Pause, Seekbar, and Next Button Issues with Multi-Layer Slides

Hi everyone,

I’m running into a few interrelated issues on slides with multiple layers in Storyline 360 and could use some guidance:

1. Pause behavior: On slides with multiple layers, when I click the built-in player Pause button, only the base layer pauses. Other layers continue playing. I’ve tried enabling “Pause base layer” on the layers, but that breaks the seekbar.
2. Seekbar resets: On slides where layers are triggered after the base layer starts, the seekbar resets to 0 when a new layer appears, even though I’ve set the base layer timeline to cover the full slide length. I’ve tried multiple approaches, but none of my multi-layer slides maintain a truly continuous seekbar.
3. Next button not enabled: On slides where the Pause behavior and seekbar reset occur, once the slide visually completes, the Next button doesn’t become clickable. It seems like Storyline doesn’t recognize the slide as complete.

I want to achieve the following:

• A continuous seekbar that represents the entire slide timeline regardless of how many layers appear
• The ability for learners to pause all content (base + layers)
• Reliable slide completion so the Next button works as expected

Has anyone successfully implemented multi-layer slides that maintain a continuous seekbar while also allowing pause for all layers? Are there recommended workarounds, best practices, or triggers/variable setups that address these issues?

Thanks in advance for any advice!