Today we released a new feature in Storyline 360 called 360° images. We think you’ll love transforming any 360° image into an interactive learning experience that invites learners to explore and engage. Import any panoramic 360° image, pick an initial view, and resize for the perfect fit. Looking for images to experiment with? Try this collection. Once you’ve imported an image, you can add interactions using markers, hotspots, and triggers to capture learners’ attention and add contextual info to the images they’re exploring. You can create custom markers and add hotspots anywhere on the image. Finetune how learners interact with 360° images easily. Add progress meters to show learners their progress, and choose how learners navigate through the image to create the immersive experience you want. Download the latest version of Storyline 360 to start experimenting with 360° images—and share your projects! We’d love to see them here in E-Learning Heroes.

Hey gang! Just a quick reminder, you can still share your 360° image demos and examples in our weekly e-learning challenge: Creating Interactive 360° Images in E-Learning #337. Your example doesn't have to be anything complicated or overly polished. Whatever you come up with, we'll feature it in the recap post. Sharing your work in the challenges is a good way to practice 360° images while connecting with fellow users. Hope to see you in the challenge!

Loving this new feature! Used it in my latest E-Learning Challenges demo.

This is amazing! Now if I can figure out how to format an illustrated panoramic image to import. When I import the panoramic, it just gives a tight circular view. I read that it needs to be an Equirectangular panoramic. So I'll need to set all that up prior to import. I'm wanting to use illustrated background rather than 360 photograph to make an interactive video. Or gamified experience/tour. Any tutorials out there on how to convert a regular panoramic illustration into a equirectangular panoramic? I so want to learn how to use this feature! looks awesome!

Hi, Chris. You can add alt text to the 360º image itself by going to Home > Focus order: What we included in the update was the ability to add alt text to images and videos in a marker or hotspot label within the 360º interaction. I hope this helps!

I have done a number of edits to the 360 panoramic images, like adding 3D PPT objects into the scenes, changing art work on walls, adding my own green direction arrows on the floors, etc. Just use the 3D panoramic import in Photoshop. Once you have the 360 image opened you can move to the position where you want the object to be/stay. Draw or paste it on a layer, when your finished editing you need to merge the new layer (Ctrl+E) down. Once you merge with 360 layer you cannot change it independently, so do it last before exporting. Then, under the 3D tab select Export panoramic image and replace in Storyline and the object/edit will move with the scene. Hope i explained that clear enough.

New feature in Storyline 360: Interactive 360° images

DavidAnderson
Staff
3 years ago
Hey gang! Just a quick reminder, you can still share your 360° image demos and examples in our weekly e-learning challenge: Creating Interactive 360° Images in E-Learning #337.

Your example doesn't have to be anything complicated or overly polished. Whatever you come up with, we'll feature it in the recap post. Sharing your work in the challenges is a good way to practice 360° images while connecting with fellow users. Hope to see you in the challenge!
Jonathan_Hill
Super Hero
4 years ago
Loving this new feature! Used it in my latest E-Learning Challenges demo.
- KellyGonter
  Community Member
  4 years ago
  Can you please recommend a model/brand of camera to produce the equirectangular panorama jpgs?
- EdwardHoke-8ec6
  Community Member
  3 years ago
  Nice Jonathan! (Although, pushing it a little with adding Tina to the "...genius of...). Keep it going!
  - Jonathan_Hill
    Super Hero
    3 years ago
    Thanks! Tina is credited as one of the five songwriters alongside the rest of the band and producer Bryan Eno. One of the most underrated bassists around and definitely a genius, in my humble opinion.
LauraIngle-2da7
Community Member
4 years ago
This is amazing! Now if I can figure out how to format an illustrated panoramic image to import. When I import the panoramic, it just gives a tight circular view. I read that it needs to be an Equirectangular panoramic. So I'll need to set all that up prior to import. I'm wanting to use illustrated background rather than 360 photograph to make an interactive video. Or gamified experience/tour. Any tutorials out there on how to convert a regular panoramic illustration into a equirectangular panoramic? I so want to learn how to use this feature! looks awesome!
MCostaStienstra
Staff
3 years ago
Hi, Chris.

You can add alt text to the 360º image itself by going to Home > Focus order:

What we included in the update was the ability to add alt text to images and videos in a marker or hotspot label within the 360º interaction.

I hope this helps!
JerryDonney
Community Member
3 years ago
I have done a number of edits to the 360 panoramic images, like adding 3D PPT objects into the scenes, changing art work on walls, adding my own green direction arrows on the floors, etc. Just use the 3D panoramic import in Photoshop. Once you have the 360 image opened you can move to the position where you want the object to be/stay. Draw or paste it on a layer, when your finished editing you need to merge the new layer (Ctrl+E) down. Once you merge with 360 layer you cannot change it independently, so do it last before exporting. Then, under the 3D tab select Export panoramic image and replace in Storyline and the object/edit will move with the scene. Hope i explained that clear enough.
- DeniseHargett-b
  Community Member
  3 years ago
  Yes, you did great. I followed your instructions to the letter. My problem occurred at the point when I Merged Down in Photoshop. The images became so grossly pixelated that I could not use them. And of course could not edit them because they were now merged with the base (panoramic) layer. This happened every single time with every single image I tried to merge down into the panoramic image in Photoshop 2022. Images were clean and clear until I selected the Merge down function. This even happened with the text's that I typed on the walls. Heavily pixelated after I merged down. I spent a week trying to figure this thing out, seemed like such a silly, simple thing-I have never thrown in the towel. I have a huge project explaining a manufacturing process where a dozen or so pretty complicated machines and assembly lines are used. I had everything (maps, assets, gifs) collected and was ready to build using the 360 images in Storyline. The success hinged on being able to insert the machinery images into the Panorama image first before inserting into Storyline. Never dreamt that I wouldn't be able to do that after watching the YouTube video. So I bragged to my manager who bragged to the Director of our division about the cool 360 degree output and the interactivity. It will be done by end-of-the week but not what I described. My pride is grossly wounded and will not be promising imaginings that have not been tested first.
  
  Thank you for taking the time to respond. By the way, when I first opened Photoshop, I received a message that Photoshop would be discontinuing to support 360 functions and encouraged users to look at their other new 360 products. ???
  
  Cheers,
  
  Denise Hargett
  Olympia I VSPOne I Lab Trainer Learning and Development
  8719 Commerce Pl DR NE, Suite D, Lacey, WA 98516
  P: 360.529.8616 I C: 360.480.9572 I denise.hargett@vsp.com I VSPOneTraining@VSP.com
  One team. One Vision. One network.
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  - MichaelOppenhei
    Community Member
    3 years ago
    Denise,
    
    A great alternative to Photoshop is Affinity Photo (available for Windows and Mac with a one time purchase of $55, no subscription). There is even a iPad version for $22. Affinity Photo does not have all the features as Photoshop, but there are so many, most people would not notice.
    
    Affinity Photo has the ability to work with 360 Photos.
DeniseHargett-b
Community Member
3 years ago
I agree Penny. The ability to zoom in and out on a 360 image would be a game-changer. I had to purchase another software just to get this function. No subscription and less than $500, but still-already have Storyline. The tradeoff was that I lost all the great authoring tools that Storyline provides. :(
BenMcKenna-ba88
Community Member
4 years ago
This seems like a really great feature - I'm excited to use it! Seems to perform well during my tests.

As an aside, I really like how the new markers work in the 360° image feature (having content library icons integrated, allowing resize, etc.). It looks really flashy and modern. 😊 Are you planning on updating normal markers to allow for this level of customization? It would be great.
- MeganDaniele-9e
  Community Member
  3 years ago
  second this!
MichaelOppenhei
Community Member
4 years ago
Michael Bauer,

I noticed as a default Storyline generates a variable "360Image1_VisitedItems". Creating a trigger like this should do what you are asking for. The value 5 aligns with the number of spots that i put on the 360 image.
- JeffRobedee
  Community Member
  3 years ago
  I'm trying to accomplish this myself-- with no way to change the state of a marker (i.e. to hidden), is there a way to force a user to click each marker before proceeding?
  - IrisSchlabitz
    Community Member
    3 years ago
    Hi Jeff,
    
    I have done this by creating layers for each marker, providing a message like "there is nothing to see here currently" on the base 360° image. Then making a true/false variable for each marker and adding the triggers in the 360° image:
    
    First Marker: set "name of specific variable e.g. first marker" to true when user clicks "first marker".
    
    Second Marker:
    
    set "name of second marker" to true when the user clicks "second marker" and if "first marker" is true.
    
    Show layer "second marker" when user clicks "second marker" if "first marker" is false.
    
    Then add a trigger that leads to the slide/layer where the marker leads to, if all the previous markers are true.
    
    Repeat the second marker steps, adding always the previous steps to be either true or false.
    
    I also attach a screenshot of a first set of triggers. I hope this helps?
Dominik1
Community Member
4 years ago
Fantastic new feature. I really like it a lot and it opens up tons of new possibilities. Are there any plans to include the 360° images into the translation export in the near future? Currently it does not seem to work. Thank you.
- AnnieKim18
  Staff
  4 years ago
  Hi Dominik,
  
  Glad to hear you're enjoying the new feature! In more good news, we do plan on adding translation support in the near future!
  - Dominik1
    Community Member
    4 years ago
    Great news. Thank you Annie.
MichaelOppenhei
Community Member
4 years ago
I am working on a lesson right now utilizing 360 images. I am using an Insta360 One to take the photos. I then edit out the monopod and downscale the image using Affinity Photo. I bought the Insta360 One three years ago for personal use. It needs really good light. I hope the newer cameras are more light sensitive.