Not sure if this is possible

Hi, Billi,

I'll expand on what Michael said. If you want to control states across multiple slides, you will need variables to track the settings. 

• For binary settings (e.g., On or Off), it's easiest to use a T/F variable. 
  • If the clicking will always switch between T or F, the triggers can just toggle the variable.

• • If the user could click two objects that should both result in the same setting (e.g., they click an "Open" button on one slide, and then click it again or click another "Open" button on the next slide), then the triggers need to set the specific option.

• For settings with multiple options, you could use a number variable, with each number corresponding to a specific option. Or use a text variable with values that indicate the option (e.g., phase_A, phase_B, phase_C).

To actually do something with those variables, you'll need multiple triggers to accommodate different actions based on all possible combinations of the associated variable values. 

The most common mistakes for this type of programming:

• Wrong conjunctions between multiple conditions in a trigger. Keep in mind that when conditions are connected by "and," the trigger will only run when all conditions are met. When conditions are connected by "or," the trigger will run when any condition is met.
• Triggers in the wrong order. Especially when there are lots (and lots) of triggers, you have to be very careful with trigger order. Triggers run in order. The most common mistake is to have a jump-to-slide trigger appear before other triggers. But Storyline can't run triggers after it leaves the slide where those triggers are. 
• The "when" doesn't happen on the slide with the trigger. If a variable changes on slide 1, a when-variable-changes trigger won't work on slide 2, because slide 2 doesn't "see" the variable change. Instead, you'd need triggers on slide 2 that would run when the timeline starts and with a condition that checks the value of the variable.

Bottom line: What you want to accomplish is doable. It's also complicated, so plan ahead and program carefully.