Triggers, states and variables
Dec 02, 2015
By
Mary Ward
I am trying to build a process view that has 8 different steps. I have set the initial state of each step to 'Hidden'.
I want the user to click on an image called Salesperson to change each of the 8 steps to Normal, in order.
I create the Trigger to Change State of Step 1 to Normal when user clicks on Image Salesperson. (So that reveals step 1)
I then created a 2nd Trigger to Change State of Step 2 to Normal when user clicks on Image Salesperson - added variable Step 1 is equal to Normal.
And so on and so forth. This does not work.
Is it because I am having the user click on a single image salesperson for all of the triggers?
Mary Ward
23 Replies
Hi Mary!
Sounds like that would work if there was a subsequent click on your salesperson, then each would reveal? Is it working like that?
I'm not sure what you mean by 'in order'? Do you not want them all to appear when the sales person is clicked once or am I missing a step? If you want them to appear one at a time, you could put the triggers on the buttons as well.
Step 2 to Normal when Step 1 is clicked, etc.
Hi Mary,
I tried it as you described and ran into the same problem. Try using a number variable. I've attached an example.
Brilliant Cary, was just getting ready to suggest the same thing...
If its brilliant, I'm all for it. I'm not sure how to do that, but I am quick to learn! Thanks!
I didn’t get your attachment. I’ve been trying to figure out how to use a number variable but can’t find anything specific in the forums. If you could give me your example that would be so, helpful!
[cid:image001.png@01D12D12.6E07C800]
Mary Ward
Did you pop in the forums to pull the sample file Mary?
Cary's file opens for me. Are you utilizing Storyline 2?
I also wanted to mention that replying to the forums via e-mail attaches your signature, but you are welcome to pop in and edit if needed.
Fantastic! That's perfect!!!!!!!!!
Hi Brian,
I'm not sure if it is great minds think alike or fools seldom differ. I know for me it is the latter.
Mary, this article should help you with the basics of variables. https://community.articulate.com/series/20/articles/introduction-to-variables
Just for reference, the Normal state does not play nicely when used in conditions.
Had you built your original interaction using a custom state, it probably would have worked.
Hello Walt,
In some situations I would agree with you, however in this situation the problem ended up being that the same button/image needs to be clicked several different times to change the state of various different items on the slide.
To make this work with just one button you have to get a little more sophisticated and go with a good ol variable that increments each time the button is pressed.
Normally, I would agree that variables are the only reliable method.
However, in this case, no.
Take Cary's ForMary.story and on the first slide give each button a NewState. Go through the triggers, and change every Normal to NewState. When you preview it, one click, and they all change state. BUT if you go in and reverse the order of the triggers, it works just as well as the one with variables.
In real life, variables might be a better choice if she has her user leave this slide.
For me seeing would be believing, post a sample if you have one working!
The second slide is the one.
The problem is that if you click 3 times on either slide, leave it and come back, none of the states persist.
When you revisit them, neither slide shows any of the objects because the initial state is hidden.
The difference is that the one without variables will reveal them again, while the one with won't.
I realize that in reality, unless all the clicks bring up layers, she will need the variables to reset her objects when the slide opens.
My point is still that the Normal state is not reliable in conditions. Slide 1 shows objects 1 and 3 when the character is clicked, but if you change the states without reordering the triggers, one click will reveal all 3. The difference is that Normal is not reliable in conditions.
Well done, yes, I hadn't thought about adding the conditions to check what the state was for object 1 before changing the state of object 2, I like the approach.
Thanks for sharing! So many ways to do things in Storyline...
Thanks to all for the help. As I have read through the replies, is it best to create a New State instead of normal for the initial state? Should I use the ForMaryWH.story from Walt or use the ForMary.story from Cary?
Hi, Leslie, like a dummy, I replied via Outlook instead of going to the forum.
Hi Mary, both solutions will get the job done for you. I personally prefer Cary's method and normally lean towards using variables for this kind of thing, but Walt's method works well, as long as you avoid using the "normal" state by creating a new state, as Walt does in his example.
Thank you, Brian for your explanation. I had only opened and previewed Cary's - didn't have a chance to review his method. I need to review both and understand.
It is so amazing to have all you HERO's literally at my beck and call! I so love Articulate!
BTW, The Chicago user's group is having our first meeting Saturday!
Sounds like a lot of fun, wish we had a user group in Dayton, Ohio!
No worries Mary - we all do it and you can always come back to the thread to edit and update if need be. Just a reminder if you do respond via email, you can remove the signature from your email message so that it's not posted here and any attachments or images you include in the email reply also won't be posted to the forum thread.
Mary, It really depends on what you want to happen after the user clicks the character.
If they stay on the same slide and just see new layers, mine will work well. If they go to other slides, use Cary's. I'm like Brian, personally I prefer variables because they give more control and very precise control.
On the other hand, using states may be less work. To create them, click Edit States, New State, Type name, click End editing states, and you are done. Use Format painter to copy the new state to the other objects,. Go through the triggers, click on Normal in each trigger and change it to NewState.
If you are going to use this concept on several different slide in the presentation, you can duplicate the states slide and be OK, but if you duplicate the variables slide, you will have to create new variables.
Truthfully, I created my version more to show why using Normal in a condition is a bad idea.
To Walt:
They do go to other slides, I used Cary's and everything worked great.
......If I'd just stuck to the original 8 steps. But several of the steps had some additional information I wanted the user to view.
So, I made 'game cards' with the additional information. Which meant I had to add an icon to the steps with more info, hot spot the icon to reveal each card.....
The user would have been entirely confused between clicking the Salesperson Character to reveal the step, then clicking the icon for the card, then, oh yea, click the Sales Character again....
That's what happens when you get in your own way. On the good side, I learned many new methods for future use.
Oh, and I agree Normal is not to be trusted.......In Storyline as well as people in general.
Thanks again!
Best thing I've read all day Mary, and I couldn't agree more. :-)
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