Calling a function on an interactive object

To build an expression that calls a function on an interactive object:

  1. To operate on an interactive object that is already present in the layout, select that object’s name in the Objects list. Use the drop-down menu at the top of the list to narrow the list of objects by type.
  2. Double-click the object’s name to add it to the editing area.
  3. To see the list of functions that can be called on this particular type of object, choose that object type from the Functions drop-down menu. For example, if you are working with an Animation object, choose Animation.
  4. Scroll through the Functions list until you find the function you want. To determine what a function does, click its name and look at the description that displays at the bottom of the dialog box. For this type of expression, you usually need a function that does not return a value, so look for function descriptions that do not start with the word “Get.” For example, to start an Animation object playing, choose Animation.Play().
  5. Double-click the function name to add it to the editing area.
  6. To verify that you have a valid expression, click Validate. Note that this button merely checks your expression for syntax; a valid expression is not necessarily an expression that does what you want it to.
  7. Click OK.

When the expression is evaluated, the indicated function is called on the specified object. In this case, the animation plays.

Calling a function on an interactive object