Advancing to the Next Layer Vs. The Next Slide

Sep 06, 2019

I have a project that has a number of slides where I use slide layers. I would like the learner to be able to press the next or previous buttons on the player bar to advance to the next or previous layer instead of the next or previous slide, then when they are on the last layer advance to the next slide. Is there a way to do that. I tried searching for this but nothing I read seemed to answer the dilemma or my situation didn't seem the same as what has been posed already.

Thank you!

7 Replies
David Schwartz

Hi Ron,

I was able do to do this with a variable and triggers, but it is very messy, and I would not recommend it, as you would end up with many triggers with conditions. I've attached an example with two layers on each slide. It works, but I sure wouldn't like to develop a full module this way.

Could you consider your own navigation bar, and thus your own Prev and Next buttons? You could then have them on the layers, and it would make your development a lot more streamlined, in my opinion.

Ron Goode

Diane and David, thank you both.  I originally did have previous and next buttons on the slide layers, but the client didn't like that on some slides it was in the navigation bar and on others is was on the actual slide. I would have to make all the slides in the projects advance with my navigation bar and use the player controls to not use the ones on the navigation bar--correct?  Is it possible to change my slide template so that my own navigation bar is on every slide?

Wendy Farmer

Hi Ron

I did this with 3 variables and triggers but I wonder the benefit of it if you have lots of slides/layers.  Could you not hide the next button and use and on screen arrow to navigate the layers then reveal the Next button when all layers have been viewed. 

Just my 2 cents worth...but yes it can be done.

See attached

David Schwartz

Ron, if you are asking about changing the slide master, you can do that, but typically I would avoid adding those buttons to the slide master, since you can't create triggers at the slide or layer level that are triggered by a button on the master.

I've been building a course with my own navigation; a small example is here: https://360.articulate.com/review/content/07080ad2-d941-4809-a37b-87a5ee0bd29a/review

I show none of the buttons on the player, and for buttons that are constant, like the glossary and closed captioning, they are in the slide master (as are their triggers), but the Next and Prev buttons are on the slides themselves.

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