Happy New Year!  Gradually catching up – more to go though. 

Topicscape Pro

The beta version of Topicscape I wrote about last month has now passed out of beta and been formally released as a live version.  2D and 3D views below.  I’m using this and liking it a lot.  Give it a try.

Freeplane

The alpha version I wrote about last June is now into a more stable release – it’s in beta.  I tried it and had one problem, but that turned out to be an out-of-date graphics driver, so it’s fixed.  Try this one as well and report any bugs to the Freeplane team.  The appearance of the map owes a lot to FreeMind, naturally, and it has a pleasant uncluttered interface.

Regards
Vic Gee  (@VicGee on Twitter)
http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

New on mind-mapping.org this week: MOT, RTIME and better information about Thinking Space.

MOT

MOT is an interesting knowledge-modelling tool.  The MOT acronym means “Modelling using Object Types”. A knowledge model is similar to a concept map, except that it is based on a typology of links and knowledge objects.  There’s a MOTPlus, as well.  I have no pricing information for these yet.

RTIME

RTIME is a software requirements and development lifecycle tool with a MindJet mind mapping front end.  In fact there are two products: RTIME which connects to on-line service and is aimed at the enterprise and MyRTIME a single user version.

Thinking Space

This went into mind-mapping.org in September with very little information.  Charlie Chilton, its developer, emailed me with details of his new website, so now the entry for this free Android phone mind mapper is more complete.  Just in time for you to get it for your sparkling new Google Nexus One!

There are many more to go folks . . . I’m aiming to catch up over the next few days with all the new stuff that needs to go in the Master List.

Regards

Vic Gee  (@VicGee on Twitter)
http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

New at the Master List: SimpleDiagrams and VuNotes.

VuNotes

This is a kind of concept mapper and reminds me a little of VUE.  It can include images in the map, and has provision for metadata associated with the nodes.  Looks interesting, but I haven’t used it.

Finally, I’m playing with middlespot.com’s MashTabs.  It allows web searching with visual results that you can drag into a sheet and organize by clustering.  Interesting but held back by the fact that to get something onto the page you have to find it with the Middlespot search engine, and the fact that you can’t draw or write on the same sheet (AFAIK).  It does allow clustering, which is good, but I’d like to be able to send a web page, that I found by other means, straight to a MashTab, not have to search for something I already have in a browser.  

[updated: 1/1/10] Middlespot tweeted back to me that their tools page has a tool for adding to MashTabs outside the middlespot.com interface.  It works with Firefox, Chrome or Safari.  Doesn’t help me, as I mostly use IE8 but maybe that will be supported later. [/update]

MashTabs can be shared.

More soon.  I was lazy over the holidays and need to catch up. 

Vic            (@VicGee on Twitter)

http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

Here’s a turnup for the book – 3D Topicscape goes 2D! (in beta so far)

I’m a bit late mentioning this.  I’ve written before that I’ve been using Topicscape since its first beta.  I use it every day for organising files for most of my projects and reference notes. 

Now, Topicscape have a Beta out that gives a new option for viewing all the information stored in a Topicscape – you can opt to see it in 2D.  And you can flip from 2D to 3D and back again.   I’ve tried it and it’s very cool.

Topicscape is not hard to use, but I’ve seen occasional comments from people who don’t tune in to the 3D style.  The 3D scene is different from any other application, but I found it pretty instinctive from the beginning.  For those who didn’t see how the 2D field of cones and zooming interface allow a much improved view on their carefully organised information database, the new 2D option provides something that makes Topicscape worth looking at again.

The 2D view makes use of 3D video cards by giving a ’swinging’ map that lets you see more in an angled view as you slide along it.  Altogether better than scrolling.

It’s hard to avoid comparing this 2D view with PersonalBrain, because it really serves the same market although the appearance is different.  Introducing 2D is surely aimed at encouraging the comparison, and it stands up pretty well.

To try the new 2D view now, you have to apply for a ‘Beta User’ account.  The Topicscape wiki has more information.

Regards

Vic Gee  (@VicGee on Twitter)
http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

Cogspace is not software available for download or use in making your own maps, but it’s an interesting attempt at 3D information presentation. 

The sole example, covers limited knowledge domains on three axes.  Though not strong on visibility, it allows some dynamic exploration by rotation and the recall of text notes associated with the small topic balls.

Explore here http://www.cogspace.net/index2.html

Vic Gee  (@VicGee on Twitter)
http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

Please vote for mind-mapping.org at

http://eg-search.net/enter.php?user=sun_vivi&desc=Mindmapping%2C+concept+mapping+and+info…&req=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mind-mapping.org%2F

It’s at position no. 10 right now.  Help take this ads-free site to the top!

Much appreciated – thank you.

[Updated 31/10/2009: We've reached position #2 in terms of number of voters, so far, but the rating is the highest of all, as 4.8 out of 5.  Thank you again.]

Vic

I’ve done separate posts about two recent findings over the last couple of days: Diagramic and the filling in of a historical entry.  Time now for the remaining new items in Mind-mapping.org:

Creately

Creatley is a nice on-line diagram-drawing software with mind mapping as one of the type of diagrams supported.  It has a free version, and a Plus version with a rather special subscription scheme: Pay what you think it’s worth, provided you spare at least US$1/month!  Creately can make Flowcharts, Network Diagrams, Organizational Charts, UML Diagrams, Sitemaps, SWOT templates, Wireframes, UI Mockups as well as mind maps.

CUECards

CUECards is a hierarchical information store based on a ‘card’ metaphor – something of an outliner.

MindDecider

MindDecider incorporates a form of mind mapping and uses it as a framework for information gathering, analysis and calculation that leads to decision support.

SpicyNodes

I’ve seen SpicyNodes described as mind mapping software.  It really is not, unless you’re prepared to build a web site for each mind map you make.  But it does use the hierarchical mind mapping style for connections between nodes. 

Spicy nodes is a new approach to web site navigation.  It would be interesting to see mind mapping software that could export the code needed to build a SpicyNodes web

InFlow

Inflow is social and organisational network analysis software with many ways of displaying relationships.  It appears to be aimed at enterprises rather than individuals.

Hope to see you on Twitter before my next post.  Visit http://twitter.com/VicGee and click on the Follow button on the left.

Vic
http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

Did you know that unless you dig deep, you’re only seeing part of  mind-mapping.org?  If you click through to the link above, for now, you’ll see 284 entries.  Observant readers will see that the top line adds “from a total of 349″.  So what’s with the missing 65?

That’s where all the dead mind mapping and similar software packages go to their final rest.  If you want to see them, go to the “Refine software list” tab, uncheck “Current software” and check “Historical software.”  Then press “Show selected items.”  These historic items are retained in the list partly for completeness (the pack rat in me) but also for any researcher who wants to track the development of mapping software. 

Some are worth knowing about anyway, even now, because they may no longer be supported or sold, but be available for download somewhere.  Cayra is an example.  Others are totally dead because no information is available, the original site has gone, and no download sites have a copy (hello GNletting Mindmap!).

Down to the point of this:  Long ago I heard of software called EGLE Mind Mapper*. From then until last week I had no information about this software. In 2002 I wrote an email, it came back adressee unknown.

Then last week, Dr Dirk Hopper wrote out of the blue and sent me information and even an installer (the licence encourages copying and sharing). At last I was able to see the type of map it produces and include a screenshot. It can be installed on Vista and XP, and works, but I found it to be a little buggy.  That’s not surprising on Vista – it was probably written for Windows 3, or at best 95.

Now my inner nerd is satisfied!  One of the potholes in mind-mapping.org is filled in.

I often get unexpected tips like this and they nearly always make their way into the list eventually.  So do let me know if you know of anything interesting that should be there.

Vic (@VicGee on Twitter)
http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

* This software is not related to ‘MindMapper’ from SimTech Systems.

Feedburner tells me I have well over 3,000 subscribers to my feed. 

I was surprised when I saw that.  And humbled.  My posts are sporadic, and yet still people follow this blog.  Thank you folks!

Now, please come and follow me on Twitter, and you’ll be more up to date, with between-post happenings. 

You won’t find out what I had for breakfast, when I got out of bed, or if it’s been a bad day for Vic.  Just tweets about mind mapping software news and related topics.

If you’re not using Twitter yet, you may be staying away because you think it’s all about personal, trivial, and frankly uninteresting stuff.  For me, using TweetDeck (it’s free) got me past that stage, because I can have columns of searches on subjects I’m interested in.  No reports telling me Bill ‘had kippers and cornflakes for breakfast’!   There’s plenty of useful information to be found.

If you’re already twittering, just follow @VicGee, and I’ll see you there.   Come and say “Hi!”

If you’re not, you can go to http://twitter.com to sign up (it’s easy – they don’t require blood samples).  Then visit http://twitter.com/VicGee and click on the Follow button on the left.  I hope I’ll see you there as well, and that you get more out of Twitter than you expected.

Vic    (@VicGee in Twitter)
http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software

New on the scene and in mind-mapping.org is MindMapPaper, a free, Windows-only offering from Lex River.  It is desktop software and needs .Net to run.

MindMapPaper is an original approach to mind mapping with advantages and disadvantages.

In its favour are these benefits:

1. Simplicity.  It takes just a few minutes to learn all you need to use the software.
2. The appearance is clear and simple.
3. It gives you complete control over layout.  Drag any node anywhere and it stays there.  If you are tired of your mind mapping software organizing your maps’ layout for you, or resisting a layout change you would like to make, you might want to play with MindMapPaper for that reason alone.
4. A rigid tree-structure hierarchy is not enforced.  Really, MindMapPaper is a network drawer rather than a mind mapper, because any node can be connected to any other.  If only it supported relationship descriptions across the linking lines, it would be a true concept mapper.  [Update: Now it does] If you want a dominant central topic, you can organize the map and format the node that way as Lex has done in the sample above, but MindMapPaper is not built around this as a starting point.
5. Node to node connections have an arrow indicating in which direction they were drawn, so you can indicate hierarchy if you want to, but by dragging connections both ways, double arrows can be shown to indicate a relationship that is not parent to child.
6. Images, files and hyperlinks can be attached to nodes, and there is a simple comments box as well.
7. The mind map file is an XML file and is not proprietary, so can be exchanged (import and export) with other software, but the software would have to know the format, or you would need a suitable XSLT file.

I have not used the software for long, but the disadvantages I noticed are:

1. While the appearance is clear and simple, it is rather plain, and requires node-by-node work by the user to make it more interesting or eye-catching.  The fact that you can, one-by-one, select multiple nodes, and then apply a format change to all at once, makes this easier.  There are a copy-style and paste-style keyboard shortcuts to support style changes as well.
2. There are no themes or inherited-style capabilities.  [Update: This is improved, with [Ctrl]+[RightMouseDrag] – to create child node with the same style as parent node.]
3. If you like your mind maps to have curved and tapering connecting lines, you won’t like MindMapPaper’s straight, thin, unchangeable lines.  The appearance is much closer to a spider diagram than a mind map, even if you have made the formatting changes to show a strong central topic.  For business maps, this will be fine, IMO.
4. Attachments are separate files in the mind map file’s directory, not embedded in a compressed file with the XML file, the technique used by many other mind mapping software packages.  This could easily result in broken maps.
5. There is no real zoom, just two viewing sizes ‘Schematic view’ which is very small and ‘Normal view’.  So if the map grows beyond the screen, dragging around is the only possibility.
6. No node folding.  This must be software’s the greatest weakness as a mind mapper at present.  As you can draw networks with it, it’s not immediately obvious how you would fold nodes in all cases.  Fold if everything under the node is a tree, and decline to fold if not, I suppose.

[Update 15/10/2009]
Lex has released a new version with many improvements, including those mentioned above.  MindMapPaper can make true concept maps now.

You can download it from here: http://mindmappaper.com/

Vic
http://www.mind-mapping.org/
The master list of mind mapping &
information management software