Storyline 360: Using Content Library 360 Templates
Your Articulate 360 subscription includes full access to Content Library 360, a collection of professionally-designed slide templates and course assets that dramatically speeds up development and wows your audience. Storyline 360 is tied directly into Content Library 360, so you can browse templates and add them to your e-learning courses with the click of a button. All you need is an internet connection. Be sure to check Content Library 360 often. We're constantly adding new templates to inspire you and keep your designs fresh. Browsing Content Library 360 Adding a Template to Your Project Browsing Content Library 360 First, do any of the following to open the Content Library 360 browser in Storyline: Press Ctrl+Shift+M. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon, click the New Slide drop-down arrow, and choose Content Library 360. Go to the Slides tab on the ribbon and click Content Library 360. In Story View, right-click anywhere in the workspace, scroll to New Slide, and choose Content Library 360. In Slide View or Form View, right-click anywhere in the Scenes panel, scroll to New Slide, and choose Content Library 360. Then use the search features at the top of the window and the filters along the left edge to find a template that fits your content and style needs. (Click a filter to enable it. Click it again to clear it.) When you click a slide thumbnail image, its title and description will appear on the right side of the window. Adding a Template to Your Project To add a Content Library 360 template to your project, just browse to it as described above, select it, then click Insert Slide in the lower right corner. It’s that easy! Tip: Import multiple templates at the same time by holding down the Ctrl key or the Shift key and clicking additional thumbnail images. When you add a template from Content Library 360 to your Storyline project: The slide you chose will be automatically added to the current scene. You can use theme colors and theme fonts to quickly customize the template to match your brand requirements or style guide. The theme of the template will be added to the themes gallery on the Design tab of the Storyline ribbon, so you can easily reuse it later. All the layouts for the template will be added to your slide masters, and you may customize them as you’d like. All the layouts for the template will appear in the basic-layouts gallery, making it easier to add new slides from the same template later—even when you’re offline.Storyline 360: Adding Content Library 360 Characters
Make your Storyline 360 courses more relatable with an ever-growing library of photographic and illustrated characters. Choose from more than 100,000 combinations of characters, expressions, and poses. Adding a Character Making Content Library Characters Accessible Adding a Character In Slide View, go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click Characters. (You can also import characters directly into the media library.) When the character browser opens, choose a character, expression, pose, and perspective, then click Insert. If the character you want to use isn’t installed on your computer yet, hover over it and click the Download from 360 button that appears. (An orange circle with an exclamation point will appear if you’re disconnected from Articulate 360.) Click the filters on the left side of the character browser to narrow your search. (To turn off a filter, just click the category again.) Use the drop-down in the upper right corner to change the sort order, and use the slider in the bottom left corner to zoom in and out. Characters behave like other images in Storyline. After adding them to your course, you can move, resize, crop, format, and animate them. Making Content Library Characters Accessible Characters make your content more relatable for learners and bring your courses to life. Use our tips below to boost accessibility and make your content more inclusive when using characters. Use descriptive alternative text. Don’t rely on a character alone to convey information. When inserting a character, provide a detailed description of what the character looks like and what their role in the content is. (1.1.1 Non-text Content). Meet color contrast guidelines. Ensure each character meets color contrast guidelines. You can use this web-based contrast checker or download this contrast checker tool to test the contrast ratio. (1.4.11 Non-text Contrast). Choose meaningful and relevant characters for your course. Select inclusive characters that reflect the diversity of your learners and align with the training material. Follow this link for more tips on choosing characters. Minimize distractions. Avoid using unnecessary characters as they add visual clutter. You Might Also Want to Explore: Editing Characters Formatting Pictures, Screenshots, and CharactersStoryline 360: Adding Content Library 360 Icons
Content Library 360 has 22+ million high-resolution photos, illustrations, icons, and videos. You can access them right from Storyline 360, and they’re all available to use in your content without additional charge. In this article, you’ll learn how to add eye-catching Content Library icons to your courses and how to customize them with your own colors and effects. Adding Content Library 360 Icons to Your Course Customizing Content Library 360 Icons Making Icons Accessible Adding Content Library 360 Icons to Your Course Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click Icons in the Content Library 360 group. Type a search term in the field at the top of the media browser and press Enter. Tip: The media browser remembers your last search term, previous search results, and the last asset you selected. Zoom in and out while you’re browsing for icons by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and scrolling your mouse wheel. If you want to look for a different type of media after opening the browser, use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to another type: photos, illustrations, icons, or videos. Select the icon you want to use and click Insert to add it to your slide. Tip: You can select multiple icons at the same time using Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click, then insert them all at once. Customizing Content Library 360 Icons After importing a Content Library 360 icon into your course, you can customize its colors to match your course design. Just select the icon on the slide, go to the Format tab on the ribbon, and use the style galleries to edit the fill color, outline color, and effects. For example, here’s the same icon with different styles. And if an icon is composed of more than one shape, you can ungroup it and format each shape individually. Just right-click the icon, scroll to Group, and click Ungroup to see all the components that make up the icon. Here's an example of an ungrouped icon. You can tell if an icon is one shape or many by right-clicking it. If the Group option is grayed-out, it’s a single shape. If the Group option is active, it’s composed of multiple shapes. Here’s an example of a multi-shape icon. The original icon on the left has no formatting. The same icon in the middle has been recolored all at once (without ungrouping it). And the same icon again, but this time ungrouped, with specific formatting for each component is on the right. Making Icons Accessible When icons are designed with accessibility in mind, they are more likely to be intuitive and user-friendly for everyone, not just those with disabilities. Here’s how to make your icons accessible: Meet color contrast guidelines. You can use a web-based contrast checker or download a contrast checker tool to test the contrast ratio of your icons (1.4.11 Non-text Contrast). Reduce ambiguity. Use icons that communicate their functions clearly and are widely understood across different cultures and demographics. If you use an icon as a button, provide a text label that matches the icon’s function (2.5.3 Label in Name). Size appropriately. Adjust the size of any interactive icon to at least 44 pixels wide and 44 pixels tall. This ensures your icons are large enough for learners to interact with without error (2.5.5 Target Size). Offer multiple ways to navigate. Icons must be navigable by assistive technologies like screen readers to ensure an inclusive browsing experience (2.1.1 Keyboard). Stay consistent. Reuse the same icon to signify the same meaning. This lets learners know what to expect from each icon (3.2.4 Consistent Identification). Rely on text—not icons—to convey important details. Offer text-based options and make sure each icon has alternative text (alt text) descriptions. Icons that are purely decorative don’t need alt text. Hide them from accessibility tools to prevent unnecessary announcements (1.1.1 Non-text Content). You Might Also Want to Explore: Formatting Shapes, Captions, Text Boxes, and Content Library 360 Icons Ordering, Grouping, Sizing, and Positioning ObjectsStoryline 360: Adding Content Library 360 Videos
Content Library 360 has 22+ million high-resolution photos, illustrations, icons, and videos. You can access them right from Storyline 360, and they’re all available to use in your content for no additional charge. In this article, you’ll learn how to add Content Library 360 videos to your courses. Adding Content Library 360 Videos to Your Course Swapping Out Videos Using Content Library 360 Photos as Video Poster Frames Making Content Library Videos Accessible Adding Content Library 360 Videos to Your Course Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click Videos in the Content Library 360 group. (You can also import Content Library 360 videos directly into the media library.) Type a search term in the field at the top of the media browser and press Enter. Tip: The media browser remembers your last search term, previous search results, and the last asset you selected. Zoom in and out while you’re browsing for videos by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and scrolling your mouse wheel. If you want to look for a different type of media after opening the browser, use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to another type: photos, illustrations, icons, or videos. To preview a video before you insert it into your course, hover over it with your mouse, then click the Preview button that appears. Select the video you want to use and click Insert to add it your slide. Tip: You can select multiple videos at the same time using Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click, then insert them all at once. Swapping Out Videos You can swap out one video for another without losing the video properties or triggers you already set up. Below, we describe two ways to do so. Right-Click the Video Right-click any video in your course, scroll to Replace Video, and choose Content Library 360 Videos. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Videos. Browse for a new video and click Insert. Use Video Placeholders If your course is built with video placeholders, you can delete a video you previously added to a placeholder and add another one in its place. Here’s how: Click the Insert Content Library 360 Video icon in the placeholder. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Videos. Browse for a new video and click Insert. Using Content Library 360 Photos as Video Poster Frames If you don’t auto-play a video in your course, learners will see the first frame of the video as its placeholder until it begins to play. If you’d like to display a different video placeholder, you can insert a picture file or a Content Library 360 photo. This image is called the video’s poster frame. To use a Content Library 360 photo as a poster frame Right-click the video, scroll to Set Poster Frame, and choose Content Library 360 Photos. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Photos. Browse for the photo you want to use as the poster frame and click Insert. If you change your mind, just right-click the video again and choose Remove Poster Frame. Making Content Library Videos Accessible Video accessibility fosters inclusivity and boosts comprehension for all learners. Here are a few tips to make your Content Library videos accessible: Turn off autoplay. Video content that autoplays can disrupt learning and interfere with assistive technologies. Adjust video properties to prevent autoplay. (1.4.2 Audio Control). Enable accessible video controls. Turn on the accessible video controls in Storyline 360's modern player for a more inclusive and flexible learning environment. (2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide). Use audio descriptions where necessary. Include audio descriptions that narrate important visual details not conveyed through dialogue. This practice gives learners with visual disabilities access to all the necessary information and allows them to understand the content thoroughly. (1.2.5 Audio Description [Prerecorded]). Keep your language simple. Use plain language in your video content and descriptions. Straightforward and clear language helps your audience easily read and understand the information. Avoid distracting videos. Stick with non-flashing videos. Content that flashes, blinks, or flickers more than three times per second is distracting and can trigger seizures in learners with photosensitive epilepsy. (2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold). You Might Also Want to Explore: Adding Videos from Files, Websites, and Webcams Editing Videos Adjusting Video PropertiesStoryline 360: Adding Content Library 360 Photos
Content Library 360 has 22+ million high-resolution photos, illustrations, icons, and videos. You can access them right from Storyline 360, and they’re all available to use in your content for no additional charge. In this article, you’ll learn how to add gorgeous Content Library 360 photos to your courses. Adding Content Library 360 Photos to Your Course Swapping Out Photos Making Content Library Photos Accessible Adding Content Library 360 Photos to Your Course Press Ctrl+Shift+J to open the Content Library 360 media browser or go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click Photos in the Content Library 360 group. (You can also import Content Library 360 photos directly into the media library.) Type a search term in the field at the top of the media browser and press Enter. Tip: The media browser remembers your last search term, previous search results, and the last asset you selected. Zoom in and out while you’re browsing for photos by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and scrolling your mouse wheel. If you want to look for a different type of media after opening the browser, use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to another type: photos, illustrations, icons, or videos. Select the photo you want to use and click Insert to add it your slide. Tip: You can select multiple photos at once using Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click, then insert them all at once. Swapping Out Photos You can swap out one image for another without losing existing formatting, animations, or triggers. Below, we describe three ways to do so. Right-Click the Image Right-click any image in your course, scroll to Replace Picture, and choose Content Library 360 Photos. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Photos. Browse for a new photo and click Insert. Use the Format Tab on the Ribbon Select any image in your course, go to the Format tab on the ribbon, click the Replace Picture drop-down arrow, and choose Content Library 360 Photos. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Photos. Browse for a new photo and click Insert. Use Picture Placeholders If your course is built with picture placeholders, you can delete a picture you previously added to a placeholder and add another one in its place. Here’s how: Click the Insert Content Library 360 Photo icon in the placeholder. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Photos. Browse for a new photo and click Insert. Making Content Library Photos Accessible When you enhance image accessibility, everyone benefits—especially learners with visual disabilities. Check out these tips for making your Content Library images accessible: Rely on text—not images—to convey important details. If you need to use images to share essential context, offer text-based options and make sure each image has alternative text (alt text) descriptions. (1.1.1 Non-text Content and 1.4.5 Images of Text). Give context where needed. For complex images like charts and maps, provide additional context with captions and detailed descriptions. (1.1.1 Non-text Content). Hide decorative images. Purely decorative images don't need alternative alt text. Hide them from accessibility tools to prevent unnecessary announcements. Meet color contrast guidelines. Ensure your images meet color contrast guidelines. You can use this web-based contrast checker or download this contrast checker tool to test the contrast ratio. (1.4.11 Non-text Contrast and 1.4.3 Contrast [Minimum] if your illustration has text). Minimize distractions. Avoid unnecessary background images since they add visual clutter. You Might Also Want to Explore: Formatting Pictures, Screenshots, and Characters Ordering, Grouping, Sizing, and Positioning ObjectsStoryline 360: Adding Content Library 360 Illustrations
Content Library 360 offers more than 22 million high-resolution photos, illustrations, icons, and videos—all accessible right from Storyline 360 for no additional charge. In this article, you’ll learn how to add beautiful Content Library 360 illustrations to your courses. Adding Content Library 360 Illustrations to Your Course Swapping Out Illustrations Making Illustrations Accessible Adding Content Library 360 Illustrations to Your Course Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click Illustrations in the Content Library 360 group. (You can also import Content Library 360 illustrations directly into the media library.) Type a search term in the field at the top of the media browser and press Enter. Tip: The media browser remembers your last search term, previous search results, and the last asset you selected. Zoom in and out while you’re browsing for illustrations by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and scrolling your mouse wheel. If you want to look for a different type of media after opening the browser, use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to another type: photos, illustrations, icons, or videos. Select the illustration you want to use and click Insert to add it your slide. Tip: You can select multiple illustrations at the same time using Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click, then insert them all at once. Swapping Out Illustrations You can swap out one illustration for another without losing existing formatting, animations, or triggers. Below, we describe three ways to do so. Right-Click the Illustration Right-click any image in your course, scroll to Replace Picture, and choose Content Library 360 Photos. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Illustrations. Browse for a new illustration and click Insert. Use the Format Tab on the Ribbon Select any image in your course, go to the Format tab on the ribbon, click the Replace Picture drop-down arrow, and choose Content Library 360 Photos. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Illustrations. Browse for a new illustration and click Insert. Use Content Placeholders If your course is built with content placeholders, you can delete an illustration you previously added to a placeholder and add another one in its place. Here’s how: Click the Insert Content Library 360 Media icon in the placeholder. The Content Library 360 browser remembers your last search during the current session, so you may need to use the drop-down list in the upper right corner to switch to Illustrations. Browse for a new illustration and click Insert. Making Illustrations Accessible Keeping accessibility in mind when using illustrations creates a more engaging and informative experience for everyone. Follow these tips to boost illustration accessibility: Rely on text—not illustrations—to convey important details. Offer text-based options and make sure each illustration has an alternative text (alt text) description. (1.1.1 Non-text Content and 1.4.5 Images of Text) Hide decorative illustrations. Purely decorative illustrations don’t need alt text. In fact, you can hide them from accessibility tools to prevent unnecessary announcements from screen readers. Meet color contrast guidelines. Use a web-based contrast checker or download a contrast checker tool to test the contrast ratio of your illustrations. (1.4.11 Non-text Contrast and 1.4.3 Contrast [Minimum] if your illustration has text) Minimize distractions. Avoid unnecessary background illustrations since they add visual clutter. You Might Also Want to Explore: Formatting Pictures, Screenshots, and Characters Ordering, Grouping, Sizing, and Positioning ObjectsContent Library 360 and AI Assistant: Boost Visual Interest with Stock or AI-Generated Images
E-learning course creators know that quality visuals keep learners engaged—the question is where to find them. Traditionally, the answer has been stock images, like the millions of high-quality assets in Content Library 360. However, the rapid rise of AI-powered tools means a new addition to the authoring toolkit. AI Assistant’s image generation feature turns your ideas into gorgeous custom images through its robust text-to-image functionality. With two excellent options at your fingertips, which do you choose—stock photos or AI-generated images? Let’s explore the pros and cons of each to help you decide which to use for your next course. Stock Images You’re probably already familiar with Content Library 360, which gives you quick access to a wide variety of professional-grade stock images. This vast collection of visual assets covers practically any topic, and most of the available images are professionally photographed, so they have great lighting, composition, and superb overall quality. Also, a quick and simple keyword search provides a variety of relevant images that are ready to go. The downside to using stock photos is that they can feel generic, especially if you happen to choose a particular image that's been used in other places. Learners might recognize them from other websites or ads, which can make your course feel stale. There's also the question of customization. While stock images usually offer high visual quality, they may not meet your exact needs. For instance, when you search for a “person looking at a clock,” you’ll get images showing both elements, but they may not convey the tone or idea you were looking for. That can mean you have to settle for “close enough.” AI-Generated Images Customization is the name of the game with AI Assistant’s image generation feature, which allows you to create images on demand using prompts. AI-generated images are made to your specifications, so you can fine-tune the details—from colors and themes to specific objects or scenarios—tailoring the images to your course content needs. And since they’re custom-made, no two AI-generated images are exactly alike. That unique visual content can make your course stand out. However, not all AI-generated images match the level of detail and quality found in stock images. AI-generated images can also feel a bit “off” or even have weird artifacts that immediately signal that an image has been generated by AI. For example, when you ask for an image of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, you may get an image showing two Eiffel Towers standing side by side—and we all know that’s far from reality. In other words, creating the perfect AI-generated image may take some trial and error. You’ll likely need to rerun your prompts—modifying the description and details each time just to get it right. That may take more time than simply picking a stock image would. Choose What Works For You Ultimately, both stock and AI-generated images can boost your course content. The choice comes down to your specific needs and priorities. If you’re prioritizing convenience and reliability, visual assets from Content Library 360 may be your best bet. But if you’re looking to elevate your course with something visually unique, AI-generated images may provide the perfect custom option. You have the power to decide what aligns best with your content and workflow, but nothing stops you from using both tools.Presenter 360: Adding and Editing Content Library 360 Characters
Make your Presenter 360 courses relatable with an ever-growing library of photographic and illustrated characters. Adding a Character Editing a Character Adding a Character Go to the Articulate tab on the PowerPoint ribbon, click Characters, and choose Insert Character. When the character browser opens, choose a character, expression, pose, and perspective, then click Insert. If the character you want to use isn’t installed on your computer yet, hover over it and click the Download from 360 button that appears. (An orange circle with an exclamation point will appear if you’re disconnected from Articulate 360.) Click the filters on the left side of the character browser to narrow your search. (To turn off a filter, just click the category again.) Use the drop-down in the upper right corner to change the sort order, and use the slider in the bottom left corner to zoom in and out. Characters behave like other images in PowerPoint. After adding them to your course, you can move, resize, crop, format, and animate them. Editing a Character Select the character you want to edit. Go to the Articulate tab on the PowerPoint ribbon, click Character, and choose Edit Character. When the character browser opens, select a new character, expression, pose, and/or perspective. Click Insert Character. Tip: When you edit a character in Presenter 360, most formatting you applied to the original character will be undone, including size, crop, picture effects, and animations. If you used several formatting options on the original character that you want to keep intact, it’s faster to do this: Add a new character to your slide rather than editing the existing character. Use the Format Painter and Animation Painter in PowerPoint to copy formatting and animations from the original character to the new character. Delete the original character. Resize and crop the new character as needed.
