Tips for Creating Camtasias? (or Captivates in this case)

["Barbara Vega" <BarbaraV -at- libertyims -dot- com>]

Hello all

I am doing my first mini-lessons in Captivate (maybe in Mimic down the
line). I would like to know if any of you have any suggestions and tips.
The software I am writing tutorials for is information management
software, which is really like an API Programming set for
non-Programmers. (It's more like a platform than a software package).
Some of the lessons can be, if not complicated, complex. Here are my
questions:

1) Is it better to do long ones or short ones? Is there an ideal length
in terms of time? Is it better to use for routines WITHIN a lesson, or
better to do a whole lesson. I have 6 Walkthroughs that would probably
take from 15 to 30 minutes each. Or it doesn't matter, it is just my
choice. I just wondered if there are any studies on a certain length of
time are which users get "antsy." 

2) The use of audio: When is it good to use versus not use - or it just
depends? I am debating as to whether to make it use callouts versus with
audio

Thanks - and any other tips you can provide would be welcome. 

Barbara

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