It has been 18 years since I first saw Authorware (then Course of Action) in grad school and 15 years since I first drew a paycheck from using it. Once again I am deep into Authorware development. I’m updating some projects to make better use of Javascript and XML technology as well as improvements to Authorware itself. Here are 3 "must-have" resources:
- Click Craft Find & Fix Command- A multitasking necktop known as Ron Lubensky offers an incredible, scriptable, automated way to find and fix virtually anything in an Authorware file. A nice intuitive UI lets you select properties to find/change, including content of Calculation icons or even the ability to paste in new models. If you use Authorware, go buy this. It is the best $36 USD you can spend if you already own Authorware.
- Table of Contents for a better idea. A veryhandy reference by Joe Ganci and Chris Swenson of DazzleTech. (if you have trouble finding it on their site, follow this path: Products > Digital books > Javascript for Authorware). It costs $50 USD.
- JavaScript Quick Reference for Authorware 7.0- Again, Ron comes from down under and goes over the top. A free Javascript-Authorware reference that integrates with Authorware 7, including "snippet integration" with the Calculation icon. Most excellent!
I bought/downloaded all of these myself last week and am quite happy. There’s nothing in it for me to recommend these resources, other than sharing good authoring karma. While I’m at it, be sure to check out Andrew Lucking’s blog. I’ve seen Andrew on Authorware forums and around the net, and I finally had a chance to meet him at the AICC meetings in January 2006. His blog has good stuff on elearning, Authorware, web development, video encoding Flash and more. Moreover, I actually find the occasional flyer about boat construction to be quite interesting.
