How to create Help popup screens

Report · Nov 30, 2016

Hi

Could someone advise me on the best way to create a help screen that has the instructions how to use the elearning e.g. Forward/back buttons etc. At the bottom of each of my slides I have the following buttons:

Help CC Exit

Which allows the user to click on the Help button to open up the instructions. Then on the instruction page is a close button (in the background the project is paused)

Hope that makes sense

Thanks

Report · Nov 30, 2016

On the first slide where you need that help popup, you can create a shape or a text caption with the necessary text. If you need also images create them as well, and group everything in one group. Time that group (or text container) for the rest of the project. Make it hidden in output, either by default or (better) using the On Enter event of that slide.

I would opt not to use a close button, but to use a hyperlink for closing the group, because that can be one big X character in the same text container. Have a look at:

More is in a...hyperlink - Close button - Captivate blog

The Help button now has only to 'Show' that group eventually pause the slide (I don't know if you already took care of that). The hyperlink can trigger another advanced action to hide the group and have the slide Resume. Since the popup is one group, timed for the rest of the project it has always the same ID.

You didn't tell anything about the setup of the Help, CC and Exit buttons: you can use shape buttons on the main master slide for that purpose, will be the easiest way.

Report · Dec 01, 2016

my Help button is in my master slide as it appears on every slide in my project. So would this be setup in the same way?

Report · Dec 01, 2016

You can have the Help button on the master slide, but not the Help group. Reason is that objects on the master slide cannot have a name, an ID. For the advanced action, you need to have ID's for the objects. Objects are in this case the group that has to be show/hidden by the Help button and by the close hyperlink (or button if you prefer a button). You can time the Help group for the rest of the project. That way it will be available on all slides, and have unique names. Beware: if you opt for a Close button instead of the hyperlink, it has to be a shape button. Other interactive objects cannot be timed for the rest of the project. But you probably know that, since you have a Help shape button on the master slide.