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. Adding Conditions to Triggers You can add one or more conditions to trigger an action only when certain criteria are met. 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. You can create conditional triggers with alternative actions by adding an optional "else" action. 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. Managing Conditions Learn how to reorder, duplicate, and delete conditions: Reorder Conditions You can change the order of conditions in the trigger wizard by dragging them up and down the list. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.7 Most Popular Storyline 360 Examples & Downloads of 2023
E-Learning Heroes Community is the perfect place to get inspired by examples from both our amazing community members and our Articulate staff members. Below are the top seven Storyline 360 examples from 2023. 1. Storyline Comics Style Communication: Branched Scenario See how you can use interactive storytelling elements and branching techniques to teach learners the skills they need in this cool example. 2. Power of Self-Motivation Scrolling Experience Check out this completely unique interactive example that engages learners right from the start. 3. Office Safety Training Template Want to teach workplace safety in a memorable and interactive way? Check out this downloadable template to help kickstart your project. 4. Interactive Storytelling Template Learn how to leverage storytelling in Storyline 360 to help your learners apply their skills in a real-life scenario with this inspiring example. 5. Room Exploration Interaction Template Make searching an office, home, warehouse, store, or any other 2D environment feel more cinematic with this downloadable interaction. With the help of hotspots, triggers, and layers, learners can use the on-screen flashlight to help them discover clues. 6. Reset Drag-and-Drop Incorrect Choices Template Ever wanted to reset only the incorrect drag choices in Storyline 360? Use this starter template and supporting video tutorial to learn how to reset your own drag-and-drop interactions. 7. Employee Health and Wellness Check out this stunning example to see some of the immersive and custom learning experiences you can create with Storyline 360. Wrap-Up We hope these examples inspire you as you work on your next e-learning projects! Did we miss any of your favorites? Be sure to let us know in the comments below. You can view more article recaps from 2023 by checking out our latest compilation of articles here: All the Best E-Learning Heroes Content from 2023 in One Place. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest e-learning inspiration and insights directly in your inbox. You can also find us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). And if you have questions, please share them in the comments.Explore the Newest and Most-Loved Features of 2024
This year, we rolled out over 120 features to help you create better courses faster. From AI Assistant to snapshots and emphasis animations, each feature was designed with you in mind. Check out the video below for a recap. But that’s not all! We’re excited to release even more new features to help take your courses to the next level. Keep reading to learn more about the features we released in the last quarter of 2024! Rise Accessible Matching Knowledge Checks and Quizzes We’re committed to ensuring everyone has equal access to learning opportunities, regardless of ability. We’re happy to share that matching knowledge checks and quizzes are now fully accessible. Want to learn more about this update? Read this article: Matching Knowledge Checks Accessibility. Accessible Scenario Blocks Looking to create interactive branching scenarios that every learner can enjoy? We’ve updated the scenario block to be accessible for all learners! Simply add scene descriptions to give learners the contextual information they need to complete the activity. For more info on this feature, check out this article: Scenario Block Accessibility. Storyline Resize Writer Dialog Window We’ve enhanced the writer dialog window to be more user-friendly. Now, you can resize the write and edit inline window to display more AI-generated content. Simply drag the window’s sizing handles to fit your needs. So helpful! Mark Favorite AI TTS Voices Storyline offers a wide range of AI-generated voices to help you quickly and easily add audio to your courses. And now you can save even more time by bookmarking your favorites for easy access. Simply click the heart icon in the voices tab to bookmark them. Note that favorite voices are saved to your computer, not shared across your subscription. Learn more about AI voices in Storyline here: AI Assistant: Producing Highly Realistic Audio. Display Recently Used AI Voices When you’re in a rush, every second counts. Save time and quickly find AI text-to-speech voices you’ve recently used from the View drop-down arrow. Get the details about AI voices in Storyline here: AI Assistant: Producing Highly Realistic Audio. Support for Multiple AI TTS Models If you’re creating courses in Hungarian, Norwegian, and Vietnamese, you’ll be thrilled to hear that you can now generate text-to-speech audio in these languages in Storyline. That’s right! We added an additional AI text-to-speech model to our toolkit, taking the number of supported languages from 29 to 32! To generate audio in Hungarian, Norwegian, and Vietnamese, simply select Turbo v2.5 in the drop-down menu. Want to learn more about the different language models? Read this article: AI Text-to-Speech Models in Storyline. Add Text-to-Speech Audio To Markers Need to quickly create audio for your interactive markers? Now that markers support AI and classic text-to-speech audio, you can easily generate narration and sound effects. Simply select your marker, go to the Format tab on the ribbon, click Audio, and select either Text-to-Speech or AI Audio. To find out how this works and get tips on adding text-to-speech to markers, check out this article: Adding Audio to Markers in Storyline. Reach Additional Reach Learner Interface Languages Delivering training in multiple languages with Reach? Good news: we added additional language options to the Reach interface! We now support: French France Canada German Germany Spanish Spain Mexico Latin America Portuguese Portugal Brazil Your learners will appreciate using a Learning Management System that speaks their language. Want to learn how to change the interface language in Reach? Take a look at this article: Managing Your Profile: Select Default Language. Wrap-Up We hope you’re as excited about these new features as we are! If you’re a subscriber, you can take them for a spin immediately* by logging in to your Articulate 360 account. And if you’re not, simply sign up for a free 30-day trial to check them out. Curious about what other features are currently in the works? Keep an eye on the Articulate 360 Feature Roadmap. And subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest product updates, e-learning examples, and expert advice sent directly to your inbox. *Note that AI Assistant features will be available for subscribers to test free of charge for 30 days. At the end of the trial period, you’ll need to upgrade your subscription to Articulate 360 AI for continued access to AI Assistant.Storyline 360: Working with Variables
Use variables to remember information—such as a learner's name or a numeric value—then display dynamic content based on that information (view Working with Variable References). Variables are also a great way to add conditional interactivity to courses (view Working with Triggers). And the good news is you don't have to know anything about coding! Adding Variables Using Triggers to Adjust Variable Values Evaluating Variables in Trigger Conditions Referencing Variable Values in Slide Text Editing Variables Copying and Pasting Variables Deleting Variables Finding Variables in the Variables Window Finding Variables in Your Course Translating Variables Understanding the Difference Between Variables and States Adding Variables Click the Manage project variables icon in the Triggers panel. When the Variables window opens, click the Create a new variable icon (looks like a plus sign) in the upper right corner. Give your variable a recognizable name so it's easy to identify later. Choose the Type of variable you want to create. Storyline 360 supports three types: True/False: True/False variables are often called Boolean variables. They're either true or false. They're great for creating toggle buttons and restricting learners' options. For example, you might use a true/false variable to track whether a certain event has occurred, then let learners proceed to the next slide only when the variable is true. Text: Text variables hold text values. Common uses include personalizing content by displaying the learner's name throughout a course and evaluating text-based interactions. Text variables can hold up to 32,767 characters. Number: Number variables hold numeric values. Common uses for number variables include tracking the number of times a particular event has occurred and performing mathematical calculations. Number variables can hold static values, or you can make them random by entering starting and ending values for a range of numbers. Learn more about random number variables. Enter a default Value. (The default value for text variables can be blank.) Click OK to save your new variable. Click OK again to close the Variables window. Storyline 360 automatically creates variables for you in the following cases: When you create a... These variables are created for you... Result slide Four number variables are added for scoring purposes by default. If you have a combined result slide that requires learners to pass each quiz, Storyline 360 also adds a true/false variable. Learn more. Dial A number variable is added to track the dial value. Slider A number variable is added to track the slider value. Text-entry field A text variable is added to track learners' input. Numeric-entry field A number variable is added to track learners' input. Using Triggers to Adjust Variable Values Need to change the value of a variable during a course? Easy. Just add an Adjust variable trigger. View this user guide to learn more about triggers. Evaluating Variables in Trigger Conditions You can use variables to add conditions to triggers. View this user guide for details. For example, let's say you want to change the state of an object when a true/false variable is true. It'd look something like this: Referencing Variable Values in Slide Text Variables store data. Triggers let you adjust the data. And variable references let you display the data anywhere in your course, making your content dynamic and interactive. For example, you might ask learners to enter their names on the first slide in your course. You store that information in a variable. Then you use variable references to personalize the rest of the course with their names. In another example, you might ask learners to enter their weight and height. You store both values in variables. You use triggers to calculate their body mass index based on those variables. Then you use variable references to display the results. Variable references can be added to any text-based object, including text boxes, captions, shapes, and buttons. View this user guide to learn more about variable references. Tip: Quickly replace a variable reference with another variable from the context menu. Right-click a dynamic variable placeholder, scroll to Reference, and select a Project, Built-In, or Slide Numbers variable. Editing Variables Click the Manage project variables icon in the Triggers panel. Select the variable you want to edit and click the Edit icon (looks like pencil and paper) in the upper right corner. Rename the variable and/or change its default value. (You can't change its type.) Click OK twice to save your changes and close the Variables window. Tips for editing variables: You can also rename variables and change their default values just by clicking in the grid. When you rename variables, all references to those variables in your slide text and triggers are updated automatically. Copying and Pasting Variables Click the Manage project variables icon in the Triggers panel. Select the variable(s) you want to duplicate. You can multi-select variables by pressing Ctrl+click, Shift+click, or Ctrl+A. Click Copy and/or Paste in the upper right corner. Deleting Variables Click the Manage project variables icon in the Triggers panel. Select the variable(s) you want to delete. You can multi-select variables by pressing Ctrl+click, Shift+click, or Ctrl+A. Click the Delete icon in the upper right corner or press the Delete key on your keyboard. Tip for deleting variables: When you delete a variable, all references to that variable in your slide text will remain intact. You'll need to edit or delete those references manually. Triggers that involve deleted variables will also remain intact, but they'll become "unassigned." You can either edit or delete those triggers. Finding Variables in the Variables Window Because variables are so easy to use and perfect for building interactive courses, your variables manager could quickly become crowded. To find variables in the variables window, use the Project and Built-In tabs in the upper left corner to switch between variables you created and those provided by Storyline 360. And use the search field to locate the exact variable you're looking for. Finding Variables in Your Course If you use variables extensively, it can be difficult to remember where they're referenced throughout your course. No problem. You can generate a variable usage report. Click the Manage project variables icon in the Triggers panel. Click the hyperlinked number in the Use Count column for the variable you want to find. Storyline 360 will display all references to that variable in a separate window. Translating Variables Storyline 360 has built-in translation features to help you localize content in different languages. However, it's important to note that the translation features let you translate default values for variables and references to variables in your slide text, but not the names of those variables. If you translate variable references in your slide text, you'll also need to manually translate the variable names in your project (view Editing Variables). If variable names and references don’t match, variable references in your slide text won't work. Understanding the Difference Between Variables and States Variables and states both track information and add interactivity, but they differ in scope and behavior. States control visual elements for a single slide, while variables control elements across slides, scenes, or an entire project. Here are some examples of when to use variables and when to use states. Use variables when you want to: Use states when you want to: Remember values entered by the learner Count the number of times a button is clicked Perform mathematical calculations Trigger actions based on learner input Remember which objects have been clicked Change how objects look based on learner interaction Trigger actions based on learner interaction
