Cannot get buttons to work for interactive ePub

[kirbiee52339973]

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]

Please select the button and the buttons and forms panel and take a screenshot.

[kirbiee52339973]

Obviously, you cannot see the multistate object settings above...they are shown in the image below. What you can't see in either image is me "clicking" on the preview mode and nothing happens.

Thank you!

[BobLevine]

Someone posted a similar problem recently. I had them post the file for me to look at. I downloaded it and tested it and worked perfectly. Have you tried other readers? Have you tried to publish the file to Publish Online?

If not, do so.

[BobLevine]

Something else to try. Put the button on a top layer or better yet, put it into the MSO itself.

[kirbiee52339973]

Okay so here it is published:

https://indd.adobe.com/view/72e6436b-9a58-49e5-81c2-632f5910198d

I don't know how well the other button works because I can't get the "next page" button to work either. I didn't realize I needed them until I published it. I thought it would provide page scroll as Kindle or other readers do so I had to add that. Below is a screen shot of *that* button *sigh*. I will try moving buttons to a top layer but this one is just a basic button and it doesn't even work.

[Barb Binder]

I'm still following along, and have three thoughts to share:

• I have an MSO button set up exactly like yours, and it works.
• I can confirm that neither of the buttons you have posted online work (but you knew that).
• I just created a next page button, and mine did not work—until I changed the trigger from On Release or Tap to On click. Then it worked. I then changed it back to On Release or Tap and it worked like it should have from the beginning. That says there's some else going on here. I'm also on InDesign 2017.1 (12.1.0.56 build) but on a Mac.

And one more thing, the publish online doc does have navigation built in, but it's subtle.

[kirbiee52339973]

Well that's interesting isn't it? Thank you for the info. I finally found an ePub reader that would recognize the animation and my buttons don't work there either, to answer BobLevine​'s previous question. I will try to change it to click and back again to see if that works. Doing the eReader showed me a couple of other things to fix as well about the layout. I may have to start from scratch to get this right but better now than 20,000 words from now!

Thank you BarbBinder​!

[kirbiee52339973]

That didn't work for me. The button does not work on click either I'm becoming frustrated and doubtful that I can do what InDesign claims is possible.

[BobLevine]

Can you post the InDesign file somewhere such as Dropbox and provide a link?

[kirbiee52339973]

Dropbox - Build Yourself and He Will Come.indd

The file is becoming a hot mess but I'm sure you can find your way through. The original button problem is on page 11 but, of course, none I've added worked....

[BobLevine]

Looks like you have two MSOs with the same name. Change the name of the MSO with the quote and then it works.

[kirbiee52339973]

Nothing changed.

Dropbox - Build Yourself and He Will Come c.indd

Dropbox - Build Yourself and He Will Come c.epub

Latest versions with that duplicate removed. I tried publishing online, viewing in Kotobee or whatever it's called and the previewer. Nothing has changed.

[BobLevine]

The button now has no action assigned to it.

[kirbiee52339973]

oy vey. I'm smarter than this I promise.

[BobLevine]

You’ll get there.

[kirbiee52339973]

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.

[BobLevine]

I added the action back here and it works. Hang on for a minute and I’ll put it in a dropbox folder for you.

[JayRose]

Hi Bob,

I am an indesign veteran and want to thank you for your many responses and explanations in this thread. MSO is an ideal tool! I also want to add, for the benefit of anyone who reads my comment, that it's ok to have different versions of documents handy. I have interactive pdf, print, and ePub versions of certain projects. Anyhoo, just wanted to write and tip my hat to you for sharing so much help. I learned a few things, too. 😉 

Best!

[BobLevine · Accepted solution]

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

[kirbiee52339973]

Well I got that (yours) to work in Adobe Digital Editions but noplace else. I did reinstall InDesign and it solved a couple of other problems. At least I can see it working.

I am truly grateful for your help! Thank you so much!

K

[JayRose]

🤣 

You are awesome, Bob!

[Barb Binder]

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.

[BobLevine]

That should work, but I'd use an MSO. We'll have to wait for the OP to come back, though.

[kirbiee52339973]

That was the first method I tried and it didn't work. I can go through it again, but I read, as BobLevine has recommended, that using multistate objects is a better way to go. Thank you for the time you took in preparing your response. If all else fails, I will give it a try again!