How to create your first SIMPI How-to's
Are you new to SIMPI and don't know how to start? Don't worry, with these simple instructions we'll teach you about the basic steps to get started.
Getting started
The SIMPI editor has three levels:.
Level 1: Product Overview
The first level of the SIMPI editor is the product overview. Here, you can select the product that you want to create or edit. Click on a product to select it.
Level 2: SIMPI How-To's
Once you have selected a product, you will enter the second level of the SIMPI editor, which shows the SIMPIs that are associated with the selected product. One product typicaly has several SIMPI how-to's that each explain how your product works, e.g. how-to setup, operate and maintain the product.
Level 3: Steps of a SIMPI
Within each SIMPI, you will find the sequence of how-to steps that make up the step-by-step guide. Each step can have onscreen text, voice instructions and may include images, videos and stickers.
Adding stickers to a step
Stickers are a great way to add visual elements to your SIMPI and make your instructions more engaging and informative. There are three types of stickers that you can use: highlight stickers, custom stickers,and asset stickers.
Highlight Stickers
Highlight stickers are great for drawing attention to specific areas. They come in different shapes, such as circles or arrows, and can be used to highlight the parts of your products that need focus, e.g. the ON button. To add a highlight sticker, simply select the sticker icon to open the sticker panel, and drag it onto the step. You can resize and rotate the sticker as needed.
Custom Stickers
Custom stickers allow you to upload your own images, such as icons or signs, as stickers to add branding or visual flair to your instructions. To add a custom sticker, simply click on the sticker icon to open the sticker panel and switch to the custom sticker tab. Click the "+Add Sticker" button to upload your image file from your computer, and drag it on the step where you want it to appear. You can resize, and rotate the custom sticker to fit your design.
Asset Stickers
Asset stickers are powerful tools for adding additional information to your SIMPI steps. They are typically used to provide external links to websites or online shops. To add an asset sticker, select the sticker icon to open the sticker panel and switch to the asset tab. Click the "+Add Asset" button to set the properties of the asset sticker. Finally, drag it on the step where you want it to appear.
Localizing your SIMPIs
The SIMPI editor allows you to translate your instructions into multiple languages, making your content accessible to a wide audience. Here's how you can do it:
The first step in translating your text is to set the main language. This is the language that you entered when you edited a step. The main language will serve as the reference language for your translations.
You can add additional languages that you want to translate your descriptions and voice overs into. Select the desired languages from the language options and add them to the list. When you edit the text in the main language, the changes will be automatically reflected in all the other languages.
To review and potentially correct the auto-translation, you can export the text and its translations to a CSV file. Click on the "Export CSV" button in the editor to download the CSV file. This file will contain all the original text and its translations in different languages.
Open the CSV file in a spreadsheet program to review and edit the translations. You can make changes to the translations directly in the CSV file, and save the file after you've finished.
Once you have reviewed and edited the translations in the CSV file, you can import the file back into the SIMPI editor. Click on the "Import CSV" button and select the edited CSV file from your computer. The editor will update the translations based on the changes made in the CSV file.
Your edits will not be overwritten by the auto-translation function until you press the "Update" button.
The SIMPI will automatically display the translated text based on the language setting of the user's browser, allowing them to access the instructions in their preferred language.
Publishing your products and SIMPIs
Once you have created your products and SIMPIs, you can make them accessible to your intended audience by setting the appropriate privacy mode. Here's how:
To edit the privacy settings of your products and SIMPIs, click on the privacy icon, which is located in the top right corner of a product or SIMPI thumbnail. This will allow you to customize the privacy settings for each individual product or SIMPI.
The SIMPI editor offers three privacy modes to choose from: private, private group, and public. You can select the desired privacy mode for each product or SIMPI based on your requirements.
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Private Mode: If you set a product or SIMPI to private mode, only you as the creator will be able to view the content. This mode is represented by a lock symbol icon.
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Private Group Mode: In private group mode, only users who have access to the link provided by you will be able to view the content. This mode is symbolized by a group icon.
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Public Mode: Public mode makes the content accessible to search engines and anyone who has the link to the product or SIMPI.
It's important to ensure that the privacy settings match the intended audience for your products and SIMPIs. If the privacy settings do not match the type of user accessing the content, they will see a warning indicating that the content is currently locked by the user.
Be aware that when you edit a SIMPI, the privacy state will automatically be set to private. This is done to ensure that no SIMPI is accidentally published before it's ready.