Hi. I've created a video in Storyline 360 from 4 slides. When I embed it in Rise, it shows as a blank screen with start button. It plays as expected but I'd like to get a first frame picture showing rather than the white square. Grateful for any suggestions.
Thanks for the tip Thomas. It's really odd. My first slide has not audio. In SL and even Replay it is fine but when I upload in my Rise course, it starts out with the black screen.
I like that workaround Debra, I will add that as a text above the video in RISE. I agree with you. It looks really bad in a course to start off in black. Thank you.
I am having the same issue - Looks unexciting as black screen. Will add instruction regarding video will start after clicking next but it would be good to identify a way to show the nice intro page to entice the learner to press play
I had this problem a year or so ago. I found that it was not the audio, but transitions and animations. If I had either of these on the first SL slide and embedded it in Rise as a video or as a SL module, it gave the black screen. Removing the animation/transition worked for me.
This also just occurred for me. I had a one-slide course that would appear gray after being added to Rise (added as an Interactive Storyline block, not an mp4 video). This single slide had both audio (music) and an Articulate Content Library video.
Based on this discussion, I took a screenshot of the slide and saved it as .png file. I then added a blank slide to the start of my course, inserted the screenshot image, shortened the Timeline to 1 second (no Transition animation between slides), published it again to Review 360, and added it to Rise. It worked perfectly.
I'm not sure if this is the same issue or not, but I'm trying to create 'video' objects for Rise blocks that are basically photo(s) with audio under. I would prefer to use Storyline over Replay as I can do more on top of the video. However, when I export from Replay, the video starts on frame 1 with the picture. When I export from Storyline it starts with black, which just doesn't look as good in Rise to have all these black blocks before the user selects play. I have tried exporting from a single screen with the photo and audio, and also adding a screen before the video with just the photo and a automatic forward to screen 2, exporting to video as a course. No matter what I do the Storyline video export always makes a video that starts on black. I have a lot of these to do, so would really prefer not to have to edit every video after the export. Anyone figure this out? Or am I missing a setting in Storylline?
What worked for me was to insert a first slide with relevant picture and NO actions, on a short time-line. Check to ensure that there are no transitions or animations and no sound. In the 'publish to video' section there is also an opportunity to see what the opening will look like - make sure that it shows the inanimate slide. Note that doing this alone is not sufficient to avoid the black opening. Then publish to SL as video, When I did this, the video came out correctly. Good luck.
I've been using the same technique as Errol just mentioned, and it works consistently. Since I posted 2 months ago, I've applied this technique to both Storyline Story blocks and mp4 videos. Most times, I'll take a screen shot of the first slide, insert it as an image on its own slide, making it the first in the Scene. Then, like Errol, I make sure there is no action or animation and shorten the timeline to ~1 second. Then I can publish and insert. Works every time.
Thanks Errol and Danielle for responding. Somehow it's still not working for me. I think I did you what you suggested. I added a still of the actual screen on an initial frame without anything else. I have a trigger to jump to the next screen when the timeline reaches 0.2 seconds. No audio, nothing else. Then I export the scene to a video with only these two screens. I also looked at the opening slide in the publish (three dots next to title) and it's correct. I'm not using a player as it's just a single short screen of a picture with audio, exported as a video. I think I might lose my mind, because I probably have a hundred of these to do...
Try removing the trigger. It is unnecessary if you are publishing to video. My start slide is absolutely inanimate except for the timeline which runs for a couple of seconds. Cheers.
Same as Errol. I just insert a blank slide in the first position of the new Scene — no animation on the slide, no Transition between this slide and the next, no Audio, and no Video. Like Errol, and depending on the project, I'll either insert a relevant photo from the Content Library, or I'll take a full-size screen shot of the beginning of the video, save it as a .jpg or .png and insert it (so it gives the illusion it is the beginning of the video). I then drag the Timeline on that first slide to something very short, like 0.5-1 second, and apply the Slide Triger "Jump to next slide | When the timeline ends on this slide." Then publish and add to Rise. This works for me.
I wish I could report good news after all your great advice Errol and Danielle. However it just won't remove that black frame consistently using either way (except intermittently it will do one without out, like 1 out of 50). I tried both with an ending trigger and without anything. I've attached the .story for one of videos just because it's making me bonkers :) Right now I've invested more time trying to get it to work than just clipping them all in another program (for this project anyway), but I just hate it when something isn't working. It would be wonderful if Articulate could fix the issue, or see what is not working with the workaround. Thanks again. Lex
Thanks Math, that will help in the future for getting rid of the Play button! As for the black screen, I just kept doing the Errol and Danielle technique and all of the sudden it started working consistently. I am not questioning it. Just going with the will of the computer gods. Thanks again everyone!
Hello Everyone, I am experiencing the same problem. I have never worked in Rise only Storyline. However, my latest client wants me to use Rise instead of Storyline. When I create the video or interaction in Storyline and insert it in Rise, the first screen is black. I then decided to do the workaround which was have the first slide not have audio and created a trigger to start on a layer and it still did not work. Any help would be appreciated.
Also, is Rise keyboard accessible? I was trying to use the keyboard to view the interactive slides in Rise and videos but I keep getting into a loop. Is there a key that I can use to get out of this loop. I am using the tab key to move forward and the shift + Tab key to move backwards. Those work fine but once I am in a block in Rise I can't seem to move on to the next block.
Hi Wendy! Thanks for reaching out! May we know what Browser and version number you're using where you're having trouble with Rise?
It may also help if you send a copy of your .story project and a copy of your Rise project? You can open up a case here to send us the copies privately.
I apologize. I uninstalled the latest version in Rise and then did the work around that I found online. Apparently, if you use audio then you must create a cover slide. The trigger I set up on that slide is to jump to the next slide when timeline starts. It is a little strange that I have to do this but apparently this is a known issue with Rise. Well, at least according to your website. When the August 31 update came out, I updated the software, and this work around works with the latest update too so that is great!
I was also having trouble with getting the video controls to work so what I did was just not even use them and came up with another work around. I have not tried it again since the last update from August 31.
Other than that, everything is working out quite well. I was kind of excited because I created a Crossword puzzle in storyline and uploaded it in Rise. It looks nice. It takes a few seconds to load, but other than that it works perfectly.
Hi Wendy! Glad to hear all is working well! It looks like your email signature came through when you replied via email. You can remove that if needed by clicking ‘Edit’ beneath your response. Here’s a quick Peek video if you need help.
Hi, I'm new to Articulate and trying to publish one slide from SL 360 for a Rise 360 course and am having this problem.
I've tried inserting an image of the slide at 0s for 0.5s before the rest of the media on the slide, but this hasn't helped. I'm still getting the black block with a big play button in the middle when I add it in Rise.
Hi Wendy - quick note - when you reply via email, it includes your email signature with contact information in the public discussion. You can edit it out of the post if you wish!
62 Replies
Thanks for the tip Thomas. It's really odd. My first slide has not audio. In SL and even Replay it is fine but when I upload in my Rise course, it starts out with the black screen.
I like that workaround Debra, I will add that as a text above the video in RISE. I agree with you. It looks really bad in a course to start off in black. Thank you.
I am having the same issue - Looks unexciting as black screen. Will add instruction regarding video will start after clicking next but it would be good to identify a way to show the nice intro page to entice the learner to press play
I had this problem a year or so ago. I found that it was not the audio, but transitions and animations. If I had either of these on the first SL slide and embedded it in Rise as a video or as a SL module, it gave the black screen. Removing the animation/transition worked for me.
This also just occurred for me. I had a one-slide course that would appear gray after being added to Rise (added as an Interactive Storyline block, not an mp4 video). This single slide had both audio (music) and an Articulate Content Library video.
Based on this discussion, I took a screenshot of the slide and saved it as .png file. I then added a blank slide to the start of my course, inserted the screenshot image, shortened the Timeline to 1 second (no Transition animation between slides), published it again to Review 360, and added it to Rise. It worked perfectly.
Thank you all for your input.
I'm not sure if this is the same issue or not, but I'm trying to create 'video' objects for Rise blocks that are basically photo(s) with audio under. I would prefer to use Storyline over Replay as I can do more on top of the video. However, when I export from Replay, the video starts on frame 1 with the picture. When I export from Storyline it starts with black, which just doesn't look as good in Rise to have all these black blocks before the user selects play. I have tried exporting from a single screen with the photo and audio, and also adding a screen before the video with just the photo and a automatic forward to screen 2, exporting to video as a course. No matter what I do the Storyline video export always makes a video that starts on black. I have a lot of these to do, so would really prefer not to have to edit every video after the export. Anyone figure this out? Or am I missing a setting in Storylline?
I just found a way to get rid of the black - export to SD... At 540 the first frame is the actual video.
That's a great tip, Alexis! Thanks for sharing that with the community!
Sorry, then I did it again with the same settings and it had black at the start. Argh.
What worked for me was to insert a first slide with relevant picture and NO actions, on a short time-line. Check to ensure that there are no transitions or animations and no sound. In the 'publish to video' section there is also an opportunity to see what the opening will look like - make sure that it shows the inanimate slide. Note that doing this alone is not sufficient to avoid the black opening. Then publish to SL as video, When I did this, the video came out correctly. Good luck.
I've been using the same technique as Errol just mentioned, and it works consistently. Since I posted 2 months ago, I've applied this technique to both Storyline Story blocks and mp4 videos. Most times, I'll take a screen shot of the first slide, insert it as an image on its own slide, making it the first in the Scene. Then, like Errol, I make sure there is no action or animation and shorten the timeline to ~1 second. Then I can publish and insert. Works every time.
Thanks Errol and Danielle for responding. Somehow it's still not working for me. I think I did you what you suggested. I added a still of the actual screen on an initial frame without anything else. I have a trigger to jump to the next screen when the timeline reaches 0.2 seconds. No audio, nothing else. Then I export the scene to a video with only these two screens. I also looked at the opening slide in the publish (three dots next to title) and it's correct. I'm not using a player as it's just a single short screen of a picture with audio, exported as a video. I think I might lose my mind, because I probably have a hundred of these to do...
Try removing the trigger. It is unnecessary if you are publishing to video. My start slide is absolutely inanimate except for the timeline which runs for a couple of seconds. Cheers.
Same as Errol. I just insert a blank slide in the first position of the new Scene — no animation on the slide, no Transition between this slide and the next, no Audio, and no Video. Like Errol, and depending on the project, I'll either insert a relevant photo from the Content Library, or I'll take a full-size screen shot of the beginning of the video, save it as a .jpg or .png and insert it (so it gives the illusion it is the beginning of the video). I then drag the Timeline on that first slide to something very short, like 0.5-1 second, and apply the Slide Triger "Jump to next slide | When the timeline ends on this slide." Then publish and add to Rise. This works for me.
I wish I could report good news after all your great advice Errol and Danielle. However it just won't remove that black frame consistently using either way (except intermittently it will do one without out, like 1 out of 50). I tried both with an ending trigger and without anything. I've attached the .story for one of videos just because it's making me bonkers :) Right now I've invested more time trying to get it to work than just clipping them all in another program (for this project anyway), but I just hate it when something isn't working. It would be wonderful if Articulate could fix the issue, or see what is not working with the workaround. Thanks again. Lex
Lex, sorry it didn't work.. I can't think of anything else, sorry. I hope
Articulate can help.
Although im not 100% sure if this is the same issue... but it seems like it, and i solved it here.
https://community.articulate.com/discussions/articulate-storyline/remove-play-button-on-html5-opening-screen-in-storyline-360?page=3
Thanks Math, that will help in the future for getting rid of the Play button! As for the black screen, I just kept doing the Errol and Danielle technique and all of the sudden it started working consistently. I am not questioning it. Just going with the will of the computer gods. Thanks again everyone!
Hello Everyone, I am experiencing the same problem. I have never worked in Rise only Storyline. However, my latest client wants me to use Rise instead of Storyline. When I create the video or interaction in Storyline and insert it in Rise, the first screen is black. I then decided to do the workaround which was have the first slide not have audio and created a trigger to start on a layer and it still did not work. Any help would be appreciated.
Also, is Rise keyboard accessible? I was trying to use the keyboard to view the interactive slides in Rise and videos but I keep getting into a loop. Is there a key that I can use to get out of this loop. I am using the tab key to move forward and the shift + Tab key to move backwards. Those work fine but once I am in a block in Rise I can't seem to move on to the next block.
Hi Wendy! Thanks for reaching out! May we know what Browser and version number you're using where you're having trouble with Rise?
It may also help if you send a copy of your .story project and a copy of your Rise project? You can open up a case here to send us the copies privately.
Thanks for sharing this information, removing the audio from the first slide has really helped!
Hello Renz,
I apologize. I uninstalled the latest version in Rise and then did the work around that I found online. Apparently, if you use audio then you must create a cover slide. The trigger I set up on that slide is to jump to the next slide when timeline starts. It is a little strange that I have to do this but apparently this is a known issue with Rise. Well, at least according to your website. When the August 31 update came out, I updated the software, and this work around works with the latest update too so that is great!
I was also having trouble with getting the video controls to work so what I did was just not even use them and came up with another work around. I have not tried it again since the last update from August 31.
Other than that, everything is working out quite well. I was kind of excited because I created a Crossword puzzle in storyline and uploaded it in Rise. It looks nice. It takes a few seconds to load, but other than that it works perfectly.
Have great day!
Best regards,
Wendy Schweitzer
Hi Wendy! Glad to hear all is working well! It looks like your email signature came through when you replied via email. You can remove that if needed by clicking ‘Edit’ beneath your response. Here’s a quick Peek video if you need help.
Hi, I'm new to Articulate and trying to publish one slide from SL 360 for a Rise 360 course and am having this problem.
I've tried inserting an image of the slide at 0s for 0.5s before the rest of the media on the slide, but this hasn't helped. I'm still getting the black block with a big play button in the middle when I add it in Rise.
Help! :)
Hi Wendy - quick note - when you reply via email, it includes your email signature with contact information in the public discussion. You can edit it out of the post if you wish!