Complex navigation using good mix of states, layers and variables - anyone up for it?

I would create a variable for each slide that is used to signify 'completion'. For example, this could be a T/F variable that starts out as False and is set to True when a specific slide is viewed. Then, I would use these variable values to change the state of the squares. 

Hope that makes sense.

Thank you Michael, it did! We have reached the same conclusion up here (in the not so cold north) and that conclusion together with your input was very valuable to us. So again, BIG thanks!

We now have moved on and face another quite annoying error:

When using hover state we find that SL is very "glitchy" in reading content to screen. I the example enclosed you perhaps can see what's happening.

We want the navigation to appear smooth and easy-going, hence the fade-in/out transitions.

I have colored the boxes surrounding images and shapes for better understanding of how and where the hovering is to take place - I hope you get it.

Again - we're very, very grateful for any input to this problem!

A good week-end to you all!

Hi Patrik -

I wouldn't say that Storyline is acting "glitchy" - it's just that you have so many objects that the hover state continually gets disrupted. When the mouse touches another object, then the mouse is no longer hovering over the original chapter rectangle and the state of your chapter image reverts back to hidden, and then the mouse is again hovering over the chapter rectangle and so on, in a loop, and so it looks glitchy.  

I was able to get close to what I think you are looking for using layers and transparent frames - see attached Storyline file.

• I used a hotspot on the base layer to show the menu, to provide better coverage of the menu area.
• I moved the Expanded Chapter images to layers and changed their Initial State to Normal.
• On each new layer with the expanded chapter PNGs, I added a Frame object behind the expanded chapter PNG. The open area of the frame provides a safe area for the mouse to move around without closing the layer. The width of the frame border needs to be at least 40 px or so to prevent the learner from whipping the mouse across the frame border so quickly that the hover state is never initiated.
• I added a rectangle to TOCLevel2 that closes the menu if the user rolls up to the top 1/2 of the screen. This gives a little more room for the learner to move around than closing if he rolls off of the menu graphic.
• I removed the Exit Animations from your objects as they were making objects unexpectedly disappear while the learner is still looking through the menu.

However, if you whip the mouse around very very fast, you can get an object to remain onscreen when it is supposed to be hidden. Otherwise, this solution works fine, but I think you would not want to risk having an object unexpectedly hanging out on the screen.

So.... I think your most fail-proof method would be to use clicks instead of hover. It would be far simpler logic, far more flexible, and you could make it fail-proof. I think you could have a lot of options in how you implement your menu if you use clicks.

Hope this helps.

Chris 

Hi Chris,

So elegant and well made ... That is what's so great about this forum.

I totally see now what you have made and what I have missed. I am very grateful
for you helping me out with this.

Thank you!

Glad it helped Patrik. It occurred to me that you could reduce or even eliminate the unintentional "remnant" objects I mentioned (produced by fast mouse movements) by simply making the frame widths to be even larger than the 40 px that I made them - make them huge and the problem will go away I believe.

Chris