Mark Fletcher
When it comes to software training, Articulate Studio 09 users have been fairly restricted in the types of course we can create.
Yes, we could generate simple screencasts as MP4 files (5 minutes or less) and insert these into Articulate as Flash movies; however when it came to trying to create interactive software simulations in most cases you were probably better off using another tool.
With the arrival of Articulate Storyline all this now changes. Whether you want to create training using real-time video, similar to Screenr SM or interactive software simulations, Articulate Storyline’s robust screen recording tool can cater for all your system training needs!
Recording your screen
You can create a project from a screen recording from the Storyline Welcome screen…
…Or via the Home tab of the Storyline ribbon.
To help you record your screen action, Storyline includes the Recording Frame.
The Storyline Recording Frame
The Recording Frame not only includes instructions on how to capture your screens but, can also be moved or resized.
Even with the Recording Frame active, your application remains live, enabling you to ensure you can get your software set up correctly before you start capturing your actions.
At the bottom of the Recording Frame, you will find a set of recording tools as shown in this screen shot.
The Screen Sizer menu includes a series of pre-defined options:
The Select a Window option (highlighted) is extremely useful. Choose this option, move your mouse around the screen and the recording frame will match the screen area you wish to record.
Recording audio
Storyline automatically picks up any audio device you have available. You can also check the volume level by simply speaking into your microphone and checking the level using Storyline’s built-in Volume indicator.
Additionally, you can choose which device you want to record from using the menu shown in this screen shot.
Recording Settings
Press the Cog symbol at the bottom of the Recording Frame and Storyline will show the Screen Recording dialog box.
Using this dialog, you can choose from a number of settings such as the keyboard short cuts, Sound Recording and other options.
You can pause the screen capture engine at any time by pressing the Pause button found at the bottom of the Recording Frame or by pressing the Pause key on your keyboard. To stop recording you press the Control and PrintScreen keys or manually take a screen shot, by pressing the PrintScreen key.
Capturing your actions
When you are ready to start capturing, press the Record button and Storyline will show the countdown screen. This feature settles down your computer system before Storyline starts the screen recording process; in addition, it also provides you with a few seconds to get ready before the recording begins.
Once active, the Storyline capture engine starts recording anything inside the Recording Frame and listens out for events such as a mouse click.
If you are reading this and wondering what is the best web browser to capture with? The answer is Internet Explorer, followed by Firefox. If you do need to use a browser such as Google Chrome or Apple Safari then I would recommend that you carry out some tests to see what Storyline can and cannot capture.
Once you have finished capturing your screen action, you can either press Escape on your keyboard or the Done button at the bottom of the Recording Frame.
If you decide you don’t want to use this capture session you can delete it by clicking on the Delete button located at the bottom of the Recording Frame.
Storyline will then display the Insert Slides dialog box where you can choose whether you want your screen recording to be inserted as normal video (think Screenr SM )or as Step-by-step slides using Articulate Storyline’s Show, Try or Test mode steps.
Note: When inserting a screen recording using the Show, Try or Test mode steps your recorded audio will not be included.
Creating additional screen recordings
But what if you need to record more screen action? Not a problem! Press the Record button from the Insert tab of the Storyline ribbon and simply press the Record button at the bottom of the Recording Frame again.
You can even create a new recording or delete an existing one right from this menu…
…or from within the Insert Slides dialog box
As I have shown in this article, creating screen recordings using Articulate Storyline is incredibly straight forward. In my next article I will show you the different types of Storyline projects you can create from a single screen recording session.
