Go to Slide Last Visited Not Working

[davidk13533572]

I have a main slide with links out to different slides. After they are done on the one of the slides they are to return automatically to the main slide to pick a new one.

Setup:

Main slide (4 click boxes out to to different slides)

Slide A

Slide B

Slide C

Slide D

Slides A-D for on exit I selected Go to slide last visited. That should be the Main slide for each of them.

It works the first time, Click to go to Slide C, it plays and auto returns to Main slide. But the next click, say Slide B, with continue playing to Slide C and then Slide D, without returning to Main Slide.

To be clear, I have tried to use Jump to slide (and target the Main slide as well).

[Lilybiri]

Jump to last visited slide is a command you have to use with a lot of care. I avoid it whenever possible.

But you tell that Jump to Slide is also not functional? That is weird. Do you have an action On Enter for the Main menu slide? Do you have a Quiz in the course?

Which version are you using (Help, About Captivate) and which OS?

[davidk13533572]

I am using the latest version of Captivate for Windows, 11.5.1.

I have No Action on Enter for Main Slide, I did add Pause on Exit just in case, but that seemed to do nothing.

I do not have a quiz in the course.

I know I could have a button to return to a slide, but I would prefer not having to require them to click click click.

[Lilybiri]

Are you using the On Exit event for the Jump to? Sorry, missed it on my first lecture. That is not a good idea, because that event is not to be trusted. In fact the action is executed after the last frame of the present slide, which may be the cause of that possible problem. You also use it for a Pause command... hmmm 

Have a look at this bloog, please:

https://elearning.adobe.com/2018/10/importance-captivates-events/

Since you want only to visit one slide, did you think about using a multistate object on the main slide, instead of 4 extra slides? What has to happen on those slides?

[davidk13533572]

Yes, Using On Exit. 

What is the point of having it if it can't be trusted?

I thought about a multistate object, problem is the layout of the content would overlap where the links would be.

[Lilybiri]

I just told you about my experiences with the On Exit event... Of course you never have to believe me. Just know that I am not the only expert to warn you about that event. 

[davidk13533572]

I don't doubt you, it is just frustrating to learn that.

[mark@headTrix]

hi,

adding a button might not be a bad idea... since then your users could read and learn at their own pace.

But back to your question. Have you named your slide, and used Jump to slide "My Slide name" on exit on EVERY slide? That should surely work. Did you double check and make sure nothing is set to continue?

And how are you testing it? Are you testing within Captivate or testing it in a browser. Sometimes I have noticed I can get different results. The browser preview is the one to go by.

If you still can't solve it... You can share the file and I'd be happy to look at it for you.

cheers,

Mark

[davidk13533572]

I have named each slide and used that for the Jump to Slide, same result.

I have been testing in the browser preview.

Link to file is: https://sanfordprofile-my.sharepoint.com/:u:/g/personal/david_kampmann_profileplan_net/ETDX9cUPSspJo...

[mark@headTrix]

HI David,

Thanks for sharing. Urgh! I feel your pain... I took a look at your file..... and everything looks great. 
Its simple and to the point, but I see its NOT working. I can't figure out why but I have sent your file to Captivate Gold Support team... I will get back to you as soon as I hear back from them.

Feel free to email me at info@headTrix.com so I can easily forward you the fixed file if need be.

cheers,
mark

[davidk13533572]

Appreciate your help!

[Lilybiri]

Please use at least one master slide, to avoid having to put the same content on each slide. Almost everything is the same on all he slides, that common content can be put on one master slide. Use a multistate object to pop up the different (limited) set of objects, or if you want, use Show/Hide and grouping. Audio can be attached to states, or be played with Play audio.  Use the Delay command to return to the Normal state which is invisible because the Alpha and Stroke are set 0. You wouldn not use long slides neither in that case, because audio in state will play independent from the slide timeline.

Unless you need CC of course< Do not start an audio clip on the first frame for slide audio, leave a gap before and after the audio timeline.  

I am unable to preview the project, looks corrupted to me. I opened it in 11.5.1.499 (Windows). You used the Blank theme without any editing. 

[davidk13533572]

Hmm, show and hide might work. I wish the hide was easier. There will be more to the overall file, so can't change the master.

Why do you say leave a gap before and after audio? I have not heard that before.

[Lilybiri]

You can have as many master slides as you want. Once you need almost the same content on 2-3 slides, it is a good idea to create a master slide for it. That is for sure the case here. You didn't even change the project background which is still white.

That gap prevents synchonizing problems, because audio needs to be laoded On Enter for each slide. It also prevents that Captivate thinks it is a project audio, not a clip per slide, and then the whole project audio would be needed to be laoded in the first slide. 

For this example, I would definitely go for multistate object. You'll need only onoe slide int hat case.

[mark@headTrix]

Yes, Multi-state is ANOTHER way to do this.... but then your asking him to start over, and spend more hours recreating what he already has... and then he has to learn about multi-state objects... and how to group them, and how to hide them.... and then he has to learn how to using Advacnced Actions.. and then he has to write all the code to pop-up the group to show it, and maybe add an animated transition, play the audio, then he has to also add a stop all audio so if they click another button so two don't play at the same time. And then he has to test it all over again. Who wants to do all that? Unless its a template he is creating that will be used for 10 other projects... is FINE just as it is. He can also hire a professional narrator too... and he can hire a graphic designer...

But... ..All he wants is to do is solve his current problem... seems like he is content and DONE with his simple project. So he doesn't NEED a master slide..... doesnt seem like he will be coming back to this project and upgrading or adding to it. Seems like he is done.(or wishes he was).. and duplicating the slides worked justt fine for him... it was QUICK and EFFICIENT. And it should be working. He shouldn't have to learn karate, clap twice,  click his heels, or leave a gap for the audio.... what he has ... should work or Adobe should fix the application. 

The file was not corrupt. Opened just fine for me. And I have sent it to Adobe to hopefully figure it out.

[mark@headTrix]

HI David!

so this is extremely bizarre.... but here is the response I received from Adobe Tech Support

"It seems you have used the correct actions.

I request you to change the audio from .WAV file to MP3.

I tried to use the same action with .WAV audio extension and it does not work but it works with MP3 format.

Please reply if it does not work, I will be happy to assist you."

I tried deleting the audio and it DOES work. But it doesnt make sense... I told them... if its the audio then Captivate should NOT allow that audio to be imported! A bit ridiculous... but I hope this helps!

Cheers!
mark

[RodWard · Accepted solution]

You DO NOT need to change the audio file from WAV to MP3 (Captivate always publishes out the audio to MP3 for HTML5 anyway) and you DO NOT need to delete the audio file.  Adobe's support people do not build elearning courses for a living and do not therefore have all the answers.  They work off scripts.

All you have to do to resolve this issue is just to make sure there is at least a 1/10th second gap between each end of the audio files on each slide.  DO NOT put the audio hard up aganst the beginning or the end of the slide timeline.  

I downloaded your CPTX and made this change and it worked fine for me without any other changes when I published to HTML5 and played it from a localhost server.

Try it and see if that works for you.  Just a gap at each end of the audio.

[Lilybiri]

Rod, may get insulted again, but this is the weirdest reply I ever did see in the forums. Moreover posted by an ACP and coming from a 'Adobe Gold team'. This is very confusing for many users.

I already suggested the gaps in a previous answer, and explained why. But something is really awry with that file, I am unable to use Preview with that project at all, suspected something is awry with some objects. That may have been the audio files.

Totally agree with you about not adding MP3s at all but WAV files. You explained the why, have nothing to add to that. I just wonder if this is a Mac thing...? 

[RodWard]

Apologies if you found my reply 'weird' but your mileage differed greatly from my own in this case. Yes, you mentioned about leaving a gap before and after the file, but you didn't suggest that this particular issue could be resolved by doing that.  I downloaded the same file you did, but I didn't find anything corrupted in it at all.  I was able to preview it in HTML5 and observe the playback issue reported by the user.  Most slides did not obey the On Exit event action to return to the first slide. 

I noticed that the audio on all of the slides (except the one that performed as expected) had no gaps at the beginning and end of the slide timeline.  The slide that did have a gap did not exhibit the issue.  Adding that gap at both ends of the audio immediately resolved the issue and the file worked as the user wanted it to.

It's possible that changing the audio file to MP3 (as suggested by the Adobe Support) might also resolve the issue.  But I don't consider that a good suggestion because unless the user understands the need to use high quality MP3 the final audio output could be very easily degraded when Captivate publishes out again.  Starting with uncompressed WAV audio preserves the audio quality and Captivate has always worked that way. 

In my opinion, adding a small gap to the audio files is the simplest solution and gives the best of both worlds; a quick fix without any degradation of audio.

[Lilybiri]

@Rod Why apologies? Miisunderstanding.... I didn't label your answer as being weird, but the answer from the Adobe Gold team. I totally agreed with what you were explaining.

Have no idea why I am not able to use Preview on the downloaded file.  No corruption, since you could do so.

[davidk13533572]

@Lilybiri @RodWard @mark_headTrix

Thank you all for taking the time to help me. I appreciate the passion you all have as well.

I added a small gap at the end of the audio and this corrected the problem.

Thanks as well for the explanations and suggestions. These will be good ideas for future creations.