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Storyline 3: Using Feedback Masters

Feedback masters in Storyline 3 let you control the default colors, fonts, text, and objects for question feedback layers. Save time by using feedback masters to give your feedback layers a consistent look and feel throughout your course.

Switching to Feedback Master View

To switch to the feedback master, go to the View tab on the ribbon and click Feedback Master.

A Storyline course can have as many feedback masters as you want, and every course has at least one. Thumbnail images of your feedback masters appear in the left panel. If you haven't created any yet, you'll see the default feedback master.

Each feedback master is a collection of layouts for various types of feedback, including Correct, Incorrect, Try Again, Review, and Thank You. The feedback master thumbnail in the left panel is slightly larger than the thumbnails of its layouts below.

Each layout inherits all the properties of its parent feedback master, but you can customize each layout to display content in a specific way.

For example, you might design your correct feedback layout with affirmative text and images, while your incorrect feedback layout might have placeholders for corrective content.

Adding Feedback Masters and Layouts

To create a new feedback master, switch to Feedback Master view, then do either of the following:

  • Go to the Feedback Master tab on the ribbon and click Insert Slide Master.
  • Right-click anywhere in the left panel and select Insert Slide Master.

You can also add more layouts to each feedback master. Here’s how:

  1. In the left panel, select the feedback master where you want to add a new layout.
  2. Go to the Feedback Master tab on the ribbon and click Insert Layout, or right-click the feedback master thumbnail and select Insert Layout.

The new layout will inherit the properties of its parent feedback master, and it'll have a Title text box (which can be deleted or turned off—see below).

Managing Feedback Masters and Layouts

You can delete, rename, preserve, and duplicate feedback masters and layouts.

Delete

To delete a feedback master and all its layouts, select the feedback master in the left panel and press the Delete key on your keyboard (or click Delete on the ribbon).

If you only want to delete a layout (but not its parent feedback master), select the layout in the left panel and press the Delete key on your keyboard (or click Delete on the ribbon).

Tip: You can't delete a feedback master or layout that's currently being used by slides in your course.

Rename

It's a good idea to give your feedback masters and layouts recognizable names. This makes it easier to identify and apply them to slides throughout your course.

To rename a feedback master or a layout, select it in the left panel, go to the Feedback Master tab on the ribbon, and click Rename.

Another way to rename is to right-click a feedback master or layout, then select Rename Master or Rename Layout.

Preserve

If a feedback master isn't currently being used by any layers in your course but you want to keep it for later use, you can preserve it.

Select the feedback master in the left panel, go to the Feedback Master tab on the ribbon, and click Preserve.

You can also right-click the feedback master and select Preserve Master.

Duplicate

If you want to create new feedback masters or layouts similar to existing ones, just duplicate them. Right-click the feedback master or layout in the left panel, then select Duplicate Slide Master or Duplicate Layout.

Designing Feedback Masters and Layouts

To design your feedback masters and layouts, use the Home, Insert, Transitions, and Animations tabs on the ribbon as well as the following features found on the Feedback Master tab.

Insert Placeholder

The Insert Placeholder drop-down has several optional placeholders for layouts: content, text, picture, character, video, and web object.

After adding a placeholder to a layout, you can resize it and position it where you want it on the slide.

This option isn't available for feedback masters. It only applies to layouts.

Title

The Title box adds a title placeholder to a layout when it's checked. Uncheck the box to remove the title placeholder.

This option isn't available for feedback masters. It only applies to layouts.

Theme Preview

Feedback masters don't have themes of their own. They inherit colors and fonts from the slides to which they're applied. This means you can use the same feedback layout on multiple slides in your course, and it could have different colors and fonts on each slide if your project has multiple design themes.

When you first open feedback master view, your layouts default to the colors and fonts of the last slide you viewed. This gives you an idea of how your layouts would look if they were applied to that slide.

And if you have more than one design theme in your course, you can quickly switch between them to get a preview of how your feedback layouts look in each one. Just click the thumbnail images in the Theme Preview gallery to see how each theme affects your feedback layouts. There's a thumbnail image for each design theme in your course.

Note that theme previews don't change the colors and fonts on your feedback layers. They just give you a glimpse of how your feedback layers look without having to close feedback master view. To actually change the colors and fonts on your feedback master layouts, use the Home and Format tabs on the ribbon.

Tip: Theme previews are available in Storyline 3 builds 3.7.20003.0 and later.

Background Styles

The Background Styles drop-down lets you apply a consistent background design to your feedback masters and layouts.

  • Hover over a background style to preview how it would look if applied to your feedback master.
  • Click a background style to apply it to the current feedback master. If you only want to apply it to a specific layout, right-click the desired background style and choose Apply Only to This Slide.
  • To customize the background style, click Format Background at the bottom of the drop-down, then use the Fill and Picture tabs to design your background style.
  • To learn more about background styles, see this user guide.

Hide Background Graphics

When the Hide Background Graphics box is marked, objects on the current layout that have been inherited from its parent feedback master will be hidden.

Hidden background graphics won't appear in your published course for any feedback layers that are based on that layout.

This option isn't available for feedback masters. It only applies to layouts.

Closing Feedback Master View

To exit Feedback Master view, go to the Feedback Master tab on the ribbon and click Close Master View. Any changes you made to existing feedback masters and layouts will automatically be applied to slides in your course.

Changing Layouts for Existing Feedback Layers

To change the layout for an existing feedback layer in your course, switch to Slide View and select the feedback layer you want to edit in the Feedback Layers panel.

Then do any of the following:

  • Go to the Home tab on the ribbon, click Apply Layout, and choose a layout.
  • Right-click the slide workspace, scroll to Apply Layout, and choose a layout.
  • Right-click the slide thumbnail in the Scenes panel, scroll to Apply Layout, and choose a layout.
Published 9 years ago
Version 1.0