Forum Discussion
Using Variables to Disable Next & Returning to a Slide
Hi, I have a slide that is using an interaction with 3 layers. I am disabling the Next button and using variables to reenable it. When the user accesses the slide, I have triggers to set each of the visited variables to false. Then when the user clicks on each of the layers, there is a variable to set the visited variable to true. Then I have 3 triggers that when each of the visited variables are all true, show the Next button. In my screen shots that I've attached you will see the variables I have set on the slide and then a sample of the variable on each of the layers. I have the setting "Automatically Decide" when revisiting the slide. Everything works fine until I use the previous button. When I return to this slide, the next button doesn't appear even if I go through the slide again. However, if I go through the slide for a second time, the Next button does appear. What am I doing wrong?
4 Replies
Hi, Lisa. I use this technique often, and the first thing I noticed from your attachments was that you were setting the "Next" button to "hidden" and the visited value to "false"when the timeline starts. Anyone is welcome to correct me if I'm wrong, of course, but it seems you are adding an unnecessary complication. You could simply set the initial value of the "visited" states to "false" and the state of the "next" button to "hidden" in the states panel so the "Set state" command is not at risk of conflicting with anything else happening when the timeline starts. Otherwise, it appears you may be at risk of cancelling the state changes.
Short version. Try setting the default state of the next button to "hidden" and the default "visited" values to "false" to remove a layer of triggers.
LisaRoberts-691: A “when timeline starts” trigger runs every time the user reaches the slide—even if the Slide Properties are set to “Resume saved state.”
Thus, all of triggers that set the variables to False and the trigger that changes Next to Hidden run when the user revisits the slide.
As EmileHusson said, you don't need any of the triggers to change the variables to False. Simply have False as the default value.
As for the trigger that hides the Next button, add conditions so that it will only run if any of the variables = False. To do that, connect the conditions with "or" (not "and").
For reference: TIP: Controlling the NEXT Button 101 | E-Learning Heroes
BTW, according to the User Guide, this is how Storyline "automatically decides" what to do when revisiting:
- If the slide has only simple objects—text, images, audio, video, etc—but no interactivity, Storyline 360 resets the slide to the beginning of its timeline.
- If the slide contains interactive elements, such as buttons or other objects that have a visited/selected state, Storyline 360 resumes the slide where it left off previously.
Note that the revisiting settings do not directly impact variables. A variable maintains its value until a trigger changes it.
Here's what I recommend for the “When revisiting” setting in Slide Properties:
- Keep "Automatically decide" for graded-question slides. Storyline will know whether to reset the slide (when the user needs to answer the question) or resume it (when reviewing).
- For other slides, change the setting to ensure it does what you want.
Thank you so much EmileHusson and JudyNollet !! I am so sorry but I still can't seem to get it to work. I've attached everything I've changed. Now what's happening is the Next button is disabled when I initially visit the slide but once I view all of the layers, it won't change the state of Next to normal. Thank you again for your help!!!!
Don't worry I figured out my issue. Thanks for your help!!
