Storyline, Flash vs. HTML5, iPads, and more

Good Afternoon Martha, and welcome to Heroes!

I have a few tidbits for you that should help to increase understanding:

• When you publish a project for HTML5, we include Flash output as well.  Here’s how Storyline determines which version of your content to display when users view it.
• Our supported browsers for viewing HTML5 content are Google Chrome 14 or later (on Windows or Mac), Safari 5.1 or later (on Windows or Mac) and Mobile Safari (in Apple iOS 5.0 or later on iPad).
• You won't be able to view SCORM, AICC, or web content in the Articulate Mobile Player if your LMS or web server requires users to login.

Please let us know if you need anything else.  Thanks!

From personal experience, you will have fits trying to get audio to work properly on iPad/HTML5. If you have minimal audio and it doesn't need to synchronize with timeline animation, you might be able to get it to work but if you do, you'll go crazy trying to make it work and I'd advise against it at this point. Also, don't even think about putting audio in layers for HTML5 output...which really stinks because layers are so good at keeping a large amount of content on one slide. The worst part is, your course may randomly and unpredictably crash on iPad which is likely due to insufficient memory issues in mobile Safari and SL has little-to-no way of circumventing this issue.

If your client is intent on having an iPad version of their course, I'd recommend designing two completely different versions of your course or conceding to the absolute lowest common denominator in terms of number of pictures, video, audio, etc. I wouldn't attempt it again myself.

Thanks for your responses, Jason and Justin! 

Thanks, Jason, for the info regarding HTML5 and audio on iPads. Have you tried using the Articulate Mobile Player on the iPad? The audio seemed to work well in the courses I looked at that used the player.

HTML5 has many limitations, suggest testing the Articulate Mobile Player but to track your results ensure your LMS supports the Tincan API.

Mac

In my experience the Articulate Mobile Player works really well on iPads - however, if you have a situation where your intended audience is not willing or not allowed to download that app and install it on their iPad, you then have the various maddening problems of using Safari on its own. Which is a Safari / Apple issue, not a Storyline issue I hasten to add

Never used the AMP because my requirements are to put my courses on an LMS. Would've been nice to have it as an option though.

Still doesn't explain all of the issues that SL courses have with audio on IE9+ and Firefox. I could only get it to work reliably on Chrome, like Justin indicated. I still like SL though and look forward to it's evolution.

Good Morning, Jason.

The lack of support for IE and Firefox that I mentioned above is specific to our HTML5 output, since Firefox and IE currently have poor support for HTML5 standard.

If you are experiencing audio trouble in our Flash output using IE and Firefox, that sounds like a different issue that may be worthy of a separate Forum Thread or Support Case.

No, I was just referring to HTML5 output. Thanks for the links...I know HTML5 compliance is challenging right now.

Thanks, everyone, for you responses. For some reason, I didn't get emails notifying me of the additional replies, so I hadn't checked this for a while. It's good to know that the mobile app works so well on the iPad. 

I'll check into using Tincan API with the system we're using, since it would be great if we could actually pass information from the AMP to the LMS. If not, we'll just have to live with the fact that people on iPads can't have their course tracked and bookmarked like the folks who are using the Flash version on other devices.

Glad everyone was able to answer your questions Martha! Just let us know if you need anything further.  

Note: You must click 'Subscribe to replies' at the top of the thread to get those e-mail notifications

@Leslie: when you subscribe to replies, it only seems to give you the first reply; not subsequent ones. That's my experience anyway, and it sounds like others have the same experience.

Agreed, my experience as well! You must subscribe each time you reply. 

Good to know. I had subscribed and gotten a few responses, and then they stopped. 

Glad to help Martha!