LessonDepict - FAQ
General LessonDepict Info
  • Please bear in mind that this information page is still being created and its contents will change over time.
  • Click on the following subsections to expand their content.
  • The Homepage
    • The LessonDepict homepage is the landing screen visible after logging into LessonDepict.
    • The homepage has a search bar which allows for finding desired content by their title and options for searching by content type (Depictions both Published and Unpublished, LessonMaps, and Resources) and/or through all or only the current folder.
    • Types of content a user has access to will be seperated into tabs and paginated.
    • Content can be further sorted via use of the folder system on the left side of the homepage.
    • All content creatable by the user can be created from the 'New' button on the top right of the homepage.
  • How to Create a Folder
    • Folders can be created from the 'New Folder' button on the left panel in the homepage, or from the 'New' button and selecting 'New Folder here' or 'New Folder from Home'.
    • 'New Folder' and 'New Folder here' options both create a new folder of desired name inside the current directory of the user.
    • The current directory a user is in can be changed by clicking the desired folder name from the left panel.
    • Folders may be renamed and deleted at any time. If they contain content on deletion, that content will be moved to the default 'Home' folder.
    • Content may be moved between folders by clicking and dragging the desired content into the desired folder on the left panel. Multiple items can be moved by first selecting them and then dragging them into the desired folder.
  • How to Create a Depiction
    • A Depiction is a collaborative storyboarding tool allowing content creators to devise theoretical classroom situations using LessonSketch assets.
    • To create a Depiction, click the 'New' button in the top right of the LessonDepict Depictions page, and select from 'New Blank Depiction' and 'New Depiction from Images *'.
    • Selecting 'New Depiction from Images *' allows you to upload selected images as slides, while 'New Blank Depiction' creates an empty Depiction.
    • Basic users are limited to creating 3 Depictions and 3 Pubilshed Depictions where as Advanced users have no limit.
    • If you are unable to create your own Depictions and think this is an issue, please email lessonsketchhelp@umich.edu.
  • How to Create a LessonMap *
    • A LessonMap is a branching story visualization tool allowing creators to generate slideshows with branching storylines.
    • LessonMaps can be created by clicking the 'New' button in the top right of the LessonDepict Depictions page, and selecting ‘New LessonMap’.
    • LessonMaps use slides that the Owner has access to as assets, and as such requires the Owner to have slides in order to be used.
    * Experimental features: These are only available for certain group of users
    Sharing Depictions and LessonMaps
  • Shareable Links
    • A shareable link for a Depiction or LessonMap may be copied from their respective settings panel, in the 'Share & Embed' tab.
    • With the link, users can request the Owner for access; the Owner can then choose to allow or deny this request.
    • Depiction or LessonMap Owner can allow the 'Join Via Link' option, which enables users to join the respective file without requesting access.
    • A Depiction or LessonMap may be embedded via iframe by the provided embedded link underneath the shareable link.
  • Canvas LMS
    • A Depiction or LessonMap may be added to Canvas by clicking the generated Canvas link in the 'Share & Embed' settings tab.
    • Owners have the option of only allowing said file to be accessible via Canvas LMS.
    LessonDepict User Roles
  • How to Add Collaborators and Set Permissions
    • An Owner and Co-Owner can add users from A Depiction or LessonMap's settings in the Users tab. Users already enrolled in LessonDepict or Anotemos can be invited by entering their username.
    • Users without an account can have one created for them at the email entered into the input box.
    • The Depiction Owner can remove any collaborator by clicking the X to the left of their information.
    • Please note that removing a collaborator will not revert any changes they have done to a Depiction.
    • An Owner or Co-Owner can change a collaborator’s role by navigating to their information in the Sharing Settings panel. Only Owners can promote other users to Owner status.
    • There will be a list of roles that the Owner can choose from.
    • Each role’s permissions are defined below.
  • Viewer Permissions
    • Viewers have access to some of the permissions allocated to all Users.
    • This role may only view the Depiction in its current state and may not modify any contents.
    • Clicking on the Sharing Settings panel will show a list of all shared collaborators, but nothing more.
  • User Permissions
    • The User role allows collaborators to create their own content on new or existing slides.
    • User created content can only be deleted by its creator or by the Owner or Co-Owner.
  • Co-Owner Permissions
    • Co-Owners may invite new collaborators to Depictions, and can view all content created within one.
    • Co-Owners may also edit any content within a Depiction such as its names and slide names.
    • While there can only be one Owner for a Depiction, there can be multiple Co-Owners.
  • Owner Permissions
    • Owners have all the permissions Co-Owners do along with further administrative options.
    • Owners have access to all collaborators’ asset recovery panel and may choose to recover or permanently delete these assets.
    • Collaborators may be invited or removed via the Sharing Settings panel, and may be promoted or demoted as well.
    • Ownership of a Depiction can be transferred through the Sharing Settings Panel, but has no undo option so please contact the new owner in the event of an accidental transfer.
    Depiction Sections *
  • Creating a Section
    • Much like an Anotemos section, Depiction sections may be shared with different users and contain different assets.
    • A section can be created by an Owner in the Depiction Settings panel in the Sections tab with the 'Create New Section' button.
  • Modifying Sections
    • The 'Main' depiction may be used to push specific slides to the subordinate sections.
    • The Owner has the option to allow or disallow modifications on specific slides which prevents subordinate sections from making changes to those slides.
    • Owner/Co-Owners can quickly switch between sections from the 'Main' depiction by using the drop down menu in the Slides list to select the desired section.
    • At any point, an Owner may choose to 'unlink' a section, which is irreversible and causes the section to be turned into a standalone Depiction while maintaining all created content and collaborators.
  • Live Maps
    • Live Maps show revisions made in sections by different users and can be created by clicking the 'Create Live Map' button when viewing the desired 'Main' Depiction.
    • Different users' modifications are represented by a specific color as defined by the legend inside the Live Map panel.
    • Once created, a Live Map may be directly accessed from the LessonDepict homepage by clicking the 3-dot menu and selecting Live Map for the desired Depiction.
    * Experimental features: These are only available for certain group of users
    Slide Info
  • The Slide List
    • The Slide List contains all slides in the Depiction in order.
    • Right clicking on a slide inside the Slide List opens that slide's context menu. This menu contains several actions that can be performed on the slide.
  • The Slide Panel
    • The Slide Panel displays the currently selected slide. All objects inside the Slide Panel are interactable.
    • The view from the panel can be zoomed with the zoom slider to the right of the panel or panned with the arrows above the slider.
    • The view can be reset to its original position using the reset button below the slider.
  • Slide Sets
  • A Slide Set is a collection of template slides which can be used to create a Depiction Map.
  • To create a Slide Set, either open the Slide Set Menu by clicking "Open Slide Sets" in the Depiction Menu or hold shift to select multiple slides from the slide list and click "Slide Set from Selected Slides" in the same menu.
  • The order of slides in a Slide Set can be rearranged by dragging a slide within the Slide Set Menu.
  • Slide Sets can be deleted from the same menu.
  • Slides Grid
  • The Slides Grid displays all slides created and unrecovered for the Depiction. It can be accessed by right clicking a slide in the Slide List and selecting 'Slides Grid.'
  • This menu allows individual slides to be rearranged, starred, selected, copied, hidden, locked, deleted, recovered, and tagged. Stars and tags are only visible to Owners and Co-Owners of a Depiction.
  • A new slide may be created with the 'New Slide' button, which creates an empty slide.
  • Clicking 'Reset Slide Names' will automatically set all slide names to the form 'Slide #' where '#' is their current position.
  • Slides may be filtered by selecting from the available filters in the top right of the menu.
    • Asset Info
  • The Asset Panel
    • The Asset Panel is broken into 6 separate tabs each of which handle different types of assets related to slide creation.
    • The bottom 4 tabs contain objects that can be inserted into the slide. Some contain further categorization which can be navigated through a series of tabs directly below the first set of tabs.
    • The top left tab contains base slides that users can use to create their own slides quicker.
    • The top right tab stores all template slides saved by the user and shared with them.
  • Insertable Assets
    • Insertable Assets are found in the Insert Menu
    • These assets can be placed on the 'Wall' sticking it to the background and preventing reordering or can be placed as an 'Object' allowing reordering along with other placed objects.
    • Comentators and Captions may also be inserted from the Insert Menu. There is a limit of one caption and commentator layer per slide.
    • The Dialogue Asset can also be found by clicking the "Dialogue" tab in the Asset Panel
    • Dialogue Assets can contain user recorded or uploaded audio which can be rerecorded by right clicking and selecting "New Audio".
  • Resources
    • Resources consist of any created and uploaded images, formulae, and inscriptions of a user.
    • Resources are available for use in any Depiction a user has access to, and may be managed from the Resources tab in the LessonDepict homepage.
    • Resources may be inserted from Insert > New Resource, and deleted like any other insertable asset. Resources may be filtered by type by clicking the underlined type.
    • Resources may be downloaded by selecting the download button at the top right of the specific resource. Resources are downloaded as compressed folders containing .ldf or .ldi files and a readme allowing them to be uploaded again as editable resources.
  • Character Management
    • Clicking on any character on a slide will automatically open the Character Managment panel.
    • This panel allows for facial features to be changed as well as body position, belongings, and skin and shirt color.
    • Owners and Co-Owners of a Depiction as well as Owners of a character may add, edit, and remove text-based descriptions for them.
    • The descriptions for characters are visible when hovering over them. To create a description, select a character, choose Insert > Add Description or Add Description after right clicking the character.
    LessonMap Info
  • The Data Panel
    • The Data Panel contains all the slides that can be used in a LessonMap.
    • Any Depictions, Published Depictions, and Slide Sets available to the user may be added to a LessonMap.
    • To add content, click the ‘Map Data’ button.
  • The Map
    • The space to the right of the Data Panel shows a representation of possible paths connecting slides.
    • Connections or edges may be added with the ‘Add Edge’ button.
    • Slides will reorder themselves automatically after adding edges.
    • The Map orientation can be rotated with the ‘Change Map Direction’ button.
  • Designing a Map
    • Single slides can be added by dragging the specific slide onto the Map.
    • Entire datasets may also be added by dragging the title onto the Map.
    • The order of slides in a Depiction may be preserved automatically as edges when dragging the entire dataset onto the Map.
    • Selecting a slide or edge in the Map allows it to be deleted with the ‘Delete Selected’ button.
    • The Map can be cleared at any time by the owner with the ‘Reset Map’ button.
  • Viewing a Map Slideshow
    • Rendering the Map as a slideshow allows users to move through it as though it was a branching presentation.
    • The Map must be rendered each time any changes are made to it.
    • A title and end slide will be added automatically when viewing the rendered slideshow, but will only connect correctly if there are set beginning and end slides that do not contain edge loops.