Using Tabs Interactions in E-Learning #448
Using Tabs Interactions in E-Learning #448: Challenge | Recap Tabs interactions are one of the most popular features in e-learning. They are very flexible and can be designed in many different ways. Tabs are popular because they let learners explore groups of content without leaving the current slide. There is no need to jump around between different slides or scenes. 2022 tabs examples | 2023 tabs examples If you are new to e-learning or just starting with Articulate Storyline 360, tabs interactions are a great way to learn the basics. You will get to know slides, states, layers, and triggers while building something fun. We use tabs-style activities all the time in our workshops, webinars, and tutorials. They are simple, flexible, and very effective. This week’s challenge is all about creating your own tabs interaction. 🏆 Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to share an example that shows how tabs interactions can help organize and group related content in e-learning. Share Your Project Files! It’s no secret community members love freebies! It’s also no secret that the challenges are one of the most visible ways course designers get their work in front of the community. If you’re up for it, please consider including a download along with your example this week. E-Learning Challenges Creating Tabs Interactions in E-Learning #401: Challenge | Recap Webinars How to Build Tabs Interactions in Storyline 360 ✨ Share Your E-Learning Work Comments: Use the comments section below to link your published example and blog post. Forums: Start a new thread and share a link to your published example. Personal blog: If you have a blog, please consider writing about your challenges. We'll link to your posts so your great work gets even more exposure. Social media: If you share your demos on x or LinkedIn, try using #ElearningChallenge so your peeps can follow your e-learning coolness. 🙌 Last Week’s Challenge: Before you get started on this week’s tabs interaction, check out the creative examples from last week’s spotlight masking challenge: Draggable Spotlights in E-Learning RECAP #447: Challenge | Recap 👋 New to the E-Learning Challenges? The weekly e-learning challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I’ll update the recap posts to include your demos. Learn more about the challenges in this Q&A post and why and how to participate in this helpful article. 📅 Next Week’s Challenge Challenge #449 (02.09): Emphasis animations. You've been asking for this, and now it's here! Show us how you're pulsing, shaking, teetering your slide objects to life. Challenge #450 (02.16): Using Themes, Templates, & Slide Masters. Another basics challenge, only this week we're looking at under-the-hood features to help us work faster in Storyline 360 and PowerPoint. Rise 360 users can show their before-after examples using themes and block templates. Got an idea for a challenge? Are you interested in doing a webinar showcasing how you made one or more challenge demos? Or do you have some comments for your humble challenge host? Use this anonymous form to share your feedback: https://bit.ly/ElearningChallengeForm.Creating Immersive Learning Experiences with 360° Images #467
Labeled graphics interactions are one of the most popular interactions because they’re easy to create and only need a single image to turn static visuals into interactive, explore-type activities. Similarly, 360° images offer the same ease of creation but on a whole new level. They bring static images to life, allowing learners to explore real-world environments as if they were actually there. And that’s what this week’s challenge is all about! 🏆 Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to show how 360° images can be used in e-learning. If you're a Rise 360, the 360° images feature is a fantastic way to enhance your courses by using Rise 360's Storyline blocks. 🏞️ Looking for 360° Panoramic Stock Photos? Storyline 360 supports equirectangular panoramas in all standard image formats for creating 360° image interactions. Here are some places you can find royalty-free images: Pixabay 360Cities Flickr Pixexid 📸 360°Degree Cameras Here are four of the most popular 360° cameras: Insta360 ONE X2 and Insta360 X3 Ricoh Theta Z1 GoPro MAX Ricoh Theta SC2 🧰 Resources 360° Images User Guide Adding and Editing 360° Images Tutorials: How to Create a Progressive Scavenger Hunt with 360° Images in Storyline 360 How to Create Badges for a Gamified Scavenger Hunt Using 360° Images ✨ Share Your E-Learning Work Comments: Use the comments section below to link your published example and blog post. Forums: Start a new thread and share a link to your published example. Personal blog: If you have a blog, please consider writing about your challenges. We'll link to your posts so your great work gets even more exposure. Social media: If you share your demos on Twitter or LinkedIn, try using #ELHChallenge so your tweeps can follow your e-learning coolness. 🙌 Last Week’s Challenge: Before you take this week’s challenge for a spin, check out the accessibility makeovers your fellow challengers shared over the past week: E-Learning Accessibility Makeovers RECAP #466: Challenge | Recap 👋 New to the E-Learning Challenges? The weekly e-learning challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I’ll update the recap posts to include your demos. Learn more about the challenges in this Q&A post and why and how to participate in this helpful article. 📆 Upcoming Challenges Challenge #468 (07.05): Drag-and-drop interactions. This will be a general drag-drop challenge, so you can share anything you like.Using Interactive Dials as Draggable Menus in E-Learning #355
Using Interactive Dials for Navigation #355: Challenge | Recap Interactive knobs and dials are a great way to simulate real-world objects and tasks in your e-learning courses. To see how course designers use interactive dials, check out the examples in this challenge recap. But what happens when the dial uses a custom graphic or image and is scaled well beyond the slide size? Let’s take a look at a couple of examples. Dials as Draggable Menus In this example, the dial is filled with a custom image and scaled well beyond the slide size. This creates an exciting approach to menu navigation. View the project | Joanna Kurpiewska Dials as Draggable Timeline Interactions Here’s another example using similar techniques. In this case, the custom dial is a circular timeline interaction that lets learners drag through a series of dates. View the example | Eric Chamberlin Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to share an example that shows how custom dials can be used for draggable navigation. Resources You can learn more about working with Storyline’s dials in the following articles and webinars. Storyline 360: Working with Dials How I Designed This Interactive Dial Matrix Using Dials to Design Interactive Infographics #261 Webinar: Using Dials in Storyline 360 Share Your E-Learning Work Comments: Use the comments section below to share a link to your published example and blog post. Forums: Start your own thread and share a link to your published example.. Personal blog: If you have a blog, please consider writing about your challenges. We’ll link back to your posts so the great work you’re sharing gets even more exposure. Social Media: If you share your demos on Twitter or LinkedIn, try using #ELHChallenge so your tweeps can track your e-learning coolness. Last Week’s Challenge: Before you dial into this week’s challenge, check out the colorful ways designers are using Pantone’s 2022 color of the year in e-learning: Pantone's 2022 Color of the Year RECAP #354: Challenge | Recap New to the E-Learning Challenges? The weekly e-learning challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I’ll update the recap posts to include your demos. Learn more about the challenges in this Q&A post and why and how to participate in this helpful article.How Are Designers Using Toggle Buttons in E-Learning? #460
Toggle Buttons in E-Learning #460: Challenge | Recap 🏆 Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to share an example that shows how toggle buttons and switches can be used in e-learning. You can create a simple example using normal and selected states with button sets or build something more advanced using variables. Let us know if you get stuck or need help with your project. 🧰 Resources E-Learning Challenge #97: 35+ Wicked Toggle Button Effects for E-Learning Designers Video tutorial: Here's how you can create a toggle button effect using Storyline's ✨ Share Your E-Learning Work Comments: Use the comments section below to link your published example and blog post. Forums: Start a new thread and share a link to your published example. Personal blog: If you have a blog, please consider writing about your challenges. We'll link to your posts so your great work gets even more exposure. Social media: If you share your demos on Twitter or LinkedIn, try using #ELHChallenge so your tweeps can follow your e-learning coolness. 🙌 Last Week’s Challenge: Before you switch to this week’s challenge, check out the creative ways your fellow course designers use photo collages to create interactions: Interactive Photo Collage Examples RECAP #459: Challenge | Recap 👋 New to the E-Learning Challenges? The weekly e-learning challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I’ll update the recap posts to include your demos. Learn more about the challenges in this Q&A post and why and how to participate in this helpful article. 📆 Upcoming Challenges Challenge #461 (05.10): Interactive Podcasts. See ELC364 for a related challenge. This time, the questions will focus on the value of working out loud, weekly challenges, and growing your skills. Challenge #462 (05.17): Click. Hover. Drag. See ELC144 for a general idea of what we're doing. 🚨2024 Articulate User Conference Call for Proposals We’re now accepting proposals for this year’s in-person user day conference co-hosted at DevLearn in Las Vegas. Learn more about the proposal process.How are You Using Drag-and-Drop Interactions in E-Learning? #468
Using Drag-and-Drop in E-Learning #468: Challenge | Recap If there’s one e-learning interaction that belongs in every instructional designer’s toolkit, it’s drag-and-drops. Drag-and-drop interactions are a fun way to engage learners and encourage them to interact with the screen. They’re also one of the most flexible interactions you can create. So, whether you’re designing straightforward question slides or custom freeform slides, drag-and-drop interactions are one of the best ways to get learners to stop, think, and interact with the content. And that’s what this week’s challenge is all about. 🏆 Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to share a drag-and-drop interaction to show how they can be used in e-learning. You can use any authoring tool you like and make it as simple or custom as you have time for. Note: Since Storyline’s drag-and-drop interactions aren’t currently keyboard accessible, they can create serious barriers for learners who rely on keyboard navigation or use screen readers. Check out the following on-demand training for some ideas on creating accessible drag-and-drops: How to Create an Accessible Drag-and-Drop Interaction in Storyline 360 🧰 Resources User Guide Storyline 360: Drag-and-Drop Questions Related Challenges: Drag-and-Drop Practice Activities #380: Challenge | Recap Drag-and-Drop Sorting Activities #439: Challenge | Recap Webinars: How to Build Drag-and-Drop Interactions in Storyline 360 5 Ways to Customize Drag-and-Drop Interactions 6 Ways to Customize Drag-and-Drop in Storyline 360 Discover six creative techniques every course designer needs to know to customize their drag-and-drop interactions in Articulate Storyline 360 View on YouTube ✨ Share Your E-Learning Work Comments: Use the comments section below to link your published example and blog post. Forums: Start a new thread and share a link to your published example. Personal blog: If you have a blog, please consider writing about your challenges. We'll link to your posts so your great work gets even more exposure. Social media: If you share your demos on Twitter or LinkedIn, try using #ELHChallenge so your tweeps can follow your e-learning coolness. 🙌 Last Week’s Challenge: While you're dragging through the ideas for this week's challenge, check out the 360° image interactions your fellow challengers shared over the past week: Using 360° Images in E-Learning RECAP #467: Challenge | Recap 👋 New to the E-Learning Challenges? The weekly e-learning challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I’ll update the recap posts to include your demos. Learn more about the challenges in this Q&A post and why and how to participate in this helpful article.Using Photo Mosaics to Design Interactive Stories #459
Interactive Photo Collages in E-Learning #459: Challenge | Recap Visual Storytelling with Photo Collages Build an interactive slide or course from a single image Get rid of bullet points You don't need to be a photographer to make this work Use your own photos or prebuilt stock photo collages Create multiple panel layouts similar t comic books From straightforward panel layouts to asymmetrical compositions, photo collages offer a quick and effective way to craft image-driven stories using stock photo collages. Here's a simple mockup of how the effect can work from a stock photo. A quick search in your favorite stock photo site returns a variety of photo collage styles and possibilities. Here are two more ideas: To learn more about this creative effect, check out Tom's post on converting courses to interactions with photo stories. Challenge of the week This week, your challenge is to create an interactive story around a photo collage. You can use placeholder photos and graphics or rework an existing project into a photo collage. Want some examples? Check out the ELC322 recap for community examples of this effect. Here are a few ideas to get you started: Design your story around a common problem or challenge Rework an existing scenario or interaction using a photo collage Use the built-in characters (illustrated and photographic), which include multiple expressions and poses Map collages are ideal for interactive org charts or customer profiles 🙌 Last Week’s Challenge: Check out the spinning wheel and roulette-inspired examples from last week's challenge: Roulette & Spinning Wheel Games RECAP #458: Challenge | Recap 👋 New to the E-Learning Challenges? The weekly e-learning challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I’ll update the recap posts to include your demos. Learn more about the challenges in this Q&A post and why and how to participate in this helpful article. 📆 Upcoming Challenges Challenge #460 (05.03): Toggle Buttons. See ELC97 for an idea of what we're going for in next week's challenge. Challenge #461 (05.10): Interactive Podcasts. See ELC364 for a related challenge. This time, the questions will focus on the value of working out loud, weekly challenges, and growing your skills. Challenge #462 (05.17): Click. Hover. Drag. See ELC144 for a general idea of what we're doing. 🚨2024 Articulate User Conference Call for Proposals We’re now accepting proposals for this year’s in-person user day conference co-hosted at DevLearn in Las Vegas. Learn more about the proposal process.23 Ways to Use Drag-and-Drop Interactions in E-Learning #468
Drag-and-Drop in E-Learning RECAP #468: Challenge | Recap This week’s challenge asked course designers to show how they’re using drag-and-drop interactions in e-learning. Jonathan Hill Example | Jonathan Hill | Website | @DevByPowerPoint Ron Katz Example | Download | Learn more | Ron Katz | Website sebastien daubert Example | sebastien daubert Thierry EMMANUEL Example | Thierry EMMANUEL | Website Rosemary Trahan Example | Rosemary Trahan Jodi M. Sansone Example | Jodi M. Sansone | Website | @jodimsansone Walkabout Learning Example | Walkabout Learning Nichole Codrington Example | Nichole Codrington Tamara Häfeli Example | Tamara Häfeli eLearn Dev Example | Learn more | eLearn Dev Angela Thomas Example | Angela Thomas Jesse Wu Example | Jesse Wu | Website Alex Milyaev Example | Learn more | Alex Milyaev Ron Katz Example | Download | Template | Learn more | Ron Katz | Website Courtney Roberts Example | Courtney Roberts Kate Golomshtok Example | Kate Golomshtok | Website Thaddaeus Smith Example | Thaddaeus Smith | Website Gülsüm Güneşen Yıldız Example | Gülsüm Güneşen Yıldız Hilla Schlegel Example | Hilla Schlegel Phezulu Dhlodhlo Example | Phezulu Dhlodhlo Sabrina Sgoda Example | Sabrina Sgoda David D Example | David D Samuel Apata Example | Download | Samuel Apata | Website | @afrostem New to the E-Learning Challenges? The weekly challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I'll update the recap posts to include your demos. If you have a blog, please write about your challenge example. I'll add links to your blog post so your examples get even more exposure. And for those who share your demos on Twitter or LinkedIn, please include #ELHChallenge so your network (and Articulate!) can track your e-learning coolness. Share Your Drag-and-Drop E-Learning Examples! The drag-and-drop challenge is still open! If you have one or more ideas you'd like to share, please jump over to the original challenge and post your links in the comments section. I'll update this recap page to include your examples.16 Examples of Interactive 360° Images in E-Learning #467
Using 360° Images in E-Learning RECAP #467: Challenge | Recap This week’s challenge asked course designers to show how 360° images can transform static visuals into interactive, explore-type activities. Jonathan Hill Example | Download | Jonathan Hill | Website | @DevByPowerPoint Jayashree Ravi Example | Jayashree Ravi | LinkedIn Elizabeth Kuhlmann Example | Learn more | Elizabeth Kuhlmann Thierry EMMANUEL Example | Thierry EMMANUEL | Website Jodi M. Sansone Example | Jodi M. Sansone | Website | @jodimsansone Samuel Apata Example | Samuel Apata | Website | @afrostem eLearn Dev Example & learn more | eLearn Dev Mallory Frazier Example | Mallory Frazier Ron Katz Example | Ron Katz | Website Angela Thomas Example | Angela Thomas Trey McNabb Example | Trey McNabb bylittle learning Example | Download | bylittle learning | Website Sonya Crider Example | Sonya Crider Andreas Paul Example | Andreas Paul Kate Golomshtok Example | Kate Golomshtok | Website Sabrina Sgoda Example | Sabrina Sgoda Walkabout Learning Example | Walkabout Learning New to the E-Learning Challenges? The weekly challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I'll update the recap posts to include your demos. If you have a blog, please write about your challenge example. I'll add links to your blog post so your examples get even more exposure. And for those who share your demos on Twitter or LinkedIn, please include #ELHChallenge so your network (and Articulate!) can track your e-learning coolness. Share Your 360° E-Learning Examples! The 360° image challenge is still open! If you have one or more ideas you'd like to share, please jump over to the original challenge and post your links in the comments section. I'll update this recap page to include your examples.How are Course Designers Using Labeled Graphics in E-Learning? #464
Using Labeled Graphics in E-Learning #464: Challenge | Recap Labeled graphics are one of the most popular explore-type interactions in e-learning. And creating them in Rise 360 or Storyline 360 is a breeze—just drop some markers on an image, add your content to the labels, and voilà! You've got an engaging interaction in minutes. But here's the best part: labeled graphics aren't just quick and easy to build; they're also incredibly flexible. They're perfect for getting learners to drill down into timelines, maps, floorplans, diagrams, org charts, screenshots—you name it. 🏆 Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to share an example of a labeled graphics interaction. You can use Rise 360, Storyline 360, or any tool you like. Just show us how you’re using interactive markers to create explore-type activities. In case you missed it, this week’s Storyline 360 update included the option to easily adjust interactive marker sizes to optimize accessibility for any screen. 🧰 Resources Check out the previous labeled graphics challenge recap to see how this popular interaction can be used in e-learning: Labeled Graphics in E-Learning RECAP #371: Challenge | Recap ✨ Share Your E-Learning Work Comments: Use the comments section below to link your published example and blog post. Forums: Start a new thread and share a link to your published example. Personal blog: If you have a blog, please consider writing about your challenges. We'll link to your posts so your great work gets even more exposure. Social media: If you share your demos on Twitter or LinkedIn, try using #ELHChallenge so your tweeps can follow your e-learning coolness. 🙌 Last Week’s Challenge: Before you drill down into this week’s challenge, check out the progressive disclosure techniques your fellow challengers shared over the past week: Progressive Disclosure in E-Learning RECAP #463: Challenge | Recap 👋 New to the E-Learning Challenges? The weekly e-learning challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I’ll update the recap posts to include your demos. Learn more about the challenges in this Q&A post and why and how to participate in this helpful article. 🚨 2024 Articulate User Conference Call for Proposals We’re now accepting proposals for this year’s in-person user day conference co-hosted at DevLearn in Las Vegas. Learn more about the proposal process.How I Built This Recycling Parallax Interaction in Storyline 360
If you’ve ever been on a road trip and gazed out the side window (hopefully only as a passenger 😉), you’ve probably noticed that objects close to you—like trees—appear to zip by really fast, while objects further in the distance—such as mountains—seem to barely move. This phenomenon is known as motion parallax. In the digital world, the parallax effect gives the illusion of depth and movement. Combine that with a realistic learning scenario—like in this Recycling Guide example—and you’ve got yourself a truly engaging interaction. View | Download Let’s take a look at how to create this interactive parallax example in Storyline 360! Create layered components To create a parallax effect you need several layered components that move at different speeds. So, the first thing I did was create all my slide elements with the different layers in mind. Using a combination of shapes in Storyline 360 and Content Library 360 assets, I ended up with six layered components. Component 1: Recycling bin For this example, I wanted the recycling bin to be the main focus—after all, that’s what the course is all about. Since I planned to tilt the bin and make the wheels spin, having it front and center would give the optical illusion that the bin was rolling as the background moved. Component 2: Park Next, I needed to create the main interactive piece—the park. This is the only component that learners engage with to reveal additional content, so I was very intentional about how I designed the space. Since the graphics were going to move horizontally, I made sure to extend those designs past the slide size. I carefully placed each object—such as buttons and litter—in different parts of the park and in a specific order to help guide the experience. And because I used only Content Library 360 icons/illustrations and simple shapes, it was easy to move things around and reposition them as needed. Pro tip: Before duplicating a button, create all the states beforehand so they copy over. Big time-saver! Component 3: Mountains (light) To add a sense of depth and movement, I included mountains in the background. I combined several different mountain-shaped icons to create the extra-wide graphic. I made the first mountain layer a light tan color since objects up close are generally lighter in color. Component 4: Mountains (dark) Behind the lightly colored mountains, I added a darker version for contrast. To save time, I copied and pasted some of the shapes from the lighter mountain. Since not all mountains look alike, I flipped and resized some of the shapes so that when they moved, they didn’t line up exactly the same. Component 5: Sky The scene wouldn’t be complete without a sky! I added a sun for reference. I mostly kept this component simple to save time and to keep the main focus on content. Component 6: Frame (optional) Okay, so this is where it gets a little tricky. I could’ve made things easier by extending the sky and ground to fill the slide. That way, I wouldn’t need a frame and objects could freely animate on and off the rectangular slide. But I really wanted to create a unique learning experience. To give this course a custom look and feel I designed a frame to show content within a unique shape. The frame is comprised of the title, a white border, arrow buttons, a background, and two side shapes to match so that the other components only show inside the unique shape. Pro tip: To make the slide look seamless with the player background, go to your Player settings and change the background color to match. And here’s how it all looks together. Save static objects Once I created all the components, I realized there were a lot of objects on my slide. So, I decided to make my file easier to manage by saving some of the layered components that had a lot of objects—such as the Park, Mountains (Light), and Mountains (Dark)—as their own image and then replacing them with a scalable vector graphic (SVG) to keep image quality. For example, I selected all the objects in the Mountains (Dark) component, right-clicked, and selected Export Shape as Picture. I saved the shapes as a PNG. For the best image quality, I simply opened that PNG file in Adobe Illustrator and saved it as an SVG. I went back to my Storyline 360 project, inserted and resized my SVG to match the objects on the slide, and then deleted all of the Mountains (Dark) objects. I repeated this process with the Mountains (Light) component. For the Park component, I took a few extra steps before exporting it as a picture since it had a lot of interactive elements and I only wanted to save the static parts of the image. On the timeline, I clicked the eye icon to hide objects with states, animations, and text so I could still edit them or assign triggers at any time. Here are all of the static components I exported as a shape to save as an SVG. And for context, here are all the elements I did not include in the export. After inserting and resizing the Park SVG, I moved it beneath the hidden park objects on the timeline. I selected the eye icons to make all the Park components visible again where they remained in the same location as designed. Then, I grouped them and renamed the group “Park.” Saving some of the components as an SVG really sped up my workflow. With fewer objects on my timeline, it was easier to select the ones I wanted to edit or add triggers to. It also reduced the file size so content could load faster. To learn more about scalable vector graphics (SVG), check out this article: Storyline 360: SVG Support. Get things moving With all the graphics on the base layer in place, I created several additional layers to reveal content and help tell the story. Now it was time to connect everything with movement. To explain how to create the parallax effect, let’s roll through the example.😊 Background When you move right, the background moves left, making it look like the recycling bin is rolling forward. If you move left, those same background components move right, making it look like the recycling bin is rolling backward. To create this parallax effect, I added motion path animations to move some of the background components—Park, Mountains (Light), and Mountains (Dark). And in case you didn’t already know, you can add more than one motion path to the same object. That feature really came in handy here. For each component, I added a Left and Right line motion path. Since I wanted the components to all move at the same pace, I edited the easing direction to None for each motion path. I also selected Relative Start Point to ensure each component always moved from its current position. Next, I changed the duration of the paths to one second. I chose this duration because I planned to have the recycling bin roll left or right for one second as well. That way, all the animations would stop and start at the same time. To make it easier to manage triggers later on, I also renamed the motion paths to include the component name and the direction of the path. For example, I named the motion path that moves the park group right “Park Right.” Next, I changed the length of the paths. This is where it differs for each component. Since I wanted the background objects to move at a slower speed than the foreground objects, I edited the left and right motion path lengths for each component to the following. Park: 180 px Mountains (Light): 90 px Mountains (Dark): 40 px Using these settings, the furthest-away component, Mountains (Dark), would only move left and right 40 px during the one-second duration. Whereas, Mountains (Light) would move about twice the distance, at 90 px, during that same time. And that was it for the motion path settings! Now it was time to add triggers to make these components move in the right direction. By default, when you add a motion path animation to an object, a trigger is automatically created. Since I wanted the components to move based on the user selecting Right or Left, I deleted those triggers from the base layer and instead added them to the Bin Right and Bin Left layers. On the Bin Left layer, I added triggers to move the components right when the timeline starts. And on the Bin Right layer, I added triggers to move the components left when the timeline starts. Now, when the learner selects Left or Right, they’ll see the background move accordingly. Recycling bin Now for the recycling bin. I put it front and center to make it appear like it was rolling when the background moved. When you go right, the bin tilts and rolls forward. When you move left, it tilts and moves backward. After one second, the animations stop and the recycling bin returns to its upright position. To create this optical illusion, on the Bin Right and Bin Left layers I hid the recycling bin that was on the base layer so it was no longer visible. In its place, I added a tilted bin with dirt paths depending on the direction it was going to move. Bin left layer Bin right layer Next, I added a Spin entrance animation to the wheels. Just like a regular wheel, if you go left, the wheel’s direction moves counterclockwise. If you go right, the wheel’s direction moves clockwise. As for the amount it spins in each direction, I landed on a quarter spin since that looked the most accurate. To emphasize the direction the recycling bin was moving, I included dirt paths and added Wipe and Fade animations. And because both the duration of the background components and the timeline on these layers are set to only one second, all the animations come to a stop at the same time. To ensure the recycling bin returned to its original upright position, I added a trigger to hide whichever layer you’re on—Bin Left or Bin Right—when the timeline ends. The learner automatically returns to the base layer, where they can continue the learning journey. Set boundaries With the freedom to move the recycling bin left and right as you please, you may be wondering how I stopped the background components from moving too far. If you go left at the very beginning, you’ll see a little tortoise and a deactivated Left button so you can’t move any further. To keep learners from navigating outside of the main area, I needed to set some boundaries. To achieve this, I added a Deactivated button over the Left button that only shows when you navigate to that side of the screen. To make the button visible, I added a transparent shape and pasted it inside the existing group, “Park.” When you navigate left, the Park group moves right, causing the bin and the transparent shape to intersect, which changes the Deactivated button to Normal (visible). When you navigate away, it stops intersecting and returns to its original hidden state. I used this same technique at the end of the learning experience. When the recycling bin intersects with the transparent shape next to the house, it shows the final layer. This allowed me to end the parallax learning experience at the end of the graphic. Wrap-Up And that’s all there is to it! Using the parallax effect can create an engaging learning experience that truly brings your content to life. If you haven’t already, download this Recycling Guide project to take a closer look at how I built it. For more advice on working with motion paths, head on over to this article: 7 Pro Tips for Working With Motion Path Animations in Storyline 360. If you want to see more ways to create a motion effect, check out this webinar: Create Parallax Effects With Sliders in Storyline 360. Want to try to create your own parallax example, but don’t have Articulate 360? Start a free 30-day trial, and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning. If you have any questions, please share them in the comments.
