working with audio tracks on slide layers

Aug 29, 2013

Nicole Dodds
By Nicole Dodds

I'm a beginner storyline user.

I have a main menu page (with several buttons linking to other slides) that will be revisited several times throughout the course.  I would like a longer audio track to play on first visit and then a shorter audio track to play on subsequent visits to the main menu.  I imagine there are different ways to do this, I tried the following which did not work. 

The base layer has the longer audio track on it.  I created a layer (more or less identical to base) with the shorter audio track. In slide properties for the layer, I clicked 'pause timeline of base layer' and 'resume saved state when revisiting'.  I then set another trigger 'show layer' (with short audio) when the state of any of the buttons has been visited.  My idea here is that none of the buttons will have been clicked on first visit and at least one will have been clicked on revisit.  The layer is not appearing on revisit, it's the base layer each time. 

In another attempt, I created a variable with default value of false and then trigger to change that variable to true when the timeline starts on the base layer. Then created a trigger, show layer (with short audio) when variable changes.  That didn't seem to work either.

I have not previously used any trigger with play, pause or stop media- maybe this is the direction I need to go?  I guess I could 'stop media' when user clicks one of the buttons?

Can someone recommend a solution?  Please and thanks!

17 Replies
Rebecca Fleisch Cordeiro
over 10 years ago08/29/13 at 8:34 am (UTC)

Hi Nicole,

Sounds like you're an advanced beginner maybe?

See if this will work for you...I just tested it on something rough I'd put together, and it worked, but that doesn't necessarily mean it would work in your situation.

So you said, "I have a main menu page (with several buttons linking to other slides) that will be revisited several times throughout the course.  I would like a longer audio track to play on first visit and then a shorter audio track to play on subsequent visits to the main menu."

Here's what I did:

Audio Files

Placed both audio files on the base layer...for the sake of clarifying here, let's call them long and short.

Variable Creation

Created 2 T/F variables and named them long and short

Set the default value for the long variable to false

Set the default value for the short variable to true

Triggers

Set up a number of triggers...they appear in this order in the trigger panel

Play media LONG when the timeline starts (on the base layer) if long = false

Play media SHORT when the timeline starts (on the base layer) if short = false

Set variable long = true when media long completes

Set  variable short = false when media long completes

Seems to be working. I've revisited the main slide from other slides a couple times and the short media is playing.

Please shout out with any questions.

Nicole Dodds
over 10 years ago08/29/13 at 11:33 am (UTC)

Thanks Becky, I really appreciate your feedback.  I've set it up as you've laid it out but I'm still getting the long audio playing on every visit. 

My audio tracks/object triggers are not displaying identically.  When I click the long track in the timeline, I see a little speaker and 'long' appear in the trigger box under object triggers, the trigger is highlighted blue, with several active options available (copy, edit delete etc).

But when I click on the short audio track in the timeline, there is nothing highlighted in the trigger box even though the trigger is there.  For some reason, the trigger is falling under the same speaker icon labeled long.  It says 'set short equal to false when the media completes, there are no active options in the trigger box when I highlight the short audio in the timeline. 

I do have other triggers and variables in action on this slide.  Right now the 'play media long and short' are the 1st and 2nd triggers under slide triggers.  Then the last two triggers are at the end of object triggers after the button triggers to other slides.

Any ideas?  This is happening when I preview the scene.

Nicole Dodds
over 10 years ago08/29/13 at 3:00 pm (UTC)

I think I figured out another way?  Seems to be working. 

Variable Creation

Created T/F variable named long

Set the default value for the long variable to false

Then the slide triggers:

Play media short when the timeline starts if long is equal to true.

Stop media long when long (variable) changes.  (not sure if this is redundant?)

Object trigger:

Set long (variable) equal to true when the long media completes.

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