How to manage timeline with more than one "Open URL or File" button on a slide

Question

Hello. I have received a lot of help on this forum and just wanted to say I appreciate everyone who has chimed in, whether to me or anyone else facing struggles with Captivate. So thanks in advance!

My current situation involves placing more than one button (two, actually) on a slide, and restricting forward movement to the next slide until both buttons have been clicked on and viewed (in a new browser tab). The slide will have audio. While not ideal, if necessary, I can delay the placement of the buttons until the audio is complete.

I'd prefer the user to:

1. open the first link by pressing the button with the action to "Open the URL or File", which should load a pdf into a new browser window:

2. view the pdf in a browser window:

3. then close the browser tab that it opened,

4. and then the user clicks the second button to open the second link, just as above,

5. and then close it's browser tab -- which will then present/enable the "Play" icon in the playbar, to enable the user to advance in the course.
I'm of course using the "Open URL or File" action for each button, and while I have the full pathname to the targeted PDFs, I can also just download them and store them locally if referring to them with the full pathname presents issues.

I assume I'll need to create a shape with a "Pause" action somewhere on the slide.

I'm sure there are a few ways to accomplish this, I've experimented with different techniques but just can't seem to nail it down. I'm not averse to creating custom scripts as well. Any ideas? Thanks again!!!

Lilybiri · Answer

You don't need an extra button at all, since both buttons can have a pausing point, probably at the same frame.

You just have to prevent that the playhead is released when the command 'Open...' is done. For the Forced view you'll need shared or advanced actions for those buttons, so this is done automatically since the playhead is not released when using such an action.

Create two user variables v_1and v_2 with a default value of 0. You can use them as Booleans, which means that they'll be toggled to 1 when the button is clicked. You probably set up the URL or file to open in a new window as required. Create the Play button (Bt_Play) and use the On Enter action of the slide to Hide that button. Its pausing point may be at the same frame as the other buttons or bit later.

For the button actions, I propose this two-decision action:

First decision 'Always' is non conditional

Assign v_1 with 1 for the second button this will be v_2

Open ....

Second decision 'Checkit'

IF v_1 is equal to 1 AND

v_2 is equal to 1

Delay Next actions by 1sec

Show Bt_Play

The Delay command may be unnecessary but it prevents the learner to see the Play button immediately when both Open buttons have been clicked. It will be there when they close the second browser tab.

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