State Trigger is inconsistent

May 19, 2017

I doubt I'm the first with this problem, but searching for such a non-specific is hit-or-miss.

I've used State triggers several times before. Maybe an update messed them up?

Rectangle 1, Rectangle 2, Rectangle 3

Change state of Rectangle 1 to Hidden when user clicks.

Change state of Rectangle 2 to Hidden when user clicks.

Change state of Rectangle 3 to Hidden when user clicks.

Jump to next slide when the state of Rectangle 1 and Rectangle 2 and Rectangle 3 are Hidden.

This should work. In fact, sometimes it does. Creating it several times and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I have a project where I did the same interaction and it works on 2 slides, and not on the other 3. Home computer and work computer. Please help.

I've tried numerous variations including attaching conditional states to each object that activate on click. States stopped working and it's making me crazy.

SL360 attachment.

12 Replies
Timothy Coyle

You are VERY kind to do so much work to help out Wendy.

I'm using my home computer now and your file and my other file are working. I'm thinking it is because one or these computers is using a more up-to-date version of SL360. I keep them updated everytime I see the alert. But it is the only reason I can think of why this basic interaction won't work.

Is there anyway you might look at another State trigger example I've attached to see why this one doesn't work? This particular example might be because I've set it up incorrectly.

Wendy Farmer

Hi Timothy

you're not doing anything wrong. SL just doesn't play nice with the 'normal' 'is not normal' state of objects.

I get around this by having some objects offstage that change state to 'visited' when the user drops an item on any of the three targets. There is one offstage object for each drag item. Then I use the visited state of the ovals to change the OK button state.

Hope that helps and shout out if you need to

Walt Hamilton

Timothy,

You identified the problem with your first post: Initiating a trigger based on "when state is" works sometimes, and doesn't others. I think it has to do with timing; the trigger needs to be checking at the moment the last state changes.

Basically, you have programmed it as if it means "When state becomes...", but in reality it works as "on condition state is..."  If you put the checking on the states where it belongs (in the conditions) it functions perfectly. Not your fault; the programmers should never have put "state is" in a position where it can be used in the "when" part of a trigger. Think about it: "When" calls for the trigger to fire when some action occurs. What sort of an action is "is"? How do you define when "is" happens? This needs to be written as "state becomes" to be useful.

In the meantime, i don't have 360, and can't follow what you and Wendy are doing, but here is how to make the triggers from your first post work:

Change state of rectangle 1 to hidden when user clicks
Adjust variable Rectangle1 to true when user clicks
Jump to next slide when user clicks if Variable2 = True AND Variable3 = True

  I can guarantee that variables don't depend on lucky timing. They will always work.

Timothy Coyle

Walt, thank you for this explanation. Once Wendy got it working, and then I came home and it was working, I was about to go crazy. I'm going to use variables instead but figured if I could get a state to work, I wouldn't need to go that route.

Wendy, You are awesome as well for going through so much trouble to help me troubleshoot this. This is an awesome community because of folks like you guys. 

I like your offstage idea but now I'm worried that using a visited state object to change the state of another object isn't going to be reliable. Are there certain triggers that will reliably fire based on state triggers? Such as Wendy's offstage visited triggering another change of state? Does that always work?

Timothy Coyle

I've talked this one over with my wife who also works with Storyline. We're trying to figure out what states can reliably be used for.

Unreliable - normal/not normal, jump to slide based on state

It sounds like Wendy is reliably changing the state of an object based on the state of other objects as long as not using the normal state as a basis.

Wendy Farmer

Hi Timothy

there is always more than one way to do things in Storyline and I agree with Walt variables are more reliable in a lot of cases, but personally I've never had an issue with the 'when state' trigger change as long as it doesn't involve the 'normal' state of an object.

All the best whichever way you go.

This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.