Our organization is fairly large and getting everyone on the same PC file structure for projects would be fairly difficult. Once inside a project folder, our files are all the exact same so a relative link to local files would be optimal.
When Storyline files are passed around, links to external documents with absolute paths continually break. Is there a way to set a relative path to local documents?
Hi Leslie, I've read your work around and it's really not a work around designed for the environment that Joseph, I and other designers in large corporations encounter. The problem is, that with out an relative linking compatibility within the compiler, another designer assisting or updating materials would still have identify and locate all absolute links to locate files another designer has created and relink the asset to the project via the triggering mechanism due to the variations in UserIDs. In large and complex projects this can be quite a task, almost impossible without addition time lost or instruction. The only real solution I see, is a compiler that accepts relative linking in all triggering mechanisms wherever possible. Without this feature our creativity is somewhat limited. This is a real obstacle and limits the use of other robust tools we have within the Storyline 2 environment. I would like to see these programming modification considered sooner rather than later. Please keep me posted on your progress toward this necessary functionality. Regards, your friendly SL2 promoter and coach, Kevin. I've requested that feature to your development team. Let's hope that forth coming soon. Thank you Leslie!
is there a solution to this yet? this is the main reason why we don't attach resources to courses any more. it's a pain to republish when another person has to do it because the path to the resource is tied to the creator's computer.
If you add Resources to the player itself, they'll be pulled into the .story file which is how you can link them on the slide and keep those links intact.
Let us know if you've run into any issues with this!
Strange! This thread started 2 yrs. back and same problem we are still having in Storyline 360. Imagine if your course has a 10s or 20s or more of external file linked and everytime each author will have to link all those files again and again. And if he just focuses on any given bug/s and forgets to do the linking part to external files then that will result in missing file bug/s. Though I haven't yet tried the Resource way by Ashley but going throught the given procedure I think there should be more simpler way to link the files ie to create relative paths.
It would be great if, when linked to, local files were attached to the .story file like when adding images and videos. I understand this can be done by adding them to the Resources tab in the player, but more often than not I need to omit the Resources tab and keep files only linked to from specific slides.
So, to add a link to a pdf that will not break if we pass the project over to another developer, this is what we are doing:
add the pdf to the course via the resources tab
Create a button/link to the pdf in the course to open url/file
Manually type in the following: story_content/external_files/MyFile.pdf in the trigger wizzard
Override showing the resources tab with above custom Javascript if we don't want it to show in the player
This works, however, only if the resources tab is made active in the player, hence why we need to hide it with javascript again.
This method has the advantage of keeping the pdf files within the project, so when we pass it around the team we don't have to include a folder of pdf files that need to be manually relinked.
Yes, a relative link would be useful but you would still need to provide a folder of files that Storyline could find before a second developer republished the course, surely? I prefer this self-contained method as it's more bulletproof.
My only negative is there's no option to pick/select the uploaded file via the trigger wizzard which is annoying. I would like an option that allows Storyline to display any uploaded resources in the dropdown so you don't have to type it in manually?
Yes, that's what we have been doing. It also has the benefit of avoiding a bug within Storyline where not all the linked resources are added to the scorm pack when you link to resources directly using the Open URL/File trigger.
I followed your clear instructions, but unfortunately the 'Resources' tab still appears for about 2 seconds before the Javascript hides it. Does this not happen for you?
I tested it using the modern player in Storyline 360 and I applied the Javascript to the slide master for all slides rather than just the first slide (in case people resume the course from partway through).
I found a different workaround to hide the Resources tab that also does not require Javascript.
You need to have Resources turned on in the Player, but then you can do a Select All of your entire project (all the slides) and then under Slide Properties > Player Features, change the dropdown from "Player defaults" to "Custom for the selected slides." Then uncheck the Resources box (which will hide it from every slide). I tested this for multiple projects and it worked. When I preview the project in Player, it still shows the Resources tab, but when we put the file in our LMS (Absorb) it correctly hides the Resources tab from every slide.
This entire thread has been invaluable. We had been struggling for so long with this problem of broken links when passing files between developers, and the suggested workaround worked really well for us.
16 Replies
Hey Joseph - We recommend the workflow documented here for a collaborative environment.
You are welcome to share your thoughts with our product development team here on the ability to utilize relative paths vs absolute paths with links.
Hi Leslie, I've read your work around and it's really not a work around designed for the environment that Joseph, I and other designers in large corporations encounter. The problem is, that with out an relative linking compatibility within the compiler, another designer assisting or updating materials would still have identify and locate all absolute links to locate files another designer has created and relink the asset to the project via the triggering mechanism due to the variations in UserIDs. In large and complex projects this can be quite a task, almost impossible without addition time lost or instruction. The only real solution I see, is a compiler that accepts relative linking in all triggering mechanisms wherever possible. Without this feature our creativity is somewhat limited. This is a real obstacle and limits the use of other robust tools we have within the Storyline 2 environment. I would like to see these programming modification considered sooner rather than later. Please keep me posted on your progress toward this necessary functionality. Regards, your friendly SL2 promoter and coach, Kevin. I've requested that feature to your development team. Let's hope that forth coming soon. Thank you Leslie!
Thanks for submitting the feature request and your thoughts Kevin.
is there a solution to this yet? this is the main reason why we don't attach resources to courses any more. it's a pain to republish when another person has to do it because the path to the resource is tied to the creator's computer.
Hi Calvin,
Have you seen this tutorial? Following those steps will ensure links aren't broken when another author opens and publishes a Storyline file.
but the link from the resource tab in the Player is still the absolute path right? i dont need to link any files from the resource to my slides.
Hi Calvin,
If you add Resources to the player itself, they'll be pulled into the .story file which is how you can link them on the slide and keep those links intact.
Let us know if you've run into any issues with this!
Strange! This thread started 2 yrs. back and same problem we are still having in Storyline 360. Imagine if your course has a 10s or 20s or more of external file linked and everytime each author will have to link all those files again and again. And if he just focuses on any given bug/s and forgets to do the linking part to external files then that will result in missing file bug/s.
Though I haven't yet tried the Resource way by Ashley but going throught the given procedure I think there should be more simpler way to link the files ie to create relative paths.
This post was removed by the author
Does anyone know of a solution for this?
It would be great if, when linked to, local files were attached to the .story file like when adding images and videos. I understand this can be done by adding them to the Resources tab in the player, but more often than not I need to omit the Resources tab and keep files only linked to from specific slides.
Hi Chris!
I have no updates to share on this at the moment, but you are welcome to share how this feature would be beneficial to you with our product development team.
We will be sure to update you if it makes it onto our feature roadmap!
@Chris You can use Javascript to hide the Resources Link:
// Hide the Resources link
const resources = document.getElementById("resources-link");
resources.style.display = "none";
So, to add a link to a pdf that will not break if we pass the project over to another developer, this is what we are doing:
This works, however, only if the resources tab is made active in the player, hence why we need to hide it with javascript again.
This method has the advantage of keeping the pdf files within the project, so when we pass it around the team we don't have to include a folder of pdf files that need to be manually relinked.
Yes, a relative link would be useful but you would still need to provide a folder of files that Storyline could find before a second developer republished the course, surely? I prefer this self-contained method as it's more bulletproof.
My only negative is there's no option to pick/select the uploaded file via the trigger wizzard which is annoying. I would like an option that allows Storyline to display any uploaded resources in the dropdown so you don't have to type it in manually?
Yes, that's what we have been doing. It also has the benefit of avoiding a bug within Storyline where not all the linked resources are added to the scorm pack when you link to resources directly using the Open URL/File trigger.
I followed your clear instructions, but unfortunately the 'Resources' tab still appears for about 2 seconds before the Javascript hides it. Does this not happen for you?
I tested it using the modern player in Storyline 360 and I applied the Javascript to the slide master for all slides rather than just the first slide (in case people resume the course from partway through).
another method to use the resource tab without a visible resourse button is
deactivate "resources" global BUT add one slide - which never be reached and activate "recources" only for this one slide
if you use the menu function, you have to remove this slide from the menu
you need no javascript
result:
I found a different workaround to hide the Resources tab that also does not require Javascript.
You need to have Resources turned on in the Player, but then you can do a Select All of your entire project (all the slides) and then under Slide Properties > Player Features, change the dropdown from "Player defaults" to "Custom for the selected slides." Then uncheck the Resources box (which will hide it from every slide). I tested this for multiple projects and it worked. When I preview the project in Player, it still shows the Resources tab, but when we put the file in our LMS (Absorb) it correctly hides the Resources tab from every slide.
This entire thread has been invaluable. We had been struggling for so long with this problem of broken links when passing files between developers, and the suggested workaround worked really well for us.