I am producing 4 lengthy modules that include software simulations (i.e., LOTS of slides in the modules). Next buttons are set to appear when narration for each slide ends. My SME just requested that learners be allowed to navigate freely after completing the course. I figured that would be easy...add a variable to the last slide entry (varModuleComplete), and then show the header with the TOC button if varModuleComplete=true. Unfortunately, Show and Hide doesn't work for the header and footer.It looks like my options are this:Show/hide TOC based on varModuleComplete status (Downside: I don't have TOC button on the playbar, so if learner closes TOC, they can't just open it again.)Have 2 button blocks at the bottom of each slide--one with next buttons showing at the beginning of the slide, and the other with next buttons delayed to the end of the slide, then show/hide both based on varModuleComplete.Is there any way to accomplish what I'm trying to do? Either solution is a lot to add to each slide individually!Captivate team: The headers and footers are not yet useful in 12.6. They really need more flexibility!

Participant

Question

Show/hide header and footer based on completion variable

Forum|Forum|5 months ago
August 25, 2025
2 replies
192 views

I am producing 4 lengthy modules that include software simulations (i.e., LOTS of slides in the modules). Next buttons are set to appear when narration for each slide ends. My SME just requested that learners be allowed to navigate freely after completing the course. I figured that would be easy...add a variable to the last slide entry (varModuleComplete), and then show the header with the TOC button if varModuleComplete=true. Unfortunately, Show and Hide doesn't work for the header and footer.

It looks like my options are this:

Show/hide TOC based on varModuleComplete status (Downside: I don't have TOC button on the playbar, so if learner closes TOC, they can't just open it again.)
Have 2 button blocks at the bottom of each slide--one with next buttons showing at the beginning of the slide, and the other with next buttons delayed to the end of the slide, then show/hide both based on varModuleComplete.

Is there any way to accomplish what I'm trying to do? Either solution is a lot to add to each slide individually!

Captivate team: The headers and footers are not yet useful in 12.6. They really need more flexibility!

christophet11731756

Inspiring

Hello Mary,

I had this kind of remark or specific demand from SME for several elearning programm.

Indeed, that"s make sens!

Even if in Adobe Captivate, it's not very very easy 😁

Maybe, try to add a variable "number" one for example VAR_COMPLETE initial 0 turn to 1 when your course is complete.
And for each slide, add a conditionnal action: If VAR_COMPLETE=1 SHOW NEXT either HIDE NEXT button.

Feel free to contact here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophe-tillier-24bba489/

Best regards,

Christophe Tillier

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mary_9759Author

Participant

Thanks Christophe, that's what I'm doing with the boolean varModuleComplete. The problem is that I have to add individual buttons slide-by-slide AND add the Slide-Enter interaction with the variable condition + Hide - and- Show actions slide-by-slide to more than 200 slides. It's ridiculous for common functionality to be this difficult.

RodWard

Community Expert

The basic issue here is that Adobe decided NOT to have reusable Advanced Actions in the new Captivate 12+ design.

These reusable actions were one of the most powerful features of Classic Captivate and they made it possible to do what you are now finding impossible (or at least hugely inconvenient).

Feel free to log enhancement requests if you wish. However, my personal experience with the team behind Captivate at Adobe is that even if they listen to the user base, what they include in each release is usually NOT what the users wanted.

To be perfectly candid: The decisions that drive the development roadmap (even during the later years of Captivate 2019) seem to be more closely related to what the marketing department feel will sound cool and compelling. It's only when people actually try to use the app to do what it claims to be focused on (creating engaging elearning) that the flaws become evident. But by that time they have usually purchased the subscription licence....so Marketing would count that as a win.

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mary_9759Author

Participant

Also, I'm realizing that because so many of my slides are simulation, I can't even add buttons that show when varModuleComplete=true. You can't copy and paste objects from/to simulation slides, and adding and programming 3 buttons 1 slide at a time just isn't even reasonable. So frustrating. Having the ability to unlock navigation for course review is such a common ask, and so easy to do in other platforms (including old Captivate). And copying and pasting objects on simulation slides just doesn't seem like a big ask. Why did you leave so much basic functionality out of new Captivate, Adobe??

Looks like

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mary_9759Author

Participant

ALSO, I'm finding that I can copy a slide interaction from one slide (Slide Enter: On Condition 1, if varModuleComplete=true, Show [...], Hide [...]), but I can't paste it onto another slide unless that slide already has at least one Slide interaction. WTH Adobe? Why is simple functionality so stinking difficult?

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