I don't think so. I wonder what would happen if you create the zoom on the first slide and then duplicate the slide twice. - You would have to go into the duplicate slides add re add the rest of your content but it might achieve the results you are after.
Gridlines or guides. Unfortunately, the Zoom rectangle doesn't have a nice size / position property inspector. That'd make a nice feature request though
The zoom will always be the same aspect ratio as the slide. Create a shape the size of the slide and then scale it to the right size and move into position. You can copy that shape and then paste it over to the other slide. Zoom into your slide so that the box is really big and then position your zoom on top of the shape. Perhaps that will help it be as close as accurate as you can get it.
I've tried all above ideas and they can be time consuming to get rid of that jumpy feel. I find the best way to get around it is to use layers that way you set the zoom on the first layer and it remains for the rest of the layers if you make it stick to the end of the timeline. you don't need to make new zoom in regions in the other layers as they will stay zoomed in as the first layer.
James, unless i am missing something. You cannot insert a zoom onto any other layer than the base layer. Any other layers just load as normal on top of that layer
That's correct Phil. Perhaps I worded my post badly but that is kind of the point. The zoom is set on the first layer and the remains set at that zoom through the remainder of the layers. So instead of making new slides I load up on new layers if I want to keep the same zoom.
Sometimes you do have to go to a new slide because of the content/interaction but it saves time by cutting down how many times you have match zoom from slide to slide.
When I want a new slide I just copy paste the previous slide and delete everything bar the zoom.
When I want a new slide I just copy paste the previous slide and delete everything bar the zoom.
That is the way to do this.
Positioning certain SL assets "...to be exactly the same as...", has come up previously, and it can be difficult, even using guides etc.
One thing that would be useful is (like shapes), for us to have a "Dimensions" setting for the Zoom Region, which at least allowed us to set this, and then play around with positioning - but as Steve said...a size and position inspector would be a great addition.
Duplicating and then removing the bits that you do not need is the way to achieve this.
I'm evaluating Storyline for a client, for producing software training content.
The "step-by-step try mode steps" insert recording option is great for software as it automatically breaks each user action into its own slide and puts in hints and hotspots.
But zooming is essential for software because the fields are often so small. I like to have the full screen to give context and then zoom into the area you're working on. If there's no way of carrying a zoom area across different slides, any productivity gains introduced by the automatic "step-by-step" features evaporate while fiddling around trying to get the zoom back into the same spot.
I've tried copying a zoom region, but the copy menu item is disabled.
I've tried copying the slide to see if the zoom would copy in that case - Storyline generated an error report. Presumably it doesn't like copying step-by-step 'try it' slides.
I've tried duplicating the slide to see if the zoom would copy that way - Storyline generated an error report
I tried CTRL+C to copy, Storline gave a GPF and crashed altogether
I tried copying the next slide (the one that doesn't have a zoom, which I want to have a zoom) to see if I could paste the objects from that into a new layer in the previous slide, but again got an error report
I tried copying the screencast of the second slide into the first slide, to allow me to use the same zoom for both slide, but again the copy menu item on the screencast is disabled.
I tried 'fine tuning' the screencast to extend the video to span across what was previously two separate slides, but have all kinds of grief trying to get it to behave as it did when it was two separate slides.
I've also just submitted a string of error reports for the above, and then tried the 'contact technical support' link as instructed, only to receive a 404 page not found error on the Articulate website.
All in all this looks like a nice product but not too stable so far, and if there's no way to get a zoom to apply across slides, this could be a deal breaker.
Anyone else had more luck maintaining a zoom across slides for a "step-by-step try mode steps" inserted recording?
Hi Marshall, and welcome to Heroes, albeit under trying circumstances.
I have just tried to replicate what you are trying to do, and am also surprised that "Copy" is disabled, but also that there seems to be no "Position"/Co-ordinates function like there is for images. Whilst there are the Gridlines to use, I agree that replication/positioning enhancements would be extremely useful here.
I am not quite sure of the way to make this work for you, or a workaround - perhaps someone out there has found a way a will chime in, however, I can appreciate your current pain.
I'm not sure what's going on with the link to Support, never had that fail before, although submitting things using Firefox has caused me some grief in the past.
Your copy - paste slide problem is a bug that has occured on the new update released early August (8th?) Ignore the errors popping up here they don't do anything. If you can get your hands on a release of Storyline released before that date it won't happen. see this forum for two work arounds suggested by Peter Anderson.
There are a few forums on zoom regions but the end result is that you can not copy and paste a zoom region. It is a massive oversight but there are ways around it. I get around this by either using layers rather than slides - zooms stay constant across slides.
My preferred way of doing this if you have to do another slide won't work at the moment because it involves copy-pasting the slide with the zoom on it. The next best way is to create a shape the size of the zoom, copy and paste it and make a new zoom. If you right click and select 'size and position' and use position the coordinates are consistent from slide to slide so you can get things pixel perfect, literally.
As for not being able to copy your screen cast it make sure it is visable on the timeline and you have selected it in the slide view not just the timeline - weirdly their can be a difference.
Im not sure of your last point but if you edit and trim a video/screencast and then extent it out on your timeline it changes your trimming as if you were back in edit moving the trim. This can make things difficult but conversely if you take a 1 or 2 second screen cast you can use the time line to make it as long as you like, which is great.
It's a shame you are trialling this when the update bug is occurring. Try not to judge the software on this, it is actually very good and has a massive amount of scope when it comes to what you can do. You can also be sure the support staff will have this bug fixed soon - they are excellent.
Maybe try play with some variables, they're fantastic if you really want to make a 'try mode' project.
I was dealing with this same issue and found there is actually a method to replicate the zoom in the exact same position. Here is how I did it:
Create a new project and insert the media (video, picture, etc.) on the first slide and set the zoom to the desired position.
Delete the media from the slide leaving only the zoom region
"Save As" and save the project as a Storyline Template (*.storytemplate) Note: You need to save this in the My Articulate Projects/Storyline Templates path in order for it to work.
Create a new project or open an old one and select new slide
Choose the templates tab from the left hand side and select the template you just created from the drop down
Repeat for as many times as you need that zoom level (if you have multiple zoom instances you can put all of them in a template and just select the applicable slide)
I have followed your instructions however when i try to insert the screen recording (step by step) the recording starts on a new slide within the scene, so doesnt apply the zoom template - any ideas how i would go about this?
Wondering if someone has found a solution. I have tried everything and the only thing that seems to work is to copy/paste a shape as a refference for the zomm. However this is not an option when you are dealing whith a many slides.
I'm working on my first screen recording project using Storyline instead of Camtasia, and this is the first roadblock I hit, and it's a big one. At this point, I don't see step-by-step mode being functional for our projects (software recordings). We need seamless zooms.
Then I started messing with the one-video mode and laying zooms on the track above it. That seemed ok, except the preview is clunky with it. But we were limited in our editing of the recording -- seems we can't do action fine-tuning in this mode? At least I can't find it. The only editing I see is trimming the ends.
So, I'm not sure if I need to use one-video mode and layer our own zooms and captions above the video... or go back to just using Camtasia. Have folks been successful with this for software demos in the year since its release?
20 Replies
I don't think so. I wonder what would happen if you create the zoom on the first slide and then duplicate the slide twice. - You would have to go into the duplicate slides add re add the rest of your content but it might achieve the results you are after.
You can also use the gridlines feature and have the zooms aligned to one of the gridlines.
Gridlines or guides. Unfortunately, the Zoom rectangle doesn't have a nice size / position property inspector. That'd make a nice feature request though
I am using the gridlines as also have good guides on the images themselves, but still slightly jumpy.
Would be fantastic if you could copy zooms, or at least specifiy the size and position
I always use Nacy's method of duplicating the slide
Another idea that may work:
The zoom will always be the same aspect ratio as the slide. Create a shape the size of the slide and then scale it to the right size and move into position. You can copy that shape and then paste it over to the other slide. Zoom into your slide so that the box is really big and then position your zoom on top of the shape. Perhaps that will help it be as close as accurate as you can get it.
Thanks, that is a really good idea
I've tried all above ideas and they can be time consuming to get rid of that jumpy feel. I find the best way to get around it is to use layers that way you set the zoom on the first layer and it remains for the rest of the layers if you make it stick to the end of the timeline. you don't need to make new zoom in regions in the other layers as they will stay zoomed in as the first layer.
James, unless i am missing something. You cannot insert a zoom onto any other layer than the base layer. Any other layers just load as normal on top of that layer
That's correct Phil. Perhaps I worded my post badly but that is kind of the point. The zoom is set on the first layer and the remains set at that zoom through the remainder of the layers. So instead of making new slides I load up on new layers if I want to keep the same zoom.
Sometimes you do have to go to a new slide because of the content/interaction but it saves time by cutting down how many times you have match zoom from slide to slide.
When I want a new slide I just copy paste the previous slide and delete everything bar the zoom.
That is the way to do this.
Positioning certain SL assets "...to be exactly the same as...", has come up previously, and it can be difficult, even using guides etc.
One thing that would be useful is (like shapes), for us to have a "Dimensions" setting for the Zoom Region, which at least allowed us to set this, and then play around with positioning - but as Steve said...a size and position inspector would be a great addition.
Duplicating and then removing the bits that you do not need is the way to achieve this.
Bruce
I'm trying the zoom effect and it zooms in but does not stay zoomed in. What might I be doing wrong?
Just drag it using the timeline to be the length you need.
Bruce
I'm evaluating Storyline for a client, for producing software training content.
The "step-by-step try mode steps" insert recording option is great for software as it automatically breaks each user action into its own slide and puts in hints and hotspots.
But zooming is essential for software because the fields are often so small. I like to have the full screen to give context and then zoom into the area you're working on. If there's no way of carrying a zoom area across different slides, any productivity gains introduced by the automatic "step-by-step" features evaporate while fiddling around trying to get the zoom back into the same spot.
I've also just submitted a string of error reports for the above, and then tried the 'contact technical support' link as instructed, only to receive a 404 page not found error on the Articulate website.
All in all this looks like a nice product but not too stable so far, and if there's no way to get a zoom to apply across slides, this could be a deal breaker.
Anyone else had more luck maintaining a zoom across slides for a "step-by-step try mode steps" inserted recording?
Hi Marshall, and welcome to Heroes, albeit under trying circumstances.
I have just tried to replicate what you are trying to do, and am also surprised that "Copy" is disabled, but also that there seems to be no "Position"/Co-ordinates function like there is for images. Whilst there are the Gridlines to use, I agree that replication/positioning enhancements would be extremely useful here.
I am not quite sure of the way to make this work for you, or a workaround - perhaps someone out there has found a way a will chime in, however, I can appreciate your current pain.
I'm not sure what's going on with the link to Support, never had that fail before, although submitting things using Firefox has caused me some grief in the past.
Hope you get this sorted, once again, welcome.
Bruce
Hi Marshall,
Your copy - paste slide problem is a bug that has occured on the new update released early August (8th?) Ignore the errors popping up here they don't do anything. If you can get your hands on a release of Storyline released before that date it won't happen. see this forum for two work arounds suggested by Peter Anderson.
http://community.articulate.com/forums/t/17036.aspx
There are a few forums on zoom regions but the end result is that you can not copy and paste a zoom region. It is a massive oversight but there are ways around it. I get around this by either using layers rather than slides - zooms stay constant across slides.
My preferred way of doing this if you have to do another slide won't work at the moment because it involves copy-pasting the slide with the zoom on it. The next best way is to create a shape the size of the zoom, copy and paste it and make a new zoom. If you right click and select 'size and position' and use position the coordinates are consistent from slide to slide so you can get things pixel perfect, literally.
As for not being able to copy your screen cast it make sure it is visable on the timeline and you have selected it in the slide view not just the timeline - weirdly their can be a difference.
Im not sure of your last point but if you edit and trim a video/screencast and then extent it out on your timeline it changes your trimming as if you were back in edit moving the trim. This can make things difficult but conversely if you take a 1 or 2 second screen cast you can use the time line to make it as long as you like, which is great.
It's a shame you are trialling this when the update bug is occurring. Try not to judge the software on this, it is actually very good and has a massive amount of scope when it comes to what you can do. You can also be sure the support staff will have this bug fixed soon - they are excellent.
Maybe try play with some variables, they're fantastic if you really want to make a 'try mode' project.
Hope this helps
I was dealing with this same issue and found there is actually a method to replicate the zoom in the exact same position. Here is how I did it:
Hi Corey,
I have followed your instructions however when i try to insert the screen recording (step by step) the recording starts on a new slide within the scene, so doesnt apply the zoom template - any ideas how i would go about this?
Cheers,
Bex
Hi everyone!
Wondering if someone has found a solution. I have tried everything and the only thing that seems to work is to copy/paste a shape as a refference for the zomm. However this is not an option when you are dealing whith a many slides.
Please share!
Cheers,
Sebastián
I'm working on my first screen recording project using Storyline instead of Camtasia, and this is the first roadblock I hit, and it's a big one. At this point, I don't see step-by-step mode being functional for our projects (software recordings). We need seamless zooms.
Then I started messing with the one-video mode and laying zooms on the track above it. That seemed ok, except the preview is clunky with it. But we were limited in our editing of the recording -- seems we can't do action fine-tuning in this mode? At least I can't find it. The only editing I see is trimming the ends.
So, I'm not sure if I need to use one-video mode and layer our own zooms and captions above the video... or go back to just using Camtasia. Have folks been successful with this for software demos in the year since its release?
This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.