and drop objects
- Collect user comments
- Employ automatic or manual score keeping
- Store user responses, answer judgment, etc. in CMI database
- Perform item analysis and generate reports
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Branching
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- Branching provides links between pages
- Links can be linear, hypertext, menu driven, or random
- Branch to a previously unused page (handy for exam banks)
- Automatically preloads the content of the next page for fast
branching, even via the Internet
- Special fields for common branches, such as: next, back-up,
menu, help, comment and quit branches
- Automatically remembers user's path through project, and
dynamically enables back-up and previous menu options
- Branch on user response, answer judgment, score, variables,
time period or any combination
- Unlimited number of branching directions
- "Go to" and subroutine style branching
- Global hot keys/events
- Projects can branch across files, subdirectories and drives
- Permits run-time drive letter substitutes that allow user to
install projects on any disk drive/subdirectory/Web site
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A-pex3 Programming Language
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- Similarity to Basic assures ease of use and readily available
programming help; ideal for Visual Basic users
- A-pex3 Assistant creates programming code for you
as you point-and-click on choices. Easy!
- Programming language use is optional
- Average projects are 90% visual, 10% programming
- Full-screen program code editor
- Syntax of programs is checked as you enter them
- Just-in-time compiler boosts performance up to 500%
- Context-sensitive help for every keyword (command, etc.)
- Nested IF...THEN...ELSEIF...ELSE blocks
- Nested DO...LOOPs with RELOOP and OUTLOOP
- Branching commands: BRANCH, CALL, GOSUB, GOTO,
JUMP, LABEL, OPEN, RETURN
- Graphics commands: ARROW, BOX, CIRCLE, COLOR,
FBOX, FONT, GFILL, LINE, LPRINT, PAINT, POINT,
POLY, PRINT, RBOX, SCALE, STYLE
- Other commands: DELVAR, DIM, DPRINT, ERASE,
PAUSE, REDIM, STEP
- Define up to 32,000 variables and dynamic array elements
- DIM and REDIM multiple dynamic arrays
- Print text with complete font control and drop shadows
- Manipulate numeric values and variable length strings
- String lengths up to 32,000 characters
- Numeric operators: addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division, integer division, exponentiation, mod, step, bit test,
increment, decrement
- String operators: concatenation, left parse, mid parse, right
parse, search, string creation, replacement, count, remove
- Relational operators: equals, greater than, less than, does not equal,
less than or equal to, greater than or equal to, equivalent,
pattern match, phonetic equivalence, inside region, word search
- Hundreds of function operations provide programming power
- Numeric functions: absolute value, arctangent, cosine,
hexadecimal, logarithm, round, color, random, unique random,
sine, sort, square root, sum, tangent
- String functions: substring, ASCII value, character, format,
length, remove blanks, lists, convert case, convert to numeric
- Other functions: send email, environment, memory, read/write .INI files,
DDE, call DLL, call MCI, mouse, play musical notes, date and time,
keyboard, message and input boxes, wrap text, regions, font information,
disk paths, call interrupt, invoke external programs, hardware status
- Embed variables and computations in objects for easy display
- Read and write disk files, including linked-list databases
- Invoke external programs
- Communicate with other programs via DDE and OLE
- Create and destroy objects at run time for efficiency
- Debug quickly via watchpoint and variable viewer/editor
- Step through programs line-by-line while debugging
- Call programs written in Visual Basic and C/C++
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Other Features
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- Compatible with SCORM and AICC standards
- Authoring and playback both work stand-alone and on Local
Area Networks, also the Internet and intranets
- Automatically compresses pages to reduce disk use (creates
the most compact run time project files in the industry)
- Book passwords restrict unauthorized editing
- Utilities: branch test, print hard copy, cross reference,
text import/export, object maintenance, unused page report,
project packager, page copier, debug window, variable viewer,
global search and replace
- On-line context-sensitive hypertext help with over 400 topics
- Separate Tutorial, Design Guide and Tech Ref manuals
- Access to private areas of our Web site
- ERUN run-time software plays back projects with optional,
customizable log-on, data collection and bookmarks
- INSTRUCT administrator software maintains user records database,
generates reports, and creates user access lists
- SUMCMI program collects use statistics and performs item analysis
(also interfaces with xBASE applications)
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