Opus 05 Pro from Digital Workshop has just appeared in Pro XE form.  As well as allowing you to author media-rich CD-ROM and Flash based e-learning for the intranet, Pro XE will offer SCORM / AICC compliance.  This is particularly important if you want to manage access and record learners' performance using a Learning Management System.  Details at www.digitalworkshop.com 

Opus Pro 04 XE is the latest version of Opus (formerly Illuminatus Opus) from Digital Workshop, a friendly little outfit in Banbury, Oxfordshire, who have persevered with a product which now rivals the highly priced multimedia authoring offerings from the major American developers.  Still priced very keenly (just under £400), Opus now has a comprehensive range of functions, which makes it a very serious contender for developing both both online e-learning based on Flash and media-rich CD or DVD based courseware.

Opus Pro retains its original page-based design concept, as opposed to a programmer's flow chart approach.  Essentially you place assets such as graphics, text, stills, audio and video on the page and link these to buttons or timelines, so that they display in the correct sequence and the user can interact with them. As the developer, you keep tabs on the pages and their contents through a display on the left of the working desktop.

More sophisticated elements, such as variables and scripting, allow you to construct quizzes and simulations.  There are also a selection of pre-set formats for quizzes and a general "quick build" facility, supported by a collection of stock backgrounds, images, sounds and other useful bits and pieces. The latest version of Opus is compliant with AICC and SCORM standards, meaning your product will interface with Learning Management Systems.

Details at www.digitalworkshop.com 

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