We plan to create web-based training that includes software simulations.
We figure we have to learn Flash to create some animation within our web-based training.
Since we have to learn Flash anyway, will the software also allow us to create simulations?
Or will we have to turn to Captivate for that?
Thanks for any advice anyone can offer.

You sure can. You would begin by taking a series of screen shots your application, recording all of the different states of the page items. You would then use Photoshop to remove the your cursor and even cut out your dynamic items as separate files if you like. You would then animate a cursor and the screen's dynamic items over the screenshots in Flash to simulate the program. This is how we did sims at my last employer; it is a bit time consuming, but it allows flexibilty in timing to audio and you can keep the files sizes very small. I also think it looks better, as you can animate the cursor economically (in straight lines) rather than the erratic way most users handle a mouse. It gives you very polished content, where as something like Captivate tends to look 'on the fly.'

Hope that makes sense (if not post back)! Good luck!

Well, yeah, you can do all that Eric suggests, but you could also let a specialist tool, like Captivate, do that work for you, and then tweak it as necessary if the tool's output doesn't "float your boat." In my opinion, that's a lot more efficient way to handle it, unless you're going for a very specific piece of functionality not handled by the recording tool.

With a little forethought and care during the recording and editing process, Captivate turns out professional looking demos/sims. I've seen it go both ways: stuff done on the fly looks like crap, and stuff done with a little thought looks great.

I am in a similar position and have just decided to go with Captivate (version 2.0).
PROS for Captivate: I find it easier to record narration in Captivate. Dropping in an FLV file is super easy. Capturing full-motion video (scrolling, drag/drop) is easy.
CONS for Captivate: I like total control and Flash allows me that. Captivate can be buggy. Adobe support is awful. File sizes tend to be big. Lousy drawing tools. Limited transitions for objects (no slide ins).

I plan on creating swf elements to import into Captivate to spice it up a bit, but have not yet tested Captivate's ability to handle these.

scott

Another approach might be to use Visual Course Builder and trend away from demonstration and toward actual simulation. There's a Visual Course Builder demo on my web site (first page).