How do I stop the slide audio when the student has already visited the page?

[deejayemes]

I want to stop the slide audio when the student has already visited the page. The great demonstration at http://blogs.adobe.com/captivate/2012/05/controlling-audio-with-advanced-actions-and-variables.html

shows how to do it with the audio attached to an object, but in my case the audio is attached to the slide. I’d rather not have to export the audio and then import it to attach it to an object for every page I need this feature.

Here is the example: The student comes to the page and the slide audio plays reading the question. When they hit a “Hint” button, they are brought to another page. They click return and they are brought back to the question page. On their return, I do not want the audio to play again.

Seems simple, but I cannot find a “stop audio” action. (Stop triggered audio is only to “terminate playback of a currently active audio clip, as long as that audio clip was initiated by the Play Audio action.)

[RodWard]

You can only mute the slide audio via an Advanced Action that manipulates the value of the System Variable that controls audio for the entire project.

However, if you attach the audio to an object on the slide then you could potentially HIDE that object on revisiting the slide and thereby prevent the audio from playing.  That's another option.

[Guest]

Hey, Rod.

I tried your solution to no avail.

I added my audio to a smartshape

Created an advanced conditional action using if 1 is equal to 1, then hide (I also added a disable item) the smartshape (that has the audio)

Then I added an execute advanced action as my exit event for the slide and selected the action I created above.

The odd thing is when I go back in to view the new action I created and select the Usage button, it does not show that it is being used anywhere.

I'm stumped!

[RodWard]

I wouldn't do it exactly the way you have chosen.  Using the On Exit event can be unreliable.

I would create a User Variable (e.g. name it var_AudioCheck) that is initially set to 0. 

Have the first Decision Block of the Conditional Action be:

IF var_AudioCheck is equal to 1 HIDE [the Smart Shape that has the audio attached]

Then have your second Decision Block be:

IF var_AudioCheck is equal to 0, Assign var_AudioCheck with 1.

Then execute this Conditional Action using the ON SLIDE ENTER event of that slide.

So what happens here is that the Smart Shape will be allowed to play its audio the first time the slide is visited because the first Decision Block action will see the tracking variable value as 0 and therefore won't HIDE the Smart Shape.  But by the second time the slide gets visited the tracking variable will have already been changed to 1 and then it WILL hide the Smart Shape, thus preventing it from playing audio on the second visit.

[Guest]

Thanks so much Rod, your instructions worked perfectly.

I was originally concerned it would not work because I was already executing an advanced action upon entry for the slide in question. I decided to try to add your instructions to the existing action and...presto!...it worked.

I can see how these advanced actions can really be useful. The hard part is learning all the options that are available.

Thanks again for your assistance. I am sending the project now and all is good in the world (for now).

[Lilybiri]

There is no need to 'export' audio clips to reuse them either in the command Play Audio, or attach them to an object at all. Your audio clips that are presently slide audio are all in the Library. Use find in Library to identify them. Slide audio cannot be controlled, but it is necessary if you need CC. If you don't need CC using one of the two other techniques: 'Play Audio' command or using 'Audio objects' are better suited.

I have another workaround for slide audio, little bit more complicated but I use it often when CC is required by the client: use micronavigation to navigate to a frame just after the end of the audio clip when you visit the slide a second time. That is a third work flow.