Blocks
The full Compose block catalogue, the settings every block shares, and a reference for the seven content block types.
A block is one piece of content in a lesson. You build a lesson by stacking blocks, and configure each one in the Inspector on the right.
Adding a block
Three ways:
- The Blocks tab in the left panel (
Ctrl2) — the full catalogue, with search. - The Insert menu in the title bar — the same catalogue, grouped by category.
- The inline inserter on the canvas — a short list of quick picks: Text, Image, Multiple choice, Flashcards, Matching, Custom code.
By default the newly inserted block is selected so you can start editing it immediately; turn that off in Settings ▸ Editing.
The catalogue
| Block | What it is |
|---|---|
| Text | A heading and a body paragraph. The block title is the heading. |
| Rich text | Markdown with headings, lists and links, formatted from a selection toolbar. |
| Image | A picture with a caption and alt text. |
| Video | A video file with playback controls. |
| Audio | An audio file with playback controls. |
| Freeform | A canvas where you place text, boxes and images wherever you like. |
| 3D model | A model learners can orbit, zoom and spin. OBJ and STL. |
Settings every block shares
Title
Shown in the Outline so you can find the block again. On a Text block it is also the heading learners see.
Block width
Overrides the course’s content width for this one block:
| Setting | Result |
|---|---|
| Normal | The course content width (narrow 620 px, normal 760 px, or wide 900 px) |
| Wide | Up to 960 px |
| Full | No maximum — spans the available width |
Use Wide or Full for a wide diagram or a code sample that wraps badly at the text measure.
Grouping
Adjacent blocks sharing a group render as one seamless bordered field. Select several blocks, then Edit ▸ Group blocks. Whether the border is drawn at all is set course-wide in the Design tab.
Required
On an interactive block, Required means the learner cannot move to the next lesson until they have completed it — and it is what SCORM course completion is measured against.
Required has no effect on non-interactive blocks.
The content blocks in detail
Text
A heading (the block title) and a body. The simplest block, and the one most lessons are mostly made of.
Rich text
Markdown, with a formatting toolbar that appears over a selection. Supports headings, lists, emphasis, links and inline code. Use it when a paragraph needs structure; use Text when it does not.
Image
Accepts PNG, JPEG, WebP, BMP, GIF and SVG. The file is embedded in the .course, so the course
stays one portable file.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Caption | Text shown under the image |
| Alt text | Read by screen readers. Compose warns in the status strip when it is missing |
| Fit | Fit shows the whole image; Fill crops it to fill the frame |
| Height | A fixed display height in pixels, or natural height |
| Alignment | Centre, left or right |
Video and Audio
Video accepts common web formats; audio accepts MP3, OGG, WAV, M4A and FLAC. Both are embedded in
the .course file and staged into the exported package.
Freeform
A canvas — 960 × 540 by default — where you place text, coloured boxes and images at any position. Positions are stored as proportions of that design space, so the layout scales to any screen width rather than breaking.
Text inside a freeform block renders at a fixed size; the boxes scale, the type does not. This is deliberate — scaling type down with the canvas makes it unreadable on a phone.
3D model
Accepts OBJ and STL files. In the exported course, learners get a real WebGL viewer they can orbit, zoom and pan, with optional auto-spin.