New in Labs: AI Avatars in Storyline 360

AI Avatars is in active development as part of Labs. Functionality will evolve, and we may modify or remove certain features based on user feedback and stability. This feature is only available if AI Assistant is enabled in your subscription.

Filming, editing, and updating presenter videos can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. AI Avatars in Storyline 360 changes that by turning a script into a presenter-style video using a customizable character, no camera or editing required. Read on to learn more.

• Understand AI Avatars
• Generate AI Avatars
• Get Better Results with These Tips
• Usage and Credits FAQs
• Share Your Feedback

Understand AI Avatars

AI Avatars work best for short, presenter-style videos, such as introductions, transitions, and key takeaways that guide learners through your course.

Choose a character from a library of photorealistic and illustrated options, or create your own. Filter by style, gender, age, or environment, then fine-tune your selection using a simple chat interface.

Trying AI Avatars in Labs is included with your Articulate 360 AI subscription. Each generated video uses credits based on its length, up to a maximum of 5 minutes. You'll always see the exact credit cost before generating a video, so there are no surprises. (Learn how credits work.)

In the next section, learn how to create your first AI avatar video. Then, explore tips and known limitations to achieve the best results.

Generate AI Avatars

To get started, enable the feature in Labs, then follow these steps:

1. Switch to Slide View.
2. Go to the Home or Insert tab on the ribbon.
3. Click the Insert Avatar icon to open the Generate AI Avatar window, as shown below.

Generate AI Avatar window with character and voice selection panels on the left, and character preview on the right.

You can either select a character from the Stock characters library to use as-is, create one of your own, or upload an image file. Whichever you use, you can customize it to fit your needs.

Select a Character

1. Choose a character from the Stock characters section in the Select character panel. Scroll through the gallery to discover more ready-to-use characters.
• Use the dropdown menu in the upper-right corner of the panel to show only Saved or Stock characters. The default is All characters.
2. Use Filters to find specific characters. The available filter options are:
• Style: Photorealistic, Illustrated
• Gender: Female, Male, Non-binary
• Age: Young adult, Adult, Older adult
• Environment: Office, Medical, Construction, Industry
3. See your currently selected character in the Results panel on the right. From there, you can:
• Download the character by clicking the Download icon in the lower-right corner of the image. Characters are downloaded in PNG format.
• Edit your character by clicking the Customize button.

Note: When you select a character, the Create voiceover panel will expand automatically.

Create a Character

To create a new character, click the Create button in the Select character panel. This opens the character customization interface.

Enter your prompt in the chat box to describe the character you want. Include as much detail as possible—for example, the character's role or job, clothing, setting, and the overall visual tone.

Enhance Prompt with AI

AI can help you turn simple character prompts into richer, more detailed descriptions. For example, if you start with a basic prompt like "A doctor," click the Enhance prompt with AI button (magic wand) in the lower-right corner. AI then expands your prompt with additional details about the character’s appearance, pose, lighting, and background.

You can enhance prompts when creating a new character or when editing an existing one.

Reference Images

Use Reference images to help AI generate characters that match your brand, environment, and visual style. Here's how:

1. Click the Reference images button below the chat box.
2. Upload up to four reference files:
• Character: Upload an image of a person or character.
• Background: Upload an image of a scene or environment.
• Logo: Upload an image of your company or brand logo.
• Additional image: Upload any additional reference image.
3. (Optional) To replace or delete a reference image, hover over it, then click the Replace or Delete icon.

You can also choose from prebuilt prompts for style, framing, presentation, pose, environment, clothing, and expression. Click the Quick Prompts icon in the lower-left, then select a pill button to apply it, or click again to deselect it. For guidance on achieving the best results, click the Tips icon next to it.

As you iterate, new versions appear in the preview panel. Use the filmstrip or arrows to switch between versions and compare results.

When you're ready, select a version, then click Save character. Enter a name, then click Save. Your character will appear in the Saved characters section. If you leave without saving, your changes will be lost.

To rename or delete a saved character, hover over it, click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner, then select Rename or Delete.

Upload a Character

1. Click the Upload button in the Select character panel.
2. Select an image file from your computer if you clicked the Upload button.
3. Supported image file formats include JPG, PNG, and WEBP, with a maximum size of 10 MB.
4. Enter a name for your character, then click Save character.

The uploaded character appears in the Saved characters section.

Customize a Character

Customize your selected character by clicking the Customize button in the lower-right corner of the character preview. This opens the character customization interface, where you can:

• Change the background or setting
• Update clothing or appearance
• Modify the character's pose
• Add or remove elements

Use reference images to guide character customization. Click the Reference images button, then upload an image of a character, background, logo, or any other image for additional reference.

To speed up customization, click the Quick Prompts icon in the lower-left, then select any prebuilt prompts in the Quick edits section. Click the Tips icon next to it for guidance on improving your results.

AI Avatars character customization chat interface

Add Character Voice

Use the audio selection panel to generate text-to-speech audio for your character. If you've used AI text-to-speech in Storyline 360, this experience will feel familiar.

To choose a voice and create your audio, follow these steps:

1. Select a voice from the dropdown menu.
• If you're using a character from the stock library, a recommended voice is selected by default.
• Open the dropdown to explore other options.
• Click the play button to preview a voice.
• Click View all voices to browse the full voice library.
2. Add your script.
• Enter your script in the text box.
• To generate a script, click Write with AI and enter a prompt or choose from prebuilt options.
• Scripts can be up to 5,000 characters long.
3. Configure advanced settings (optional).
• Click Advanced settings to choose a voice model or make further adjustments.
4. Generate speech.
• Click Generate voiceover to create the voiceover.
• Each version is saved in the History list on the right, below the character preview, for easy comparison.
• Use the static preview to check how the voice pairs with your character.

Set Video Options

AI avatar videos are compressed by default to preserve quality while keeping file sizes small for web distribution. To generate the highest-quality output, select the Optimize for LMS compatibility box in the Set video options panel. Note that high-quality videos have larger file sizes, which some Learning Management Systems (LMS) may not support.

Generate Avatar Video

When you're satisfied with the character and voice pairing, select both, then click Generate video using [X] credits in the bottom right to create the avatar video. The credit usage is shown on the button, and your remaining credits appear next to it.

You'll see a placeholder while your video is being generated. You may continue working while this is in progress.

To edit your video, right-click it and select Edit AI Avatar. This will reopen the Generate AI Avatar window so you can update the character, voice, or script.

Notes:

• To avoid losing progress and credits, make sure to save your project before closing it if an avatar video is still generating.
• You have 30 days to save your project after the avatar video is generated. After that, it will be removed.
• AI only starts generating closed captions after it finishes generating the avatar video. It also includes alt text for the poster frame or video thumbnail.
• You can submit only one piece of feedback for each video, even if you duplicate it. After submitting feedback, save the project to permanently mark the video as having feedback. Until you save the project, you can reopen the feedback dialog and resubmit it.

Get Better Results with These Tips

The following tips will help you achieve better, more consistent results when creating AI Avatar videos:

• Keep videos simple. Complex scenes with multiple characters or busy environments can cause unnatural lip-sync and background movement. Focus on videos featuring a single narrator, including introductions, transitions, and key takeaways.
• Make prompts clear and specific. Describe exactly what you want, including details such as the character's role, appearance, and environment.
• Concentrate on one idea at a time. Break longer content into individual avatar videos, each conveying a single message.

Understanding the following known limitations can help you achieve more predictable results:

• Generation can take a while. We're prioritizing output quality, which can increase processing time—especially for longer scripts. We know this can feel slow, and we're continuing to look for ways to improve the experience.
• You may notice excessive or unwanted hand motions. Characters may sometimes gesture with their hands more than expected.
• Background movements might look unnatural. You may notice subtle motion in the background, even when it's supposed to be static.
• The video could trail off. Your video may end abruptly or trail off without a natural pause in the narration.

These are known limitations of the model and can’t be resolved by adjusting prompts. We’re working to improve these experiences.

Usage and Credits FAQs

What is a credit? How does it work?

Each time you create or regenerate an AI Avatar video, a small number of video generation credits will be used. You'll always see how many credits a video will cost before you generate it.

As part of the Labs experience, you'll have a fixed number of credits to explore and create. We'll refresh these credits when we release AI Avatars to the public.

What happens when I run out of credits?

This experience currently includes a fixed number of credits. If you use yours up and would like more, you can apply to join our private beta. If you're accepted, we'll provide additional credits in exchange for participating in feedback sessions to help us improve the feature. Learn more about our beta and trial terms.

Do credits get used every time I edit or duplicate an avatar video?

Credits are used only when regenerating a video; duplicating avatar videos or editing without regeneration doesn't consume credits.

Are failed generations refunded? How about low-quality or unexpected results?

If a generation fails, the credits used are automatically refunded, allowing you to try again. During this Labs phase, credits won't be refunded if the results don't meet expectations.

Can credits be shared across a team?

No. Credits are tied to individual users and can't be shared.

Can admins control or limit usage?

Usage controls are not available during this Labs phase.

Share Your Feedback

We'd love to hear how the AI Avatars feature is working for you! After generating a video, use the feedback icons right below the output to rate the result. Click the thumbs-up icon if it meets your needs, or the thumbs-down icon to share your thoughts.

Your input goes directly to our product and engineering teams to help improve the experience. You can also use the feedback link near the AI Avatars heading in the upper-left corner while creating your avatar video, or share your thoughts in the comments below.