Studio 360® for Technical Writers
In our previous series of articles, we introduced some of the tools available for producing elearning content. These tools can also enhance projects for technical writers, enriching software documentation and online help content with engaging, interactive material.
These articles offer suggestions and tips for technical writers interested in applying useful elearning software to their projects.
Technical writers are increasingly being called upon to design and develop tutorials, interactive project documentation, and online help materials that go beyond past techniques and provide an attractive and multifunctional interface for users. I’ve found the suite of development tools offered by Studio 360 to be invaluable for enhancing the content and usability of my projects.
Powerful Features
Some of the powerful features that Studio 360 offers to the technical writer include:
Animated Annotation
One of my favorite features is the ability to annotate my screen captures. When I want to have additional supporting material, such as short training videos available for specific areas of my screen caps, or to allow users to click and zoom, I can easily add an interactive annotation in Studio 360. A simple menu choice allows integration of MP4, FLV, or SWF movies for those tricky-to-document screen interactions. In addition, the built-in library of annotation shapes and animations is extensive and sophisticated. With these annotations, software documentation is alive and engaging.
Flexible Navigation
The multilevel navigation and branching capabilities of Studio 360 add a whole new level of usability to my projects. Users can choose their own path through the material, while still being able to backtrack or access additional in-depth information on demand. I can even add navigation that takes the users to other external tutorials or demos. The ability to link is great for supplementing product manuals, reinforcing connections, and giving users quick access to the information they need.
Multiple Publishing Options
With Studio 360, publishing to different platforms is easy and flexible. Publishing options include Flash, Word, CD, and podcasts, and the results are both professional and polished. The built-in multilingual support provides additional capabilities for customizing content in 11 languages. You can publish interactive tutorials for use onsite with a smartphone or training content that is accessible online.
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Source: Articulate.com/360/studio, Articulate.com/support/article/system-requirements-for-articulate-studio-13