If you have multiple masters in a .story file, how do you specify which one all the slides will use as the default? This way you don't have to manually go through every slide and select the custom layout for each feedback layer.
For example, the default gray "clean" feedback master is provided when you create a new .story file. If you create a custom feedback master and layouts, and keep that gray feedback master for future use, all of the slides use that gray master when you create a try mode or test mode simulation.
How can you get the slides created for the try mode or test mode simulation to use the custom master? I tried preserving that gray master and it disappeared from the feedback master view. So my second question is, if it's no longer in the feedback master view, how can you unpreserve it?
When you go to insert a new slide you can use the "Basic layouts" tab and that is drawn from your custom color themes and slide masters.
For screen recordings inserted as step by steps simulations, they'll be inserted as a part of the slide background and therefore may be overlapping elements that you have on a master.
I'm not sure I'm clear on the final question you asked, in regards to the feedback master element disappearing? Did you delete it by accident? That should be the only one that causes it to disappear entirely.
Your first paragraph was the missing piece for me -- select the slide master before recording the video is what I need to do.
As far as the second question, the slide and feedback masters were being a little persnickety at that time and working working right. Preserving and deleting has been working fine since -- sort of. Often, when in slide master view or feedback master view, when you click on a layout and then click on another layout, although the selected layout on the left panel has the blue highlight, but the slide doesn't change. When this happens, the only way to fix it is to save and then close Storyline and restart Storyline.
Hm, interesting situation you're describing in your second paragraph. Almost as if Storyline freezes up while viewing the masters? Do you only see this with slide masters? Did you already confirm to be working on local project files as described here? You could also look at repairing Storyline to see if that solves any of the odd behavior.
We only work on local project files here. I've already repaired Storyline, per a previous case. I recently installed the lasted upgrade.
I've only seen this with slide masters. Probably because at that time there were several slide masters with many layouts that came from imported Storyline and PowerPoint files.
However, often Storyline starts acting weird in different ways. When that happens, almost every time Windows Task Manager will show that the Free Memory is very low -- less than 400mb. When that happens, restarting the laptop frees up the free memory (even with having other windows open), and Storyline is works fine again. Shutting down Storyline and restarting it doesn't free up the memory, so restarting the laptop is necessary.
I just spoke with one of our tech support guys about Storyline's behavior when the free memory gets low. Even though there's 2 or 3 gigabytes of available memory, it's always when free memory that Storyline gets a little weird.
He explained that when an application needs to use memory, it allocates (reserves) memory so it can use it. The free memory is the memory that's available to be allocated. So if the free memory gets down to, say, 30mb and and an application needs 100mb, it can't do it.
I noticed this same behavior with Storyline in other companies I've worked in, and restarting the laptop was the only way to get that free memory back.
I've noticed at this company that after restarting the laptop and opening up everything that was previously opened, when I check the free memory, there's over 2gb, and Storyline once again is back to normal.
This might be something to pass on to the tech support folks.
Are you on Windows 10? If so, we've heard from customers and seen it ourselves that Windows 10 seems to be a memory hog (not just with Storyline, but in general). The steps here to help free up some space are known to assist within Windows 10 as well.
If you're not using Windows 10 and still running into some memory issues, it may be best to see if our support engineers can work with you directly and look at anything else that may be causing it.
Currently on Windows 7. I frequently do the equivalent to the disk clean up in your "steps here" link. There's a great free little tool, CCleaner, from Piriform.com that does all that and more.
Thanks John for letting me know you're on Windows 7 - did you also reach out to our Support Engineers? If so, please let me know the case number so I can follow along.
This has been happening to me as well. Once the feedback masters freeze, I can't even delete them. I must close out of the feedback view, save my project, and then try again. I haven't been able to figure out what triggers the behavior.
Sorry, Leslie, I did not open a support case. I've experienced this in other companies as far back as 2013 with Storyline 1.
Firefox will just start gobbling up memory -- tends to have scripts that run amuck, and shutting Firefox down doesn't free up that much, so restarting the computer is often necessary when it does that. But Firefox isn't the only culprit. It seems to be a Windows thing.
No worries John, just sharing my findings with Tricia. If it's ever something you'd like our support engineers to take a look at though, please reach out :)
Just popped in to check on Tricia's support case. Looks like Jonathan was able to delete some feedback masters/slides. Hopefully that helps the issue that Tricia was reporting.
15 Replies
Hi John,
When you go to insert a new slide you can use the "Basic layouts" tab and that is drawn from your custom color themes and slide masters.
For screen recordings inserted as step by steps simulations, they'll be inserted as a part of the slide background and therefore may be overlapping elements that you have on a master.
I'm not sure I'm clear on the final question you asked, in regards to the feedback master element disappearing? Did you delete it by accident? That should be the only one that causes it to disappear entirely.
Hi Ashley,
Your first paragraph was the missing piece for me -- select the slide master before recording the video is what I need to do.
As far as the second question, the slide and feedback masters were being a little persnickety at that time and working working right. Preserving and deleting has been working fine since -- sort of. Often, when in slide master view or feedback master view, when you click on a layout and then click on another layout, although the selected layout on the left panel has the blue highlight, but the slide doesn't change. When this happens, the only way to fix it is to save and then close Storyline and restart Storyline.
Thank you for your reply -- it was helpful!
Hm, interesting situation you're describing in your second paragraph. Almost as if Storyline freezes up while viewing the masters? Do you only see this with slide masters? Did you already confirm to be working on local project files as described here? You could also look at repairing Storyline to see if that solves any of the odd behavior.
Hi Ashley,
We only work on local project files here. I've already repaired Storyline, per a previous case. I recently installed the lasted upgrade.
I've only seen this with slide masters. Probably because at that time there were several slide masters with many layouts that came from imported Storyline and PowerPoint files.
However, often Storyline starts acting weird in different ways. When that happens, almost every time Windows Task Manager will show that the Free Memory is very low -- less than 400mb. When that happens, restarting the laptop frees up the free memory (even with having other windows open), and Storyline is works fine again. Shutting down Storyline and restarting it doesn't free up the memory, so restarting the laptop is necessary.
Thank you,
John
Hi Ashley,
I just spoke with one of our tech support guys about Storyline's behavior when the free memory gets low. Even though there's 2 or 3 gigabytes of available memory, it's always when free memory that Storyline gets a little weird.
He explained that when an application needs to use memory, it allocates (reserves) memory so it can use it. The free memory is the memory that's available to be allocated. So if the free memory gets down to, say, 30mb and and an application needs 100mb, it can't do it.
I noticed this same behavior with Storyline in other companies I've worked in, and restarting the laptop was the only way to get that free memory back.
I've noticed at this company that after restarting the laptop and opening up everything that was previously opened, when I check the free memory, there's over 2gb, and Storyline once again is back to normal.
This might be something to pass on to the tech support folks.
Thank you,
John
Hi John,
Are you on Windows 10? If so, we've heard from customers and seen it ourselves that Windows 10 seems to be a memory hog (not just with Storyline, but in general). The steps here to help free up some space are known to assist within Windows 10 as well.
If you're not using Windows 10 and still running into some memory issues, it may be best to see if our support engineers can work with you directly and look at anything else that may be causing it.
Hi Ashley,
Currently on Windows 7. I frequently do the equivalent to the disk clean up in your "steps here" link. There's a great free little tool, CCleaner, from Piriform.com that does all that and more.
Thank you,
John
Thanks John for letting me know you're on Windows 7 - did you also reach out to our Support Engineers? If so, please let me know the case number so I can follow along.
Hi Ashley,
This has been happening to me as well. Once the feedback masters freeze, I can't even delete them. I must close out of the feedback view, save my project, and then try again. I haven't been able to figure out what triggers the behavior.
Hi Tricia!
I do not see where John opened a support case so I do not have any additional information to share outside of what you see here.
If this is only happening with one file, I would advise to import into a new file to see if this alleviates the issue.
I tried, didn't work.
I've opened a support case (00905827), and hopefully will learn something really soon!
Thanks Tricia!
I'll follow along as well.
Sorry, Leslie, I did not open a support case. I've experienced this in other companies as far back as 2013 with Storyline 1.
Firefox will just start gobbling up memory -- tends to have scripts that run amuck, and shutting Firefox down doesn't free up that much, so restarting the computer is often necessary when it does that. But Firefox isn't the only culprit. It seems to be a Windows thing.
No worries John, just sharing my findings with Tricia. If it's ever something you'd like our support engineers to take a look at though, please reach out :)
Just popped in to check on Tricia's support case. Looks like Jonathan was able to delete some feedback masters/slides. Hopefully that helps the issue that Tricia was reporting.
This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.