The Logical Blog by IconLogic

ARTICULATE STORYLINE: Master Slides vs Layouts: What's the Difference?

When it comes to working efficiently in Articulate Storyline, few things top the proper use of Slide Masters. When I teach my beginner Storyline class, students are always surprised to learn that Storyline supports masters and, even better, that master slides are so easy to use.   One of the more common misunderstandings when it comes to slide masters is the difference between a slide master and layout slides.   Consider the relationship between a parent and child. The parent might have one child or several. And while a child might look and behave very differently from the parent and his or her siblings, each child inherits all sorts of attributes from their parent. None of a child's attributes are passed on to the siblings, nor are any of a child's attributes passed up to the parent.   Think of a slide master as a single parent. The layouts are the children.   In the image below, I've created a new Storyline project and accessed Master View by choosing View > Slide Master. By default, there is one Slide Master (parent) in every new project and five Layouts (children).

The easiest and most visual way to show the relationship between a Slide Master and its layouts is by adding a shape to the Slide Master. In the image below, I've drawn a simple star on the Slide Master by choosing Insert > Shape.

Notice how the star automatically appears on the Slide Master and all of the child-layouts.

Next, I drew a circle on the first layout slide in the list (its default name is Title and Content).

Notice that the circle does not appear on any of the other layouts or the Slide Master.

Back in Story View, notice that my lone slide already has the star because, by default, all slides use the contents found on the Slide Master.

If I want to apply one of the master layouts to this slide, it's as simple as right-clicking and choosing Apply Layout.

Notice that slide instantly gets all of the objects added to the layout master.

You'll find all kinds of reasons to format and use both Slide Masters and layout masters. For instance, if you need an image or background color across all slides, change the appearance of the Slide Master. If you want some slides in certain scenes to have alternate colors or background images, use layout masters.   As you get more comfortable with masters, try right-clicking the Slide Master. Notice that you can insert new Slide Masters or layouts (as shown in the image at the right). Each time you create a new Slide Master you get a new family of slides (one parent and some children) giving you unlimited design/layout options you can leverage from slide to slide and throughout your scenes.   I've created a video demonstrating these concepts on the IconLogic YouTube channel.   Looking for Storyline training, development, or mentoring? We've got you covered with these live, instructor-led classes (some for as little as $49). We also offer private group training onsite at your facility or live, online.

DESIGN CENTRAL: Is It Time for a Design Refresh?

Late last year Microsoft announced a design update to their MS Office product line suite, but you may have only recently noticed an update to your icons.    It doesn’t seem like that long ago that they were updated, but did you know that was five years ago already?

Image: https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/29/18117580/microsoft-office-new-icons-2018-design-features

By the looks of things, Microsoft is in a design-y mood and is focusing on updating the look of lots of their product line. Erin Woo, Microsoft’s current Product Designer, also announced brand new file icons for Outlook on her Twitter account this month.

As someone who works heavily in the MS Office suite, particularly in PowerPoint, this of course has me in a refresh mood myself so I thought I would share some brand evolution we’ve had in our online training decks over the years here at IconLogic--including a brand new design I was just inspired to conjure up today!

Shown above, the original PowerPoint slide used the late 1990s. The instructor "designed" the slide using typical bullets and sub-bullets.   Shown below are design evolutions over the years culminating in the use of iconography.

What are you refreshing in your brand? Share it with me and we’ll feature it in an upcoming newsletter!

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We've added a new PowerPoint class to our catalog: PowerPoint for eLearning 301: Bring Your Project to Class. Bring your existing presentation to this open-forum style live, online workshop where AJ Walther, our Chief Creative Officer, will help get you moving toward a fresh and modern design for your presentation.

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AJ Walther, COTP, is IconLogic's Chief Creative Officer (CCO), a seasoned online trainer, eLearning graphic designer, and author of both "PowerPoint 2007: The Essentials" and "PowerPoint 2008 for the Macintosh: The Essentials." AJ made her own interdisciplinary studies major, focusing on writing and art. Her combined expertise in PowerPoint, graphic design, and writing allows her to bring a unique skillset to the eLearning community.

TECHSMITH CAMTASIA: Cursor Smoothing: A Cure For the Over-Caffeinated

Any eLearning developer knows that coffee by the gallon helps get the job done. Of course, too much coffee can lead to the jitters and, by extension, a jittery mouse while recording a video demonstration.   Such was the case for me during a recent project. I was recording a series of clicks in a client's software using Camtasia Recorder. After importing the video in the Camtasia Editor and adding the video to the Timeline, I was dismayed to see that my mouse was all over the screen... not smooth at all.   Under normal circumstances, a herky-jerky cursor in a recording requires a re-record (once the effects of the caffeine have worn off). Fortunately, the recently released Camtasia 2019 has a solution: Cursor Smoothing.   Add your Camtasia recording to the Timeline. From the list of tools at the left of the Camtasia Editor, select Cursor Effects.

There are three options at the top of Cursor Effects: Cursor Effects, Left Click Cursor Effects, and Right Click Cursor Effects. Select Cursor Effects.

With the video on the Timeline selected, right-click Cursor Smoothing and choose Add to Selected Media.

Just like that, you've been decaffeinated. And while you'll likely find that Camtasia's built-in smoothing settings have settled your mouse motions nicely, you can also explore the Cursor Smoothing Properties for some fine-tuning.

Looking for TechSmith Camtasia training or support? Check out these hands-on, instructor-led classes. If you prefer something a little more private, we also offer one-on-one Camtasia mentoring.

TEACHING ONLINE CLASSES: Interactive Polls Help End Sucky Training

One of the easiest ways to engage online students is by displaying quizzes and polls. When I start my classes, displaying a poll is a great way to break the ice and get my class started on the right foot.   Most virtual training platforms (GoToTraining, WebEx, Connect, etc) allow you to create polls within the tool. You can then display the poll to your virtual students on the fly. In the image below, I've created a poll within GoToTraining.

While there's nothing wrong with creating and displaying the kind of poll shown above, you can crank up the interest quite a few notches by creating a visually-appealing poll as part of your presentation. In the image below, I've created the same poll as shown in the first image but it's in my PowerPoint presentation and certainly more visual.

But if you want to truly engage your learners, you've got to interact with them. Instead of just asking my attendees to tell me their favorite cereal via audio or asking them to type their favorite via the chat pod, I can let them draw on the screen. In GoToTraining, I can enable this feature via my control panel (by choosing Attendees can draw).

A series of drawing tools is added to each student's control panel and they can draw on my screen. And just like that, I've got my students fully engaged... even having fun (perish the thought).

Interactive polls are just a tiny step toward a goal of eradicating sucky training forever. If you'd like to learn more tips, tricks, and get real-world solutions to everyday training challenges (from creating awesome visuals to engagement tactics to writing perfect quiz questions), check out the Certified Online Training Professional course offered exclusively by the International Council for Certified Online Training Professionals (ICCOTP).

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Kevin Siegel is the founder and president of IconLogic, Inc. He has written hundreds of step-by-step computer training books on applications such as Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, Adobe RoboHelp, Adobe Presenter, and TechSmith Camtasia. Kevin spent five years in the U.S. Coast Guard as an award-winning photojournalist and has three decades’ experience as a trainer, publisher, technical writer, and eLearning developer. Kevin is a Certified Master Trainer (CMT), Certified Technical Trainer (CTT+), Certified Online Professional Trainer (COTP), and a frequent speaker at trade shows and conventions.

ADOBE CAPTIVATE: Importing Photoshop Layers

I received a Photoshop file the other day for use in a Captivate project. Moments later, I received a frantic call from the person who sent it to me. He was in a bit of a panic because he had sent me a Photoshop file (PSD) instead of the .jpg image I had requested. He then remembered that I didn't have Photoshop on my computer and was wondering if he needed to head back to the office and send the jpg image instead.   I was able to save him the trouble. Adobe Captivate imports native Photoshop files, and you don't have to have Photoshop on your computer. All you need to do is choose File > Import > Photoshop File.   In the example below, I'm importing a Photoshop file named puzzle.psd. After opening the image, the Import dialog box opens. Even though I don't have Photoshop on my computer, Captivate recognizes that the file contains and image with two layers (Purple Piece and Background). From the Import as area, I selected Layers and then clicked the OK button.

The puzzle image, shown below, appeared on my slide without issue.

But here's where the awesomeness kicks in. Because the Photoshop file imported into Captivate with its layers intact, I was able to manipulate the purple piece (move it, resize it, even delete it) independently of the other part of the image.

Just as cool, I can use the Timeline to hide, lock, and control the timing of the layers/images (which are independent objects) as needed.

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If you need to learn Adobe Captivate, we've got you covered with an awesome number of live, online classes. If you need help developing your next eLearning project, or if you just need some quick one-on-one mentoring, we've got you covered there too.

TECHSMITH CAMTASIA: Extending Video Frames

After adding a video asset to the Timeline in Camtasia, it's likely you'll want to freeze a specific part of the video to allow for other Timeline objects to appear (such as annotations or images).   In the image below, I've added a video to Track 1 on my Timeline.

When previewing, I noticed that the video ended too soon. I needed to freeze a portion of the video for 10 seconds so that overlay text added to a different track had time to appear and be read by the learner.   I positioned the Playhead on the Timeline where I wanted to freeze the action in the video. Then I right-clicked the video (not the Playhead but the video object on the Timeline) and chose Extend Frame.

In the Duration (seconds) field, I typed 10 and then clicked the OK button.

The change to the selected video was ever-so-subtle. In the image below, I've added the green and red arrows for emphasis. The red arrow is pointing to a thin vertical line on the video asset. The line marks the end of the 10-second frame freeze that I added via the Extend Frame option. The green arrow indicates the 10 seconds that the video has been frozen.

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Looking for TechSmith Camtasia training or support? Check out these hands-on, instructor-led classes. If you prefer something a little more private, we also offer one-on-one Camtasia mentoring, we've got you covered.

ARTICULATE STORYLINE: Random Text... It Rocks!

I was cranking away recently on an Articulate Storyline project. On one slide, I had the layout done but was waiting for the final text from the client. I created a shape but couldn't go further without the client's text. At the very least, I wanted some placeholder text, so I could finish the slide by formatting the boxed text.   And that was when I was reminded of an awesome Storyline feature: random text. In the image below, you can see the shape I've added to a slide. It still needs text that I can format.

I typed the following line of text into the shape: =Lorem().

And check out what happens after I press the ENTER key.

Pretty cool, eh? But I know what you're thinking... Lorem ipsum? If real words are more your style, it's no problem. Type =Rand() instead.

After pressing the ENTER key, it was all about the quick brown fox. Pretty cool, eh?

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Looking for Storyline training or support? Check out these awesome live, online, instructor-led classes. Also, if you need help with Storyline development or if you'd like one-on-one Storyline mentoring, we've got you covered.

INTUIT QUICKBOOKS: Using Built-In Templates to Communicate with Your Customers, Vendors, and Employees

One of the best-kept secrets in QuickBooks is that it contains dozens of pre-made letters you can use to communicate with your customers, vendors, or employees. One of the things I cover in my Quickbooks classes is templates.   For customers, templates include everything from collection and bounced check letters to an apology or approval/denial of credit. Vendor letters include a request for credit or a charge dispute. And using these templates, you can easily acknowledge your employees’ birthdays or inform them of their vacation or sick time! You can also easily edit the pre-made templates or make your own.   To begin, click the Company menu and choose Prepare Letters with Envelopes:

For this example, I selected Collection Letters. On the first few screens, I selected and then reviewed the Recipients.

You can decide if the tone of your letter is to be formal, friendly, or even harsh. In my example, I went with a Friendly collection notice.

I filled in the name and Title of the person who is going to be signing the letter.

From there, QuickBooks performs a little magic by taking you into Microsoft Word and essentially creating a finished document with the relevant information that it got from QuickBooks.

You can edit the documents or print them. In addition, if you switch back to QuickBooks, this dialog box appears and allows you to create and print envelopes to go along with the letter.

Click OK and you will again be transported into Word, where you will be able to print the envelopes. To be honest, the hardest part of the entire process is figuring out how to properly feed the envelopes into your printer so they don’t print backward or upside down! But that is a topic for another day.

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Rosemary McCracken is a computer trainer with over 25 years of experience in the classroom. She teaches all levels of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Visio, and Outlook. In addition to Microsoft products, she also teaches QuickBooks, InDesign, HTML/CSS, and WordPress. Rosemary has a B.S. from James Madison University. She is Microsoft Office Expert Certified and is also a Certified Online Training Professional.

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Rosemary is teaching several IconLogic classes including HTML5 Basics, CSS, Styles Basics Training, and several classes on QuickBooks.

MICROSOFT POWERPOINT & OFFICE 365: Three Cheers for Editable Icons

Microsoft is constantly updating the applications that make up Office 365. After a recent update, I was delighted to see that PowerPoint (and Word and Excel for that matter) not only include icons, the icons can be modified (change colors at will), ungrouped, and then edited as needed.   I'll be focusing on using icons in PowerPoint during this article, but the same functionality exists if you're using the other Office 365 tools.   First, create a new PowerPoint presentation (or open an existing presentation). Working on any slide, select the Insert tab on the Ribbon. You'll find the Icons tool in the Illustrations group.

After clicking Icons, the Insert Icon dialog box opens.

I was specifically looking for a crab icon so I selected the Animals category from the list at the left. I selected the crab icon and then clicked the Insert button. (You can also double-click an icon to add it to a slide.)

Once the icon was inserted onto the slide, changing its Fill color was as simple as right-clicking. (In the image below, I've changed the color from its default black to red.)

I also needed to modify the crab's claws (I wanted each claw to be a bit longer). I ungrouped the icon by right-clicking it and choosing Group > Ungroup. (I clicked Yes to the alert that appeared.)

I right-clicked the icon again and chose Edit Points.

I zoomed closer to the slide and then dragged the points making up the claw until I had the length I wanted. How cool is it that you can easily edit these icons?

Note: If you don't see an Icons icon on the Insert tab of the Ribbon, or you're unable to ungroup/edit the icons, check your PowerPoint version (it's possible that your version is older than mine). To check your PowerPoint version, click the File tab and then choose Account. Click the About PowerPoint button. The version number is listed at the top of the About dialog box.

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Do you need help with your PowerPoint presentation? Bring an existing PowerPoint deck to an open-forum style live, online workshop where AJ Walther, our Chief Creative Officer, will help you get moving in the right direction toward a fresh and modern design for your presentation.

Hands-On Workshop in Houston, TX: Create an Articulate Storyline 360 eLearning Course In a Day

I'm teaching a hands-on workshop in Houston May 3: "Create an Articulate Storyline 360 eLearning Course In a Day."

 

Bring your own laptop (use the free 30-day trial version of Storyline for the class), start with a blank project, and leave with a working eLearning course.

 

You can listen to a podcast about the session here.

 

You can register here.