Localization News!
Hello, I just wanted to take a moment to share a couple of announcements that I'm super excited about! The big news is that we just launched Articulate Localization, which allows you to translate, validate, and manage your courses from within the Articulate 360 platform. 😍 Check out this article for more information. Along with that, I'm happy to share that we just launched a new Localization group where you can ask questions, discuss localization best practices, connect with others who work with localization, and more. Just hit the Join Group button to get started! I'm curious, have you started a trial of Articulate Localization yet? Let us know in the comments!Translation vs Localization
One question that I see come up a lot when talking about localization is how is translation different from localization? 🤔 We have a couple of really helpful documents that go into this, my coworker KathrynGiroux-c wrote about this recently in this blog post, and then we also have an article that goes into some things to consider when trying to decide if you should translate or fully localize your course. For those of you currently working with translations and/or localization, I’m curious, are you mostly dealing with just translating text or are you fully localizing your courses? And if you're new to this topic, what questions do you have about localization? Please your thoughts in the comments and then join us in our new Localization group for more discussions like this one!Localizing e-learning in Articulate Storyline 360: a guide
This article was originally published on LearningGuild.com This article draws on firsthand experience to outline the key stages of content preparation, translation, and post-processing within the Articulate Storyline 360 environment. Instead of looking at program features, we focus on practical aspects of localization, including typical tasks, common errors, and best practices for maintaining high quality and linguistic consistency across locales. While intended for localization professionals, the insights are equally valuable for global training managers planning to scale their internal learning programs across languages and regions. Stage 1. Analysis and preparation for translation Font compatibility During Storyline initialization, missing fonts are displayed in a separate dialog box: ox You should check if these fonts support the target languages. Storyline does not warn about missing characters in target languages; it automatically uses system fonts instead. This can cause subtle inconsistencies: while most of the text will appear visually correct, certain characters will be rendered in a different font. Detecting this can be tricky, so it’s best to check fonts on a larger text sample using a tool like Adobe InDesign. Paste a paragraph with characters specific to the target language, apply the original font, and any missing characters will be highlighted in red. Image text Textual elements within images may be non-editable but require localization. To view a complete list of images, navigate to the Media Library under the View tab. The Media Library also shows slide assignments for images: To streamline text inspection, you can export images as separate files. The next step is to identify and select elements that need to be prepared for translation. Because images can be incorporated into animations or associated with object groups, we recommend preparing textual elements within images by exporting them to an external file (such as a bilingual DOCX table) rather than processing them directly in Storyline. Integrating text frames directly into the project file will substantially increase the complexity of the setup needed to maintain animations and related elements. In addition, one image can be referenced across different slides. To be efficient, we should prepare it once and then replace it once after translation. Video and audio As with images, the Media Library provides functionality to view and export audio and video files used in the project: At this stage, identify the video and audio files to be prepared for translation. This process can include exporting on-screen text, preparing subtitles, and replacing voice-overs. Preparation of video and audio for translation is a separate process with numerous intricacies. Layers and slide masters Some slides may incorporate layers and slide masters (templates that define layout and design across multiple slides): Both layers and slide masters should be taken into account when estimating the workload, as there can be quite a few of them, and processing them will take time. Button states Individual slide elements can have multiple states: States are typically used for button elements and similar interactive controls. The text within different states can vary, and this needs to be considered when analyzing the workload. Export for translation There are two export formats available for translation: XLIFF and DOCX. The choice is up to the client. When exporting to DOCX, the number of slides, layers, templates, and other assets important for a general understanding of the scope of work is indicated in the report at the beginning of the file. Stage 2. Translation The translation stage begins after completing analysis and exporting. Beyond technical accuracy, translations need to be contextually coherent, particularly given that the same element may have multiple uses throughout the course. Key considerations during translation include: Ensuring accurate and complete translation of all elements, such as states, layers, and masters Finalizing glossaries and stylistic specifications Using CAT tools that support XLIFF, where applicable Bear in mind that insufficient context (such as the absence of screenshots) can compromise the quality of the translation output. Hence, we suggest giving linguists a DOCX report or credentials to access a preview environment. Stage 3. Post-translation Translation import Importing is identical to exporting. First, select the required format: It is common for errors to arise during importing. A prevalent cause of import errors is the lack of successful alignment between source and target texts. Storyline does not report the cause of an error. Pay special attention to the target language during formatting. Formatting Storyline is not equipped with automatic text scaling functionality. Therefore, if translated phrases become longer (which often happens), you should: Manually adjust fields and fonts Review the layout of all slides, focusing on those incorporating interactive elements If styles were used in the project, they can be reapplied; however, their infrequent application during course development adds complexity to the process. Font replacement Use the Replace Fonts tab, located within the Home —> Paragraph —> Find/Replace menu, to perform a global font replacement across the entire file. Multimedia replacement To replace localized images, video, and audio, use the Replace option in the Media Library. The system automatically updates a replaced file across all slides where it is used. Subtitles Subtitles can be added to audio and video elements. All standard formats are supported: SRT, VTT, SBV, and SUB. AI-powered audio generation Storyline features AI-powered voice generation. Using Insert Text-to-Speech functionality, a voice can be synthesized from text through AI Audio. Publishing and quality assurance Storyline supports a range of publishing formats. Critical steps before the final version is generated: Agree on the publishing format with the client. Perform a quality assurance check using Review 360, a user-friendly tool for text verification and commenting that is particularly useful when the workflow includes multiple contributors (linguists, designers, and the client). A notable feature of Review 360 is its integrated display of both the slide identifier and its visual preview. Conclusion Effective localization of e-learning content using Articulate Storyline 360 requires an end-to-end approach, from meticulous content preparation through post-processing and on to generation of the final version. The way interface elements, slide arrangements, multimedia integration, interactivity, and hidden content are implemented sets this localization process apart from those of other software. Gaining a deep understanding of Storyline helps project teams avoid hidden pitfalls, streamline the workflow, and reduce costs caused by revisions and backtracking. More importantly, it enables a consistent user experience across languages, which is critical for global learning effectiveness. In our experience, success in Storyline localization is rarely about translation alone. It comes from working with teams who specialize in e-learning workflows — teams who understand both the tool and the learning context, and who can collaborate early with content owners to flag risks before they become blockers. Organizations that treat e-learning localization as a strategic function, not a final step, gain the ability to launch multilingual courses faster, with greater confidence in quality and learner engagement. Ultimately, the result is learning content that performs consistently, resonates culturally, and helps global teams thrive.Instructional Design for Financial Services: Lessons from the UAE
Hello Articulate Community, I’m reaching out to connect with fellow learning designers, educators, and organizations exploring fresh ways to drive professional development through impactful e-learning. I’m an Instructional Designer based in Dubai, specializing in designing and developing training solutions and digital learning experiences using Articulate tools. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to scale large-scale training programs across the UAE, particularly in the financial sector, including banks and insurance companies. What makes my approach unique is the balance between instructional creativity and scalability. I’ve not only crafted engaging modules but also rolled out end-to-end learning journeys, covering classroom, digital, and blended formats, ensuring they align with compliance standards, industry regulations, and organizational goals. Some areas I’m passionate about include: Designing custom e-learning modules (SCORM-compliant) that seamlessly integrate into existing LMS. Building training frameworks that can scale from a single team to entire institutions. Creating learning content that bridges complex financial concepts with learner-friendly, practical delivery. I’m now exploring freelance opportunities to collaborate with organizations that want to reimagine their learning, scale their programs, and maximize learner engagement. If your organization is looking for instructional design expertise with proven UAE financial sector experience, I’d be happy to connect and discuss how we can work together. Feel free to reach out here or connect directly. Looking forward to learning and collaborating with this inspiring community!Publish in Localization
Hi. The Localization function is a game-changer, the translation is seamless and just few clicks. One of the thing left me puzzled is, i had tried both the way to publish, a separate packages and single package. Apparently the single package is working flawlessly, however, when i used the compressed file output from separate packages, it was not working in LMS. Please find image attached below. Appreciate if anyone can advise. I'm aware too there are any separate folder created, it seems like the language pack.Storyline Closed Captioning-adding Multiple Languages
Hello! Anyone come up with an easy way to add multiple closed captioning files to a Storyline project. RISE allows for multiple languages when inserting an MP4 video as easy as uploading the multiple .VVT files, but I do not see an easy way when adding audio to a Storyline project to add multiple languages for the Closed Captioning file. I only see you can import one or do one manually. Any thoughts to be able to add ten or more languages as closed captioning in my Storyline projects? Thank you!Finally — A Modern Open-Source LMS Built for the Corporate World
Hi Everyone, If you’re an eLearning developer or instructional designer working with small businesses, companies, or private clients, you’ve probably faced this challenge at some point — finding a cheap yet reliable corporate LMS. Those of us using tools like Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, or other authoring tools that require an LMS for hosting know how limited the options can be. Open-source platforms like Moodle are great, but they’re not really built for a corporate environment. The interface often feels outdated, and even with themes, the SCORM player tends to open courses as if they’re separate applications. This can look unpolished — especially on mobile devices — which is a concern for most of us. With all this in mind, I decided to build an LMS tailored for corporate environments. The system includes all the essential features needed in a modern LMS, and I’ll soon be releasing it as an open-source project. I’m still working out the hosting and storage solutions, since developers often use large image and video assets that can quickly increase hosting requirements. I’m currently looking for sponsors or collaborators who would like to support or contribute to this project. A big thank-you to the developers who have already joined me — your input has been invaluable! You can try out the LMS here (temporary link): 👉 https://lms.buyelearningcourses.com/ It’s free for anyone to explore. Once you register, your account will need admin approval — I’ll be approving new users once or twice daily as time allows. A full public demo will be launched soon on the official website, where users can download the source code and host it themselves. The backend is built with PHP, making it easy and affordable to host — even on shared hosting plans. In the official demo, I’ll include both user and admin panels for testing. For now, admin access is restricted on this temporary version to prevent changes to demo data, but the live release will allow full interaction. If you try it out, I’d love your feedback! Please share any missing features or suggestions you’d like to see included in the first public version. You can view the Feature Overview here: 👉 https://mylms.buyelearningcourses.com/ Thanks for your support, and I’m excited to see this project grow with the community’s input. Best, AlfredLocalization in Storyline _ Videos
Hello, I have created a module for 7 countries where I'd like to insert videos. These videos are storybooks generated by Gemini. I have one for each country I'm localizing (because we have text and voice in each language in them). Once the video downloaded, how I can I manage to adjust the video for each country as I cannot use the state on them. Do you have an idea ?
