Activating the playbar

[lindseyh18742017]

Hi,

We have multiple items that must be clicked on before the user can progress to the next slide.

Usually we use Articulate Storyline and it is (relatively easy) to set up a variable so that the 'next' button is only visible when all the items have been clicked on.

The only way I can see to do this in Captivate is to create custom next buttons.

In theory, what we want to do is turn off the playbar on enter, then once the items have been clicked on, have the playbar to show again. Is this possible?

We are using Captivate 8.

Thanks,

Lindsey

[Lilybiri]

I would prefer custom navigation, but if you want the playbar it can be done as well.

Hide the Playbar with the On Enter event, it is in the dropdown list for simple actions.

If you want all 'hotspots' to remain clickable all the time, and without any imposed sequence, you need to create one user variable (Boolean with default value of 0)  for each hotspot and create a conditional advanced action to be used for each of those click areas. That conditional advanced action will have two decisions:

First decision 'Always'

  IF 1 is equal to 1

     Assign v_one with 1

Second decision 'Check it'

IF v_one is equal to 1   AND

      v_two is equal to 1  AND

    .......  

      v_last is equal to 1

Show Bt_Next

Make sure that all hotspots (shape button, button or click box) has its pausing point at the same moment and before the pausing point of the Next button (see Pausing Captivate's Timeline - Captivate blog )

[laurent_machado]

Hi lindsey

There is a variable in adobe captivate  that can surely help you: cpCmndShowPlaybar. Changes the value value in 1 for show it and 0  hide it, with advanced actions.

[Lilybiri]

It is no longer necessary to change that system variable, there are dedicated commands in the dropdown lists (even for simple actions):

   Show Playbar

   Hide Playbar

The result is the same, just bit easier to understand. Those commands are around since a couple of versions.

It was also not necessary to use an advanced action with the system variable, it was available in the dropdown list for Assign as well.

[laurent_machado]

you're right

[lindseyh18742017]

Thank you.

None work quite as we want so I think we may have to use custom next buttons. All the other threads seem to recommend this, but I think it's bad that you can't use Captivate's own functionality!

[Lilybiri]

Indeed, that ugly border remains when you hide the playbar. That is why I recommended to use custom navigation.

Default playbar (which I rarely use) is also only fine for pure linear projects. Once you have branching it is confusing. Moreover the learner can use the progress bar to scrub quickly through the course, and perhaps land in the middle of a slide. If  you have actions performed On Enter of that slide, they will not be done.

[RodWard]

If you don't want to see the ugly border when you hide the playbar, simply use the Playbar Overlay option in the Skin Editor.

You can turn off borders entirely and the playbar (when it is visible) will be sitting on top of the stage area right at the bottom.  This means you just need to ensure your project size is adjusted to have enough height to accommodate the playbar.

This also means that you have the best of both worlds situation.  When the Captivate playbar is all you need, you leave it visible overlaying the slide at the bottom.  When you need more customizable navigation buttons, you hide the default playbar and place your own buttons there instead.