ARTICULATE STORYLINE 3 & 360: SRT Files Make Quick Work of Closed Captions

by Kevin Siegel, COTP

Closed captioning allows you to display a slide’s voiceover audio as text that is synchronized with the voiceover audio. Closed Captions, which are an expected component of a 508-compliant eLearning lesson, are easy to include in your project. All that you need to do is select an audio file on the Timeline and import either an SRT, VTT, SBV, or SUB file. You can learn more about each of these file formats and how to create them with a simple Web search. For instance, an SRT file (a file containing text and timing information) can be created for free on YouTube. You’ll find instructions covering how to create an SRT here. To import an SRT, select an audio file on the Timeline. On the Options tab of the Ribbon, Accessibility area, click Add Captions.

Find and open your SRT file and that’s it. Closed captions from the SRT file are added and synchronized with the selected audio. If you preview the slide you'll see that a Closed Captions control has been automatically added to the Player. (You can disable the Closed Captions control via the Player Properties, Controls area shown in the second image below.) To see the Closed Captions in the Preview, click the Closed Captions control.

You can easily change the font used in the Closed Captions. On the Ribbon, click Player Properties and then click Colors & Effects. From the Captions font drop-down menu, choose any font you like and click the OKbutton.

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Kal Hadi and I recently wrapped up our "Articulate Storyline 3 & 360: The Essentials" book. And our "Articulate Storyline 3 & 360: Beyond the Essentials" book is nearing completion and should begin shipping in a few, short weeks. You can add yourself to the notificaiton list on the IconLogic site and be alerted when the book is back from the printer and ready to ship.

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Kevin Siegel, CTT, COTP, is the founder and president of IconLogic. Following a career in Public Affairs with the US Coast Guard and in private industry, Kevin has spent decades as a technical communicator, classroom and online trainer, public speaker, and has written hundreds of computer training books for adult learners. He has been recognized by Adobe as one of the top trainers world-wide.