Managing Conditional Elements on a Timeline
Feb 10, 2020
I'm developing what is (for me!) a pretty complex system of variables/triggers that ensure certain audiences don't waste their time completing detailed content that doesn't relate to their job/roles, while still presenting that content to other audiences for whom it is appropriate. I feel like the logic I'm using is sound, but the conditional "Opt Out" text is still being presented to audiences who should NOT see it. I've tried approaching it from having the text be HIDDEN as default and triggering it for certain audiences, as well as from the other end, having it NORMAL and hiding it from other audiences. I've also tried reversing the logic where "=False" is changed to "NOT=True." NO luck! Is there a trick to managing this content at a specific point along a timeline (versus "when the timeline starts") that I'm just not understanding?
I've attached a 1-slide example that demonstrates what I consider the failure of the logic/triggers (at least how I think about it! :-) In this example, variables are manually managed to simulate an audience/user case and on-screen references are provided to facilitate understanding of what is happening (and not happening!) and to help with troubleshooting.
In this example, I would expect, as programmed, AT 8 SECONDS:
- All Field-based roles should see the conditional Opt Out content
(3 elements: PIC Traffic Cone, TXT Optional 1 and TXT Optional 2) - All Office-based roles should see the Opt Out EXCEPT for "Custodians/Facilities Techs/Shipping/Receiving" roles working in an Office environment.
Advice? Is there something flawed in my logic? Should I take a different approach? Thanks for any help you can provide!
6 Replies
The problem is that SL doesn't allow you to mix "or" and "and" in the same trigger. Or rather, it allows it, but cannot execute it. So you have two options: create triggers that deal with one condition at a time, or instead of creating objects that are conditionally visible or not, create separate slids. The discussion at https://community.articulate.com/discussions/articulate-storyline/solution-to-alternate-path-navigation has a sample that does the latter.
I've put in a feature request to have these AND / OR conditions highlighted to indicate they can't be done.
Request Details:
Similar to how a state is yellow highlighted in a trigger when that state doesn't exist can a trigger condition which is mixed with AND and OR be highlighted to indicate it can't be executed. There are so many examples in the forum where people spend hours trying to mix these AND/OR statements and SL looks like it allows it to work but of course doesn't execute them.
Ugh. I'd rather Articulate developers not waste time highlighting combined ANDs and ORs to indicate they can't be mixed and instead spend that time fixing Storyline so that ANDs and ORs can be mixed.
This problem's been around for years and should have been a high priority fix ages ago. Articulate: what is the hold-up on this? Get this fixed already.
I am astounded by what I am learning here from the Community: that the programmed controls of our beloved software give every indication it CAN do something, only to learn we've been head-faked and that it CANNOT. Even worse: that it has been a known limitation for along time, but that the "current state" persists. Wow - this is really discouraging. Why would Articulate continue to allow Triggers to be programmed this way when the program cannot execute this way? Seems like that would have been addressed when the vaunted, new, improved Trigger Panel controls were released last year.
Would love to see a member of the STAFF explain this state of things...
I don't know whats involved in allowing that to happen Ray perhaps you should put in a feature request.
Hi Wendy,
I formally put in a feature request for this back in November of 2018. It's hard for me to understand why ANDs and ORs still can't be mixed. This seems like a basic feature that should be fundamental to any implementation of "If..Then" conditionals. I'm not aware of ANY other programming environment where ANDs and ORs can't be mixed. It is truly bizarre that it continues to be a problem in Storyline, especially because the problem's been known for so long.
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