Lightbox vs Dialog layer vs Layer Layer

Dec 10, 2023

Alison L.
By Alison L.

So I get this: https://articulate.com/support/article/Storyline-360-Dialog-Layers 

And I get this: https://articulate.com/support/article/How-to-Create-Lightboxes-in-Articulate-Storyline-360 and/or  https://community.articulate.com/articles/all-about-lightboxes-in-storyline-360 

And a lightbox is a SLIDE. And a dialog layer is a LAYER.

So I guess I'm more confused about the need for (or function of) a "dialog" layer? Isn't it just a slide layer with a pre-added, covered/colored background of the layer? (that you can customize in certain ways as explained in the Customizing the Layer Background Color SECTION of  Storyline 360: Dialog Layers ). And, that the dialog layer's background is the entire player.

It seems like functionally, you still need a trigger to Show (Dialog) Layer somehow, and still need a way to close (triggering a ) "Hide Layer".               

Am I missing anything else? I feel like I'm missing something. What am I missing? Is there another discussion thread that talks about this? Or an article? Or even a training.articulate.com somewhere. 

(I can't believe I was a Beta Tester for Storyline 2, and I can't figure this out! 😟)

-Raph

4 Replies
Judy Nollet
5 months ago12/11/23 at 3:01 pm (UTC)

You're right that a Dialog layer is a lot like a Lightbox slide. You need triggers to open and close it. When it's open, the user can't interact with the rest of the Player. 

Differences:

  • A Lightbox puts a reduced-size version of the lightboxed slide over the center of the entire Player area. A Dialog layer is full-size content that stays within the slide dimensions.
  • You have some options to customize how a Dialog layer covers the rest of the Player. (https://articulate.com/support/article/Storyline-360-Dialog-Layers#background-color ). You can't customize how a Lightbox covers the rest of the Player.

The Dialog (modal) option was added to layers to improve accessibility. When a Dialog layer is open, the program only focuses on the objects in that layer. (The article connected to the first link in your post has more info about this.) 

Which to use when? Short answer: It depends.

Here are some considerations/suggestions:

Yuchen Gao
5 days ago04/23/24 at 9:14 pm (UTC)

Hi Judy. I am working on a storyline file that a coworker had previously worked on. It says I have dialog layers when I try to go back to the classic player. But i can't locate any dialog layers. In fact, it doesnt have any added layers other than the base. Any tips on quickly finding dialog layers in a project or changing them all to regular layers? Thanks!

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