Broken variables/states - Gameshow template (elearning brothers)

Hi there Alex!

First I'd like to share a screen recording of my testing with you. I tested Deliveries 100 and Deliveries 300, and both appeared to be working correctly.

Could you also test this link and let me know if you see the same thing I saw in that video? Thanks!

Hi Alyssa Gomez, I love this community so willing to help it really sets Articulate apart from Captivate I believe. Thanks a lot for doing this!

Now I’ve tested your link and ran through a few combinations to no avail. The variables identify the answer choices selected.

True for tile selected, False for not selected. 1 = incorrect and 2 = correct.

A.      Deliveries 100 correct (isn’t acceptable) & Deliveries 300 correct (acceptable)
Result FAILED – D100 green, D300 not changed

B.      Deliveries 100 incorrect (acceptable) & Deliveries 300 correct (acceptable)
Result FAILED - Result – D100 red, D300 not changed

C.      Deliveries 300 correct (acceptable) only
Result FAILED - D300 not changed

D.      Deliveries 100 incorrect (acceptable) & Deliveries 300 incorrect (isn’t acceptable)
Result PASSED – D100 red, D300 red

*As you might surmise there’s an issue with the D300 correct state however, this works on my machine. I can get it to display as correct as light green. Below is the test I ran on the source file I submitted.

E.       *Deliveries 300 correct (acceptable) only
Result PASSED - D300 changed to green

Can you and anyone else interested run the above combinations and report what they get, please? f it works for you then it’s most likely some localised issue. I have tested in Chrome and Firefox.

I will look to create from scratch as I feel perhaps there's something in the eL brothers template that's bugging out. It's not too difficult to create.

Thanks!

Hey Alex! Thanks so much for those kind words! That's what we are here for. 😊

I'm re-testing the link I shared yesterday, and I'm hitting some strange results.

When I try D100 & D300 as both correct, most of the time they both appear green. However, I occasionally ran into D300 not changing to green. I agree with you that there’s an issue with the D300 correct state.

If you can recreate this problem in a new file with a simplified set-up, we may be able to identify if there's a bug happening here. Let me know what you come up with!

Hi Alyssa Gomez, I decided to start from scratch (again). Created new blocks and variables in a fresh project. After many tests and experimented how I constructed the game (there are usually multiple ways to skin the cat), it appears to work: tracking the blocks/answers/scores and evaluating a pass or fail. Then resetting the variables for another turn.

The only thing that was bugging out was that the 'glow' state when the block is rolled it appeared in the slide layers! I made sure the base wasn't visible. Everything else wasn't showing only the block that was rolled on. I ensured the rollover was disabled when the mouse wasn't rolled.

I ended up using the native Hover state instead of a custom state with a glow effect. However, the effect displays when the block has been viewed. Not desirable but after about 2-3 days I'm over this. It'll do for now.

Happy to share the project if you wish to take a look and comment.

Thanks!

Hi Alex,

Sounds like you were able to make it work in the new file, is that right? I know things can get dicey when so many variables and triggers are involved, so starting fresh often helps to pinpoint the problem. 

If something still seems buggy to you in the new file, I'd be happy to take a look at it!

Thanks again for reaching out. I may create a new file and see if the glow effect I mentioned on slide layers persists. If it does then that's definitely something to look at. Last year I attended an intro course to Storyline - for me the aim was to learn best practice. After all like most of us are self-taught so probably picked up some bad habits.

Would be good for a more advanced course using variables.

Hi again Alyssa, it's almost the end of the day for me so I thought I'd see if I can recreate the issue mentioned in a new file and I can. I wonder if you can look at the simplified file and output. Again what's happening:

On the Base Layer, a button is clicked to open a Sublayer. A variable called 'extileClicked' tracks if it's been previously clicked. (where x is the example number - created 2 examples) If it's 'false' a 'Glow' state is invoked on rollover and it can be clicked.

The Sublayer sets the variable to 'true' and another button allows the sublayer to close. On the base layer, the button shouldn't be hovered or clicked on - this part works.

Issue: On the sublayer, the Base Layer button is showing through regardless:

All other layers/base layer are hidden, prevent the user from clicking base, pause timeline
Also hidden the base layer objects in the timeline.

Example 1 - I created the button as a shape and created a 'Glow' state.
Example 2 - I used an inbuilt button and created a 'Glow' state.

Both are not working as they should. Can you check them out for me? I am have encountered a bug with SL3.

Actually, they are probably working as they should.

Remember, the layers are part of the slide, so you never leave the base, the layers just overlay it. When you set the layer to hide objects on the base, it just sets their state to hidden. The mouse is still hovering on the button because it has never moved off. Even though you can't see the button, it can still feel the mouse. Then when you move the mouse, the restore on mouse leave changes the state from hidden to normal, which takes precedence over the "Hide base layer objects" setting. If there is a bug, this might be it, that changing the state overrides the hide selection.

Since the layers have nothing physically covering the base, you see the button when it's state changes from glow and hidden to normal and visible.

The simplest solution is probably to put something on the layer that physically covers the base.

FYI, this "Hide" selection does not have any effect when the project is playing; it is effective only in development:

Hey Walt, thanks for your reply - I get it now and it makes sense. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best. I placed a white box on the Slide layers and of course, they hide the button on the Base layer.

By using a button with a hover state it doesn't show (without a white box on the Sublayer). However, I wonder if I can use code to disable this when the Slide layer has been viewed rather than create a new state?

Walt - am a bit confused by your last comment 'FYI, this "Hide" selection does not have any effect when the project is playing; it is effective only in development'

In my experience, it does hide objects in Slide layers. I've always shown/hidden certain objects using the 'Base Layer Objects'. I do this to show slide headings and graphics that I want to appear as a set in Sub Layers. This works in playback in the output files. 

You're right, my mistake. it's changing the state that overrides this selection.

Thanks Walt,