Motion paths in Storyline 2

One of the exciting new features in Articulate Storyline 2 is motion paths. And the way they work in Storyline 2 is far from ordinary. In fact, there are several key features that elevate these motion paths to a whole new level. Today, I’d like to share two of these features with you, after I give a quick overview about adding motion paths in Storyline 2.

Adding Motion Paths in Articulate Storyline 2

Adding a motion path in Storyline 2 is easy. Simply select the object you’d like to animate, and then, from the animations tab, select “Add Motion Path.” You can choose from seven set paths and three custom paths.

If you choose a custom path, draw your path on the slide. If you choose one of the seven set paths, Storyline 2 will automatically create the path on your slide, which you can modify. It will also create a corresponding path name such as “Arc Motion Path 1.”

Using the Move Trigger in Storyline 2

When you add a motion path, Storyline 2 also creates a corresponding “move” trigger in the trigger panel. The trigger is set to move the object along a particular motion path when the timeline for that object starts. You can see an example of this here:  

This is a pretty typical feature in most e-learning programs. However, in Storyline 2, you have total control over when that animation occurs. For example, you might only want to animate an object after the timeline reaches a certain point. So, you can choose “When: Timeline Reaches” to modify the timing of your trigger to precisely what you want. Take a look at the image below, where the trigger has been modified so the object will move when the timeline reaches 5.5 seconds.  

Or, you might want to trigger the motion path when the learner clicks on the object itself. Not a problem, as you can see in the following trigger setup:

Along with its various modifications, the move trigger really opens up a whole bunch of interactive possibilities for your next project. It’s a fast and easy way to liven up your animations!  

Using the Relative Start Point in Storyline 2

In other authoring tools (such as PowerPoint), when you want to run the same motion path consecutive times, the object will snap back to its starting position to re-animate. But in Storyline 2, you can set a motion path to have a relative start point. This means the motion path will start from wherever the object currently is on the screen, which really opens up some stunning possibilities.

Here’s a great example to try:   

1. Add an object to the slide

2. Create four motion paths for the object (say, line paths to the right, left, up, and down).

3. Set each motion path to have a relative start point

4. Add a trigger for each of the four motion paths that start the animation when the learner clicks on a particular keyboard key.

5. Preview, and move the object with the keyboard keys

If you’d rather just play around with an example of what I just described, click here.

Isn’t that great? And that’s just the start. Watch the following video to quickly get up to speed with motion paths. We’ll take a look at some fun examples that trigger animations and use relative start points.

You can explore plenty more about motion paths in Storyline 2, so if you haven’t downloaded the trial yet, click here to get started now. Happy discovering!

49 Comments
Dominique D
Atit Patel
Mike Enders
Mike Enders
Wes Escalante
Alphonso Hendricks
Alphonso Hendricks
Leslie Steele