ToolBook Instructor CD-ROM Packaging SOP

We make this available to you with the understanding that we ARE NOT COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS or ENGINEERS. We aren't interested in one-upmanship dialog, argument, debate, or conflict about the validity of what follows. We welcome constructive additions to, or fine-tuning of this process. Remember, this reflects our experience. This works for us.

Background:

We've been using ToolBook for projects ever since version 1.5. To their credit, Asymetrix does a great job, for the most part, of documenting the how-to's for creating a program. But when it comes to the MOST important aspect - delivery - the documentation falls flat on its face.

Since we are "hard-core" trainers, this deficiency is very aggravating, because we know how to prepare good "how to" instructions when creating training and education program materials.

In September 1996, we were ready to burn our first CD-ROM. It took us more than a week of dialog with Tech Support, and one dozen cd blanks, to finally get a master disk that would run properly. This is not acceptable.

For a program with the lineage of ToolBook, there should have been a concerted effort long ago by the Publications Manger to have addressed the issue of packaging. A "tried and true" step-by-step process should be ENGRAVED in the User Manuals in a "flow chart" presentation, which addresses the common delivery methods (disk, cd, and now, of course, internet.) The response we got to our recent LISTSERV posting (never mind our original bitching to Asymetrix) should be a wake up call to the PM.

Here's the SHORT version of our packaging problems:

Following the instructions in the TOOLBOOK II GUIDE, we went searching for DISTRIB.WRI on the program disk (see page 337 "Distribution ToolBook II) to find out how to get the program ready for CD-ROM distribution. We never did find the DISTRIB.WRI file on the distribution cd; and the reference to page 248 is pointless. This proved to be only the beginning of our problems.

The next step was to consult Chapter 8 of the ToolBook II Multimedia Guide. Read Table 8-13. Now close the book and tell me what you learned. Now I'm not a dummy, having been in training and development for more than 20 years. And over those 20 years, have created training programs and some really challenging manufacturing processing and how-to skills. But this chart....

Remembering good training and instruction skills, (leading the learner from known material to new material), move on from chart 8-13 to the next page 8-14. This leads you to Chapter 5, Setting search paths for clips" 5-65, which leads you to Chapter 3, "Accessing multimedia clips." And while they didn't say so, Page 3-25 appears to have the information we need...which of course leads you back to Chapter 5. Oh-oh! We're into a loop (remember page 5-65 above!)

It gets worse. You must have access to the ToolBook 4.0 User Manual, Chapter 4 which is a gold mine of helpful information (just kidding), and the ToolBook 3.0 User Manual, Chapter 9, page 9-17. This begs the question, What if you didn't go through the upgrade process (and KEEP the older manuals.....) !By now you get the picture. Packaging instructions need some work, and we've let Asymetrix know about it. To date, they don't seem interested in hearing our suggestions. Therefore, we've put together this SOP for CD-ROM Packaging, based on many e-mails between us and one of the most patient and informative Technical Support personnel we've befriended at Asymetrix.

Based on our experience, we collected our notes, faxes and e-mails, and drew up a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for us to use in future projects. And we hope it provides some insights for you. We are NOT going to do the job that the Publications Manager should be doing (unless we get the salary!) so there isn't the finesse that one would expect from how-to instructions - never mind the time this is detracting from our paying clients....

Again, we make this available to you with the understanding that we ARE NOT COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS or ENGINEERS. We aren't interested in one-upmanship dialog, argument, debate, or conflict about the validity of what follows. We welcome constructive additions to, or fine-tuning of this process. Remember, this reflects our experience. This works for us.

CD-ROM PACKAGING SOP

Assumptions:

1. Using ToolBook Instructor.

2. Program will be delivered on CD-ROM.

3. To avoid overloading the end-users HD, (and discourage unauthorized copies) we'll keep all media (.avi, .wav, .bmp) on the CD-ROM. We've already figured out to place pre-load scripts in the .tbk to speed up access. (i.e. mmOpen, mmClose, mmCue, etc.)

Procedure:

1. Make backup copies of the final book, document it and copy it on Syqest drives, other hard drives, etc. But document. Document. Document.

2. Run the book through SCRIPT REMOVER. (This, of course, leads to another problem that we've encountered in SETUP MANAGER, and we've seen it mentioned on the LISTSERV. As I recall, it's when you use the Wizard version of Setup Manager you get an error message that something is missing, but I can't remember the details...and my notes are sketchy...we got around it.)

You end up with a .tbk that has the scripts removed and a .bak which is your original script. Copy this into a safe place (probably more than one copy!)

3. Create a directory called "capture." In this directory, you'll place ONLY the .tbk and an ICON. The rest of your program files - .avi's, .bmp's and .wav's will stay in your program directory -

For example:

d:\capture

(NOTE: We started our project in an "organized" structure with a program directory and subs for .bmp's, .avi's, and .wav's. But it turns out that simpler is better and doesn't impede program performance [so we've been told] So now we just use a program directory, and toss everything into it!)

4. Place the processed book file (xyz.tbk) and an ICON that the end user will see in Program Manager, into this "capture" directory. You'll need the icon when you get into the Program Packager. Doing it now eliminates getting upset when you find out later that you're going to need it...

Now you have:

d:\capture\abc.tbk (your book)

\check.ico (the icon that packager will be requesting in a moment)

5. Open the Program Packager. Run in the wizard mode. Follow instructions carefully.

In our case, the program group title was: Beta Test: Self-Esteem

default user directory: c:\esteem

application directory: d:\capture (from step 3 above),

d:\capture\chmrk01.ico

d:\capture\self20a.tbk

choose the program item: d:\capture\abc.tbk

choose icon: check.ico

etc.

Finally, in Store Set Up Files create: d:\mydisks

6. When you've run the Set Up Manager, it will spit out three files in "d:\mydisks"

110396a.001 (contains the running files and .tbk)

setup.exe (that the user will need to setup the program)

11369a.asu (whatever...but don't discard this file!)

7. Move these three files to the root directory (d:\). These files will be RE-UNITED with the rest of your program containing .avi, .wav and .bmp through your program directory. (d:\subject) when you create you cd, in the next step.

8. Using your cd mastering software, follow the program instructions for getting over to the cd.

We've used Easy CD Pro, Easy CD Lite (that came with the HP 4020i) and CD Creator. We soon got rid of the 4020i because HP didn't support NT4.0, replacing it with a Yamaha 102. We prefer Corel (read Adaptec) Creator because it is user friendly (wizards), allows you to specify file priority of access, and it allows you to burn a practice disc before burning.

We found Easy CD Pro to be the Mother of All Oxymoron's, but keep it around for when we tire of Myst or Phantasmagoria.

Good Luck!
Bob McDonald
President
Electric Book, Inc.
January, 1997