Object states and the timeline

A simple trigger should work to change the state of the appropriate mascot to Normal when the timeline reaches 20 seconds.

If you're using a trigger like that, but the state isn't changing, there might be an issue with the trigger that resumes the timeline (i.e., the timeline never reaches 20 seconds). 

It's hard to tell without seeing the .story file. I suggest you upload that for troubleshooting. 

Here are the best practices for uploading a .story file:

• Only include slides that are involved in the problem.
• Be sure all objects, layers, motion paths, and variables have meaningful names.
• If there is proprietary content, replace or delete it. For example, replace proprietary text with ipsum lorem text.
• Be sure to clearly describe the following:
  • What you want to happen
  • What is not happening that should happen
  • What is happening that shouldn’t happen
  • What you have tried

The attached file has an edited version of the slide that works like you want it to. Here are the changes:

• Cue points on the timeline provide an easy way to indicate a time in "when timeline reaches" triggers.
  • For example, you can drag a cue point to a different spot on the timeline, but you won't have to edit any trigger that runs when the timeline reaches that cue point. 
  • Here's more info: Using the Timeline in Storyline 360 - E-Learning Heroes (articulate.com)
• The plushy and child pics span the entire timeline. They all have the Initial State of Hidden, so they won't appear until a trigger changes them to Normal.
  • They also have a short entrance animation, so they'll fade in when changed to Normal.) 

 

• A text variable called mascotChoice is used to track what team is chosen. The initial value is blank. Triggers on the "Pick" buttons adjust the variable to a meaningful value. 

 

• At the cue points, triggers change the state of the appropriate plushy and child pics to Normal. This is based on the value of the mascotChoice variable. 
  • Because there are only 2 choices, one If/Else trigger works to show the appropriate pic. If there were more options, there would have to be a separate trigger for each potential condition. 

Judy, of course, gave you the solution, but for anybody that reads this, perhaps I can shed a little light on why it didn’t work for you originally.

You said,

What should happen is at the eight-second point the slide pauses, and the learner clicks “Pick sodium” and the trigger changes the state of “Water plush” to hidden and resumes the timeline.  At 20 seconds the sodium plush should be shown since that’s where it first enters the stage on the timeline.

What’s actually happening is the water plush isn’t changing state and appears at the 20 second point (it’s overtop of the sodium plush).

When an object appears later on the timeline, it isn’t non-existent, as most people assume. It is present, but in a temporary hidden state. The appearance point on the timeline has a built-in trigger to change the state to Normal. So your trigger to change “water plush” to the hidden state has no effect. Then when the timeline reaches 20 seconds, it changes “water plush” from Hidden to Normal, as it is designed to do.

I’ve tried having both plushies initial state as hidden and using the team selection to change the appropriate ones state to normal, but that makes it appear immediately instead of at the 20 second point where is starts on the timeline.

That also means you can’t change the state of an object, and expect it to stay hidden until the timeline shows it, and have it show up in that state. When your trigger changes its state, it leaves the Hidden state and assumes the new state immediately.