Triggered States--making some hidden again

Hey Dale,

Have you thought about using markers to accomplish this? You can add text captions and configure them to display when the user hovers over them or when a marker is clicked. I've used markers in the past to define objects on my slides - just thought that I would share!

Hey Dale,

In addition to what Nelson suggested, I can think of 2 other solutions.

If you don't want to add any new elements, you can add 8 new triggers to each object that 'Change the state of [Text Box 1] to Hidden When the user clicks'. But that is a lot of new triggers, even with the copy/paste trigger functionality in your Trigger Panel.

Another way to do what you need, easily, is to add a "Selected" state to each of your objects and to make the descriptive text box part of the Selected state. You would then make the objects part of the same Button Set, so that only one can be Selected at a time. (Objects in a Button Set are mutually exclusive; you can only select one at a time.) This would automatically "hide" all the other descriptions.

I've made a screen recording, but without any sound, as I don't have that capability here. I'm attaching the .mp4

I'm sorry for how quickly things move and how I don't explain what is happening, but basically, I inserted 3 pictures, I added a Selected state to each one, with a text box in the exact same place on the screen. Then I grab all the objects and right-click to get the Button Set option. And voila!

Hope this helps--

Belen--

Thanks for the solution--and for taking the time to do the video. Unfortunately, I don't quite get it. I got it to work on my first object, but it falls apart after that. Is there someplace where this procedure is written down, step-by-step? Your video goes so fast I can't tell how you copy the text box or format it. The Normal and Selected boxes at the bottom of the screen don't look right (except for the first one). I guess I'm thick enough to need a slow step-by-step.

thanks--dale

Hi Dale,

You'll learn quickly that there are a hundred ways to accomplish the same thing in Storyline. While managing a bank of triggers to Show/Hide object states is one way, my first thought is to leverage the object's state itself.

Here's an alternate approach that should work:

• On your first object, select the States tab to edit.
• In edit mode, add the "Selected" state.
• Place your corresponding text box *in* that Selected state. You can place it anywhere you'd like off to the side.
• Click done editing state and repeat these steps for each object.

Once all objects have the additional "Selected" state with their corresponding text boxes, select ALL at one time > right click > and assign them to "Button set 1"

The logic with leveraging the object's Selected state is Storyline knows to show that state when it's clicked. No triggers needed. The "Button set" functions like a multiple choice quiz where only one object can be selected at a time. So, when one object is selected it's text box will appear, and when you click any other object, all others will go back to Normal.

Simple setup. Zero triggers. Example attached.

Hope this helps.

Kevin to the rescue! Thanks for breaking that down, Kevin.

@Dale, if you need more help on that method, just post again here. In the meantime, I'll work on my screen recording setup...

Bellen and Kevin--

Thanks! It works. Between what Kevin sent today and what Bellen Ferrer sent yesterday, I finally got it! I still don't get the logic behind it all, but it does exactly what I was hoping. I had accomplished the same effect using slide layers, but I wanted to find a way to do it using a different Storyline feature.

Thanks to Kevin and Bellen--the time you Forum folks take to answer questions for nascent users like me is, well, amazing.

much thanks--Dale Osborn

Glad to help, Dale. I recall being a nascent user. Time, practice, and support is the key to perfecting any skill. Okay, maybe a little patience, too.

I have never tried this button set idea and came across this searching for a solution. What I am struggling with is it works with the selected state but what I am hoping to do is somehow to have it end up in a visited state vs a selected state so I can lock it down until all buttons are clicked. Any suggestions? 

The built-in visited state seems to be designed for on-slide usage, and isn't always reliable if you are visiting other slides or other paths. I think that is why a lot of us use variables to set buttons to a custom completed state. The built-in functions of the Selected state, on the other hand seem pretty reliable.

Attached is a sample file that illustrates using variables. It doesn't use selected states, or button sets, but will illustrate the use of variables to lock down navigation.

Best solution ever.  I've been using Storyline for years, but never knew this. :-)