Captivate 8 - Media Characters displaying when playing slide, but not published

[reginar96574994]

I have placed characters in my content to display for specific times.  For example, one pointing at one item for period of time and then pointing another way for a period of time.  They are stacked on top of each other, timing is set and they fade in and out. When previewing the ONE slide, they play/display perfectly.  However, when I Preview 'Project' or 'From this Slide' or Publish as a .swf, they do not move.  Only the first character with the earliest time displays for the entire slide length.  I have spent tons of time trying to figure out WHY???  Can you help?

[Lilybiri]

Play Slide is NOT a Preview method, it is only useful for editing, synchronizing. It should not be under the Preview button at all, because it doesn't belong there.

If you don't see what is expected with real Preview methods, something is wrong with the timeline. I suspect a pausing point from an interactive object is preventing the appearance of later objects. Can you post a screenshot of the Timeline, please

[reginar96574994]

Thank you so  much for your quick assistance.  I have spent hours trying to figure this out!  Does this help?

[Lilybiri · Accepted solution]

Indeed, timeline confirms totally what I suspected.

You have two interactive objects: a button  (button_3) and a Text Entry Box, that are both pausing the timeline at 1.5secs.  Any object whose timeline starts later than 1.5 secs will never appear before the button or the TEB have been used and the playhead is released.

What did you want to do with that button and TEB? The TEB timeline is even ending before the appearance of the second character (TOC is the label) at 9secs.

In case you wonder why the slide audio is playing on: once it starts playing, it will continue even when an interactive object gets at its pausing point. Slide audio will only be paused by a real Pause command.

[reginar96574994]

The button is the NEXT button for a user to move to the next slide when ready. I removed the pause after and changed the button to display for rest of slide.  The TEB is a sign the first character is holding and should display for the length of time that she is displaying.

[Lilybiri]

OK, for the Next button, use the Timing panel to move the pausing point towards the end of the slide. I would not remove the pause, because that means that at the end of the slide, the next slide will start immediately and you don't give control to the user. A Next button would then be superfluous. If you do not want the user to click on that Next button before everything has appeared on the slide, or the audio has finished, you have to move its start later.

Do you need a TEB at all if this is only a sign? Why not use a shape or even a text caption? A text entry box will wait for the user to enter text and then execute the Success action (if not validated) or the Failure action (if validated and with wrong answer).

Some more details about the Timeline in this very old article (have to renew it):

Tiny Timeline Tidbits - Captivate blog

[reginar96574994]

Ok.. I got the button fixed and deleted the TEB and you are exactly correct in that it now displays the character in the timing it should!!  THANK YOU! 

I really want the sign to say something, how can I put some text in the sign?

[reginar96574994]

I GOT IT... I changed the TEB to just a text caption.  Boy, I wish I had asked this question on this forum sooner!  Thank you so  much!

[Lilybiri]

Use a shape without a fill (alpha=0) nor a stroke (width=0) and you'll be able to type text. You can even fill a shape with an image of the sign, and use it as text container. It is the most flexible object in Captivate, because it can also become a shape button, that can be used on master slides, question slides, score slide and timed for the rest of the project. That is impossible with any other interactive object. Example: put the Next button on the first slide, time it for the rest of the project, always on top and that unique button will appear on all the slides.

[reginar96574994]

Thank you so much!