You can insert an Explanation frame to provide additional information about a step in the topic. No action is associated with this type of frame; it is simply a screenshot image and a bubble with text.

 

Note: Explanation, Decision, and No Context frames are informational and do not have Context IDs.

 

An Explanation frame is always inserted after the current frame. The screenshot used for the Explanation frame is the same screenshot used for the frame that follows the Explanation frame. In the empty bubble, you can enter text that explains something about the step or call the user's attention to something on the screen. Explanation frames appear in See It!, Try It!, and Do It! modes; they do not appear in Know It? mode unless the bubble text is marked to appear in that mode.

 

Note: Explanation frame text can be set to appear in Know It? mode by selecting the text in the bubble and enabling the Visible in Know It icon in the Frame Properties toolpane.

 

By default, the Explanation frame bubble appears in the middle of the screen, but you can move it to any location. You can also change the bubble type to one with a pointer and move the bubble so that it points to an element on the screen.

 

When an Explanation frame appears in the Player in Try It! mode, users are prompted to press ENTER after viewing the frame to continue playing the topic. In See It! mode, however, the user is not prompted to press ENTER to continue. Instead, the topic displays the Explanation frame for the delay time specified in the Options dialog box and then continues playing automatically. If a default delay of 5.0 seconds is set, the Explanation frame displays for that length of time and then proceeds to the next frame. However, if you change the Delay time(s) setting in the Frame Properties toolpane to Infinite, users are prompted to press ENTER to continue. If you set a delay time value for an Explanation frame with sound, the frame advances automatically after the sound plays, overriding the set value.

 

Note:  Explanation frames appear with no bubbles in See It!/Try It! modes if the frame contains no bubble text, or the text is not marked for those play modes. A bubble does appear in an Explanation frame if the frame contains text marked for the play mode or the Delay time(s) option is set to Infinite. An Infinite frame delay adds the template text "Press Enter to continue" to the bubble.

 

ProcedureTo insert an Explanation frame after the current frame:

  1. Select the frame after which the Explanation frame is to be inserted.
     
  2. On the Insert Insert menu, choose Insert Explanation Frame Explanation Frame.
     
    The frame is inserted, as indicated by the X Frame in the Frame Structure, and the bubble contains the default text “Press Enter to continue.”
     
  3. Enter the desired text and adjust the settings as necessary.

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