Unfortunately, most of the work was to be done manually and it seemed it would be impossible to meet the deadlines as this major system implementation neared completion.

AutoBuilder ~ Working with the writers, we designed a Word template with embedded tags marking screens, headings, text and graphics - just like HTML. At the same time, we started on an early version of the AutoBuilder to import it all automatically.

ScreenScraper ~ Meanwhile the early ScreenScraper started to take shape. With one click, it went through a completely automated process to copy the system screen. It figured out which fields were editable, grabbed a bitmap and pasted the lot into a resource file.

And the result? ~ The first module was produced manually because our tools weren't yet ready. It took a programmer about two weeks to put it all together from the storyboard. The rest of the modules took less than 2 minutes each and we met all our deadlines!

(Concept, design and programming).

We persuaded them to let us implement our automation methodology right from the start. While the Business Unit refined best practice for each transaction, TL Courseware Developers wrote them up in our special Word template.

ScreenBuilder ~ We organised early access to the window designs and, using a modified ScreenBuilder, we could automatically create our simulated screens from their files. This meant we could wait until very late in development before we actually needed to finalise our screen library. Then, one click created them all, pixel-perfect, in a matter of minutes!

AutoBuilder ~ As the writers finished each transaction, they used our AutoBuilder to generate the BusSim automatically from their Word documents. Each BusSim draws on the central library of over 200 screens and the case studies can easily be duplicated with different customers. Word macros automatically strip the document to create role-play call scripts for the Sales Consultant and Customer as well as a simple list of the necessary steps for each transaction.

And no programming! ~ When you write something like "Choose Find from the Customer menu." the system expects the learner to do just that and anything else is judged wrong. If you write "The Find screen displays." that's what happens next. If you write "Type Fred Fender in the Name field." that's what they have to do to proceed. It's that simple.

On time and on budget! ~ We've been back a couple of times now to help with updates but basically, the Courseware developers can make changes and additions without us! We've since used the same basic system for other projects and it's become a standard for Telstra Learning BusSims.

(Concept, design and programming)

The RAAF bought a big new telephone system from NEC who commissioned call accounting software from PhoneWare. They called us in to develop the online training and assessment that the RAAF required.

ScreenScraper ~ We supplied a modified version of our ScreenScraper that enabled PhoneWare's writer to capture the DOS screens automatically and to write the instructions as she went along.

AutoBuilder ~ When she had finished each module, she e-mailed it to us so we could run it through the AutoBuilder to create the training automatically.

Voice-over ~ We provided full voice-over support for the program and it was delivered on CD-ROM.

(Concept, design, writing and programming)

ScreenScraper and ScreenBuilder ~ We used our ScreenScraper to capture the screen details and then the ScreenBuilder recreated each simulation screen automatically.

Walkthrough recorder ~ Next we built a walkthrough recorder that the writers used to record exactly what they wanted learners to do - menu selection, screen display, field entry, button press etc. The recording is then used as a template to provide learners with a quick reminder, display the screens and judge their attempts.

Multiple case studies ~ The recording is easy to edit so we could create multiple case studies for each scenario by simply substituting different details. Learners just choose which case study they want to do and away they go. All with no extra programming!

(Automation concept, writing, programming)

The whole thing came together quite seamlessly even though it was produced over a period of a year with two different teams working on it.

Storyboard regenerator ~ Because we were adding to existing materials, we modified our storyboard regenerator to give us a text dump for edits and reviews.

(Concept, design, writing and programming)

ScreenScraper ~ We quickly modified our ScreenScraper to capture full screen bitmaps with just one click. The ScreenScraper also has a tool that "looks" where you click the bitmap and automatically creates a field or button or whatever, the exact size we need.

Catchin' the action ~ Next, the subject matter experts took us through each scenario on the live system with a tape recorder running and our operator capturing each step. Our writer then transcribed the steps from the tape onto each CBT page while a programmer modified our runtime engine to process what was written.

It works like magic ~ Just by writing, "Press the Enter key." the system expects the learner to do just that, before going on to the next screen.

(Concept, design, writing and programming)

We supplied a writer initially but the project owner was later able to modify her work to complete the last two modules as the system became finalised.

Automation tools ~ We went back to the earlier Bistel project to backdate the ScreenScraper and ScreenBuilder for DOS screen capture and creation but used the AutoBuilder pretty much as it was.

(Automation concept and programming)

This SAP simulation for Ansett Airlines had been started by others using full screen bitmaps for every step. Each module looked like being about 20Mb and there was no way the project would get finished in three weeks!

AutoBuilder ~ One team started cutting up the bitmaps while we tailored the AutoBuilder to accommodate the very tightly written storyboards that Creative Informatics was writing. Meanwhile, we designed a generic runtime engine to suit.

The solution ~ When the storyboards were finalised, all we had to do was press the AutoBuilder button and voila! The twenty or so new module files each came in well under 3Mb - just as well considering Ansett had allowed a total of 50Mb on the LAN!

(Writing & programming)

Andersen Consulting hoped that, like the system they were implementing, the CBT would run in OS/2. The runtime turned out to be so flaky that we ended up having to deliver under Windows anyway!

A tedious tool ~ Icon Author is tedious and pretty well impossible to automate. Nevertheless, we rose to the challenge and even used Word macros to automatically save out the little text files that appeared on each CBT screen.