Storyline 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 ObjectsStoryline 360: Converting Text to Speech
Speed up course development by converting text to speech right in Storyline 360. For example, use the text-to-speech feature to quickly narrate a course for stakeholder review or to localize narration in different languages. You can even choose the voice and language to make sure every word sounds right. Watch this video demonstration, then check out the detailed instructions below. Converting Text to Speech Selecting Languages and Voices Updating Script Changes or Using a Different Voice Generating Closed Captions Replacing Text-to-Speech Narration with Recorded Narration Create Text-to-Speech with AI Assistant Bring narration to life with AI-generated voices that are highly realistic and customizable. Add your script, define voice settings, and let AI Assistant do the rest. Learn how to use AI Assistant to level up your course authoring game. Converting Text to Speech Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon, click the Audio drop-down arrow, and choose Text-to-Speech. When the Insert Text-to-Speech window appears, select a Language from the first drop-down list. This ensures that your words are spoken with the correct pronunciations. Choose a Voice (standard or neural) from the second drop-down list. You can hear what a voice sounds like by clicking the Preview Voice button next to the list. Type or paste your script into the text-entry field. Or, if you want to use your slide notes as your script, just click the Copy from Slide Notes button. You can convert up to 10,000 characters at a time. When using speech synthesis markup language (SSML), you can convert up to 3,000 characters for text and 3,000 for SSML tags. If your script is longer than that, break it into smaller chunks and generate more than one text-to-speech audio clip. Then, place the audio clips back to back on the timeline so they play in sequential order. See below for tips on pronunciation and phrasing. Keep the Generate Closed Captions box marked to add closed captions to your text-to-speech narration. Learn more about text-to-speech closed captions below. Click Insert to complete the process. You must have an internet connection to convert text to speech. If you're offline, Storyline 360 prompts you to connect to the internet and try again. Storyline 360 converts your text to narration, and it’ll appear as an audio clip on the slide’s timeline. The conversion process is fast, but lengthy scripts take longer to convert. Text-to-speech narration works just like other audio clips in Storyline 360, so you can use the built-in audio editor and audio tools to customize it. You can add as many text-to-speech clips as you want. You can even use different voices for different clips, which is great when creating a scene where two or more characters are conversing. Tips for Controlling Pronunciation and Phrasing Don't use abbreviations. Spell out words to make sure they're pronounced correctly. If a correctly spelled word isn't pronounced the way you want, try spelling it phonetically or adding hyphens between syllables—for example, Articulate vs. Articu-late. Use punctuation, such as commas and semicolons, when inserting brief pauses. For longer pauses, convert your text to speech, then open the clip in the built-in audio editor and insert silence where needed. Want more control? As of December 2023, you can use SSML to adjust the speaking rate, modify pronunciation, add pauses, and more. Selecting Languages and Voices Choose from various standard and neural languages and voices to enhance your training. Standard Voices This is the full list of standard voices in Storyline 360, alphabetized and arranged by language. Language Name(s) Arabic Zeina (Female) Chinese (Mandarin) Zhiyu (Female) Danish Mads (Male), Naja (Female) Dutch (Netherlands) Lotte (Female), Ruben (Male) English (Australia) Nicole (Female), Russell (Male) English (India) Aditi (Female), Raveena (Female) English (United Kingdom) Amy (Female), Brian (Male), Emma (Female) English (USA) Joanna (Female), Joey (Male), Justin (Male), Kendra (Female), Kimberly (Female), Matthew (Male), Salli (Female) English (Wales) Geraint (Male) French (Canada) Chantal (Female) French (France) Céline (Female), Léa (Female), Mathieu (Male) German (Germany) Hans (Male), Marlene (Female), Vicki (Female) Icelandic Dóra (Female), Karl (Male) Italian Bianca (Female), Carla (Female), Giorgio (Male) Japanese Mizuki (Female), Takumi (Male) Korean Seoyeon (Female) Norwegian Liv (Female) Polish Ewa (Female), Jacek (Male), Jan (Male), Maja (Female) Portuguese (Brazil) Camila (Female), Ricardo (Male), Vitória (Female) Portuguese (Portugal) Cristiano (Male), Inês (Female) Romanian Carmen (Female) Russian Maxim (Male), Tatyana (Female) Spanish (Latin American) Lupe (Female), Miguel (Male), Penélope (Female) Spanish (Mexican) Mia (Female) Spanish (Spain) Conchita (Female), Enrique (Male), Lucia (Female) Swedish Astrid (Female) Turkish Filiz (Female) Welsh Gwyneth (Female) Neural Voices Starting with the September 2023 update, you can generate realistic, natural-sounding text-to-speech narration with neural voices. This is the full list of neural voices in Storyline 360, alphabetized and arranged by language. This list is updated whenever new voices are added. Language Name(s) Arabic (Gulf) Hala (Female), Zayd (Male) Catalan Arlet (Female) Chinese (Cantonese) Hiujin (Female) Chinese (Mandarin) Zhiyu (Female) Czech Jitka (Female) Danish Sofie (Female) Dutch (Belgian) Lisa (Female) Dutch (Netherlands) Laura (Female) English (Australia) Olivia (Female) English (India) Kajal (Female) English (United Kingdom) Amy (Female), Arthur (Male), Brian (Male), Emma (Female) English (USA) Danielle (Female), Gregory (Male), Joanna (Female), Joey (Male), Justin (Male), Kendra (Female), Kevin (Male), Kimberly (Female), Matthew (Male), Ruth (Female), Salli (Female), Stephen (Male) Finnish Suvi (Female) French (Belgian) Isabelle (Female) French (Canada) Gabrielle (Female), Liam (Male) French (France) Léa (Female), Rémi (Male) German (Austria) Hannah (Female) German (Germany) Daniel (Male), Vicki (Female) German (Swiss) Sabrina (Female) Irish English Niamh (Female) Italian Adriano (Male), Bianca (Female) Japanese Kazuha (Female), Takumi (Male), Tomoko (Female) Korean Seoyeon (Female) New Zealand English Aria (Female) Norwegian Ida (Female) Polish Ola (Female) Portuguese (Brazil) Camila (Female), Thiago (Male), Vitória (Female) Portuguese (Portugal) Inês (Female) Singaporean English Jasmine (Female) South African English Ayanda (Female) Spanish (Latin American) Lupe (Female), Pedro (Male) Spanish (Mexican) Andrés (Male), Mia (Female) Spanish (Spain) Lucia (Female), Sergio (Male) Swedish Elin (Female) Turkish Burcu (Female) Updating Script Changes or Using a Different Voice What if you convert text to speech and then need to update it with script changes? Or what if you want to switch to a different voice later? No problem. Storyline 360 makes it easy to update text-to-speech narration. Right-click your text-to-speech audio track on the slide’s timeline and choose Text-to-Speech from the context menu that appears. Or, select your text-to-speech audio track, go to the Options tab on the ribbon, and click Text-to-Speech. The Insert Text-to-Speech window opens with your original script. Edit the script as needed or choose a different voice—or both. Click Update. Generating Closed Captions Storyline 360 can generate closed captions that are automatically synchronized with text-to-speech narration, making your course more accessible. You can add closed captions at the same time you convert text to speech or add them later. Here’s how. Generate Closed Captions When You Convert Text to Speech Keep the Generate Closed Captions box marked to add closed captions at the same time you convert text to speech. Learn how to convert text to speech above. Update Existing Narration with Closed Captions Right-click your text-to-speech audio track on the slide’s timeline and choose Text-to-Speech from the context menu that appears. The Insert Text-to-Speech window opens with your script. Check the Generate Closed Captions box. Click Update. Use the Closed Captions Editor to Add Captions Select your text-to-speech audio track on the slide’s timeline, then go to the Options tab on the ribbon and click Add Captions. When the closed captions editor opens, Storyline 360 automatically generates captions that are synced with your narration. Just click Save & Close on the ribbon. Learn More Creating and Editing Closed Captions with the Built-In Editor Importing Closed Captions for Narration and Videos Replacing Text-to-Speech Narration with Recorded Narration You can use text-to-speech narration during course development and later swap it out with professionally recorded narration, keeping your closed captions intact. Here’s how. Select your text-to-speech audio track on the slide’s timeline and go to the Options tab on the ribbon. Click the drop-down arrow beside Replace Audio. Choose to replace your text-to-speech audio with an audio file from your computer or an audio clip from the media library. Or, record narration with your microphone.Storyline 360: Working with Triggers
Triggers make things happen. They're the keys to creating activities in Storyline 360. And we made them super easy to use so that you can build interactions without any coding at all. Just choose an action and decide when you want it to occur. For example, you might change the state of a character when the learner clicks a button. Adding Triggers Adding Conditions to Triggers Managing Conditions Understanding the Sections in the Triggers Panel Selecting Multiple Triggers Editing Triggers Disabling Triggers Copying and Pasting Triggers Copying Triggers by Duplicating Objects Pasting Conditions Across Triggers Deleting Triggers Rearranging Triggers Grouping Triggers Collapsing and Expanding Objects and Sections Adding Triggers At their core, triggers are pretty simple. A trigger has two main elements: What action occurs? When does it happen? To create a trigger: Click the Create a new trigger icon in the Triggers panel, or go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click Trigger. The trigger wizard will guide you through the process using a series of drop-down lists, as shown below. Select the action you want to occur and fill in the related parameters, such as the object that’s affected. For example, you might change a character’s expression. Choose when you want it to happen—e.g., when the learner clicks a button. Optional: You can add conditions to your trigger so it only occurs in certain circumstances. Learn more about conditions below. When you’re done, click OK. Tip: Check out this resource to learn about the available actions, events, and conditions. Adding Conditions to Triggers If you want to trigger an action only when certain criteria are met, you can add one or more conditions to it. If the trigger wizard isn’t already open, double-click the trigger you want to edit in the Triggers panel. Click the + if drop-down list on the Conditions card to add your first condition. A condition can be based on a variable, an object on the slide or any of its layers, or the window in which the slide is displayed, as shown below. After selecting a variable, object, or window, click the underlined portions of the conditional sentence and make your selections from the drop-down lists. For example, you might want your trigger to occur only on the condition that the state of a button is not visited, as shown below. Repeat the steps above to add as many conditions as you need. Then decide how your conditions should interact. Should they be AND conditions where all the conditions must be met? Should they be OR conditions where only one condition must be met? Or should they be a combination of both? Click AND or OR to switch back and forth, as shown below. New: Create conditional triggers with alternative actions. As of November 2022, you can add an optional "else" action. Here's how. In the trigger wizard, click + Add Else. Storyline 360 automatically adds a default action based on the main action. Click the default "else" action to change it to a different one if you'd like. Click OK to save your changes and close the trigger wizard. Managing Conditions It’s easy to reorder, duplicate, and delete conditions. Here’s how. Reorder Conditions Change the order of conditions in the new trigger wizard without deleting and recreating them. Just drag them up and down the list. Install the November 2019 update or later for Storyline 360 to take advantage of this time-saving feature. Duplicate Conditions When you need multiple conditions that are similar, save time by duplicating them. Create the first condition, as shown above, then hover over it and click the Duplicate Condition button that appears. Use the inline editing lists to tweak the new condition as needed. Delete Conditions Hover over the condition you want to delete and click the Remove Condition button that appears. That’s it! Understanding the Sections in the Triggers Panel It’s helpful to know how the Triggers panel is arranged so you can quickly find the triggers you’re looking for. The Triggers panel is divided into sections based on the “when” parameter in your triggers. The following table lists sections in the order they appear in the Triggers panel. Section Description Slide Triggers Slide triggers always appear at the top of the Triggers panel. They often rely on the timeline of the slide or layer—e.g., when the timeline starts, ends, or reaches a certain point. Key Press Triggers Key press triggers occur when the learner presses a specific key after clicking the slide or layer. Variable Triggers Variable triggers occur when a variable changes. For example, you might show a layer when a true/false variable changes to true. Unassigned Triggers If you accidentally leave the “when” parameter blank, your trigger will appear in this section so you can immediately see which triggers are incomplete. Object Triggers Object triggers apply to objects on the slide (images, characters, text boxes, etc.), and they generally occur when the learner performs an action, such as clicking a button, hovering over a hotspot, or dragging an object. Object triggers can also occur when other events take place—e.g., when the state of another object changes, an animation completes, or an object leaves the slide. Player Triggers Player triggers always appear at the bottom of the Triggers panel. They apply to the built-in navigation buttons: Previous, Next, and Submit. Here’s an example of the Triggers panel with each of the sections defined above: Selecting Multiple Triggers Select multiple triggers and edit them all at once. Easily copy and paste, move, disable, and delete triggers in bulk. Here are five ways to multi-select triggers: Click an object on the slide to select all the triggers associated with it. In grouped view, click a "When …" event to select all the triggers in that group. Ctrl+click to select multiple triggers that aren't next to each other. Shift+click the first and last triggers in a series to multi-select all the triggers in between. Press Ctrl+A to select all the triggers in a section of the triggers panel, such as Slide Triggers or Object Triggers. This feature is exclusive to the new trigger workflow. Install the January 2020 update or later for Storyline 360. Editing Triggers You can easily edit your triggers right in the Triggers panel. Click the segments of each trigger description, and then choose an option from the drop-down list or enter a value in the field. Here’s a demo: You can also edit triggers in the trigger wizard. Just double-click the trigger you want to edit. Or, select the trigger and click the Edit button at the top of the Triggers panel. After making your selections, click OK to save your changes and close the trigger wizard. Disabling Triggers Temporarily disable individual triggers when you’re troubleshooting an interaction that isn’t working or when you’re experimenting with new ideas. Simply hover over the trigger you want to disable and click the Disable Trigger icon that appears (it looks like a lightning bolt with a slash through it). Click the icon again to re-enable your trigger. When a trigger is disabled, its text is struck out so you can tell at a glance that it’s disabled. Disabled triggers won’t work in your published output. If you need them to work, remember to re-enable them before you publish. Compatibility Tip: Disabled triggers are exclusive to the new trigger workflow in Storyline 360. They’ll be present but hidden if you open your project file in the classic trigger workflow in Storyline 360 or Storyline 3. Copying and Pasting Triggers Save time by copying and pasting triggers from one object to another. Then make any necessary adjustments to the new triggers. Select the trigger you want to copy in the Triggers panel. Copy the trigger by pressing Ctrl+C on your keyboard or by clicking the Copy button at the top of the Triggers panel. Select one or more objects on the slide where you want to paste the trigger, then press Ctrl+V on your keyboard or click the Paste button. If you need to tweak the pasted trigger, click the segments you need to edit in the Triggers panel or double-click the trigger to open it in the trigger wizard. See the section above to learn more about editing triggers. Copying Triggers by Duplicating Objects Another way to quickly copy triggers is to duplicate an object that already has the triggers you want. Just select the object on the slide and press Ctrl+D on your keyboard. This is helpful when you need several variations of an object that you’ve already customized to fit your course. For example, let's say you need several buttons that look the same and perform similar actions. Pasting Conditions Across Triggers Save time by copying conditions from one trigger and pasting them on another. Copy the trigger that has the conditions you want to reuse. Select one or more triggers where you want to paste the conditions. Right-click the selected trigger(s), scroll to Paste, and choose Paste Conditions from the context menu. This feature is exclusive to the new trigger workflow. Install the January 2020 update or later for Storyline 360. Deleting Triggers To delete a trigger, select it in the Triggers panel and do any of the following: Press the Delete key on your keyboard. Click the Delete button at the top of the Triggers panel. Right-click the trigger and select Delete from the context menu. Rearranging Triggers You can add triggers to slides, layers, and slide masters. You can also add multiple triggers to a single object. The order of all these triggers is important and determines when they execute. Slide master triggers execute before slide and layer triggers. When there are multiple triggers on the same object that are triggered by the same action (e.g., when the learner clicks a button), triggers execute in the order they appear in the Triggers panel. To reorder triggers, use the Up and Down arrows at the top of the Triggers panel, or simply drag triggers up and down the panel with your mouse. Grouping Triggers You can group triggers together by event (e.g., when the learner clicks a button or when the timeline starts) so triggers are easier to see and understand. They’re also easier to troubleshoot if your interaction isn’t working the way you expect. To group triggers by event, mark the Group box at the top of the Triggers panel. Uncheck the box if you want to ungroup your triggers. Here’s a comparison of the same triggers ungrouped on the left and grouped on the right. Collapsing and Expanding Objects and Sections Collapse all the triggers for an object or even an entire section of the Triggers panel when you need to focus on specific triggers. Click the triangle to the left of an object to collapse or expand its triggers. Click the arrows to the right of a section to collapse or expand the whole section, such as Slide Triggers or Object Triggers. Want to learn more about working with triggers? As an Articulate 360 subscriber, you have unlimited access to live online training webinars and recorded videos on a variety of e-learning topics. Check out Articulate 360 Training to register for webinars and search our video library.Storyline 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 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 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: Working with Data-Entry Fields
Data-entry fields let you collect information from learners, which is stored in variables, can be adjusted with triggers, and displayed on any slide or layer in your course using references. Adding Data-Entry Fields Renaming Data-Entry Fields Renaming Data-Entry Variables Formatting Data-Entry Fields Formatting Data-Entry Text Using Data-Entry Fields to Trigger Actions and Perform Calculations Converting to Freeform Text-Entry Questions Using Variable References to Display Learners' Input Deleting Data-Entry Fields Adding Data-Entry Fields Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click Input. Choose either Text-Entry Field or Numeric-Entry Field. Text-entry fields accept alphanumeric characters. Numeric-entry fields accept numbers, decimals, and hyphens (for negative numbers). Use numeric-entry fields when you want to perform calculations. Draw your data-entry field on the slide or layer. Customize the instruction text in the field. When you add a data-entry field, Storyline automatically creates a variable to hold the data and a trigger to set the value of the variable to whatever the learner types in the field. See this in action here. Renaming Data-Entry Fields Storyline gives each data-entry field a default name, either Text Entry or Numeric Entry. We recommend giving them more intuitive names, so they're recognizable when adding triggers and creating freeform interactions. One way to rename a data-entry field is to right-click it, select Rename, enter a new name, and click OK. Another way is to double-click the data-entry field in the timeline to open it for editing, enter a new name, and press Enter on your keyboard. Renaming Data-Entry Variables It's also helpful to rename the variable that's tied to each data-entry field. Here's how: Click the Manage project variables icon in the Triggers panel. Double-click the variable you want to rename. Enter a new name and click OK. Formatting Data-Entry Fields To change the style, colors, and effects for a data-entry field, select the field you want to edit, go to the Format tab on the ribbon, and use the formatting options. The colors available on the Format tab come from your theme colors. Formatting Data-Entry Text You can format the instruction text in a data-entry field and the text that learners enter. Just select the field and use the font and paragraph options on the Home tab. Data-entry fields support these formatting options: Instruction Text Learners’ Input Font Font Size Font Color Bold Italics Horizontal Alignment Font Font Size Font Color Bold Italics Horizontal Alignment Using Data-Entry Fields to Trigger Actions and Perform Calculations Since the data that learners enter is stored in variables, you can use triggers and conditions to perform actions based on that data. If you're using a numeric-entry field, you can even perform calculations on learners input using Adjust variable triggers with mathematical operators. See this user guide to learn more about triggers and conditions. Converting to Freeform Text-Entry Questions You can convert a data-entry field into a freeform text-entry question if you want to track learners’ input in a quiz or survey. See this user guide for details. Tip: Only one data-entry field on a slide can be evaluated as part of a freeform text-entry question. Using Variable References to Display Learners' Input Since data-entry fields store learners' input in variables, you can display the values of those variables anywhere in your course using variable references. For example, you might use a text-entry field to ask learners for their names at the beginning of a course. Then you can personalize content with their names throughout the rest of the course. Just add a variable reference to any text box, caption, shape, or button. Deleting Data-Entry Fields To delete a data-entry field, select it and click Delete on your keyboard. When you delete a data-entry field, its corresponding variable and trigger will also be deleted.
