Adding Input Boxes

If you want the user to enter text at a certain frame in the movie, you can accomplish this by adding an input box. You can then enter the exact content that you want the user to type. You can also format the text, as well as specify feedback and actions based on the user's input.

How to Add an Input Box

1. Open the frame.
2. Do one of the following, depending on the part of the user interface you are using:

   • Ribbon Select Home> Objects > Interactive > Input Box.

   • Local Toolbar In the local toolbar of the Frame Editor, select Objects > Interactive > Input Box.

   The cursor changes to small crosshairs.

3. Click and drag to draw a rectangle in the frame where you want the input box to be displayed.
4. Double-click the input box. The Object Properties window pane opens.
5. Expand the Input Box section.

6. In the Start Text field, enter the text that will display in the box as soon as it appears in the frame.

   Note If you enter start text, the user will need to delete it before typing an entry.

7. In the Attempts Allowed field, use the arrows to set the number of attempts the user has to type the correct text.

   OR

   Select Infinite Attempts to give the user unlimited attempts to correctly enter the text.

8. In the Correct Entries area, click to add an entry field, then enter the correct entry option that you want to user to type in the input box. Continue adding text entry fields until you have entered all of the possible correct entry options.

   Note The user only needs to type one of the correct entries correctly in the output to continue.

9. (Optional) To remove a correct entry option, click .
10. Expand the Action section.

11. Click Add Action.

    A set of two fields, Event and Action, appear.

12. From the Event drop-down, select one of the following:

    • Click The object changes when the user clicks the object.
    • DoubleClick The object changes when the user double-clicks the object.
    • MouseEnter The object changes when the user moves the mouse over the object.
    • MouseLeave The object changes when the user moves the mouse off of the object.
    • MouseUp The object changes when the user clicks, and then releases, the mouse button. This lets you create a "pressed" effect that changes back to the default settings when the mouse button is released.
    • Success The object changes when an input box has been answered correctly.
    • Failed Attempt The object changes when an input box has been answered incorrectly but the user is still within the allowed number of failed attempts.
    • Failure The object changes when an input box has been answered incorrectly the max number of times allowed.

13. In the Action area, select an action to perform after the user types input and presses ENTER. You can select any of the following actions.

    • Play Action Object Select this option to play an action object when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click). When you select this option, the Shape field appears beneath the Action field. Select the object that will appear when the event occurs (e.g., when the correct entry is entered into an input box, a feedback bubble will display.).
    • Set Visual State Select this option to change the object's look (or another object's look) when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click). When you select this option, the Shape and Visual State fields appear beneath the Action field. First select a shape (or choose the current object), then select the visual state that should be applied to the object when the event occurs (e.g., when the button is clicked, a red arrow will change to green, indicating the action was performed ).
    • Pause/Resume Movie Select this option to pause the movie when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click). When the user clicks the button or other object again, the movie will continue.
    • Accept Input Select this option to accept the user's input. Let's say you add an input box to a frame. After users complete the input box, they can usually simply press ENTER on the keyboard. However, if you want users to click say, a button, when they are finished with the input, you can create a button and apply this action to it. After users finish typing the input, they can click that button to submit the input (instead of pressing ENTER on the keyboard).
    • Open URL Select this option to open a remote file (such as a website) when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click). When you select this option, the URL field appears at the bottom of the tab. Enter the full URL in this field. With this option, the website or other file will open in the viewer used for displaying the movie.
    • Open URL in New Window Select this option to open a remote file (such as a website) when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click). When you select this option, the URL field appears at the bottom of the tab. Enter the full URL in this field. With this option, the website or other file will open in the default application for the file type (e.g., HTM files open in Internet Explorer, DOC files open in Microsoft Word).
    • Go to Frame Select this option to open a specific frame in the movie when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click). When you select this option, the Frame field appears beneath the Action field. Enter the number or name of the destination frame in this field. (The name of the frame is identified above it in the Frames window pane. You can change the name in the Frame Properties window pane.)
    • Go to Next Frame Select this option to open the next frame in the movie when the user clicks the button or other object.
    • Go to Previous Frame Select this option to open the previous frame in the movie when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click).
    • Go to First Frame Select this option to open the first frame in the movie when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click).

    • Go to Section Select this option to open a specific movie in the collection when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click). When you select this option, the Section field appears beneath the Action field. Select the name of the destination movie from the drop-down list in this field. This option assumes you have created a collection and added multiple movies to it.

      Note If you are linking to a movie that has a name with a number only, Mimic considers that number to be the movie's position in the collection sequence. For example, if you enter 2 when specifying the destination movie, Mimic will link to the second movie in the collection, not necessarily to a movie that you have named "2."

    • Go to Next Section Select this option to open the next movie in the collection when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click). This option assumes you have created a collection and added multiple movies to it.
    • Go to Previous Section Select this option to open the previous movie in the collection when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click). This option assumes you have created a collection and added multiple movies to it.
    • Go to First Section Select this option to open the first movie in the collection when the specified event occurs (e.g., click, double-click). This option assumes you have created a collection and added multiple movies to it.
14. Click OK.
15. Click to save your work.