Align Flash object with Resources button outside of content frame
Jun 12, 2015
Hopefully I can explain this in a way that makes sense.
In my Storyline project, I am trying to use as much available screen real estate for the instructional content as possible; so in the Player Properties, I have turned off the Sidebar items (Menu, Glossary, and Notes) and turned on the Resources in Topbar Right.
I have created a custom Flash glossary search. It is a simple search panel much like you see at the top of any browser (rectangular window with magnifying glass). I color matched it to my project color theme, and matched its visual appearance to the Topbar Right Resources popup.
Essentially, you can type text into the search box, hit the magnifying glass, and a small popup comes up with all of the instances of the search term from the glossary. The glossary itself is loaded via XML.
What I would like to do is align my custom glossary popup with the existing Resources button in the topbar.
In the project, I can insert the Flash glossary and align it in position next to where the Resources text button appears. However, when I publish the project, the Flash glossary is cut off by the content frame (slide).
Is there any way to insert or add my custom Flash glossary to the Topbar Right or to make it so that the Flash glossary appears above the content frame and is not cut off by the slide border?
I have included a PNG for reference.
6 Replies
Hey Rod -
Short of building your own player skin with the SDK, the only way I can think to make custom items appear at the top of the screen like that is to fake it. Using a rectangle the same color as your "outer" background color, you can make it look like your custom element is part of the outer navigation.
Thanks Steve... but for my purposes, I don't think that would be a solution.
First, I still wouldn't be able to align the glossary with the resources text button; second, I would be cutting into the screen real estate again.
That is a real shame. I am trying to maximize the content space while making all of the necessary tools available to the student in a more minimalist format. The sidebar simply takes up too much room that could otherwise be used for instructional content.
I was hoping that there was a way to promote (load) the custom glossary to a level above the top bar / side bar.
Thanks again for the suggestion, Steve.
Hey Rod -
Thought about this a bit and I think you might be able to do it either with some AS3 in the loaded clip or by adding a clip that acts as a loader for your object. The stuff on the stage is masked. If you could figure a way to remove the child and add it outside of the masked object, that could do it. Or by using the stage object to load another external SWF as a child of the parent or parent's parent. Once it's outside of the mask, you can position it wherever you want.
I'm so rusty on AS3. But this should be possible.
Another possible method -- use a WebObject to load in your widget. Web objects stick where they're put, as I remember. Even if it's outside of the stage area. If not, you can target them in DOM with a little JS to shift position.
Those are excellent suggestions, Steve! That was along the lines of what I was looking for.
I assumed the content was framed, not masked. If it's a mask, it would be much easier to use an empty SWF to load the glossary to the stage.
I will give it a try and report back on the results.
Thanks again!
Hi Rod! Glad that you are getting the assistance that you need here :) Steve is a great resource.
This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.