Lightboxing from a Scrolling Panel - Position of Panel after Lightbox Closes

May 18, 2021

I seem to be having some illogical behaviour when I lightbox 'slide b' from 'slide a' which has a scrolling panel.  If the panel is scrolled down when the lightbox opens, then the panel in slide a (in the background) stays where it is, but when the lightbox closes, the content in the panel resets so that it is set at the top, ready to scroll down again.

If that is the design, then fair enough... but, the scrollbar disagrees.  It still shows the panel as scrolled down.  If I click on the scrollbar to adjust it a little, then the content jumps back to being completely scrolled down - where really it should logically be.

Is this a bug?  Is it known?  Is there a workaround?  Any thoughts?

15 Replies
James Broscombe

Thanks Lauren...  Hope it's an easy one for your developers to fix!

Meanwhile, as we're on the subject of lightboxes, could I ask you (or the developers via you) about some other behavior when using lightboxes:

If I have a lightbox opening from a layer in 'slide a', where the layer is set so that the timeline on the base layer doesn't pause, when that lightbox is open does the timeline on the base layer of 'slide a' pause?  And when the lightbox is closed, should the timeline on the base layer start running again?

I have an example at the moment where I have PREV and NEXT buttons on the 'slide a', but don't have navigation set on the slide that is lightboxed.  There is a trigger on the base layer of 'slide a' which changes NEXT to normal when 'variable x 'changes.  (NEXT is set to Disabled on timeline start of 'slide a').  'Variable x' changes on the slide that is being lightboxed.   In this set up, NEXT does not become normal.

I tried a workaround where I placed a box on the base layer of 'slide a' and gave it a small animation path.  A trigger moves the box on the path when the timeline starts, and another trigger moves it on the path when when the animation finishes.  So it just keeps moving forever whilst on the slide.  Another trigger runs whenever the animation on this box finishes, which sets NEXT to normal if 'variable x' is changed (it could be T/F or not zero or not blank etc).  When I open the layer, then open the lightbox from the layer, then change the variable in the lightbox, then close the lightbox and close the layer I am back on the base layer.  However, the box has stopped moving.  The timeline has frozen and therefore the animation doesn't complete and NEXT doesn't go to normal.

Sorry for the long explanation.  Let me know if you'd like me to build and send a demo instead.

Again, any ideas on workarounds for this would be great.

James Broscombe

Just a quick update on the second issue:

The timeline was misleading me.  It wasn't stopped by opening the lightbox, it was just set to a short length, so it happened to run out whilst the lightbox was opened.

However, there is still an issue with a trigger that changes the next button, on a base slide, not working when a lightboxed slide changes the variable that should run that trigger.

By lengthening the timeline, the workaround with the constantly moving box is working, but it feels like a bit of an excessive workaround in order to alternatively call a trigger.  Just to be clear, I have no need for a moving box on the slide - and if this is the only workaround, then I'll place it just off the slide.

Any suggestions for a more elegant solution would be great.  

I've added a simple example.

Lauren Connelly

Hello James!

Thank you for sharing your file and these details! I understand that you want the next button to change to normal when a trigger on the lightbox slide changes a variable.

Can you take a look at the changes I've made to your project? I've changed the trigger to change the state of the next button when the variable, UnlockNEXT, is equal to true. 

James Broscombe

Hi Lauren

Thanks for responding, and sending the changed project.  I've just given it a test spin.

Could I ask you to give it another go with the trigger in the base layer of 'slide a' disabled? (Change state of Next Button to Normal when animation Line Motion Path 1 on Rectangle 1 completes If unlockNext = value True).

For me, when I disable this trigger, the next button does not change state.  So, it is only my clumsy workaround in 'slide a' that is working, not your simple, plain trigger in the lightboxed 'slide b'.

So....  the only way I can get this to work is with the constantly animating box in a forever loop on the base layer of 'slide a'.  I'm happy with this if it works, but TBH, it's not working consistently.  I'm still getting problems on more complex slides where the timeline of 'slide a' is stopping and not recovering when 'slide b' is lightboxed.  The timeline is set to 30 minutes long, so it's not that which is the issue.

Thanks for your time looking at this!

James

James Broscombe

HI Lauren

Thanks for your patience on this.

I'm going to send two small files.  I've kept them pretty simple.  

The first one, in this message, I'd like to unlock the next button when the user clicks the 'Unlock the next button' button in the lightbox.

Previously I provided a workaround for this, but the workaround is unreliable.  I want a clean fix that works all the time.

In the next message, I'll show why I can't rely on the workaround that I previously did...

James Broscombe

...  Here's message 2...

Can you have a go at previewing this project and see if you have the same problem with the timeline crashing on the host slide.  Can you explain why this happens?

BTW - sometimes it crashes first time I open the lightbox, sometimes it takes a couple of times to open and close the lightbox before it crashes.  Either way, it's unreliable and a big problem for me.

Thanks for all your help so far!

Lauren Connelly

Hi James!

Thank you for these details! I've looked at the project, and I'm having a hard time finding what is getting in the way here, so I've started a case on your behalf with our Support Engineers. They will be able to offer their expertise. You should've received an email confirming that a case was submitted. Our Support Engineers will take a look and continue the conversation via email!

I'll keep an eye on the case to see how it progresses!

Luciana Piazza

Hi Michael, 

Thanks for sharing what you're experiencing. We don't have any news to share regarding this bug fix. We'll be sure to update this thread in the future with any news so that you are in the loop. 

We don't have any workarounds to share at this time, but I'm curious to hear of any potential JavaScript workarounds from our community!