This is a tough one, so any help or suggestions with just where to start
looking would be fantastic!

I am an academic researcher using authorware for my dissertation. In my
experiment, I need to make my participants experience a time delay. I want to
display something on the screen that shows the passage of time (i.e., "counts
up") in days, even though they are experiencing it in seconds. For example,
while the participant is experiencing the delay, I want to have the screen
display something like, "It has been 2 days since you have contacted your
partner". I would like to have the "2" change to a "3" after 10 seconds, and
then to a "4" after another 10 seconds, etc. Eventually after several days
have passed, they will move onto a new screen. I have already used
systemseconds to put a time delay into a different authorware piece (i.e., so
that participants could only access something after a certain amount of time),
so I know how to do that. However, I am not even sure where to start with
displaying the "count up", particularly displaying it in such a way that it
doesn't actually show the number of seconds that have passed, but a
corresponding amount of time.

If this doesn't make sense or needs clarification please let me know. I
appreciate any and all advice!!

Thanks!!

Tamara

"alleyshea" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:g46ged$rli$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> This is a tough one, so any help or suggestions with just where to start
> looking would be fantastic!
>
> I am an academic researcher using authorware for my dissertation. In my
> experiment, I need to make my participants experience a time delay. I
> want to
> display something on the screen that shows the passage of time (i.e.,
> "counts
> up") in days, even though they are experiencing it in seconds. For
> example,
> while the participant is experiencing the delay, I want to have the screen
> display something like, "It has been 2 days since you have contacted your
> partner". I would like to have the "2" change to a "3" after 10 seconds,
> and
> then to a "4" after another 10 seconds, etc. Eventually after several
> days
> have passed, they will move onto a new screen. I have already used
> systemseconds to put a time delay into a different authorware piece (i.e.,
> so
> that participants could only access something after a certain amount of
> time),
> so I know how to do that. However, I am not even sure where to start with
> displaying the "count up", particularly displaying it in such a way that
> it
> doesn't actually show the number of seconds that have passed, but a
> corresponding amount of time.
>
> If this doesn't make sense or needs clarification please let me know. I
> appreciate any and all advice!!

Probably the easiest thing to do is to use an Interaction with a time limit
response on it. Set the time limit response properties to 10
seconds/Restart for each try/Try again branching/Don't erase. Attach a
Display icon, and type this text into it:

It has been {TimesMatched} days since you have contacted your partner.

HTH;

Amy

You can make a counter for 1/10ths of a second pretty easy.

Calc icon
StartTimer := SystemSeconds

DisplayIcon -
It's been {INT((SystemSeconds - StartTimer) / 10)} days since you contacted
your partner.

Then you build an interaction with a time limit response that triggers after
the amount of time you want. That response will trigger the movement to the
new page.

Mike

"alleyshea" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:g46ged$rli$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> This is a tough one, so any help or suggestions with just where to start
> looking would be fantastic!
>
> I am an academic researcher using authorware for my dissertation. In my
> experiment, I need to make my participants experience a time delay. I
want to
> display something on the screen that shows the passage of time (i.e.,
"counts
> up") in days, even though they are experiencing it in seconds. For
example,
> while the participant is experiencing the delay, I want to have the screen
> display something like, "It has been 2 days since you have contacted your
> partner". I would like to have the "2" change to a "3" after 10 seconds,
and
> then to a "4" after another 10 seconds, etc. Eventually after several
days
> have passed, they will move onto a new screen. I have already used
> systemseconds to put a time delay into a different authorware piece (i.e.,
so
> that participants could only access something after a certain amount of
time),
> so I know how to do that. However, I am not even sure where to start with
> displaying the "count up", particularly displaying it in such a way that
it
> doesn't actually show the number of seconds that have passed, but a
> corresponding amount of time.
>
> If this doesn't make sense or needs clarification please let me know. I
> appreciate any and all advice!!
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Tamara
>

Thank you both for your help. I have tried both ways and they work, but each
way I get stuck with a different problem.

With the way Amy suggested, I am not sure how to trigger the movement to the
next page after a certain number of days.

This is probably why Mike suggested a different way, this works and I do get
to the next page after the specified length of time has passed. However, the
number of days doesn't update on the screen. If I click on the icon again, it
updates appropriately, but if I just go in and run it (without reclicking on
the icon) it stays at "0" until the time has passed and it moves to the next
screen.

Again, I greatly appreciate your help. This has to be one of the best message
boards around. Responses are always so quick and helpful, it makes using
authorware so much more manageable.

Tamara

"alleyshea" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:g48mbj$8t7$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Thank you both for your help. I have tried both ways and they work, but
> each
> way I get stuck with a different problem.
>
> With the way Amy suggested, I am not sure how to trigger the movement to
> the
> next page after a certain number of days.

Put a Calculated path decision after the Display icon in the response where
the condition is TimesMatched = x (x being however many times you want it to
trigger) and attach a navigation icon to it that goes to the next page.

HTH;

Amy

Wow, that was really easy! Thanks so much.

I just have one more problem. I probably didn't notice this before because I
was so excited it worked at all but it doesn't show the word or number of days
for "0" days. It's just a blank screen, and then after 10 seconds it says "It
has been 1 day(s) since you have contacted your partner". Maybe I didn't do it
quite right. I have an interaction icon inside a map (let's call it "map1")
that is attached to the rest of my framework. I then have a map icon ("map2")
attached to the interaction icon which has the time limit response. Inside
map2 I have a display icon within which I typed "It has been {TimesMatched}
day(s) since you have contacted your partner". After that is the decision icon
with the calculated path and the navigation icon.

Everything else works like a charm, I just would like the participants to see
"It has been 0 day(s) since you have contacted your partner" rather than a
blank screen for those first 10 seconds after they enter this section.

Thanks so much for your help!

Tamara

Select the display icon that holds the days calculation and check the top
box in the properties (update displayed variables). That should get your
counter working.

HTH,
Mike
====================
Mike Baker
Adobe Community Expert
mike-baker at cox dot net

"alleyshea" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:g49fr4$4tn$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Wow, that was really easy! Thanks so much.
>
> I just have one more problem. I probably didn't notice this before
> because I
> was so excited it worked at all but it doesn't show the word or number of
> days
> for "0" days. It's just a blank screen, and then after 10 seconds it says
> "It
> has been 1 day(s) since you have contacted your partner". Maybe I didn't
> do it
> quite right. I have an interaction icon inside a map (let's call it
> "map1")
> that is attached to the rest of my framework. I then have a map icon
> ("map2")
> attached to the interaction icon which has the time limit response.
> Inside
> map2 I have a display icon within which I typed "It has been
> {TimesMatched}
> day(s) since you have contacted your partner". After that is the decision
> icon
> with the calculated path and the navigation icon.
>
> Everything else works like a charm, I just would like the participants to
> see
> "It has been 0 day(s) since you have contacted your partner" rather than a
> blank screen for those first 10 seconds after they enter this section.
>
> Thanks so much for your help!

Sorry, I didn't realize you wanted to see it before there were any days :-)

Try this:

Move your display icon that is displaying the information above the
Interaction. As Mike said in his response, set the Display to "Update
Displayed Variables." Change the text embedded in the icon from

It has been {TimesMatched} days since you have contacted your partner.

to

It has been {TimesMatched@"Your Response"} days since you have contacted
your partner.

Where your response is the name of the time limit response icon.

HTH;

Amy

Works like a charm, thank you again so much!

:-)
"alleyshea" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:g4bfi1$eit$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Works like a charm, thank you again so much!