This article applies to: Articulate 360 AI

Create realistic, branching conversations, organized into scenes for your learners to step through, getting instant feedback based on their choices. Start with Nova and build a branching scenario from your prompt and source material—complete with dialogue, choices, and feedback tailored to your training needs. Read on to learn more.

• Generate a Scenario
• Navigate the Scenario Editor
• Create and Edit Scenes
• Build a Scene with Cards
• Create and Edit Characters
• Format Your Scenario Block
• Add Supporting Blocks

Generate a Scenario

A scenario puts your audience in a realistic, branching conversation organized into scenes. Scenes, in turn, contain cards that can connect to other cards and new scenes, and restart or end the scenario. Each scene is a self-contained branch of dialogue with its own goal, and the scenes connect in sequence. Learners work through scenes until they reach a resolution. 

To get started, select Scenario from your dashboard and follow the content creation process. You can also generate a new scenario from the library.

Navigate the Scenario Editor

Once created, the scenario editor launches to the scenario editor. If you exit the scenario editor, you can hover over the scenario block and click the Content icon to re-launch it. 

The scenario editor is split into two main areas—the Scenes panel on the left, and the editing canvas on the right. 

Scenes Panel

The Scenes panel on the left lists every scene in your scenario and doubles as a navigation menu. Click a scene to open it in the editing canvas, and select a card in the scene's list to recenter the editing canvas on that item. Minimize the Scenes panel by clicking the X in the upper-right.

Editing Canvas

This displays the currently selected scene in your scenario as a branching storyboard on a freeform canvas. Click and drag anywhere on the canvas to move things around or bring cards into focus. Only one scene is visible at a time.

Zoom in or out using the buttons in the upper-right corner. In the lower-left corner, you can reset the zoom to 100% or select different canvas options that modify the connector type and canvas background style.

Experience Settings

Choose how your audience will experience the scenario you’re building. Click the Experience button in the top-right corner, then choose between:

• Chat: A text-only conversation similar to messaging
• Character photo + Chat: A conversation with a character that changes expressions based on text the user selects

This applies to every card in the scenario.

Viewing Mode

In the top-right corner, click Preview to walk through the scenario as your learner will see it. Click Edit to return to the editor.

Create and Edit Scenes

To create a new scene:

1. Click New scene to add an untitled scene to the bottom of the list in the Scenes panel. 
2. On the editing canvas, in the top left corner, edit the title and add a goal. The goal you enter here determines the feedback your audience will receive after completing the scenario, indicating whether they accomplished the goals you set for each scene based on their choices.

To edit a scene, select it in the scenes panel to select and expand it. Modify the details in the editing canvas.

To delete a scene, hover over a scene heading in the Scenes panel and click the Delete icon. Deleting a scene also deletes the cards associated with it.

Build a Scene with Cards

Each scene is made up of cards linked to one another using connectors. For a new scene, click the + icon on the Scene start card and select an option:

• Character: Stand-alone character dialogue
• Text: Stand-alone content with no character attribution
• Decision: A selectable response with numerous branching possibilities

You can also click the Add card button at the top of the editing canvas.

We recommend starting with a Character card and building your initial dialogue. Follow these steps:

1. Hover over the Character card and click the Edit icon in the top-right corner.
2. Add your character’s dialogue in the text box provided. You can also:

• • Click Edit character to launch the character select window and make changes to the character or background (changes the character globally).
  • Select an emotion (only affects this card).
  • Modify the character name (changes the character globally).

3. Click Done.

Next, add a Decision card:

1. Click the + icon on the Character card and select Card > New Card or click the Add card button and select Decision.
2. Click the edit icon and enter a response in the text box provided. This is used as a selectable choice.
3. Mark the response as a Correct, Neutral, or Incorrect answer using the dropdown in the lower left. Answers are tied to an automated scoring system that’s enabled by default and displayed when your audience completes the scenario. There’s no option to disable it at this time.
4. Add as many dialogue choices as you need using the Add icon at the bottom. 
5. For each choice, click the Branch to icon next to it, then choose a destination/result:

• • Another card (new or existing)
  • Another scene (new or existing)
  • Restart the current scene
  • End the scenario

6. Click Done.

You can keep the scene simple or make it more complex by adding more character and dialogue cards. To display a message that isn't associated with the character, add a Text card:

1. Click the + icon on the Character card and select Card > New Card or click the Add card button and select Text.
2. Click the Text card’s edit icon and enter your message.
3. Click Done.

Connect Your Cards

Branching happens with the help of connectors—lines that link cards to each other. When you create a new card by clicking the plus icon on an existing card, a connector is automatically created linking the two cards.

When you insert a new card via the Add card button at the top, it isn't linked by default. To manually link a card:

1. Click and hold the plus sign from the starting card.
2. Drag your mouse to reveal the connector.
3. Drop the connector onto the target card.

Delete a connector by hovering over it, then clicking the X icon.

Create and Edit Characters

Each scenario can have one character. Either select from our library of photorealistic and illustrated characters or create your own with uploaded images and prompts. 

Get started by opening a character card and clicking Edit character. Changes made to the character will be reflected across your entire scenario, not just the current scene.

Use an Existing Character

1. Select a character from the existing library of photorealistic and illustrated characters. You can filter by style, gender, age, or environment. Use the character drop-down menu to filter by All characters, Saved characters, or Stock characters. 
2. Click Insert character.

Create or Customize a Character

1. Click the Create button to create your own character, or select an existing character and click the Customize button in the preview on the right.
2. Enter a prompt in the prompt box describing the character or changes to an existing character, as well as any background details. Customize even further by clicking the palette icon and selecting a style or clicking the attach icon and selecting a reference image. The generated image appears on the right. 
3. Fine-tune the initial result by following up with a new prompt specifying your changes. You can also click the sparkle icon and use prebuilt AI prompts. Use the filmstrip on the right below the preview to cycle through the results. 
4. Click Save character in the bottom-right and keep or enter a new name to confirm your changes.
5. Click Insert character to populate your scenario with your updated character.

Upload a Character

If you have an existing character image you’d like to use:

1. Click the Upload button and select an image file from your computer. 
2. Name your character.
3. Use the create or customize process above to fine-tune the character that’s been created based on your uploaded image. 
4. Save and insert the character to update your scenario.

Uploaded and created characters are added to Saved characters.

Format Your Scenario Block

Blocks containing scenarios can be styled and formatted just like any other block using the left-hand toolbar options.

Add Supporting Blocks

If you need other kinds of blocks—for example, to introduce or summarize your scenario—you can add supporting blocks. Exit the scenario editor to see the title, cover image, the scenario block itself, and a shortcuts bar for adding supporting blocks.

Aside from the scenario block, you can insert supporting blocks for any content you’d like to include. Here’s how:

1. Go to your scenario’s landing page.
2. Select a block type you’d like to add from the blocks menu at the bottom.

• • Button stack: Link to related resources.
  • Text: Provide additional written content.
  • Survey: Collect feedback.