I'm wondering if there's a way to build one trigger to set off multiple actions based on one set of conditions. Many times I want to do more than one thing based on a set of conditions, but I have to build one trigger for each action. Yes, I can copy trigger1 and edit it to create trigger2. But it would be more efficient to have one trigger that changed a state AND worked a variable, etc., based on the defined conditions, something like Advanced Actions in Captivate.
My desire is to reduce the number of triggers I need overall. If one set of conditions works for 3 actions, for example, I'd like to write 1 trigger instead of 3.
If I understand you correctly, you can use a layer to accomplish what you are asking to do.
For instance, action 1 could be a button click that opens a layer that I will call "TriggerBank". Action 2 could be a trigger that opens the same layer "TriggerBank" when the timeline ends. Action 3 could be associated with a hover state that opens the "TriggerBank" layer too.
All three of these actions would open a layer that would include a series of triggers. This would greatly eliminate the number of triggers you needed since all three of these actions would use the same trigger bank. Just make sure that the "TriggerBank" layer closes itself after all the triggers go off.
Sorry I hadn't replied. I understand what you're suggesting, basically a layer dedicated strictly to one set of triggers, sort of like a sub-routine. That would be good if I wanted to trigger the exact same set of actions multiple times in a course.
What I want do is really just at the single slide level trigger multiple actions with just one trigger. So I'd want to select the object that triggers the actions, write my set of conditions, and define the various actions that happen when the single object is acted on. I just want to get away from the one trigger:one action approach.
The ability to put actions into a group would be amazing! At the moment storyline cannot copy more than one action - so if we could copy more than one action at a time this would save huge amounts of time and to keep thing neat... put actions into a group!!
To put actions into a group, create an invisible object, or an off-stage object, and attach all the triggers to it, set to fire when a variable changes, or when an entrance animation completes, or ... Copy it and paste it to a different location- you are copying all its actions, as you asked. If you name your invisible object "Group 1", you have put actions into a group, and they can be all called by one action, and all copied to a new location with one copy-paste action.
Putting the actions onto an invisible object does work but you still have to copy and paste all the actions you want one by one (of course you can build the actions as a group the first time but this is not always thought about).
The ability to select more than one action in the action panel is a must for work flow, and the ability to put actions that are not assigned to an object as a group would be excellent. That way they can be copied from one slide to another, or layer without having to do them one by one. An example of complex coding would be for a menu system that looks for started /part completed/completed on a lot of menu buttons. At times we have at least 5 separate coding lines for each menu button with a normal menu system having 8 options - that's 45 times we would have to copy and paste code lines if we needed that same functions on another sub menu etc.
I can post a movie if you think it would help showcase workflow better.
Thanks,
pk
Paul Knights
T: 01634 383734
MidKent College
Medway Road
Gillingham
Kent
ME7 1FN
I am dealing with this issue again right now and it is becoming frustrating to copy paste every single trigger. Let me walk you through, I've 5 menu items on a screen and once the learner clicks on any one of them, they all should stack at the bottom of the screen using motion paths while the content for that menu item should be shown in the center of the slide using layers. Now the problem is that I need a trigger that will move all five of the menu items together and stack them at the bottom. I tried to group them and applied motion path but it will allow a single motion path for all items and since all my menu items are not horizontally aligned, they can't be stacked horizontally in a line at the bottom using a single motion path. So eventually I have to manually add two motion paths (1 for down and 1 for up) to each of the five menu items (it's not over yet) and then I've to set 5 triggers (1 for each menu item) to each of the five menu items that makes 25 triggers (yes, you read that right) just to move them. I'd be more than happy if someone can give me a better way to do this.
I mean, in all the rapid elearning content development tools, I love articulate and captivate but seriously at times they just lack such basic features. Another simple feature would be just allow us to control the size of a shape through animation, the powerpoint animations pack is good and covers most cases but to really build stand-out elearning courses, we need those little touches.
I wish team at articulate will improve significantly in the coming months as they did with the great Content Library, they would include more features that are the need of hour like VR, animations, multiple triggers to multiple actions, motion tweens, expand support for more xAPI triggers etc.
Thanks for reaching out and sharing your thoughts on this feature as well as the use-case.
I've submitted a feature request on your behalf.
For the other items you mentioned, it'd be great to understand your need and use-case as well. You are welcome to share your thoughts directly with our team here.
I'm trying to create a conditional hide action based on a variable - basically a simple on and off light switch based on the current conditions of the light switch.
If the light is currently on, turn it off when object 1 is clicked, if the light is currently off, turn it on when object 1 is clicked...Here is a screenshot:
It's not working. Can you let me know what I'm doing wrong? It must be with the way I set the triggers on the triangle, but I'm not sure why.
Follow through the triangle triggers, remembering that when you click the triangle, all its triggers are executed.
So if it is False, when you click it, the first trigger sets it to True, then because it is True, the second trigger sets it to False.
The way to avoid that is to use a trigger that toggles the T/F variable. Using toggle, you can use only one trigger, and it changes the variable to whichever value it is not.
You can do the same thing by using the selected state of an object, because selected state toggles when an object is clicked.
In the attached sample, the first slide uses a variable, the second uses an object state.
14 Replies
Hi Dan!
That would be a feature request at this time. You are welcome to share your thoughts with our product development team here.
Thanks, I submitted a feature request.
It's hard to say without looking at your file but you might be able to use layers to do this.
Douglas-
My desire is to reduce the number of triggers I need overall. If one set of conditions works for 3 actions, for example, I'd like to write 1 trigger instead of 3.
We are on the same page DAN, thanks for submitting a feature request.
Dan,
If I understand you correctly, you can use a layer to accomplish what you are asking to do.
For instance, action 1 could be a button click that opens a layer that I will call "TriggerBank".
Action 2 could be a trigger that opens the same layer "TriggerBank" when the timeline ends.
Action 3 could be associated with a hover state that opens the "TriggerBank" layer too.
All three of these actions would open a layer that would include a series of triggers. This would greatly eliminate the number of triggers you needed since all three of these actions would use the same trigger bank. Just make sure that the "TriggerBank" layer closes itself after all the triggers go off.
Doug-
Sorry I hadn't replied. I understand what you're suggesting, basically a layer dedicated strictly to one set of triggers, sort of like a sub-routine. That would be good if I wanted to trigger the exact same set of actions multiple times in a course.
What I want do is really just at the single slide level trigger multiple actions with just one trigger. So I'd want to select the object that triggers the actions, write my set of conditions, and define the various actions that happen when the single object is acted on. I just want to get away from the one trigger:one action approach.
The ability to put actions into a group would be amazing! At the moment storyline cannot copy more than one action - so if we could copy more than one action at a time this would save huge amounts of time and to keep thing neat... put actions into a group!!
Paul,
You can do both of these things now, if you want.
To put actions into a group, create an invisible object, or an off-stage object, and attach all the triggers to it, set to fire when a variable changes, or when an entrance animation completes, or ... Copy it and paste it to a different location- you are copying all its actions, as you asked. If you name your invisible object "Group 1", you have put actions into a group, and they can be all called by one action, and all copied to a new location with one copy-paste action.
Hi Walt,
Not exactly what we were after...
Putting the actions onto an invisible object does work but you still have to copy and paste all the actions you want one by one (of course you can build the actions as a group the first time but this is not always thought about).
The ability to select more than one action in the action panel is a must for work flow, and the ability to put actions that are not assigned to an object as a group would be excellent. That way they can be copied from one slide to another, or layer without having to do them one by one. An example of complex coding would be for a menu system that looks for started /part completed/completed on a lot of menu buttons. At times we have at least 5 separate coding lines for each menu button with a normal menu system having 8 options - that's 45 times we would have to copy and paste code lines if we needed that same functions on another sub menu etc.
I can post a movie if you think it would help showcase workflow better.
Thanks,
pk
Paul Knights
T: 01634 383734
MidKent College
Medway Road
Gillingham
Kent
ME7 1FN
I am dealing with this issue again right now and it is becoming frustrating to copy paste every single trigger. Let me walk you through, I've 5 menu items on a screen and once the learner clicks on any one of them, they all should stack at the bottom of the screen using motion paths while the content for that menu item should be shown in the center of the slide using layers. Now the problem is that I need a trigger that will move all five of the menu items together and stack them at the bottom. I tried to group them and applied motion path but it will allow a single motion path for all items and since all my menu items are not horizontally aligned, they can't be stacked horizontally in a line at the bottom using a single motion path. So eventually I have to manually add two motion paths (1 for down and 1 for up) to each of the five menu items (it's not over yet) and then I've to set 5 triggers (1 for each menu item) to each of the five menu items that makes 25 triggers (yes, you read that right) just to move them. I'd be more than happy if someone can give me a better way to do this.
I mean, in all the rapid elearning content development tools, I love articulate and captivate but seriously at times they just lack such basic features. Another simple feature would be just allow us to control the size of a shape through animation, the powerpoint animations pack is good and covers most cases but to really build stand-out elearning courses, we need those little touches.
I wish team at articulate will improve significantly in the coming months as they did with the great Content Library, they would include more features that are the need of hour like VR, animations, multiple triggers to multiple actions, motion tweens, expand support for more xAPI triggers etc.
Hello Tayo and welcome to E-Learning Heroes :)
Thanks for reaching out and sharing your thoughts on this feature as well as the use-case.
I've submitted a feature request on your behalf.
For the other items you mentioned, it'd be great to understand your need and use-case as well. You are welcome to share your thoughts directly with our team here.
Hi there,
I'm trying to create a conditional hide action based on a variable - basically a simple on and off light switch based on the current conditions of the light switch.
If the light is currently on, turn it off when object 1 is clicked, if the light is currently off, turn it on when object 1 is clicked...Here is a screenshot:
It's not working. Can you let me know what I'm doing wrong? It must be with the way I set the triggers on the triangle, but I'm not sure why.
Thanks,
Marina
Follow through the triangle triggers, remembering that when you click the triangle, all its triggers are executed.
So if it is False, when you click it, the first trigger sets it to True, then because it is True, the second trigger sets it to False.
The way to avoid that is to use a trigger that toggles the T/F variable. Using toggle, you can use only one trigger, and it changes the variable to whichever value it is not.
You can do the same thing by using the selected state of an object, because selected state toggles when an object is clicked.
In the attached sample, the first slide uses a variable, the second uses an object state.
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