articulate 360
2394 TopicsRise 360: Create Custom Blocks
Custom block is currently in beta. Functionality may change over time. Based on feedback and feature stability, some options could be modified, and others removed. Need a unique block to meet your exact training needs? Custom blocks unlock fresh possibilities! Add text, objects, and media elements to a blank canvas, then drag and drop them to craft the perfect creation. Note: While custom block supports several accessibility features, some aspects are not yet fully accessible. Insert Blank or Prebuilt Templates Set up the Canvas Add Templates and Objects Manipulate Objects Format Objects Adjust Object Order and Accessiblity Settings Add Interactivity (Coming Soon) Modify the Block Settings Using Keyboard Shortcuts Accessibility and Compatibility Feedback Step 1: Insert Blank or Prebuilt Templates Get started with a blank canvas or a prebuilt template. Open the block library in your training to begin. Start from Scratch Expand the Custom Block menu. Select +Blank to insert a blank canvas into your course. Click Create a Custom Block to begin. Start with a Template Expand the Custom Block menu. Choose a category, then select a template. Hover over the block and click the Content icon to personalize the template. You can also add templates to blank blocks. Follow the link for a full list of prebuilt templates. Step 2: Set Up the Canvas The canvas is where you add objects and create your custom block. Only objects placed on the canvas are visible to learners. Use the toolbar that displays to select the canvas to modify the color, border style, and overlay. You can also manually enter the canvas pixel width and height or automatically shrink the canvas to the included objects. Please note, custom blocks aren't responsive at this time. We recommend using a slightly taller canvas size so that your content remains legible on smaller screens and mobile devices. Step 3: Add Templates and Objects Once you're in the custom block editor, you can either manipulate objects in your selected template (more on that in the next section), insert a new template, or add objects. Use the search bar in the object category menu to quickly find what you need. Use the control in the lower-right corner to zoom in or out on the canvas. Templates On the left sidebar, click Templates, and then make a selection. On a blank canvas, click Use template. This inserts the canvas and all objects associated with the selected template On a populated canvas, you can also select Add to canvas. This keeps the current canvas and inserts the template objects over the existing objects. Selecting Use template on a populated canvas completely replaces the existing canvas and objects. Once inserted, the individual objects of a template can be manipulated and formatted just like any other object. You may have to ungroup or drill into objects to access all formatting options. Objects Add additional objects from the left sidebar. Text: Insert a text box with the selected text type as the default. This can be modified in the formatting toolbar. Add a hyperlink by selecting text. (Note: superscript and subscript formatting aren't available for custom block text.) Shapes: Insert a grey prebuilt shape on your canvas. Click within the shape to add text. Shape formatting options include color, corner rounding, border, shadow, and overlay. Images: Insert an image generated with AI, an image from Content Library 360, or upload your own. Regardless of source, images have corner rounding, border, shadow, and overlay options. Crop and alt text tools are available by right-clicking on an image. Videos: Insert a video by dragging and dropping or selecting a video file to upload. If you'd like your video file to keep its specific file format and not undergo compression, you can opt out of optimization by selecting Preserve file quality. Note that this may decrease performance. Forward seeking can't be disabled for videos in custom layouts. Audio: Generate audio with AI Assistant, record your own audio, or upload an audio file with transcription to insert into your canvas. Click any of the icons to insert the object you want, then simply drag it to where you'd like it to be in the block. You can also select an object or group of objects and enter the X and Y positions in the Position toolbar menu. Step 4: Manipulate Objects You can work with objects in multiple ways. In addition to direct manipulation, right-click menu commands, formatting toolbar options, and keyboard shortcuts are available. The options available for individual objects are also easily accessible from the Objects sidebar. Change the Order The easiest way to change the order of an object on the canvas is to right-click the object and select an option from the Move menu. There are also several keyboard shortcuts for adjusting an object's placement. Align Horizontal and vertical alignment guides display as you move an object, multiple objects, or an object group. If you have other objects placed on the canvas already, you'll see vertical and horizontal alignment guides in relation to those objects as well. You can also select an object, multiple objects, or group and choose an option from the Position menu, or right-click and select an option from the Align menu. Resize You can quickly resize an object by hovering over the edge or corner and dragging in that direction. Hold the Shift key while resizing to maintain the object's aspect ratio. You can also enter the width and height values in the Position menu. Rotate Rotate objects by hovering over an object's corner. When the cursor changes to a curved arrow, click and move the cursor in the direction you want to rotate the object. You can also select an object or group and use the slider, or enter a value in the Position menu. Note that alignment guides don't appear when you’re moving rotated objects. Group Grouping is a handy way to move, resize, rotate, flip, or change other attributes of several objects all at once—as if they were a single object. To group objects, Shift+click or drag your cursor over two or more objects, then choose Group to group them. To ungroup objects, choose Ungroup. Lock Select an object or group of objects and click the lock icon in the toolbar that appears to lock their position. You can also right-click and select Lock. Duplicate Select an object or group of objects and click the duplicate icon in the toolbar that appears. You can also right-click and select Duplicate. The duplicated object or group appears slightly offset from the original and is automatically selected. Delete Select an object or group of objects and click the delete icon in the toolbar that appears. You can also press Delete or select the Delete option from the right-hand menu. Restore deleted items by pressing Ctrl+Z. Step 5: Format Objects Select an object on the canvas to access the formatting/action toolbar. Different objects have different toolbar options. The formatting toolbar for multi-selected and grouped objects reflects the available tools for the objects in the group. If a tool doesn't affect a particular object, modifying the value will have no effect on that object. Tools that are available for all objects or multiple object types will equally affect all relevant objects. For example, changing the opacity for a group overrides any individual object settings and, instead, sets the opacity for all group objects to the same value. All Objects Opacity Adjust an object's visibility. When multiple objects are selected, this value overrides any individual object's value. Position Align the object to the canvas using the available options. Rotate the object. Enter pixel values in the W and H fields to adjust the object size, using the lock icon to preserve aspect ratio. Use the X and Y fields to position objects on the canvas. Images Crop Use the drop-down menu to select an aspect ratio and crop the image accordingly. You can also use the freeform crop tool or enter specific values in the position menu. Reset to abandon changes. Shapes and Text Text Formatting These tools let you adjust the font type, size, and formatting, as well as the paragraph and line positioning. Shapes and Images Change Shape Switch to a different shape. Color (Shapes only) Change the object's fill. Apply a color to the selected object using one of the following methods: Click the color you want in the Saturation and Value area. Drag the hue slider to change the dominant color of the spectrum. Use the eyedropper tool to match the color of anything visible on your screen. Just click the eyedropper, then click any color on your screen. (Chrome-based browsers only) Entering a custom color value in Hex. Choose a color from the theme color palette. Or select a color you've used in the current layout. Adjust the visibility of the color opacity with the Opacity bar under the Hue slider. Border Change the object's border style: solid, dashed, dotted, or no border. Corner Rounding Use the slider or enter a specific value to change the degree of rounding for image and shape corners (does not apply to ovals). Drop Shadow Add a shadow to the selected object. Use the X and Y fields to control the position of the offset. The shadow is black by default, but you can change it in the Color menu. Opacity determines how visible the shadow is, and blur affects the sharpness of the shape. Overlay Add a color overlay to your object. The overlay is black by default, but you can change it in the Color menu. Adjust overlay opacity with the slider or enter a value. Step 6: Adjust Object Order and Accessibility Settings There are two ways to adjust the order of objects and object groups. One way affects the visual order while the other affects how accessibility tools like screen readers interact with objects in a custom block. Visual Order Select Objects in the sidebar to access controls for the canvas and all objects in your current custom block. In addition to using the combined formatting toolbar, you can easily drag and drop individual and grouped objects to adjust their visibility. You can also remove items from groups. Note that newly added objects appear at the top of this list. Accessibility Order Select Focus order to access a list of objects and groups in screen reader and keyboard navigation order. Items in this list can be adjusted independently of object order for accessibility purposes, but you can't remove items from groups here. Click Match visual order to reset the list to the same order as the objects list. Newly added objects appear at the bottom of this list. Add Alt Text In the focus order panel, use the Alternative text field to add alt text to any object, object group, or the canvas itself. Step 7: Add Interactivity (Coming Soon) We're still exploring how to add interactivity to custom blocks. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Hover over Interactivity in the sidebar and click Share Feedback to let us know what interactive features would make your custom blocks even better. Step 8: Modify the Block Settings Hover over an existing block to access the left-hand design toolbar and modify the appearance of your block. Click the Style icon to access block background options. The Format menu provides options for changing the block padding and content width. Since custom blocks aren't responsive at this time, use the following values as the maximum widths for your canvas so that the block fits within the content width parameters: Large - 920px Medium - 760px Small: 520px We recommend using less padding around custom blocks for a better mobile experience. Using Keyboard Shortcuts The following keyboard shortcuts can be used on the custom block canvas. Mac/Windows Keys Function O Add circle (oval) item to canvas T Add paragraph item to canvas R Add rectangle item to canvas Cmd/Ctrl+] Bring forward ] Bring to front Delete Delete object Cmd/Ctrl+D Duplicate objects Shift+H Flip horizontally Shift+V Flip vertically Cmd/Ctrl+G Group objects Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+L Lock/Unlock Shift+Arrow Keys Move object 10px Cmd/Ctrl+Click Select object within a group Cmd/Ctrl+Y Redo Cmd/Ctrl+A Select all Cmd/Ctrl+[ Send backward [ Send to back Cmd/Ctrl+Z Undo Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+G Ungroup objects Cmd/Ctrl+0 Zoom custom block canvas to 100% Accessibility and Compatibility We're still evaluating and improving the accessibility compliance of custom block at this time. In its current state, custom block doesn't fully meet accessibility guidelines. Custom block templates and user-defined custom blocks don't reflow to fit different screens. This can make them hard to read on small screens or when zoomed in. Though accessibility guidelines provide a reflow exception for presentation content like our custom block, they can still be difficult for mobile users and people with low vision to use. To make sure your content works for everyone, test it on both a mobile device and a desktop browser zoomed to 400%, not just in preview mode. Even though it doesn't meet full compliance at this time, we encourage authors to use the accessibility tools provided in custom block to improve its accessibility. Articulate Localization isn't supported for custom blocks at this time. To translate custom block content, authors must use the manual translation process. Share Your Feedback We're excited about the creativity that custom block will unlock and need your help to ensure it meets the needs and expectations of all Articulate users. Your feedback will directly influence the development of custom block within Rise 360, so consider sharing your thoughts on the following topics: Uses: How are you using custom blocks? Share your creations! Bugs: Is anything not working as expected? Improvements: How could this feature be better? Insights: How does this feature benefit you and your learners? Click Beta next to Custom Blocks and select Share feedback to share your thoughts.8.3KViews42likes0CommentsRise 360: Restore Content with Snapshots
Want to preserve versions of your training as you create drafts, collaborate with colleagues, and publish courses? The snapshots feature lets you save and restore your work with just a few clicks. Snapshots are particularly handy when you're working with collaborators. You can capture a moment in your training as it develops and then compare it against collaborator versions or restore back to it as needed. No more having to create a duplicate copy of your training! Snapshots can also come to your rescue when you accidentally delete training elements, apply updates to the wrong training, or just need a manual way to track your versions. Here's how snapshots work. Create a Snapshot Restore a Snapshot Manage the Snapshot List Step 1: Create a Snapshot When you first create a training, your snapshot history is empty. To get started, open the Snapshots menu next to the title in the upper left and click Save snapshot. Enter a name and click Save to create your first snapshot. Whenever Rise 360 detects changes, like adding or removing content, you can create a new snapshot. Just open the Snapshots menu and follow the same process. Are Snapshots Ever Automatically Created? Creating a snapshot of your training is primarily a manual process, but Rise 360 will automatically save a snapshot whenever you publish to Review 360 or Reach 360, export your training for LMS, or create/update a Quick Share link. These events show up in the snapshot history. Do Snapshots work with localized courses? Yes! Learn more about how snapshots work in multi-language Rise 360 content. Step 2: Restore a Snapshot Need to return to a previous version of your training? Open the Snapshots menu and click the Preview button for the snapshot you'd like to restore. After reviewing the content to confirm it's the version you're looking to restore, click Restore this snapshot in the upper-right corner. You can also restore a snapshot without previewing it by selecting the Restore option from the . . . menu. Step 3: Manage the Snapshot List If your snapshot list starts getting unwieldy, don’t worry. You can rename, restore, or delete snapshots by clicking the . . . menu next to the snapshot you'd like to modify and choosing the appropriate option.6KViews25likes0CommentsAllow Rewind Function on Restricted Timelines
As a rule, due to the nature of our business and contracts with unions, we must ensure that our learners are watching the full slide or video without fast forwarding through the content, but the restricted timeline does not allow rewinding or jumping back a few seconds (5 or 10) or to any point previously viewed until the entire video or slide has completed. This is extremely frustrating for our learners as a slight distraction could mean missing an important concept or content until possibly the end of the 15 minute video when they would then be able to drag the seekbar back. Requests have come in to also adjust the replay icon to allow small segments of time on that icon (which does not seem to work on a restricted seekbar w the slide set to resume saved state - another issue).Solved225Views12likes6CommentsAllow publishing access for more than one owner
My team works in a very collaborative environment and the "owner" of the course in Rise360 may not be the only owner or the only person that needs access to publish the course to our LMS. We previously all had access to publish the course as long as we were listed as collaborators (manager or editor). As of today, this access is gone and only the owner has the option to publish the course. I saw in Articulate Community that this question has been asked previously in the context of an employee leaving the organization and it was recommended to just share the link. This does not allow us to publish the course in our LMS to track completion for compliance. I'm not sure what changed for us to previously have access to the publish feature regardless of ownership or why we no longer have the access to do so, but there should at the very least be an option to assign collaborators as "co-owners" so we can have equal publishing/modification rights on team projects. Thank you!91Views12likes1CommentAI Assistant: Essential Tips to Unlock its Full Potential
Generative AI’s rapidly advancing capabilities are transforming the way we work. In e-learning, generative AI can be a valuable partner in course authoring. That’s why we designed AI Assistant—a powerful ally in your course creation journey, seamlessly integrated into the Articulate 360 apps you already use. Whether you’re a newbie eager to kickstart your course creation journey or a seasoned instructional designer looking to leverage AI for more efficient authoring, you’ll be ready to unlock the full potential of AI Assistant with the essential tips contained in the articles linked below. AI Assistant: Setting the Stage for AI Magic AI Assistant: Creating, Refining, and Converting Blocks AI Assistant: Using Magic Text Import to Transform Existing Content AI Assistant: Writing and Editing Inline Content AI Assistant: Creating Images Using Prompts AI Assistant: Building Effective Quizzes and Knowledge Checks AI Assistant: Summarizing Swiftly with Summary Generation AI Assistant: Producing Highly Realistic Audio25KViews12likes0CommentsStoryline 360 Pros — What’s Your Favorite “Hidden Gem”? 💎
As someone who’s spent a lot of time working with (and on!) Storyline 360, I’ve come to appreciate the power in the little things — those lesser-known features that quietly make our lives easier. Here's one of my personal favorites: 🎧📽️ Cue Points with the “C” Key: I recently spoke with a customer who struggled to time trigger actions to audio and video media on their slides. They would preview the slide, make note of when a trigger should be fired, then return to slide authoring view to add a cue point to the timeline to tie into the trigger event. This would require a lot of manual back-and-forth between authoring and previewing. I often have to do the same thing, and there is an easier way. If you use stage preview (accessible via the "Play" icon" in the lower-left corner of the Timeline panel), Storyline will stay in the slide authoring view and play the timeline of the slide, including any audio or video media that's present. As it plays, you can press the "C" key on your keyboard to have cue points added to the current playback position. It’s a simple way to place cue points in real time, right where they’re needed — perfect for syncing trigger actions to specific moments in your media. cting Storyline 360's UI and using the "C" key to drop cue points on the timeline. Now I’m curious: What’s your favorite under-the-radar Storyline feature? Something small, subtle, maybe even a little obscure — but that you personally couldn’t live without. Drop it in the comments — I’d love to learn what little gems you rely on. 👇1.3KViews9likes28CommentsMeet Your New Teammate: First Impressions of Articulate’s AI Assistant
Introduction: Why AI Built for eLearning Changes Everything AI is everywhere these days — from writing emails to generating images, creating videos, and more. We all know tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, DALL·E, Grammarly, Synthesia, and plenty more. They’ve quickly become part of our daily workflows — or at least, they have in mine! But if you’ve ever tried using these tools to help build an eLearning course, you’ve probably noticed something… They’re smart — but they don’t really get what we do. That’s why I was both excited and curious when I heard that Articulate was introducing an AI Assistant, built right into Storyline and Rise. Finally, an AI tool designed specifically for instructional designers and eLearning developers. I’ve been working with Articulate tools for over 14 years, and like many of you, I’m always looking for ways to speed up my workflow without sacrificing creativity or quality. So the big question was: Could this AI Assistant actually help me design or improve my courses — in a way that generic AI tools can’t? Spoiler alert: It can. And it did. This is the first post in a series where I’ll share how Articulate’s AI Assistant is changing the way I approach course development — making everyday tasks faster, smoother, and honestly, a bit more fun. So let’s take a closer look at why having AI built specifically for eLearning really makes a difference. Why Use Articulate’s AI Assistant Instead of Other AI Tools? Like many of you, I’ve used my fair share of AI tools — from ChatGPT for brainstorming to DALL·E for generating creative visuals. These tools are great, but they’re generalists. They don’t know (or care) that I’m building an eLearning course. That’s where Articulate’s AI Assistant stands out. It’s designed inside Articulate Storyline and Rise, for people like us — instructional designers, eLearning developers, and content creators. No copy-pasting between tools, no explaining to a chatbot what a "learning objective" is every single time. Here’s why I immediately saw the benefit of having AI built right into the tools I already use: It understands context. You’re not starting from scratch with every prompt. The AI Assistant knows you’re working within slides, quizzes, scenarios, and learning objectives. It fits seamlessly into your workflow. No need to bounce between apps or worry about formatting. You stay in Storyline or Rise, focused on creating — and the AI is right there when you need a boost. It’s tailored for eLearning tasks. Whether you’re drafting instructional text, generating quiz questions, or adjusting tone for different audiences, it’s built to support tasks we handle every day. Other AI tools are powerful, but they weren’t made for eLearning. Articulate’s AI Assistant feels like it was built by people who understand the little challenges that come with designing courses — and that makes all the difference. What Impressed Me Right Away I went in with low expectations — I mean, AI is cool, but it’s not magic, right? Well, after just a few prompts, I found myself genuinely impressed. Articulate’s AI Assistant is fast and simple. No manuals, no guesswork. You type, it helps. It felt less like learning a new feature and more like having a colleague nearby to bounce ideas off. Articulate’s AI Assistant gets you moving. The hardest part of creating content is often just getting started. The AI Assistant hands you a decent draft so you’re not stuck wondering how to begin. From there, it’s all about tweaking. Articulate’s AI Assistant understands eLearning. This isn’t some generic writing tool — it gets that you’re creating learning content. Whether it’s suggesting learning objectives or drafting quiz questions, it speaks the language of eLearning. By the end of my first session, I realized this tool isn’t just about saving time — it’s about keeping me in that productive flow state. Less overthinking, more doing. Wrapping Up — And What’s Next After just a short time using Articulate’s AI Assistant, I knew it was going to be part of my daily routine. It’s not here to replace creativity — it’s here to remove those little hurdles that can slow us down. No more blank slides. No more overthinking simple tasks. And the best part? I’m only scratching the surface. In my next post, I’ll show you how I’m using the AI Assistant to speed up writing — from slide content to quizzes and even branching scenarios. That’s where things get really interesting. Have you given the AI Assistant a try yet? I’d love to hear how it’s working for you — or if you're still wondering how to fit it into your workflow. Drop a comment below and let’s share ideas! Stay tuned — more AI-powered tips coming soon! About me: Paul Alders LinkedIn Profile The eLearning Brewery497Views9likes3CommentsCopy or move block/s from one lesson to another in Rise
Quite often when I am building out a module in rise, I create an awesome block/s within a lesson. But as I go on building and restructuring the module, the block/s or section better sit within another lesson in the same rise course. Currently, there is no way to copy or move blocks from one lesson to another - meaning I have to completely rebuild the blocks in the other lesson and delete from the original lesson. (The workaround, I think, is to save them as a template, insert the template into the other lesson, then delete the template, and delete from the original lesson). Can there be a function created that allows you to copy or move blocks to another lesson within the course without having to use the template workaround?239Views9likes7CommentsSOCIAL LEARNING in Articulate Rise
I LOVE Articulate Rise but... I am aware of the fact that the possibilities for Social Learning with these courses are none. And what I mean by that is the letting the learners to drop comments about specific sections of the course and have replies and interactions with those comments. I know it is hard to develop something from scratch but... wait a minute! That is exactly what the REVIEW 360 section does with the courses. What if.... Articulate uses the same engine to manage comments already available for Review 360 and let us use it to be able to add comments to blocks of the course?? Please respond or vote to this if you agree. I am not optimist, but you never know.81Views8likes0Comments