Forum Discussion
Sliders and Dials in Storyline 360: Hidden Power Tools?
Sliders and dials might not be the first thing new Storyline authors reach for, but they can unlock engaging interactions without needing custom JavaScript code.
These objects can do far more than just control numeric values. From data visualizations to interactive learning games to dynamic simulations, they offer a surprising amount of flexibility for driving custom interactivity. And when you realize that any object can be converted into a dial, and that you can offset the rotation point, things start to get really interesting.
I put together a quick example depicted in the attached gif. The first slide uses a slider to adjust the mood of the character; each mood is defined as a separate state. On the second slide I created a farm animal interaction allowing the learner to rotate a custom dial converted from an arrow shape to hear the sound each animal makes.
Here’s what I want to know:
👉 What’s your favorite way to use sliders or dials in Storyline?
👉 Have you ever built something unexpected with them?
👉 Got a clever use case or a design trick others might not know?
I’m collecting creative examples and insights that show just how versatile these tools can be, especially for L&D pros who might be new to Storyline or still getting comfortable with its interactivity features.
Drop a comment, share a link, or tag someone whose work with sliders and dials has inspired you. Let’s bring some of these hidden gems into the spotlight.
7 Replies
Moving a dial or slider changes the value of the associated variable. What some folks don't realize is that changing the value of the variable with a trigger moves the dial or slider. And that opens up a lot of options.
The "Loop Programming" section of my demo about invisible layers shows how to control a dial with buttons and how to have a dial move continuously (for example, a metronome).
- Here's the post (which has a demo file attached): TIP: the Incredible Power of Invisible Layers | Articulate - Community
- And here's the demo in Review 360: https://360.articulate.com/review/content/458408a3-107d-42ad-a9d3-32486680d3c1/review
I also did a post about using a slider to show progress in a quiz.
- Here's the post: (which has a demo file attached): TIP: Using a slider to show Quiz progress | Articulate - Community
- Here's the demo in Review 360: https://360.articulate.com/review/content/5aa26506-2ce8-48e5-bbf1-a1e414b061ca/review
These are great, thanks for sharing, MichaelHinze ! I think I remember seeing some of these examples when Dials were first released.
Here is a clock example where you move the hour and/or minute hand to update the digital clock.
Clock Conversion – Analog to Digital | Review 360
Absolutely! Sliders and dials are the unsung heroes of complex interactivity. Their true power is unlocked when you move beyond just controlling variables and start using those variables to drive states, animations, and conditional triggers. The ability to convert any object into a dial and offset its rotation point is a complete game-changer for creating custom gauges, levers, and realistic manipulatives. This feature alone can elevate a module from basic to brilliant.
I had a student in one of our Yukon classes who was wanting to build an interaction where learners had to precisely place items on a horse (blanket, saddle, bridle, etc.) Drag and drop wasn't really the right solution because if they were using the free placement, once the drag items touched the drop target hotspot, they'd be marked correct. If they didn't use free placement of the drag items, the drag and drop option would then snap the drag item to the center of the drop target.
One idea we came up with was for the learner to slide the items on a slider. The items they're moving are just photos set as the thumb, and invisible tracks: https://360.articulate.com/review/content/ce377f31-814a-43c3-aa67-40deedbbb866/review
Using sliders for a more precise drag and drop interaction is brilliant!
