Here is one possible way. You can create a variable that starts equal to 86400. Use Insert - Reference to add the variable as text on the screen (I did that in place of the 86400 that you had on the screen already). Then add a trigger to the slide to adjust the variable (subtract -1) when the timeline ends. I set the timeline at 1 second long so the count goes down by one each second. You could adjust that if you wanted the count to go slower.
It sounds to me like you want the counter to appear to be decreasing on the one slide as soon as the slide is launched. I would think that this may need to be an animated file that launches when the timeline starts.
I looked around for something but can't find a javascript or an animated number that you could capture and insert even. I've created similar timers in powerpoint and then published them out as .swf, but they were small numbers. Starting at 30. Yours would take a considerable amount of manual animation. Not worth it.
When I tried looking for anything counting down or backwards I only found timers, not general numbers or dollars.
This is the screenr of the timer I made. A bunch of squares in PowerPoint with numbers on them, one fades out after another. Then I used Screenr to capture it and inserted it as a movie file.
This could be a simple solution for you (you'd have to play with it), but you would also have to not count down by 1s. A larger incremented would be manageable.
Sorry, not the answer you are looking for or actual desired effect.
Christina - this looks great. Could this type of action (countdown) also work if there were audio? I'm have a course that I could use the timer on, but it is narrated.
PJ - This is the best I could do but it is still a little glitchy. I put the countdown variable on a layer by itself that is automatically triggered to start when the slide begins. I then added a trigger to the countdown layer to jump to that slide again when the timeline ends and set the properties of the base layer so that it would "resume to saved state" when revisiting thus allowing the audio to continue. The audio is not as smooth as I'd like though.
The timer looks brillant! I tried to use it for my quiz with 10 questions in storyline. Some of the questions have several layers that got triggered by clicking on the answer. When the layer pops up, the timer stops. I put the timer in the master slides, but its not working. :-( Is there a way to keep the timer running when jumping to another layer? Anybody has a way to work around it?
Switching between layers for a timer caused some problems for me so what I did was:
1. Create a 1 second video in powerpoint. Its just a video of an object on the screen. Then insert that video off-screen in storyline. Then inserted a second one. So there is Video1 and Video2.
2. Loop the videos. Set up a trigger to play the Video1 when the slide timeline starts. Another trigger to play Video2 when the timeline of Video1 ends. Then another trigger to play Video1 when the timeline of Video2 ends.
3. Create a number variable called 'Timer' or 'Countdown'. Set that variable to 86,400. Trigger that variable to subtract 1 when Video1 starts and another trigger to do the same for Video2. You'd also want to add a condition that it only subtracts as long as the variable is > 0 (you don't want negative numbers).
Remember to still add in a reference to the variable on the slide so you can see it. Its the same idea as the others, but uses looping videos instead of looping layers to trigger the countdown. Hope this helps. It works great for me.
13 Replies
Here is one possible way. You can create a variable that starts equal to 86400. Use Insert - Reference to add the variable as text on the screen (I did that in place of the 86400 that you had on the screen already). Then add a trigger to the slide to adjust the variable (subtract -1) when the timeline ends. I set the timeline at 1 second long so the count goes down by one each second. You could adjust that if you wanted the count to go slower.
Hope that makes sense. I've attached an example.
It sounds to me like you want the counter to appear to be decreasing on the one slide as soon as the slide is launched. I would think that this may need to be an animated file that launches when the timeline starts.
I looked around for something but can't find a javascript or an animated number that you could capture and insert even. I've created similar timers in powerpoint and then published them out as .swf, but they were small numbers. Starting at 30. Yours would take a considerable amount of manual animation. Not worth it.
When I tried looking for anything counting down or backwards I only found timers, not general numbers or dollars.
This one is tricky.
This is the screenr of the timer I made. A bunch of squares in PowerPoint with numbers on them, one fades out after another. Then I used Screenr to capture it and inserted it as a movie file.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/16297797
This could be a simple solution for you (you'd have to play with it), but you would also have to not count down by 1s. A larger incremented would be manageable.
Sorry, not the answer you are looking for or actual desired effect.
Cristina thank you so much!! Thats absolutely perfect.
Thank you Tracy also for your reply.
Jodie
Christina - this looks great. Could this type of action (countdown) also work if there were audio? I'm have a course that I could use the timer on, but it is narrated.
PJ
PJ - This is the best I could do but it is still a little glitchy. I put the countdown variable on a layer by itself that is automatically triggered to start when the slide begins. I then added a trigger to the countdown layer to jump to that slide again when the timeline ends and set the properties of the base layer so that it would "resume to saved state" when revisiting thus allowing the audio to continue. The audio is not as smooth as I'd like though.
This will give a better effect with audio just a modification to your file
A great big THANKS !!!!!! It's so wonderful to have this forum. I just need more time to create more courses for all the ideas
PJ
Using similar method you can find this useful as well if you need Timer
http://community.articulate.com/forums/t/31919.aspx
Another layer! Genius. Thanks, Phil.
The timer looks brillant! I tried to use it for my quiz with 10 questions in storyline. Some of the questions have several layers that got triggered by clicking on the answer. When the layer pops up, the timer stops. I put the timer in the master slides, but its not working. :-( Is there a way to keep the timer running when jumping to another layer? Anybody has a way to work around it?
Great ideas . Thank you all!
Switching between layers for a timer caused some problems for me so what I did was:
1. Create a 1 second video in powerpoint. Its just a video of an object on the screen. Then insert that video off-screen in storyline. Then inserted a second one. So there is Video1 and Video2.
2. Loop the videos. Set up a trigger to play the Video1 when the slide timeline starts. Another trigger to play Video2 when the timeline of Video1 ends. Then another trigger to play Video1 when the timeline of Video2 ends.
3. Create a number variable called 'Timer' or 'Countdown'. Set that variable to 86,400. Trigger that variable to subtract 1 when Video1 starts and another trigger to do the same for Video2. You'd also want to add a condition that it only subtracts as long as the variable is > 0 (you don't want negative numbers).
Remember to still add in a reference to the variable on the slide so you can see it. Its the same idea as the others, but uses looping videos instead of looping layers to trigger the countdown. Hope this helps. It works great for me.
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