Don't want slide to advance after viewing embedded video

[graced12857907]

I have several slides that contain embedded videos. I've set up the logic so that the video is hidden when the user enters the slide because there is often text or graphics that explain a concept. The learner is asked to click to view the video. I want the use to use the next button to move to the next slide because they may want to think about what they've seen in the video before continuing. In at least one slide, there are two videos; so I want flow to pause after the first video selected ends so the user has a chance to select the second one.

I'm using Captivate 10. No matter what I've tried, such as inserting buttons to pause flow before it reaches the end of the slide, flow advances as soon as the video ends. What can I do to make Captivate wait? I want the learner to decide when to move on.

I should mention that the course was originally created using Captivate 7. In the original version of the course, I linked to an external html file to display the video instead of using embedded video, I thought it would be cleaner if the video appeared in place instead of in a different window, now that I'm updating the course.

[Lilybiri · Accepted solution]

Since you talk about two videos on one slide, I suspect that you inserted the video as event video, not as multisynchronized video. In that case the video has its own control panel and plays totally independent. No way to control it with Captivate buttons. If you want such control you need to insert as multisynchronized video, which also means you cannot have two videos on the same slide.

Have a look at:

Pausing Captivate's Timeline - Captivate blog

[graced12857907]

Thank you for your reply.

You're right, I've inserted all videos as event videos to be viewed only on the slides to which they've been added. I'm not trying to control the video with Captivate buttons - except for starting the videos. The videos are hidden when you enter the slide. I use Captivate interactions to show the videos - and they're set to play automatically when they become visible. The issue I have is that, when the video stops playing, flow goes automatically to the next slide in the flowline.

I'll check the blog posting you suggested to see if there's anything I haven't tried yet.

[Lilybiri]

Why do you not simply insert a click box on the slide? Make sure it ends at the end of the timeline. Its duration is not important, because the video plays independently.

[graced12857907]

There is already a click box on the slide. I use click boxes over a Next button on all the slides. It seems as clicking on an interactive object to show the video overrides this pause.

I think I've solved the issue with the slides that have a single video. In the interactive objects that show the hidden videos, the option "Continue Playing the Project" was selected by default. When I unchecked that option, flow did not proceed to the next slide. That meant I could replay the video if I wanted; and then proceed by clicking on the next button.

On the slide with two videos, I don't see the option to "Continue Playing the Project"; probably because I'm using an advanced action on that slide since I want Captivate to execute two actions when I click the interactive object on the video: hide the other video and show the one that's been selected. I've tried to stop flow on this slide by using two transparent buttons located off-screen whose pause functions are staggered. The idea is that clicking on one video will get past the pause in the first button, and flow stops at the second. Unfortunately, this strategy isn't working.

I'm going to try adding a pause to the advanced actions I use to show the videos. I hope that the pause affects only the timeline - not the video playback. I'll let you know what happens.

[Lilybiri]

Why use two objects when a shape button can be fillled with an image and text?

Please, it looks like you have issues with understanding the timeline and pausing vs pausing points.

Can you post a screenshot of the timeline of that slide.

I already offered you a link to one of the most important blog posts I ever wrote, but from your answer I detect that you didn't read it. Maybe I'm wrong.

[graced12857907]

I assume you're talking about the click box over a Next button image. That's a holdover from a template created with an earlier version of Captivate. I joined the project after the template had been designed so I'm not sure about the reasons for some of the decisions. I think earlier versions of Captivate (Captivate 7) didn't support button states. So, to show an over state for the buttons, they were created in Flash; then the interactive part with the appropriate action was performed by a click box on top of the .swf button.

We're redesigning the interface now to use Smart Objects in the way you describe, but we still have more than a hundred courses that use the old interface and that must continue to use the old interface so that courses within a program of study all use the same look and feel. I'm updating a selected group of courses that will retain the old interface for now, since the new design is still under development.

I did read your blog post. I'm still trying to digest what I learned and figure out how to apply it to the issue I have. I find that, if I have new information that needs some experimentation for me to fully understand it, it's best if I play with the information for a while, then go on to work on something that doesn't need any problem solving to take my mind off things. When I get back to experimenting, new ideas come up.

After reading your blog post, I took a closer look at the settings on my interactive objects and that's when I noticed the "Continue Playing the Project" option. That solved the problem for most of the slides that contain video. So, thank you.

[Lilybiri]

Here is another warning: since a couple of versions I would not recommend at all to use templates (cptl-files), especially if they were created in former versions. They cause a lot of issues.

That blog post is the 4 th  in a sequence of 5. The option 'Continue playing the project' appeared with version 9 if my memory is correct. Mutlistate objects appeared certainly with CP9.

[graced12857907]

Thank you for the warnings.

I wondered about the stability of .cptl files and attempted to reset ours by copying slides from a course into a blank file to create a new template. The main value to us of using a template is to have consistency in certain screens that are repeated within lessons and across courses. At least, that's the theory.

I planned to read the other blogs in the series to fill in gaps in understanding.

When we adopted Captivate 9, our focus was on completing the courses to meet a deadline, so we didn't have an opportunity to explore what was new - or to consider how we might benefit from it. Now that we've moved up to Captivate 10, we're taking time to learn more about how Captivate has changed.

[Lilybiri]

Do you know about the power of themes? Consistency in design is achieved with a custom theme and that is much less risky than the templates. Personally I almost never use a template.  Here is another link:

What's in a Theme - a Template? - Captivate blog

I know that most training you'll find on the web never even mentions themes and their meaning. Based on my experience as consultant and trainer (and my presence on this forum and social media) I summarized what I feel to be the biggest stumbling blocks for all CP-users, and most of it doesn't even appear in a training program:

Challenges for Starters - Captivate blog

[graced12857907]

I re-read your blog entry. The discussion on Pause points clearly expressed some ideas about the behaviour of interactive objects in Captivate that I've developed  over time. Specifically, interactive objects wait for user input but they can be released by executing simple actions. The same happens with Advanced actions because the advanced actions I've been using are just collections of simple actions.

I was able to solve the issue I've been having with the automatic advancing when there are two videos by adding a Pause to the end of the advanced actions used in the interactive objects that show the videos.

Thank you for your help.

Grace