Five Tips for Converting Courses From Flash to HTML5 Using Storyline 360
The plug has finally been pulled — Flash is no more. I spent a lot of time last year converting courses from Flash to HTML5 in Storyline and gathered some tips and tricks along the way. If you still have courses that need to be converted from Flash to HTML5 using Storyline 360, these tips can help make your conversions go smoothly.
Those Pesky Animations
Flash was superb for creating great custom animations. To convert, see if you can export the images and re-create the animation in Storyline using motion paths, fades, and other animation staples found in Storyline.
If you have a looped animation, you CAN re-create it in Storyline. To create a looped animation, build the animation on a layer, then duplicate this layer. Have each layer switch to the other when the animation completes. Voila! You now have a looping animation.
If it’s too complex or time consuming to re-create, try to capture the animation using a tool like Snagit® and save it as a video, which can be imported into Storyline. Alternatively, you can export the animation as a video directly from Adobe Animate.
Custom Scripts
If you have custom JavaScript inside your Flash course, you can use JavaScript Triggers to recreate them. JavaScript was often used for techniques such as printing a slide, pulling a learners name from the Learning Management System, or getting the current date and time.
Don’t Forget the Slide Masters
Storyline has slide masters — use them to simplify your life. If several pages have the same layout or background, use a slide master not only to save time, but also to drive consistency in your course.
At the same time, make use of custom text styles to give your course a unified appearance. Adobe Articulate has more information about this new Storyline feature.
Fonts, Fonts, and More Fonts
Check what fonts were used in the Flash course. If they were Postscript, consider replacing them with a similar TrueType or OpenType font, as Postscript fonts aren’t supported in HTML5 from Storyline. If you’re not sure what type of font is in the course, use a Microsoft app, such as Word, to easily identify it.
Movies Galore
If you have video in your Flash course that was converted to a Flash video file (FLV), be sure to convert it to an MP4 before bringing it into Storyline. If you have access to the source files (the ones used to create the FLVs themselves), use them to output an MP4 for the best quality. Alternatively, Adobe Media Converter does an excellent job of converting the FLVs to MP4s when you can’t access the original video source.
There you are — tips for helping you convert from Flash to HTML5 in Storyline 360. Remember that we are all in this together — reach out to Innovative Learning Group (info@innovativeLG.com) if you need help with your conversion or come across a good Flash conversion tip.
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