Timeline Timing Being Negated by Change State Triggers

Sep 28, 2015

I was exploring different closed caption methods and tried a version where I had text boxes set to different timing within the Timeline:

One text box

I also had On and Off buttons. The On button set the state of both CC text frames to Normal. The Off button set the state of both CC text frames to Hidden.

Unfortunately, those Change State triggers seemed to override the Timeline-based timing, so if you clicked the On button before the 15.5 second mark (before CC text 2 was timed to enter), you would see both CC text frames.

Is this just a reality of Storyline, that the Trigger panel's triggers override actions generated through Timeline timing?

5 Replies
Douglas Harriman

Thanks y'all. Found this video soon after posting: https://player.vimeo.com/video/204930000

It operates on same principle as Walt's suggestion but elaborates on the suggestion through the incorporation of off-stage shapes.

In case the video goes down, here's its basic method:

  1. Like Walt suggested, create a variable, a text box featuring a reference to that variable, and have the "On" and "Off" buttons control the visibility of the text box.
  2. Add a shape off-stage (I also hid the shape from accessibility tools). In the timeline, give that shape the desired timing of your first closed caption text segment. Create a trigger that adjusts your variable, giving it the value of your first closed caption text segment's actual text, when timeline starts, with the trigger object being the shape.
  3. Duplicate the shape. Give the duplicate the desired timing of your second closed caption text segment. In the Triggers panel, find the duplicated shape and change the value of its adjust variable trigger to the actual text of the second closed caption text segment.
  4. Repeat as needed for additional closed caption text segments.

Worked great. Thanks!

Chris Hodgson

There is another way of getting around this issue.

I discovered that if you place each object that you want to perform a state change on into a group (this can be with a dummy object off to the side of the stage or hidden from view), then doing this will keep everything on your timeline in tact when the state change happens.

Just make sure to put any animations used on the objects onto the group instead.

I have put a demo of this on my website for anyone to download and check out: http://www.chdigitalsolutions.co.uk/free-storyline-templates/

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