by Kevin Siegel, COTP
With Articulate Storyline, adding a high-level of interactivity is pretty easy if you begin with some of the built-in Interactive Objects. Take dials for instance. If you visit the Storyline 360 Insert tab on the Ribbon, Interactive Objects area, you'll find Button, Slider, Dial, Hotspot, Input, and Marker. If you click the Dial tool, you'll find three built-in Dials that are totally drag-and-drop ready. (You won't need to add any Triggers to the object to allow learners to drag the dial.)
The first image below shows one of the default dials that was added to a Storyline slide. The second image is an animated GIF that demonstrates how a learner can interact with the dial. (I've included a link to a video of the interaction if the animated gif does not play in your email application. Click the second image below to see the video.)
Dials are cool, but wouldn't it be better if you could make any image or shape a dial (essentially create your own interactive object) without the need for programming? It turns out that custom dials in Storyline are a snap. In the image below, I've added an image to a Storyline slide. It's a simple character that can be added via Insert > Characters.
To convert an object to a dial, ensure that the object is selected and choose Insert > Interactive Objects > Convert to Dial.
The selected image is instantly converted to an interactive dial.
I added a few more shapes and some text to my slide, implemented a few states (the smiley face you see is actually three states: Normal, Tired, and Sad), added a few Triggers, and the results appear in the animated GIF below. (Please don't judge the example below on appearance or silliness, I quickly threw it together as a proof of concept for you... plus I'm no designer. With a little TLC from a designer, there's no limits to the awesomeness you can create.)
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If you'd like to learn more about Storyline, Triggers, States, and Interactive objects, check out our live, online Articulate Storyline classes.
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Kevin Siegel, CTT, COTP, is the founder and president of IconLogic. Following a career in Public Affairs with the U.S. 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.
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