How to Create a Custom Progress Bar in Articulate Storyline

Are you an eLearning developer looking to enhance your Articulate Storyline courses with a dynamic progress bar? While Storyline offers a wide range of built-in controls, it surprisingly lacks a native progress bar feature. Progress bars are essential elements in eLearning, as they provide learners with real-time feedback on their course progression, scene advancement, and scores in gamified scenarios.Creating a progress bar using shapes and triggers in Storyline can be complicated and may not always yield the desired results. To address this issue, I have developed a custom progress bar solution using JavaScript. In this blog post, I’ll guide you through the step-by-step process of implementing this feature in your Storyline projects.

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Why Use a Custom Progress Bar?

1. Improved Learner Engagement: Progress bars keep learners motivated and engaged by providing a clear visual representation of their progress throughout the course.
2. Enhanced User Experience: A well-designed progress bar enhances the overall user experience by making the course navigation more intuitive and user-friendly.
3. Customization Options: With a custom progress bar, you can tailor the appearance and functionality to match your course branding and specific requirements.
4. Versatility: The progress bar can be used in various scenarios, such as tracking course completion, scene advancement, and scores in gamified learning environments.

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating a Custom Progress Bar

Step 1: Set Up JavaScript Trigger

In the Slide Master of your Storyline project, create a JavaScript trigger to link to the JavaScript library containing the progress bar code.

Step 2: Copy ALT Text

Identify the object on which you want to display the progress bar and copy its ALT text.

Step 3: Create the Progress Bar

Execute the JavaScript trigger with the following code to create the progress bar:javascript// Example: createProgressBar(MaximumValue, Initial, '#color', 'Object_AltText'); Replace the placeholders with your desired values:

• MaximumValue: The maximum value the progress bar can reach
• Initial: The initial value of the progress bar
• #color: The hexadecimal color code for the progress bar
• Object_AltText: The ALT text of the object you copied in step 2

Step 4: Update the Progress Bar

Update the Progress Bar: To update the progress bar during the course, use this code:javascript// Example: updateProgressBar('UpdateValue', 'Object_AltText'); Replace UpdateValue with the new value you want to set for the progress bar.

Customization Options

One of the key advantages of using a custom progress bar is the ability to tailor it to your specific needs. I have designed this solution to be highly customizable, allowing you to adjust various aspects such as:

• Values: Set the maximum value, initial value, and update values as per your course requirements.
• Colors: Choose from a wide range of colors to match your course branding and design.
• Appearance: Customize the size, shape, and positioning of the progress bar to fit seamlessly into your Storyline project.

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Conclusion

Implementing a custom progress bar in your Articulate Storyline courses can significantly enhance the learner experience and engagement. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can easily integrate a dynamic progress bar into your projects using JavaScript.Remember, the key to a successful eLearning course is to create an engaging and interactive learning environment. By incorporating a custom progress bar, you can provide learners with real-time feedback on their progress, motivating them to complete the course and achieve their learning objectives.