Publish as Flash/HTML5 and HTML5/Flash in SL360?

Nov 22, 2016

Hi, 

I think I understand the idea of publish as Flash/HTML5, and HTML5/Flash. But just wondering that Flash technology is fading away soon (Sorry Flash) so why don't we just have HTML5/Flash publish. This will still give the course the Flash fallback if needed. And also I am assuming that SL360 creates "two" versions (Flash and HTML5) in the background anyway so why not just have HTML5/Flash?  

32 Replies
Alyssa Gomez
Hello Benny! I wanted to touch on your question about publishing as HTML5 in Storyline 360. The new set up allows you to choose exactly how you want to publish for Flash, HTML, or both. It's an easy selection from within the publishing window shown here:
 
 
 

You'll also notice that you can determine which is the default as well:

  • HTML5/Flash: This publishes your course as HTML5 first with Flash fallback. Learners will see HTML5 output if they’re using a supported HTML5 browser. If not, they’ll see Flash output.
  • Flash/HTML5: This publishes your course as Flash first with HTML5 fallback. Learners will see Flash output if they’re using a Flash-enabled browser. If not, they’ll see HTML5 output.
Benny Kurniawan

Hi Alyssa,

Thank you for your reply. I am just wondering why we need two. I was just thinking we might only need one setting - HTML5/Flash. Says the modern browser such as Chrome will stop turn off Flash by default which mean if you publish the course with HTML5/Flash then the course will work just fine. I am just curious why do we need the Flash/HTML5 option. 

Also these two options HTML5/Flash and Flash/HTML5 - the SL360 is actually producing two versions and packaged them together right? 

 

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Benny,

You can only choose one of those options, so you won't have two packages being created. Some users need to default to Flash first, as along certain browser such as Internet Explorer 11 can play HTML5 content, it's not as robust as their Flash support - therefore if you included the Flash/HTML5 Option they'd be presented with the Flash output first, but then have HTML5 as a fall back if their Flash plugin was disable. 

Hope that helps clarify further! 

Will Findlay

The way I would answer this is to say... because Flash still does a better job than HTML5. So if you know for sure your users all have Flash (in a controlled corporate environment for example), they will have a better experience with Flash. Having said that, things are definitely improved in the HTML5 output of 360, but Flash output still has the edge.

Will Findlay

I just thought of something - Now Google Chrome is doing this annoying thing where it asks you if you want to activate Flash when a page includes certain types of Flash elements. 

"By default, Chrome asks if you want to run Adobe Flash when you visit a page that has it. Click to see the Flash content." - https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/142064?hl=en

It seems in my limited test, however, that Articulate Flash presentations still open automatically if the Chrome browser is set to the default "Detect and run important Flash content (recommended)" - do we know if this is going to change?

 

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Thanks Will for linking that here - and although they'll enabled HTML5 by default, they'll still allow Flash content. For those customers that need to have true HTML5 only, we did include that as an option within Articulate 360 (you'll choose that within publishing for Storyline and Studio, Rise is HTML5 only on it's own). 

kat doyle

"In the corporate world the Html5/Flash output can cause real issues with IE11 I have had cases where fonts are badly displayed, switching to Flash?HTML5 fixes this." I had exactly this issue. My fonts had horrible kerning and parts disappeared as well as all converting to Times New Roman. Wish I'd found this fix sooner. 

kat doyle

I was using Gill Sans MT in the first. The second project I was using Arial. The one with Gill Sans MT was the worst. I actually was speaking to one of your support personnel about this issue. #00957686: was the case number. Miker Ang was the name. We went back and forth. He thought it was a problem with our server but the project was hosted on Articulate Review so I think that is your server 😊.
I had tried actually altering the story

Daniel Sposato (Philly)

I'm not using SL360 for the project I'm currently working in, but I have had many similar experiences with HTML5 in general. The replacement to Flash has been such a devolution of visual quality and user experience since it's debut. As it has gotten better, it's still way off from allowing developers to develop in a way that they did with Flash. When developing with Flash in the past, I would get projects and felt like the sky was the limit. Now with HTML5, I always have to consider the limitations of the tool I'm using. This eats into development time as does compatibility issues with browsers and platforms. Thus further degrading and hindering diversity of e-learning courses.

But I do appreciate all of what the Articulate team has done with Storyline to help make the creative aspect of eLearning development less limiting and frustrating!

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Thanks Kat and I see that the case is with Miker and he was taking an additional look at things after your response and that you were able to get things working correctly by allowing it to be Flash/HTML5 first vs the other way around. 

Font kerning is something we've seen in earlier versions of Storyline, and that our team is still investigating with Storyline 2, but if you've got further examples of the behavior in Storyline 360 it's always good to have examples of that. It's especially helpful when you're able to point out the specific letters and spacing inconsistencies. 

 

John Pieterse

Hi Alyssa,

Question. Saw your screenshot but I am still on SL2. If you publish HTML5 only can this also run from USB/CD? In SL2 it can but you can only publish Flash/html5. Most of our corporate clients have Flash blocked now as default and we deliver our content on USB (as clients are in remote areas).

PS. Will this publish feature also be included in SL3?

Thanks for your support!

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi John,

The publish to HTML5 only or HTML5 first was a feature included as a part of Storyline 360 and the suite of Articulate 360 tools. That publish feature and ability is something I'd expect to see within Storyline 3 when it's released which will occur in 2017, although I don't have a more exist date to offer yet. 

When you publish to CD/local source you'll be running an EXE file which is based on Flash output. There isn't a way to force it to show the HTML5 output using the methods you may have done in the publish to wed such as pointing to the story_html5.html file. 

John Pieterse

Hi Ashley, thanks for reaching out! OK, I'll hope the feature will be added to SL3 as it comes in very handy.

PS I'll wait for SL3 to come out as SL is the only product I use and therefor find the 360 suit to expensive. Although I could live with a reasonable priced subscription for SL3 instead of a one-time payment if it would come to that (sorry, but now I maybe interfering in your marketing plans :-))

Best regards and take care,

John

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hey John,

Not to worry - Storyline 3 will be a perpetual license, just like you have for Storyline 2 right now. We know that the subscription model isn't for everyone, and we'll continue to provide support for the current version and the previous version of our perpetual products. This is written out in a bit more "legalese" here in our Support policy - but the basics are even when Storyline 3 is available you'll still get the same support and assistance for Storyline 2 and 3, just like those users who purchased Articulate 360. 

Tanja Holzem

Hallo Ashley,

your comment is now a year old. I just started to use Review this week and had a similiar experience like Kat, because the default to publish to Articulate Online for Review ist HTML/Flash (changed it now as recommended here). Like described the fonts changed (original Arial), if you use Internet Explorer and the weird  spacing makes the content sometimes not understandable anymore. Is there any other recommendation than generating Flash that has come up in the meantime? Do you still need examples?

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