Hi All, I'm new to Articulate Storyline. We have just had 16 courses built that need to have translated closed captions for multiple languages adding to each one. The courses have already been built in Articulate (predominantly video-based)but now need the captions adding for each language, with the selection option for each language at the beginning, what's the best way to do this please? I've seen several threads talking about it, but can't seem to find a definitive answer!
In Storyline, the only way to have different closed caption files is to have different video files, each with the corresponding closed captions file.
At the beginning of the course, have a language selection option where the user selects language with a button, and use that selection to set a 'language' variable (that you create as a custom variable) in the course.
Then, your two main options are either:
1. Create separate slide pathways for different languages - so when the user clicks the next button after the language selection, it sends them to for example 'english scene' if the language variable is set to english or 'spanish scene' if the variable is set to spanish. Then you include the correct captions files for the videos on each slide in each scene.
2. Display the different video files with their captions based on the variable. For each slide, have a layer for each language and the video file with corresponding captions on that layer (english layer, spanish layer, czech layer, etc...). Have triggers on the slide base to show layer based on the language variable ('show layer english when timeline starts if language is equal to english') - you'll need a variable for each language/layer on each slide.
If your course has already been built, option 2 may be easiest for you since it's adding layers rather than slides/scenes.
Hi Sally, many thanks for your swift response. There's one main issue here for us, the course is 4.5hrs of content, so to have that in 20 different languages ,with 20 different videos poses a huge server problem!! Is there no way to keep the one video and have multiple layer options obove it?
Unfortunately, my understanding is that there is no real way to do this right now, without having a multimedia file for each caption file. You can see a javascript workaround someone created on another thread.
I also suggest submitting a feature request to support multiple caption files per multimedia file (I just did as well, since this really should be a built in option). The more people request it the better.
I notice this thread is a bit dated, but I'm not finding anything newer. Is it yet possible to have closed captions for multiple languages in a single Storyline course? As a native feature (I don't think the inventive Javascript hack will work for me).
We need to deliver compliance courses in several languages (4-22 different languages, depending on the course). For some, doing voice over in 1 language and closed captions in all the others is the best option for budget and timeline. Creating a unique version of the course for each language, uploading all of those to the LMS and getting each assigned to the correct audiences - that's a lot of work. Would be sooo much easier to upload multiple srt files to 1 course and allow users to choose their preferred caption language. Is this an option?? In Storyline or another of the products?
Welcome to E-Learning Heroes! I understand you would like to know if you can have close captions in multiple languages in one Storyline course. We currently have this logged as a feature request, so I’ll go ahead and include your voice. We’ll update this discussion if there’s any news regarding this feature.
HI - please add my voice to this feature request for the ability to add closed caption files in multiple languages in one course. I think this would be such a time saver when trying to offer courses to those who speak a language other than English. Thank you!
6 Replies
In Storyline, the only way to have different closed caption files is to have different video files, each with the corresponding closed captions file.
At the beginning of the course, have a language selection option where the user selects language with a button, and use that selection to set a 'language' variable (that you create as a custom variable) in the course.
Then, your two main options are either:
1. Create separate slide pathways for different languages - so when the user clicks the next button after the language selection, it sends them to for example 'english scene' if the language variable is set to english or 'spanish scene' if the variable is set to spanish. Then you include the correct captions files for the videos on each slide in each scene.
2. Display the different video files with their captions based on the variable. For each slide, have a layer for each language and the video file with corresponding captions on that layer (english layer, spanish layer, czech layer, etc...). Have triggers on the slide base to show layer based on the language variable ('show layer english when timeline starts if language is equal to english') - you'll need a variable for each language/layer on each slide.
If your course has already been built, option 2 may be easiest for you since it's adding layers rather than slides/scenes.
Hi Sally, many thanks for your swift response. There's one main issue here for us, the course is 4.5hrs of content, so to have that in 20 different languages ,with 20 different videos poses a huge server problem!! Is there no way to keep the one video and have multiple layer options obove it?
Unfortunately, my understanding is that there is no real way to do this right now, without having a multimedia file for each caption file. You can see a javascript workaround someone created on another thread.
I also suggest submitting a feature request to support multiple caption files per multimedia file (I just did as well, since this really should be a built in option). The more people request it the better.
I notice this thread is a bit dated, but I'm not finding anything newer. Is it yet possible to have closed captions for multiple languages in a single Storyline course? As a native feature (I don't think the inventive Javascript hack will work for me).
We need to deliver compliance courses in several languages (4-22 different languages, depending on the course). For some, doing voice over in 1 language and closed captions in all the others is the best option for budget and timeline. Creating a unique version of the course for each language, uploading all of those to the LMS and getting each assigned to the correct audiences - that's a lot of work. Would be sooo much easier to upload multiple srt files to 1 course and allow users to choose their preferred caption language. Is this an option?? In Storyline or another of the products?
Hi Elizabeth,
Welcome to E-Learning Heroes! I understand you would like to know if you can have close captions in multiple languages in one Storyline course. We currently have this logged as a feature request, so I’ll go ahead and include your voice. We’ll update this discussion if there’s any news regarding this feature.
In the meantime, here is some more information on how we manage feature requests.
Thanks for reaching out!
HI - please add my voice to this feature request for the ability to add closed caption files in multiple languages in one course. I think this would be such a time saver when trying to offer courses to those who speak a language other than English. Thank you!