Forum Discussion
Frame-by-Frame Timeline Navigation in Storyline 360
Could we please have the ability to move through the timeline frame by frame, both forward and backward, when previewing or editing animations and interactions in Storyline 360.
Why it matters:
- Provides precise control for aligning objects, animations, and triggers.
- Helps developers fine-tune timing for complex sequences without guessing.
- Reduces trial-and-error, saving time during course development.
Implementation approach:
- Introduce Frame Step Buttons next to the Play/Pause controls in the timeline panel.
- Allow stepping forward/backward by a single frame (e.g., 1/30th of a second for standard frame rate).
- Optional shortcut keys for quick navigation (e.g., Arrow keys + modifier).
Benefit for users:
- Improves accuracy in syncing audio, video, and animations.
- Enhances professional polish for e-learning content.
Thank you.
9 Replies
Yes, this would help tremendously. I especially need it for screen recordings that I am playing back in step-by-step. I need to change something on the recording or obscure PII.
Currently there is no way to do that without lots of guessing while watching the playback.
Hi allennation-602,
Thanks for reaching out!
I can see how having to rely on playback and guesswork would make it difficult to pinpoint the exact moment you need to edit, especially when you're trying to obscure PII in a screen recording.
I'd love to understand your workflow, and have a few questions.
- How often are you editing screen recordings this precisely?
- Besides obscuring PII, are there other kinds of edits that frame-by-frame navigation would help you make?
These additional details will help us better understand where the current timeline controls are creating the most friction for you team.
Hi KellyAuner - any reply for me please (I created this post originally)? Thanks.
Hi MeeraLynn-UK,
Apologies for not getting back to you here!
I appreciate you taking the time to share this insight and well thought-out suggestion. I can see how being able to move forward and backward one frame at a time in Storyline 360 would help when fine-tuning animations, triggers, and multimedia elements.
I'd love to learn a little more about your experience:
- How often do you run into timing adjustments like these, and how much extra time does the current process typically add?
- How are you handling these precise timing adjustments today?
These details would help us better understand what improvements would make the biggest difference for your team!
I would like to use this all the time. I handle this by placing the slider right before I need to see timing. Click the play button and closely watch the animation. Usually have to do this several times to get exactly where I need to nudge objects into the correct timing. If I can select a good time range I can play that over and over to watch the timing.
Hey allennation-602,
Thanks for following up and sharing the extra context.
I understand the workaround you've described can feel laborious and repetitive. Insight like this helps our team understand why the feature matters in day-to-day course building.
We'll be sure to update you if we release a future enhancement that helps.
Hi KellyAuner -
Other teams record click-by-click demonstrations showing how to complete tasks within our software. These recordings are typically supplied to us as single continuous videos.
Our role as e-learning developers is then to enhance those recordings by adding AI-generated narration, instructional callouts, highlights, overlays, hotspots, and other learning elements. However, the original recordings are often completed very quickly, making it difficult for learners to see important actions and leaving insufficient time for meaningful narration or instructional content.
This is where frame-by-frame timeline navigation would be extremely valuable. We frequently need to identify the exact frame where a click occurs, a screen changes, or an action is completed so we can accurately position overlays and synchronise audio.
Currently, the process is largely trial and error. To create pauses for instruction, we often have to duplicate videos, split them at specific points, insert freeze-frame sections, and repeatedly preview the result to check timing. When dealing with longer videos containing multiple steps, this can add hours of development time.
Frame-by-frame navigation would allow us to pinpoint exact moments in the timeline immediately, making it much faster and more precise to:
- Synchronise narration with on-screen actions.
- Position overlays, highlights, and hotspots accurately.
- Create instructional pauses where learners need more time.
- Fine-tune animations and interactions without repeated preview cycles.
For our team, this would be a significant productivity improvement rather than simply a convenience feature, particularly when converting software demonstrations into polished e-learning content.
I hope that explains it - thank you.
Hey MeeraLynn-UK,
Glad to see that Kelly has been helping you.
Thanks for sharing the detailed context around your current workflow. The trial-and-error process can add significant development time, and authors shouldn’t have to rely on guesswork to get precise results in Storyline.
Your feedback is helpful, and we'll be sure to notify you if this feature makes it to our product roadmap.
I use frame by frame for many of the slides I create. I have voice overs that need to line up correctly several element interacting. For screen recordings, I want to fine tune the presentation so movement on the screen matches up with elements that are highlighting and describing items on the recording.
