Next button management

Jan 28, 2020

I am having two issues with a slide serving as a menu (1.2 in the attached).

First, I want the Next button hidden until the learner has visited seven of the topics (Chair, Posture, Desk, Keyboard, Phone, Monitor, and Mouse.)

Then, they have the option to view an optional topic (Laptop), or go to the next slide.

After the mandatory topics have been visited, I have a set of objects that either appear on the slide, or are hidden, all based on those seven topics being visited.  I have the same condition to change the Next button to Normal, but that doesn’t happen.  That’s the first thing that’s driving me crazy.  Have I overlooked something?

Also related to this, if I preview just slide 1.2, then Next will appear at the right time.  But previewing the entire project, it doesn’t.

I’m using the new trigger panel.

My second issue is moot if I can’t get #1 figured out.  As you can see from some of the other slides, I like to set it up that if a learner is revisiting a slide, Next is immediately available, if that topic has been previously completed.  You will note I’ve disabled some triggers toward that end, though I also took out additional logic I’d thought would be needed.  What I want is the instructions related to the availability of the Laptop topic (object RCT-Caption 1) to be hidden if the slide has been previously completed.  I actually think if I tie topic completion to the 7 topics visited, I won’t get the behavior I want, so I initially tried to set it when Next was clicked, but then I ran into the whole issue of Next not showing up.

I think I’m missing something fairly obvious.  Can anyone suggest something before I tear out my hair?!

Thanks, Judy  

7 Replies
Kelly Sheehan

Hi Judy,

It would really help if you attached your storyline file as it gets a little confusing what your trying to achieve.

For your first problem of a Next button appearing when all 7 topics have been visited, have you setup variables for this?

You need a different variable at the end of each of your topics that changes to true at timeline start and then on the optional Laptop button you need a trigger to say turn to normal on timeline start but only if the variables you have created are set to true.

Also I forgot to ask are you using the Storyline Player next button or have you created your own?

Kelly Sheehan

That could well expain it as it will depend how you have setup the page when it is revisited.

I like variables as then I know when things have been triggered or not etc. Using variables you can also make it so that your topic buttons will change to a visited state on finishing that topic if you wish. Then the user knows what topics they have and haven't visited.

Also I personally would either have the next button appear after a certain time or when they have clicked something on screen, but that's just me.

I have attached a copy of your storyline, I'm not sure if its exactly what you want. So I only setup the Chair and Posture topics as you can do the rest when you see what I have done.

I have basically copied the lady character and speech bubbles on the menu slide to another layer and that is shown when the Chair and Posture topics are visisted. I have enable this all through variables and no muking around with states, which I don't think enable you to do as much as you can with variables.

Let me know if you need anymore help!

Walt Hamilton

No, don't lower your expectations; you can do what you want.

Your setup worked if you previewed only the menu slide, but not the whole project. That is because you were depending on "When state of object is ..." That seems to work if the slide sees the state change. but when you are going to various other slides and returning to the menu, it tends to forget that the states have changed. Like Kelly says, if you use variables, you always can find out the state of something.

The best system seems to be to have the learner complete a topic, have the system record that topic as completed, and show the Next button when the timeline on the menu slide starts, if the variables show that all the topics have been completed.

To do that, you have to set the Menu slide to "Reset to Initial Value when revisited". Otherwise the timeline won't restart. But if the timeline restarts, the objects reset to their initial state. You could use the "Topic_Visited" variable to set their state to Visited when the slide starts, but that brings another set of problems. Using triggers to set built-in states can cause conflicts with unpredictable, but usually unwanted consequences. So here's the solution:
1. On each of the objects, copy the visited state and call it "Completed"
2. At the end of each topic, set its completion variable to true.
3. When the Menu slide starts, change the state of each topic to Completed" if its completion variable is true.
4. When the Menu slide starts, set the Workstation_Completed variable to True if all the topic variables are True.
5. When the Menu starts, set the state of all the other things the way you want them, depending on the value of the Workstation_Completed variable.
In short, it may seem intuitive to go around to all these topics, and when you come back to make changes on the basis of the visited states. In reality, as you found out, that is leaving too many things to chance, and to our ability to guess how SL operates. If you force the timeline of the Menu slide to restart, then you have an action you can always use to initiate triggers. If you use variables to indicate that a topic is completed, you will always know, no matter where you are in the module.
Your instincts are good about showing the Next button on revisiting the topic slides

Judith Peterson

Walt, funny story, I received email notification of your update so headed off to implement your changes.  I come back here to post, and noted your .story file.  To both our credits, my triggers are very similar to yours.  Yesterday I did something which 'worked' but I had to make my own Next button.  Both you and Kelly stressed the benefits of variables.  As a programmer before Articulate was a gleam in anyone's eye, I have no issue with variables, and appreciate the opinions (both) your expertise provided.  I'm glad I didn't notice your attachment right away because this type of interaction would be something I will need in the future, so the work of figuring it out myself with some gentle pushes was very good for me.  Thanks both for your assistance!

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