Button interactive pdf works only once

[BBX1]

Hi All,

I made an interactive pdf, using the buttons and forms tool in Indesign. The first time I click in the pdf on the button, the text that I want to pop up, pops up. However, the second time, the button seems to be dissapeared and makes it impossible the see the text again. 

Does anyone know how to solve this?

I'm using Adobe Indesign CC2019.

Thanks in advance,

[BobLevine]

Not without more information. How are you hiding the text after it pops up. What are the show / hide settings for both?

Finally, and most importantly, how are you viewing this PDF? Beyond Acrobat or Reader on a desktop this is nothing but a crapshoot. Even there, it can still be wonky.

[BBX1]

- I'm viewing the PDF in Adobe Acrobat

when clicking on the button a text box appears. Settings:

- Type: button

- Event: on Click

- Action: show/hide buttons and forms

- Visibility: (everything is on show)

- Appearance: (everything is on show)

Settings of the text box that appears:

- Type: button

- Event: On Click

- No actions

- Appearance: everything is on show

- Hidden Until Triggered

To hide this text box, I added an extra button (with a cross). Settings:

- Type: Button

- Event: On Click

- Actions: Show/Hide buttons and forms

- Visibility: everything on don't show

- Appearance: everything off

- Hidden Until Triggered

With this information, do you understand why it only works once? Hope to hear from you. Thanks in advance,

[BobLevine]

Change the buttons to "on tap or release"

[BBX1]

I changed the buttons to On Realse or tap. However, it still does only works once in the pdf...

[BobLevine]

Well, as I said, it's wonky as hell and something I would never even consider using. I wrote this years ago: https://www.boblevine.us/its-okay-to-say-no-to-interactive-pdf/

It's only gotten worse.

[veronicac85563250]

This is really annoying and doesn't only happen on interactive pdf but also in digital publishing.  The only way I have found around this in digital publishing is as follows, maybe it will work on your pdf too.  It seems to happen when the pop up element covers the original button.  If it does, it seems to disable the button.  

1. Make your pop up element, add relevant animations.

2. Make the graphic for your button, place in a layer below the pop up element

3. Make an empty rectangle frame using the rectangle frame tool and place that in a layer that is above the layer containing the pop up element (so that effectively this rectangle frame is always "in front" of everything).

4. Make this empty rectangle the actual button, with the events.  Place it over your button graphic so that the empty rectangle is the "sphere of influence" for your button.

There is a drawback though.  The button continues active over the pop up element, so if you have something like rollover, and people run their mouse over it, it will activate all the button animations again... so if possible arrange your stuff away from the button or use click events rather than rollover.

I wish they would fix it, it's so bugged out.

[jaimiee79031690]

Thank you for this! You saved me so much trouble

[jaimiee79031690 · Accepted solution]

I don't think I can delete or edit a post, so I'll just add this here:

I've found that, if you put all of your button graphics on a separate layer ABOVE. all of the other layers, it resolves this issue (for me, at least). No need to add an invisible box.

As far as the button activating over the pop up element, you can add a "show/hide buttons and forms" action and hide the initial button (the cross over the eye icon) and then have it show your close button (the visible eye icon). That way, when your text box animates and pops up, it will deactivate that initial button so you can't click on it, and activate the close button. Hope that makes sense!

Do the reverse of this for the close button (so hide the close button and show the initial button).

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Hi,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing the solution that worked for you. I am sure it will help other community members. For anyone else, who needs information on adding interactivity to buttons, please check this article. 

Thanks

Rishabh