How to Create Custom Button Navigation in Snap! by Lectora

Sometimes, the use of a pre-designed course player (the frame that holds your course with the “next” and “back” buttons) isn’t always the best option for your rapid e-Learning courses. Here are a few reasons some may choose to go without a course player in Snap! by Lectora®:

• Strict design limitations within organization or company
• Complex branching navigation in course
• Sleek look and feel

To create fully custom navigation without the use of a player in Snap! by Lectora, you can create functional buttons to take learners to the desired location in your course and remove the player altogether. James Anderson, presenter at the 2012 Lectora® User Conference showed the easiest, most successful way to do this with these 4 simple steps:Step 1: Create your buttonsPowerPoint makes it so easy to select a shape and choose your color and gradient to make a very professional looking button in a matter of minutes.

• Design your button. Save time by copying and pasting your buttons to keep the look of your course consistent.

Step 2: Create transparent images on top of your button shape*You want to create this transparent image because it simplifies the hyperlinking process by using a plain image, rather than a complex image with text.

• Create a new shape on top of your button similar to and a little larger than the shape of the existing button (this new shape is what the learner will actually click to advance, go back, etc.).

• Change the Shape Fill color of the new shape to 100% transparent (find this under your shape colors options). Remove the outline or make it 100% transparent as well.

Step 3: Hyperlink buttons to the desired location

• Select your transparent image and select Hyperlink from the Insert menu on the PowerPoint toolbar (or right-click the transparent image and select Hyperlink)
• The Insert Hyperlink window will appear. From this window, select the Place in This Document selection from the panel on the left. You will then have options from which to choose your desired location to hyperlink.
• Select destination. Tip: Consider future changes to your course when you select between “Next,” “Slide 1,” “Slide 2,” etc. Publish and double-check your hyperlinks for correct functionality after you make any updates to your course.

Step 4: Customize NavigationFor the best functionality, you will need to configure some quick settings for your Snap! by Lectora navigation and player.

• To disable user navigation, set your navigation controls to Manual in the Snap! by Lectora Slide Explorer.
• Set your Player Style to No Controls in the Publish options in Snap! by Lectora. This will take away any additional buttons to navigate forward and backward.

For more information on creating manual navigation, please see the blog, How to Create Scenario-Based Training with Snap! by Lectora.

Thanks, James, for your fantastic tips and expertise for Snap! by Lectora rapid e-Learning software! Do you have a magnificent tip or trick for Snap! by Lectora or Snap! Empower™ that you’d like to share? Shoot an email to Molly.Horn@Trivantis.com to get your tip featured on the Rapid e-Learning Round-up!

Think these tips are cool? Check out the rest on the Rapid e-Learning Round-up or browse through the Snap! by Lectora and Snap! Empower video tutorials.