How can I prevent Captivate from advancing to the next slide after the audio has finished playing and I click on a click box to show/hide text box?

[AJMerritt4]

I currently have a slide that plays audio.  While the use is listening to the narration I can click on three different click boxes with advanced actions set to open and close text boxes I want the user to read.  When the narration finishes playing and I go to click any of the click boxes to read a text box it advances to the next slide.  I understand I may have to replace the click box with smart buttons but I do not know how to stop the advancement to the next slide.  I already have a next button that is set to pause until the user clicks.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I am on a tight deadline.

[Lilybiri]

A simple action will release the playhead. I suspect that is your problem. Have a look at this blog post:

Why choose Standard over Simple action? - Captivate blog

Replacing the simple action by a standard or a shared action (if you use CP7 or  8) you can solve your problem.

This has nothing to do with replacing click boxes by any other interactive object, that behavior is common to every object that can trigger an action. I don't know where you heard that wrong information?

[AJMerritt4]

Hi Lilybiri,

I am using the following Advanced Action on one of the click box.  This allows me to hide and show the text box as many times as I want while the timeline advances and plays narration for 16 seconds.  After the slides reaches the end of the time line and the audio stops I want to click the click box to hide or show the text box but it advances to the next slide.  I do not want it to advance to the next slide until I click my next button.  I am using Assign cpCmndGotoFrameAndResume because I want the narration to continue while I am clicking on the click box.  If I use cpComndGotoFrame it will stop the audio I don't want that to happen either.  What should I be adding to the Advanced Actions?

IF

v_visibbox1 is equal to 1

Actions

Hide box1

Expression v_visibbox1=1-v_visibbox1

Assign cpCmndGotoFrameAndResume with cpInfoCurrentFrame

Else

Show box1

Expression v_visibbox1=1-v_visibbox1

Assign cpCmndGotoFrameAndResume with cpInfoCurrentFrame

Thank you,

Alan

[Lilybiri]

Can you show a screenshot of the timeline? The playhead will not reach the end of the timeline, that is a common misunderstanding, it will stop at the pausing point of the click box. Even if the audio clip is longer, that doesn't matter, it will continue playing once it started. Only a real pausing button can pause the audio.

Which version? I recognize that action (lot of examples on my blog), but now I would use Toggle instead of the Expression, unless you are still on CP6. And if you are on 7 or 8, use a shared action.

[AJMerritt4]

Hello Lilybiri,

Again, thank you for assisting me with this issue.  Below is a copy of my timeline.  You will see that I have a pause on one of the click box that does not go to the end of the timeline because I am using a TOC widget that requires a pause before it reaches the end of the timeline.  Based off the Advanced Actions I sent above everything works the way I need it to except once the audio finish playing I do not want any of the click boxes to move to the next slide until I hit my Next button.  I want to be able to click the 3 click boxes as many times as I want without it advancing to the next slide.

[RodWard]

As Lilybiri has tried to explain to you, that click box you have that terminates BEFORE the end of the timeline will only be good for ONE click, UNLESS you have changed its default single action into a Standard or Conditional Action.  Otherwise, once the timeline has reached the pause point of that clickbox, a click on ANY object on that slide will unpause the timeline and allow it to continue to the end.  So if you want to have total control over that timeline, you really need to change ALL of the interactive objects over to Standard or Conditional Advanced Actions and allow them Infinite Attempts.

[AJMerritt4]

RodWard, I do appreciate you putting in your input but as I stated earlier in this post I am using Conditional Advanced Actions as I sent to Lilybiri in my earlier post. The click box in question is not the one on the timeline that terminates before the timeline.  I understand that once the timeline reaches that pause point all clickable objects will unpause the timeline.  The question is how do I make my 3 clickable objects (not the one with the pause in the timeline) continue to work and not go to the next slide?  I need the pause on the timeline where it is for my TOC widget to work correctly.  I sent Lilybiri my Advanced Actions in the post above.  Is there some thing I can add to my Advanced Actions that will allow me to keep clicking my 3 check boxes once the timeline reaches the end of the timeline only allowing the slide to move to the next slide when my Next button is pressed?

The Advanced Action I have in place (see above) allows me to click my 3 check boxes while the audio is still playing for 16 seconds.  It allows me to click as many times I want until it reaches, as you said, the pause in the timeline.

[Lilybiri]

You posted the timeline when I was sleeping. Do you never group objects - would make it much easier to read this timeline! Maybe you also don't know that you can insert an image in a shape that can act as a button, would reduce the number of objects a lot. Turn an Image into a Button - Captivate blog

I know this is Off topic, but I cannot escape my teacher/training intuition.

You need to have a pause on EACH click box, not only on the one that advances to the next slides.  Be sure to set the pause for  the click box (or shape button) that has the action 'Go to Next Slide' to be later than the other click boxes that show images. Do you want to be able to click each one several times (don't think so, because you don't hide any images) ?

[AJMerritt4]

Hello Lilybiri,

Thank you for your suggestions, I was planning on grouping a lot of the sections after I got this issue resolved.  I also changed one of my images into a button per your suggestion and put a pause on it.  I moved the pause for the Next button to be after the click (now button) icon.  Below I have the link that shows exactly what I am trying to do.  You will see 3 question mark icons.  The first one is the one I changed the image to a button the other two are still in a click box state (just so you can see how I had it setup originally).  Now as the audio plays you can click all three question mark icons and they will show and hide the text box for each.  When the audio stops playing and I click on the first question mark icon (using your suggestion above) the question mark icon disappears when I click on it and doesn't allow me to go any further with that icon.  The last two question mark icons as you can see when clicked advances to the next slide.  I do want to be able to click the three question marks after the audio stops because the user is going to want to be able to read the answer to each question on the slide by clicking the question mark icons at the end.  They cannot do that if when clicked the slide goes to the next slide.  When you look at the demo (see link below) and you click on the 3 question mark icons while the audio is playing on and off I want to continue that same ability when the audio stops.

Slide Demo

[TLCMediaDesign]

What is the purpose of "Assign cpCmndGotoFrameAndResume with cpInfoCurrentFrame" in your advanced actions? In effect that just releases the playhead every time.

If you click on the Closed Caption button, it releases the playhead and your pause button never works again either.

[AJMerritt4]

TLCMediaDesign the purpose of assigning cpCmndGotoFrameAndResume with cpInfoCurrentFrame is to prevent the stopping of the audio during playback when any of the icons are pressed as many times as I want.  If the assignment was set to cpCmndGotoFrame, when any of the icons are pressed the audio stops.

[TLCMediaDesign]

Why would clicking a button to show or hide pause the project and audio?

[AJMerritt4]

Based off how I need my page to work I was able to find information from great experts like Lilybiri and others.  I have used their suggestions to allow me to get to this point.  The Advanced Actions above allows me to do what I need to a certain point.  Feel free to recreate what I have done using the same Advanced Actions and replacing the cpCmndGoToFrameandResume with cpCmndGoToFrame and you will see that when my icon is pressed it will stop the audio because the assignment does not let you the continue of the an audio file without have the cpCmndGoToFrameandResume in place.  Anyway I appreciate you asking because we are all trying to learn so let's wait and see what Lilybiri recommends with regards to my Advanced Actions.

[Lilybiri · Accepted solution]

I created quickly an example file, just having a slide with three shape buttons that act as toggles, and a next button. The first three buttons pause at exactly the same time, and the Next button later.

Since it is slide audio, clicking the buttons will not pause the audio at all (common misunderstanding). I created a shared action, with the object to be shown and the variable (mine are labeled v_one instead of v_visib) as parameters:

StarOne is what you want to show/hide. You can click infinite times on each button to show/hide that item. It will not bother the audio, once it started playing it will continue. When audio is over, you can still continue to click. Only a click on the Next button will advance to the next slide. This is my Timeline

No need to rewind the playhead in this case at all.

[AJMerritt4]

Hi Lilybiri,

Thank you so much, that did it.  I am learning so much from you.  Thanks for being patient with me and teaching me and others on the use of Captivate.  You are the best and I am sure I will be in touch again in the future.

Sincerely,

Alan