Using the SHIFT key during a screen recording

Jul 13, 2012

I'm having a tough time getting the SHIFT key to work during a screen recording. I'm trying to simulate holding down SHIFT to select multiple files within Windows Explorer. The shortcut key evaluation does not seem to recognize that the SHIFT key alone has been pressed. It only seems to work when SHIFT is used in combination with another key.

Has anyone else experienced this?

13 Replies
Erich Renken

For anyone who happens to read this, it doesn't seem as though there's a workaround for evaluating whether a user has depressed the SHIFT key when they click an area or not. It sounds like a best practice is to use hotspots for the first and last item in a range and hope that they're actually depressing the SHIFT key while they're clicking the hotspots. For my purposes, I'll probably prompt the user to depress the SHIFT key after the first click and before their next click (even though I won't be able to evaluate whether they have or not).

Rebecca Green

Thanks for your follow-up post Erich.  I encountered the same challenge when trying to produce a simulation that involved holding the control key to multi-select items in a list.  After reading your post, I went with the prompt to hold the control key as well.  I think a solution in the Storyline software would be to add an option to the shortcut key configuration that allows not only a Cntrl/Shift + [press key] option but a Cntrl/Shift + [Select Hotspot] option.  I'm going to submit this as an enhancement idea.

Katie Riggio

Hey there, Rui!

In Storyline 3 and Storyline 360, you could use the control key and the shift key in combination with another key (e.g., Ctrl + Shift + A). 

We'd love to learn more about how this specific key combination would be helpful for you. Could you share more below?

Katie Riggio

Hello again, Rui!

I appreciate the extra context.

There isn't a native solution for those keys, but I will surface this idea with the team. In the meantime, you're spot-on: Referencing this related post, it looks like JavaScript is perfect for the job. 

If we add this capability to Storyline, you'll be the first to know!