This week we have released three of the most asked for features:
- Generate PDFs from a StepAlong to allow companies to unify their workflow in StepAlong but still create PDFs if they need to.
- More fine tuned controls on how users share your StepAlongs.
- Domain mapping for your hosted Instruction Center
Generate PDFs from a StepAlong
The StepAlong format for following instructions is flexible and adapts to user preferences on any device. However, many people prefer to print or download the instructions in PDF, whether to make notes on them (with a tablet or on paper), or simply because they prefer to use paper.
When we created StepAlong, we always thought that the PDF would be phased out, but speaking to clients we understood that PDF still makes sense for certain contexts. The main problems around the PDF were:
- Lack of structure
- Difficult and costly to maintain
- Difficult and costly to create many language versions
We wanted to take advantage of the structure and flexibility of the instructions created within StepAlong format to create a great PDF, with the content structure true to our philosophy: large font size, clear & well-differentiated steps, and images making full use of the available space on the paper.
Both producers in the StepAlong Builder and end users in the StepAlong Player, can instantly generate PDFs of the StepAlongs in any of the languages in which the instructions have been translated. Each PDF includes a QR code so it always has the online reference from where it came.
Control what is shared
Starting this week, instruction producers may also manage the sharing options for each StepAlong, enabling or disabling in the StepAlong Player the ability to embed the StepAlong via iFrame, download the QR code, download in PDF format, or social media links. This way, we give instruction producers more control and flexibility over the how they’re StepAlong is learned.
Domain mapping for your Instruction Center
StepAlong now allows you to map your own domain to the StepAlong instruction center making it it completely yours. Instead of pointing to a StepAlong subdomain such as:
acmeproducts.stepalong.com/en/my-product-instructions
The the URLs can point to a subdomain of your own URL:
instructions.acmeproducts.com/en/my-product-instructions.
This enables StepAlong customers to have best of both worlds – an easy to use, hosted and integrated instructional platform, with their own domain. Not forgetting any detail, when you map your domain the QR codes in your StepAlongs are automatically updated to reflect your new url, a key part of QR Code best practises
