Unused Slide Master Layouts

Dec 10, 2019

I was recently informed by Support that unused Slide Master layout slides contribute to a large file size and removing these unused slide master layouts will help decrease the size. 

Is Storyline able to identify all unused master slide layouts and is there a way to select all unused and delete? 

I'm finding that I have to go one-by-one to identify what is in-use and what is not. The right clicking on the slide master layout doesn't always show the delete option - it's grayed out, even though it's not used.

I'd love to find a way to make this process easier! 

8 Replies
Tom Kuhlmann

That's interesting. I've done hundreds of workshops and haven't run into an issue where the slide masters not used create large file sizes (assuming they're not custom slide masters loaded with media).

I did a test and inserted every single content library template and used just a single slide. The total file was 19.5 MB. Then I deleted all unused slide masters and layouts and the file size only dropped to 18 MB. 

I think the culprit would be slide masters holding a lot of images and other media.

As far as your question, currently there isn't a one click solution to remove unused slide master or layouts. As you discovered, if the layout is being used you can't delete it. I usually don't mess with the slide master layouts since they're all under the hood. But if one wanted to delete them, start with the first layout and hit delete and it will keep deleting until it gets to a slide that is using that layout. Skip and hit delete on the one below and repeat.

While it may seem tedious, most people aren't using more than one or two different slidea masters and for the most part there's no need to delete them unless you run into issues like yours. 

Tom Kuhlmann

Multimedia will be the biggest file hog. I try to keep my media production separate from course construction. For example, I build images, audio, and video outside if I can. 

This way you have a single file to work with. 

For example: if you insert an image in Storyline, add effects, and then crop it. That's a lot of extra info for that image and Storyline has to process and manage the file. If you did it all to the image and then insert the image as desired, it's lighter.

Bill Vernola

Can anyone answer why a layout in the slide master displays a message that the layout is used by 4 slides, but it isn't used anywhere. I put an orange rectangle on the layout, then went through the slide deck and it doesn't show up anywhere. Doesn't seem to make sense. Is it a bug in the software or am I missing something. If I'm missing something, please help. Thanks!

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