Cannot get buttons to work for interactive ePub

Question

Hi,I am using the latest version of InDesign CC 2017. I am attempting to create an interactive ePub. I have followed instructions on two different tutorials, to no avail. What I am trying to do is have a button enable a box of text to appear. In the first attempt I viewed, the instructor had you make the text box a button and use the view/hide button action (or something like that wording-wise). Not only did the action not work, but the different states of my button didn't work in preview mode. All I did was change their color for hover and click. I thought maybe it was my preview mode so I exported the file as a fixed-layout interactive ePub file and viewed it in Digital Editor. While all of my animations worked, the button still did not work.Today, I watched a second tutorial where the instructor made the text a multistate object, so I tried that. I didn't even mess with hover or click states for the button. Still nothing. In either attempt, I get the hand when I hover over the button in preview mode, but nothing happens when I click it.To create a button, all I am doing is creating an ellipse, making it a color, clicking it and changing it to a button in the buttons and forms panel. The text is made by creating a text box and entering text. Nothing fancy. On my last attempts, I was even just filling it with placeholder text so it wasn't formatted in any special way, etc. I'm so frustrated because I'm following the instructions to the letter. They say go do this and I pause the video and go do it. I know I must be missing something really dumb but I'm at a loss as to what it could be.Final details - Windows 10 machine, all Adobe products are up to date. All help appreciated!

BobLevine · Accepted Answer

I'm actually still not getting anything to work. I do have another file, same problems. I'm considering deleting the program and downloading it again. Following that, I am going to just start the file over, hold off on adding animations and see if I can get the buttons to work first.

Thanks so much for the help so far.

It’s in a OneDrive folder: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AgbhG1cmUkawp6NRI3lcFNxsky7m7g

Barb Binder · Answer

What I am trying to do is have a button enable a box of text to appear.

Try this:

Draw the two frames: one for the text frame and one for the button.

Select the text frame. In Buttons and Forms: Type=Button, Name=AnyNameYouWant and then just set the default state to Hidden until Triggered.

Select the ellipse (Ok, I added a bevel in Object > Effects because it was too plain, but that's an unnecessary step). In Buttons and Forms: Type=Button, Name=AnyNameYouWant, Event=On Release or Tap, Actions: click the plus and select Show/Hide Buttons and Forms from the list. Click in front of the two named buttons until both are showing an eyeball.

Test in the EIP window by clicking the Play button in the bottom left corner to reset the page to the starting state. Ellipse is visible, the text frame is still hidden.

Then, click on the ellipse to show the text.

Then test using Publish Online. If you have any questions, come back and let us know.

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