Slide does not respond as per set triggers
Apr 07, 2022
Hi everyone,
I created a slide with hidden text boxes that appear when clicking on a button (triggers changes state textbox from hidden to normal, and back from normal to hidden when clicking on another button). In addition, clicking a button opens a layer with audio.
Every time I preview it, there are a few issues:
1. The first time I click a button (doesn't matter which one I click first) the textbox does not appear. If I click on that button later, after having clicked other buttons, the textbox does appear.
2. Textbox 1 does not change to the hidden state upon clicking on the second button.
3. The title 'environmental liability' at the top of the slide disappears when one of the three buttons is clicked on.
I may completely overlook something silly, but I've gone over my triggers numerous times, and I cannot figure out why my slide is responding like this. I added an example file of this slide.
Any suggestions?
TIA!
Mirjam
3 Replies
Mirjam,
I can help you with your issues.
1. The textbox doesn't appear because of a combination of issues. The text box has an animation, but the button also shows a layer, which is set to pause the base timeline:
The timeline is stopped before the textbox can fade in far enough to be seen. The next time a button is clicked, the timeline of the base has finished. There is no timeline for the layer to interrupt, so the textboxes continue to fade in. Deselect this setting, and they will fade in the first time.
2 - 3. Two and three are the same problem, The second button does not hide textbox 1; it hides the environmental liability box:
4. The fourth issue is probably the most serious, although the results are not obvious. It is these triggers:
The built-in states (like Selected) all have super powers. Selected's superpower is that when an object with a Selected state is clicked, it automatically changes to the Selected state. When clicked again, it turns to Normal state. It is not merely that these triggers are a waste of time, there is something more sinister at work. When you write a trigger that duplicates the superpower, it causes interference, which may cause results that are spectacular, but seldom desirable. The built-in state takes great offense at you messing with it, and seeks unpredictable revenge. At the very least, you need to remove those triggers, but I would make another change. Should the learner click the button a second time, it turns back to Normal. If you use Visited state, once clicked it remains in the visited state even when clicked again. If that is what you want, Edit states, choose Selected, duplicate it and name it Visited. Then delete Selected, and don't write triggers to change to Visited. It will do that automatically.
The sample I attached doesn't have the questions, because I had trouble getting them to upload.
Hi Walt,
Thank you for your elaborate response; I truly appreciate it!
1. That makes sense, didn't realize this. Unchecking the 'pause timeline of base layer' does result in audio from layer overlapping with audio from base layer if the learner clicks the buttons too early. I solved this with a True/False variable on the timeline, and added a condition to the 'show layer' and ' 'change state' (had to re-add this trigger with a custom button state, see point 4) of the buttons and 'change state' triggers of the textboxes.
2. & 3. Oops, very obvious actually - thank you for pointing this out! This was at least easily fixed :-).
4. I did not realize that adjusting built in states can result in misfunctioning of the triggers. Your suggestion worked great; removed the triggers, replaced the 'selected' state for the 'visited' state. However, this messed with my new restriction (see point 1) where I don't want the learner to be able to click the buttons until the timeline reaches 16 seconds.
I solved this by creating custom states for the buttons called 'clicked' and added a condition to the other triggers on the buttons.
Attached is the slide should you be interested, exactly working now like I planned it to. I did not expect to have to add so many triggers and conditions, but I'm happy with the outcome. Thanks to your input!
Looks good. Glad you got it going.