RobiNZ CAD Blog

SnagIt for software support

SnagIt is a great tool for authoring support documents, a screen capture is worth a zillion words, but it’s also a useful tool for capturing software problems for analysis. To coin a term(?), SnagIT Support!.

Last week I had a problem with MindManager’s synchronise to Outlook Tasks failing on one topic/task (of about 450). It’s a vital part of  how I use MindManager & Outlook so I needed a fix. MindManager displays the task names as they synchronise but too rapidly to read. The tasks are blurred in the Camtasia capture below but the speed is real-time!

If I could see which task failed I’d be able to check the map topic & maybe resolve the problem. I captured the sync, with the SnagIt video mode, then stepped frame by frame to the last topic. Looking at it in the map I found a corrupted date (somehow I’d made a start after due) which was the probable cause. To be safe I removed and re-added all the task related data on the topic. This resolved the problem and now sync'ing is working fine. Without Snagit tracking down that error and resolving it would have been near impossible!

I thought this might make a great “how to” post but Kathy Jacobs, and Betsy, beat me to it! Click through Kathy’s post for brilliant instructions on how it’s done: 

I <3 SnagIt - Do you? - VitaminCH – PowerPoint and OneNote MVP Kathy Jacobs shares how she uses SnagIt timed captures

Outlook 2007 Update breaks MindManager link

A recent Outlook 2007 update has broken the MindManager/Outlook linking facility for some, including me! Mindjet have published a temporary workaround, to their Knowledge Base, while they research a permanent solution.

Outlook 2007 crashes when loading MindManager Outlook add-in - Mindjet Knowledge Base

After downloading a recent Microsoft Office 2007 update, some users are no longer able to open up Outlook 2007 with the Export to Mindjet MindManager add-in enabled.

The behaviour is that Outlook 2007 will hang upon loading the add-in and requires shutting it down manually with the task manager. When launching again, an error message will display… cont.

Taking Notes with SnagIt and MindManager

SnagIt and MindManager are great authoring tools but recently I’ve been using them for something different. I’ve been getting training on a new, to me, mapping/demographics application. While they had excellent notes, like usual, retail needs meant we have different requirements to the typical user (generally GIS).

To record items of particular interest, rather than paper notes, I tried using the SnagIt/MindManager combination live in the training session. It was great to grab quick screen-shots, add process notes/arrows and send them to my MindManager notes map with SnagIt’s MindManager Custom Output Tool.

Often, as below, lining up a series of dialogs, capture, then adding a few arrows was sufficient to record quite a complex process. It’s often quicker to create than text notes and certainly easier to follow.

Click for post related Disclosure Statement

MindManager 7.1, more than a service patch!

UPDATE 12/19/2007: Mindjet have temporarily removed this update due to an issue with Norton Antivirus. They say it will be reposted as soon as possible. See this thread on the MindManager Forum for more detail.

Seems to be update time for my Office applications. I’ve recently installed Office 2007 Sp1 (219mb for a patch?) and Mindjet also released a MindManager 7 update (a mere 83.5mb!). I haven’t noticed much difference in Office, yet, but MindManager 7.1 introduces a bunch of fixes and a few totally new features:

• Refined Graphics; I’ve noticed improvements to some Ribbon fly-out graphics. Compare the Topic Boundary tool from 7.0 and 7.1. It’s nicer looking and the clearer graphics make it easier to choose the desired option.

• A new Export Tab: Export was “hidden” on the “MindManager Button” and required you to Select MindManager Button, move down to Export, wait for the fly-out menu then select the Export option. It was a bit tedious so one of the first things I did was put the export button on my Quick Access Toolbar (QAT). MindManager 7.1 introduces a dedicated “Export” Tab to the Ribbon for easy access without customising the QAT.

• A new PowerPoint Export Option; MindManager 7.1 Introduces “Export as a PowerPoint Slide”. It attempts to export the map to a PowerPoint slide as native PowerPoint objects (rather than an image). Topics become auto-shape text boxes connected with lines. It works fine for simple maps but struggles with more complex layouts and totally ignores topic images.

The easiest way to update your MindManager is click on the Ribbon Tools Tab.

Tags: MindManager+7.1

MindManager at Autodesk University 2007

James Van abandoned PowerPoint and used MindManager for his presentation. Robin used MindManager to take notes!

This is the result: File Attachment: AU2007 - Revit Effective techniques for large projects.pdf (376 KB)

 

MindManager Pro 7 Topic Styles (with free topic counter!)

MindManager Pro 7 introduced a handy new feature to control the appearance of map topics. Topic Styles bridge the gap between editing individual topics and Global” Map Styles which can alter an entire map.

MindManager Global Map Styles?

MindManager has long featured powerful document styling tools. You can control the appearance and layout of map by applying a Map Style. MindManager includes a good selection to get you started and they can be easily customised to create your own personal style. The images below show how changing Map Styles can totally transform a map in a click.

 

MindManager Map Styles are easily edited/created in the integrated template editor (right). This provides a generic map with every variety of layout, element and a tree depth control. Simply edit the elements as desired, save the new style and it’s applied to your map. You can also store Map Style to apply to any other map using a template/style organiser.

Editing an element in the Template Editor updates all elements of that type in the current map with one exception. If you’ve overridden a topic format in the map, by editing any feature (font, fill etc) manually, those changes are retained even if the map style is updated. If you “reset” a topic (CTRL+Space) it reverts to the current map style.

Topic Overrides can be applied feature by feature, or using the  Format Painter tool to clone a topic features from an existing topic in a click. That’s OK on smaller maps but tends to be cumbersome when maps get large. “Painting” topic style overrides to multiple topics means visiting each one with your paintbrush. Surely there’s a better way?

Introducing MindManager 7 Topic Styles:

MindManager 7 introduces the concept of Topic Styles. They sit between the global map style & individual individual topic overrides. Unlike the Global Styles these are not tied to the topics position in the “tree hierarchy”. In the style structure diagram below editing (or importing) the Global Map Style would update the layout and all (Global) Topics. Editing the Topic Style will update all it’s “child” topics. This applies even if the topic is not displayed (in a collapsed tree) when the change is made. This is really useful as previously you relied on a visual scan, or using map filters, to find all the topics to update with the paintbrush. 

Style structure & Example Map with Styles applied:
 

Using MindManager Topic Styles:

To create a Topic Style simply edit a topic to the desired appearance. Go to Format [Tab] > Topic Style > New Style From Selected Topic. The style is created and displayed in the Topic Styles Organiser pane. You can apply styles to selected topics from the Ribbon tool fly-out or directly from the Style Organiser.

To change a topic style edit any topic to the desired appearance, select the Topic Style in the organiser and “Update style to match selection”. All  dependent topics will be updated.

By default your topics are named “Topic Style 1,2,3,…” but you can rename styles in the organiser if desired.

The Free Topic Counter?

I’m not sure it was intentional but Topic Styles adds another useful feature. The organiser will show a count of the visible topics using the style. I use a “Project Topic Style” in my master map and this is a quick way to count projects. 26 as of yesterday!

 

Tags: MindManager+7

Remember that great blog post? Can you find it again? MindManager to the rescue...

There’s a huge amount of CAD related information on the web. Finding it once is getting easier thanks to tools like Search and RSS but often finding it a second time becomes a challenge. You’ll read something but weeks, maybe months, later actually need it. While many feed readers allow flagging, or tagging, of posts usually that just captures the title with no context. Search tools will look at all the post content but often the results are not that targeted. Recently I used an article about “CAD training approval” for reference. Google Blog Search returns over two thousand results for that phrase.

One method I use is to store the URL, Title and a few keywords for articles/posts I think maybe useful as I read them. While you could do this in any text editor I use MindManager as it has a few features which make creating & finding these references a snap.

As an example take this article from CAD Management Guru Robert Green. I read it back in September and knew it would useful for upcoming training proposals. A click on the MindManager button  in IE grabs the URL and Title, adding it to the current map. I added the author name as a callout with a link to his contact page (different to the article) and a few key words/phrases which summarise the content. This can be anything but Robert’s section headings work well for his articles.

So far you’ve got some text and hyperlinks which almost any text editor could do. Where MindManager works nicely is you can group posts in categories which collapse & expand for easy viewing. It also has a search function which can scan the current map, all open maps or folders of (closed) maps for key words returning the results in a search pane. This allows rapid searching and access to topics in a click irrespective of where they are stored. I’ll add relevant content from Blogs, Web-pages or Discussion Groups in this format to project, job or system documentation maps as they can all be searched if required.

I used Robert’s post, found thanks to this search, as a reference when working on approval for some team training. Thanks to Robert for the article, MindManager for helping me find it when needed!

The magnificent 7! - Life with MindManager 7

It’s taken me a while to blog about MindManager Pro 7. Previously if I’ve burst into print, well blog, soon after a product release it’s because I’d been living with beta/preview versions for several weeks/months. With MindManager Pro 7 it was a little different as I didn’t see the product until shortly before release and also decided to change to Office 2007 at about the same time. I’ve been living with this combo for a while now and have learnt enough to share. This post is about MindManager 7 but as they are closely integrated I’ll also cover some aspects of Microsoft Office 2007.

Getting to 7 – My upgrade experience;

There are several things to consider before upgrading. If you’re dependent on any 3rd party MindManager add-ons check they are “7” compatible. Many, like GyroQ, were ready at release  and over the last few months others, including the Mindjet Labs extensions, have been updated. I removed MindManager 6 and all related add-ons to give a clean start before installing MindManager Pro 7 and a few add-ons crucial to my workflow.

MindManager/Outlook links – a few migration glitches:

Synchronising full maps is now “legacy” behaviour: I discovered a few quirks after updating my Synchronised “Dashboard” map. It uses the “Outlook Import, Export and Synchronize” function to link all the content with task information to Outlook as described in my “MindManaging your day” series.

This method is still supported in 7 (via MindManager Button>Export) but is referred to as a “legacy” mode in the help. The recommendation for MindManager 7 is to link individual topics to/from Outlook rather than an entire map.

I suspect the reason is the tendency for things to get rather messy if you fully synchronised more than one map. I’ve always avoided that & only used synchronise with one dashboard map. I have many other maps with multiple individual topics synchronised but not the full map. I’m glad the “full sync” legacy behaviour is supported and hope it remains in future versions since my MindManager/Outlook workflow depends on it!

Duplicated Tasks: After the upgrade re-establishing the link from my dashboard map to Outlook resulted in duplicated tasks. Since all my Outlook tasks are generated/sync’ed by my dashboard map I simply deleted them all in Outlook, then re-sync'ed to have a clean list generated.

An alert about Alerts: I only use a few Topic Alerts but found they also didn’t migrate fully. The MindManager topic alert was there and still worked fine but it’s associated Outlook calendar item didn’t appear. Opening the alert settings then closing the dialog, effectively saving it, re-established the Outlook item.

While these items were a hassle none were show stoppers and the effort was worth it. Having used MindManager Pro 7 for a few months there is no way I’d be going back!

What’s so magnificent?

The welcome screen has a summary of “What’s New” but I’ll start with one thing you can’t miss. It’s officially known as the “Microsoft Fluent UI” or more informally “the Ribbon”. Microsoft developed it for Office 2007 and Mindjet’s implementation is very slick. It’s a big change and I expect some hate it as much as I like it. There is no alternative, no legacy UI option, so using MindManager 7 means accepting the ribbon. I suspect you’ll see similar UI’s in other products in much the same way previous Office’like toolbars & panes were adopted/adapted over time.

If you’ve migrated to Office 2007 you’ll find the layout and operation very similar. In fact looking at the UI’s (below) you have to look for the MindManager Buttonto pick the non-Microsoft product.

MindManager veterans will experience “Ribbon shock”. The File Menu is gone and replaced by the MindManager Button. It gathers all the things you can  do with a document into one place with most accessed via fly-out menus but also has application options (formerly Tools Menu>Options) on display. A bit strange when “Document Properties” is almost hidden in the Prepare fly-out. Took me a while to find that one!

Task oriented Tabs/Ribbons have replaced Menu/Toolbars. The old task panes (My Maps, Library etc) are still there but closed by default until a related Ribbon tool activates them. The Ribbon layout is fairly logical but I still find some of the combinations a little strange. Why does “Paste” appear on the “Home”  tab but not on “Insert”? 

Perhaps my favourite UI change is a tiny regression. The "Click to cycle" through Detail Levels button, last seen in MindManager x5, returns! A keyboard Ctrl+D also does this but I’d got into the habit of repeatedly clicking the button. The MindManager 6 version didn’t respond to that but I still clicked it anyway!

After a while the ribbon becomes second nature but expect to spend some time adjusting. One benefit is I’ve made more use of features, like bookmarks, that were always in MindManager but forgotten, buried on rarely accessed menus. It appears to take more space than tool bars but the way I ran old version with multiple toolbars displayed there is little difference. Then consider the Ribbon replaces Menu, Toolbar & some Task Pane functions and can be minimised/restored with a click or set to auto-hide which wasn’t possible with toolbars.

I’ve customised the UI to restore a few features I missed and optimise it for my workflow. I’ve added Paste, Export and a few other frequently used functions to the Quick Access toolbar. I’ve also turned on the task panes, they are hidden by default, and moved the workbook tabs to the top to create my optimised Fluent UI. Some new features and those changes are summarised on this map (thumbnail image right, map file below).

File Attachment: MindManager_Feature_Map_Fluent_User_ Interface.mmap (294 KB)

While the Ribbon is the most noticeable change look for future posts on some new features I’ve found really useful:

• Saved Queries
• Saved Views
• Show Branch Alone
• Topic Styles
• Split Topic

What’s not so magnificent?

Nothing is perfect and I’ve found a few things that bug me. Some are new, some carried over from previous editions or due to changes in other applications:

• Fuzzy Display: MindManager has that slightly "fuzzy" anti-aliased look when zoomed out. It’s been there since X5 but I hoped things would look crisper in the new version.
• Right Click>Export>Send Topic to Word doesn’t find the Email Editor in Outlook 2007. This breaks one of my favourite work flows - Export topic to email. This isn’t really a MindManager flaw as it’s the Outlook editor which has changed. Still, it would have been nice if Mindjet could have caught this and added a Right Click>Export>Send Topic to Outlook Email function.
• Vulnerable to .net framework instability. Again not specific to MindManager but I’ve found when running several applications .net related trouble in one may take out the others. I commonly run AutoCAD Architecture, MindManager and RSS Bandit together. I’ve occasionally, maybe once a month, had a .net component crash cause the other app’s fall over. I suspect this is more to do with the underlying architecture than the applications themselves but having an application just disappear, sometimes not even an error report, is rather disconcerting. My only solution is to save frequently, not just in MindManager!

* The post title is a rather weak reference to The Magnificent Seven (1960). I’m not really into Western movies but it seemed fitting.

Click for post related Disclosure Statement

Tags: MindManager+Pro+7, Microsoft+Office+2007

SnagIt + MindManager 7.0 = Happiness!

One of the best accessories for SnagIt is the “MindManager Output”. Sadly this was broken when I upgraded to MindManager 7. Yesterday I attended the Revit Tech Conference and today I was transcribing my hand notes, OK scrawl, to MindManager. As there were many application based tips I also had Revit running to grab relevant screen captures, annotate them, then add to my notes.

Missing the MindManager output, I visited the SnagIt site and found it’s been updated and now works fine with MindManager 7. If you are already using SnagIt & MindManager it’s free so go and grab it! 

If not, both MindManager and SnagIt have free trial versions*. They make the best documentation authoring combination I’ve found.

Note: This capture shows MindManager 6 and SnagIt

SnagIt Accessories
MindManager Output (Version is 1.0.2  is MindManager 7 compatible )
This output accessory places a MindManager output button on the Preview Window toolbar. Then, with one click, you can send captures to your MindManager document. *MindManager 6.0 and above only

* Health Warning; You will get hooked

Click for post related Disclosure Statement

Mind Mapping Meeting Notes - Lifehacker

Lifehacker have a great, short, introduction to Mind Mapping as technique to for making meeting notes. It’s something I’ve found useful but seen few doing. Sometimes I use MindManager in the meeting but often it’s just a pen and paper, still using the map format.

The advantage of a map is, with few words, it can capture relationships between ideas that linear format notes can’t show. It’s also far more flexible allowing topics to grow as the conversation flows. Additional info relating to an earlier topic can be linked with a line irrespective of it’s location on the page.

While this isn’t “pure mind mapping” my hand maps tend to be very unstructured and often break the “rules”. While the purists may disagree I think you should concentrate on capturing the information rather than worrying too much about structure. I find they are still meaningful, and readable, in spite of my appalling handwriting 

Note Taking: A Beginner's Guide to Mind Mapping Meetings - Lifehacker
Do you have trouble keeping up with meetings because you can't take notes as fast as the speaker talks?

If you do jot down some thoughts and ideas, by the time you re-read your notes they make no sense? If this sounds like you, a meeting mind map may be just what you need…

See how Mind Mapping helps me cope with information overload in this post from last year:

Taking Note of Autodesk University - Mind Maps to the rescue?

Tags: mind+mapping

Taming the To-Do Bar in Outlook 2007

The To-Do bar is one of my favourite new features of Outlook 2007. It provides a constant reference to tasks and appointments but can be minimised or restored with a click. If you have lots of tasks, mine come from MindManager maps, it can be a bit cluttered. This tip from “the How-To Geek” filters the To-Do tasks, only showing what you need today.

Introducing the To-Do Bar... - Microsoft Office Outlook Team Blog
The To-Do Bar is brand-new to Outlook 2007, and enables you to track your time and tasks…

Make To-Do Bar in Outlook 2007 Show Only Today's Tasks :: the How-To Geek
One of the best new features in Outlook 2007 is the To-Do bar, where you have quick access to your calendar as well as your task list. Unfortunately, the default setting of showing all of your tasks regardless of date can be overwhelming…

Why MindManager? Easy!

5 hours of Meeting Notes. Minutes to issue by when?

Glad I captured it in MindManager…

• Export to Word (a few formatting tweaks), Export to PDF, Export to PowerPoint….
• Email Exports + original .mmap file
• Less than 30 minutes after the meeting closed, done.
• Priceless!

 Disclosure

MindManager Pro 7 Ribbon vs Toolbars, which uses less screen real estate?

Following on from my earlier post on the “Fluent UI” one of the comments I’ve seen about MindManager Pro 7, and Office 2007, is concern at the amount of screen used by the ribbon in comparison to toolbars. It certainly looks bigger but can looks be deceptive?

Jensen Harris has blogged about this comparing Office 2007 to earlier versions so I decided to try some MindManager snags for comparison. I always ran Pro 6 with two rows of toolbars displayed at the top along with the map tabs and use a similar layout in MindManager Pro 7. My screen resolution is 1152 x 864 on a 19” CRT, sadly no high resolution LCD monitors at home  

The MindManager Pro 7 effective work area measures about 614 pixels high normally, increasing to 705 with the ribbon on auto-hide (double click any tab for this). MindManager Pro 6 is between at about 653 pixels high. Of course this will vary depending on your layout preferences and screen resolution.

I haven’t found the ribbon takes too much extra real estate but it does present more information with logical grouping. Perhaps a power user won’t benefit but I’ve found myself starting to re-visit features I knew were in 5/6, but didn’t use. This is simply because they are now on show, and in context, instead of buried in menus. While the ribbon will have more impact at lower screen resolutions stack your frequently used commands on the Quick Access Toolbar and you can run with the ribbon in auto-hide mode. Overall, although it’s different and takes some adjustment, I’m not missing toolbars at all.

See the extended post for full screen captures.

The best Office 2007 Fluent User Interface feature? It's not just Microsoft!

I’ve upgraded to Office 2007 Pro and have been adjusting to the “Office Fluent User Interface”, sometimes known as “the Ribbon”. 

For decades every application interface has had those comforting File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Help Menus. Maybe there were a few more, specific to the application, but the basics were always there as a familiar reference.

Launch Office 2007 you experience what I term “Ribbon Shock”. It’s all changed with the “Office Button” replacing many of those menu functions, others moved to context sensitive “tabbed ribbons” which replace toolbars.

If you’re familiar with the old interface it’s a little strange but the adjustment doesn’t take long. After a while going back to earlier versions, I still use Office 2003 at work, makes you realise how fluent the “Fluent UI” really is. 

That’s all wonderful but what about other applications? Microsoft are licensing the “Fluent UI” for “non-competitive applications” so it’s possible you’ll see it outside of Office. Given it’s the result of thousands of hours design, testing, and user feedback it’s great it’s been shared at all, understandable you can’t use it to build a direct office competitor.

Take a look at the Fluent UI’s below (click for full size image). One of them isn’t from Microsoft, yet in my opinion it’s the best “office application” there is…

PS: It’s a pity the Ribbon didn’t make it to the Outlook 2007 main window (it’s there in the mail editor and other interface elements)….

UPDATE 09–06–2007: Jensen Harris discusses Outlook UI in his post: Outlook and the Ribbon

Tags: Ribbon, Fluent+UI, Office+2007, MindManager+7

Crazy MindManager Export to web, generated 500mb + content & thousands of files, worked!

This is my last ever MindManager 6 Pro post . It’s sad to say goodbye to a great application but the day had to come. I couldn’t let it go without perhaps the ultimate export to destruction test…

Imagine over the years you’d built a complex interlinked web of MindManager Maps to document the systems, applications & process related to your job. When it comes to archiving this information not everyone has MindManager, or even the free viewer, but they do have a web browser. If you opened MindManager and clicked “Export to Web”  what would happen?

Mindjet announce MindManager 7

Mindjet have announced the MindManager 7 product range which will be released on May 30:

• MindManager Pro 7 replaces MindManager Pro 6. 
• MindManager 7 Mac replaces the MindManager 6 Mac.
• MindManager 7 Lite is new and replaces “MindManager 6 Basic”. It’s an entry level version aimed at Home/Student users offering mapping features but without the extensive integration/customisation capability you get with “Pro”. Current Basic users wishing to upgrade to “7” can change to either Lite or Pro.
• The free MindManager Viewers also change for this release;
• The separate viewer application has been replaced by MindManager 7 trial downloads which offer full functionality for 5 days. If you then choose not to purchase the trial reverts to view only mode.
• The current Activex Web viewer will still be supported and don’t forget Word 2007 can also work with MindManager Map files.
• Upgrade & promotional offers; Check out deals for existing MindManager users here

I’ve seen a WebEx preview of MindManager Pro 7 and there are some exciting looking improvements. Most striking is the completely new user interface based on the Microsoft Office Fluent™ UI (Microsoft Office 2007 Ribbon). Microsoft Office integration and features for map editing, viewing and presentation have also been enhanced. More on that once I get to try the new version later this month, I cant wait!

MindManager 7 Product Information - http://www.mindjet.com/mindmanager7

Read the Press Release inc US Pricing - Mindjet.com

The Mindjet Blog » MindManager 7 - Thank you!
To our valued customers,
I’m excited….and honored to officially announce Mindjet MindManager 7!
This latest version of MindManager is by far the most powerful and comprehensive release we have delivered not only in the history of our company, but in the industry…

Tags: MindManager+7

Mindjet MindManager + Microsoft Silverlight = ???

I was reading a blog post about Microsoft Silverlight*, Microsoft’s tilt at Adobe Flash, and it's XAML based technology. Not being a programmer or web application builder I was thinking:

"I wonder what this means for all those XML based documents like MindManager (& Office 2007)?"

Meanwhile, a “Miscellaneous Hero” – check his new email address in the credits – in San Francisco who actually understands all this stuff was creating a technology demonstration that shows what it could mean for MindManager. It’s development prototyping at the speed of thought!

Mindjet MindManager and Silverlight - blogs.msdn.com/synergist

View Michael’s Technology Demo Video (0:01:45) showing transformation of MindManager to Silverlight web presentation.

* Silverlight, previously code-named "WPF/E" (Windows Presentation Foundation/Everywhere) is a “lightweight subset of XAML for building rich media experiences on the web”.

Tags: Silverlight

Michael S. Scherotter @ Mindjet Microsoft!

I first got to know Michael S. Scherotter via email as he turned a suggestion for a Design Web Format (DWF) Smart Map Part into a trial add-in for MindManager. Later I was pleased to meet him when I visited Mindjet on the way home from AU 2005.

Michael has a background in Architecture/CAD Software but his Mindjet role involved researching/prototyping potential business applications for MindManager. He has been a passionate advocate for MindManager, recently via the Mindjet Labs site.

Last week he announced a move from Mindjet to a new position as “Developer Evangelist” for Microsoft. While that’s a loss for Mindjet it’s a great opportunity for Michael and I wish him all the best with his Microsoft future.

A New Role for Me - Synergist - Michael S. Scherotter 
“Last week, I was offered and I accepted the position of Developer Evangelist at Microsoft Corporation….”

PS: Interesting to see Michael’s MindManager blogging will continue:

“I will continue to write in my Synergist blog about MindManager, but now more from a partner/enthusiast perspective.”

SnagIt not just for captures!

I’ve been writing notes from a recent Tech Briefing using MindManager. Part of this included producing some simple diagrams & SnagIt proved up to the task as an authoring tool. Starting with a blank background I just used the shape, call-out and other tools to create a quick graphic then click, export to MindManager topic and it’s done.

Eric Mack On MindManager and Lotus Notes

Eric Mack is presenting a free webinar on getting things done with MindManager and Lotus Notes. Click thru for more details and a sign up link. 

Sign up for my "How I use MindManager" webinar - Eric Mack On-Line
MindJet has asked me to present a webinar on how I use MindManager to get things done. I agreed, and on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 10:00 AM (PST) I will present a free webinar, entitled MindManager as a Knowledge Management Tool: How I use MindManager and Lotus Notes to get things done. That's the fancy title. My working title is "Mind Mapping in the Digital Sandbox."…

MindManaging your Day Year ~ Part 3 - Appraisal time with MindManager & Outlook...

This really is Part 3!  Even regular readers are forgiven for not remembering Parts 1 & 2 which were posted in, um, August 2004! The last line of Part 2 read: More to follow... I must admit I didn’t think it would be several years later!

First a Review: What were Parts 1 & 2 about?

Those posts covered how I track projects and activities with a combination of MindManager and Outlook. They showed how MindManager links to Outlook with the map topics creating and managing Outlook Tasks:

• Mind Managing your day - RobiNZ CAD Blog
• Mind Managing your day ~ Part 2 - RobiNZ CAD Blog

I use the same techniques today but my “work map” has evolved over the past couple of years! The structure is similar but there is a little more content and a lot more colour! What I didn’t show in 2004 is how I then use the tasks generated to fill in my Outlook Calendar to record activity and time.

Hobie is leaving Mindjet...

Hobart Swan (External Affairs Manager) is leaving Mindjet...

Thanks for all you’ve done and all the best for the future Hobie!

Tags: Hobart+Swan

What is a Mind Map?

Tony Buzan explains what Mind Mapping is and how/why it works differently to conventional list or line based notation.

Via Chuck Frey

Tags: iMindMap

CAD/Software System Documentation with MindManager and Camtasia

Regular visitors may have noticed that I mention using MindManager and Camtasia for documentation . It’s difficult to share real content here without extensive editing to remove confidential information but this overview may be enough to get an idea of the process.

I made it to share with our IT how I document the design related applications, network resource use and structure, build process and applications. I start with a basic OS build from them and add design related applications. The build is ghosted but I capture the creation of that build, mainly for my own reference!

The YouTube resolution is fairly low but hopefully you can see/hear enough to make sense of it. If not let me know via “email me” or comments & will try some other format/host.

 

Documenting Folder Structures with MindManager

There was a question on the Autodesk CAD Manager Discussion Group regarding methods for documenting file & folder structures. I use a combination of tools depending on the need. If you simply want an image a screen capture will be fine like these captures of a demo folder structure & map.

However, I author my documentation with MindManager and use it’s “Smart Map Parts” to generate folder links. The result is a refresh-able representation of the folder/file structure. Each folder is generated as a topic with a hyperlink. If the folder structure changes refresh the topic to see the changes. These updates can be manual, automatic, requiring user confirmation or “silent”. Topics can also be “dragged out of the part” to become static topics if you prefer. You can share as a map or using MindManagers many export options. If the export format supports links they are included.

The process is easier to do than write about so this video shows the MindManager Explorer All Folder Part in action.

To try it yourself download the free trial of MindManager Pro (must be Pro) from http://www.mindjet.com

MindManager - Custom toolbar buttons for my favourite commands

Two of my most used MindManager commands are a bit buried in menu/fly-outs so the first thing I do after install is create tool-bar buttons. This only takes a minute but allows easy access to Save All and Paste Special. I edit these to “All” and “Special” to save room. Save all does what it says for all maps open in the editor. This is really good when working on multiple linked maps. The screen capture shows the set-up process.

MindManager update for Windows Vista & Office 2007!

Just in time for Christmas Mindjet have released a MindManager service pack. In addition to general fixes it adds support for Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007. I’m not running them yet but I’m interested to hear how they play together. There is more detail and download info at Michaels blog.

Synergist : MindManager now Supports Windows Vista & Office 2007!
I am pleased to announce the release of MindManager 6 SP2a (build 6.2.399). This is an update to Pro, Basic and Viewer editions. With this new Service Pack, MM6 will now run on Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007. It also provides usability improvements and resolves known issues, including updates to Microsoft Office integration capabilities.

Edit MindManager Maps in Microsoft Office Word 2007?

DWF & Windows, MindManager & Word, seems like it’s the week for XML to break down barriers between users & data. Mindjet have released an extension that allows editing of MindManager maps in Microsoft Word 2007.

How? It packages required MindManager ribbon interface components, macros and complete MindManager map inside a Word XML Document which enables seamless round trip editing between MindManager 6 & Word 2007.

Why? It’s intended to make sharing and collaboration easier in a world where Word is – well, 2007 will be – on far more desktops than MindManager. I applaud this move as it will make life easier for MindManager users, like me, wanting to share map info.

Will it result in more MindManager users? Perhaps Word 2007 users will see enough to lead to a full evaluation of MindManager but I have some doubts…

Is a map a map, when it’s in Word?  A unique and powerful part of the MindManager experience is the map format. Will “Word map editors” realise what they are missing editing map content in a word processor? 

An outline is no match for a map!  When I first used MindManager 5 I longed for an outline view that was editable as it approximated my previous preferred method of making notes – Word in outline mode. Some time later an editable outline view was introduced with MindManager 6 but I rarely use it. I adjusted and found the map format a far more fluid and efficient way to work. While you can expand & collapse outline topics easily a list view is far less visual. This suits some people and tasks but for me it lacks a vital element which makes MindManager such a powerful tool.

Does business expect conventional text formatted documents because typewriters, later word processors, are the established authoring tools rather than being the best communication solution?

Time for a different view? This extension solves the problem of editing map content without requiring MindManager. That’s one barrier broken but I feel the real problem is the need to install viewers for MindManager Map viewing. In these days of locked down corporate desktops, virus & firewall protection installing a viewer is impossible for many computer users. Perhaps the Autodesk/Microsoft move with DWFx and XPS, leveraging the Windows XPS Viewer, is something for Mindjet to consider…

If you are collaborating with Microsoft Office 2007 users full details, a video demo and free download of the extension are available on the Mindjet website; 

The New Word 2007 Map Editor for Mindjet MindManager

Press Release: Mindjet Releases New MindManager Add-In for Microsoft Word 2007

Video: Learn more about the New Word 2007 Map Editor for Mindjet MindManager

Screencast Demo at Microsoft Channel 9

Tags: Word+2007

Gyronix GyroQ for MindManager

Gyronix GyroQ™ is a productivity application for Mindjet MindManager. It allows you to collect and store notes then transfer them to a MindManager Map when it suits you (see extended post). Gyronix GyroQ™ is available by invitation from participating blogs. Click on the link below for an invite:

Collect a GyroQ™ Invitation from RobiNZ CAD Blog

See all my GyroQ™ related Articles: RobiNZ CAD Blog GyroQ Index

The Mindjet Labs have a Blog'splosion

Mindjet Labs have launched a new look website and bunch of new blogs. Mindjet have had a “Corporate Blog” for a long time but these are more personal blogs from Mindjet’s established bloggers and some new ones. 

Michael explains the history and changes to Mindjet Labs in this post on his new blog. It also brings the return of Hobie Swan to blogging with Hobart's Mindjet Blog II. I was sad when he closed his former TypePad hosted blog. It was memorable for me as it’s where I first encountered ActiveWords which I rate as highly as MindManager in the “Life Changing Software you just have to try” category.

If you are a MindManager user visit and participate in the new labs community, if not check out the site & blogs, download a trial and see what you are missing!

The Mindjet Labs
You've got MindManager, now how do you use it more effectively?
The Mindjet Labs has evolved from a place where MindManager experts and partners went to find solution possibilities to a place where customers go to find out how to make their usage of MindManager most effective…

The Mindjet Labs - Blogs

• Synergist - Michael Scherotter
• Hobart's Mindjet Blog II - Hobart Swan
• Vivek's Mind - Vivek Vishist
• Really Blossom - Tom Blossom

The Mindjet Labs - Video Tour

Tags: Mindjet+Labs

Taking Note of Autodesk University - Mind Maps to the rescue?

In this conversation about Autodesk University 2006 from the Autodesk Discussion Group Melanie points out that to get the most out of AU you need to:

“TAKE DETAILED NOTES!!!
These classes are INTENSE...” 

Later on in the thread there is a comment that it would be essential to take a laptop but as Jason mentions:

 “I found that in most classes, it's WAY too packed to even consider bringing out a laptop.“

My first day there, I was like you - WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN!!! By the second day, I realized that I was too busy writing to pay attention to what was being said and done on the screen, so I paid close attention, took the handouts with me, and made notes after the class on them. No need for transcribing the class, they record some of them, and the handouts are really sufficient.

I agree with these points but my approach to this information tidal wave was to adopt Mind map techniques. I use software for creating them on the PC but didn’t take a laptop to AU as couldn’t be bothered carrying it 11,000 km to AU (Vegas 2004), then another 11,000km around the MGM Grand while at AU. It feels like you walk that far in the 4 days….

I’ve adopted the map format for nearly all hand written meeting/conference notes. You can capture a lot with minimal writing as the structure & relationships can convey much of the information. It works really well for computer related content like AU as many topics may only require key words and their relationship. I find the advantages over linear list format notes are:

• You tend to use far fewer words
• It’s very easy to show relationships. Just add a line or arrow
• It’s easy to revisit topics, perhaps add detail, as you are not restricted by the layout. Just link them with a line no matter where the additional notes are located. Although most presentations have structure they are not linear as often refer back to previous topics. This is common with computer presentations where concept/theory/features are discussed then later shown in a demonstration. When you are not documenting in a linear method this is far easier to cope with.
• You can still easily include a sketch, table or other forms of notes if appropriate.
• It’s rapid so doesn’t divert your attention from the speaker.

My note maps break most of the rules of Mind Mapping, even incorporate other forms like concept mapping, but it doesn’t matter. There is no time or need to think about rules and layout; just do what works for you!

As an example the scrawl below is the notes, 4 note pages from the AU handout book, from just one session with Ted Boardman on Viz/Max Materials. Ted is a brilliant teacher conveying a huge amount of information in the session but he’s also a great speaker so you don’t want to miss that aspect while frantically writing. He, like many AU tutors, provides good handouts but there is something about taking your own notes to make the sessions more memorable & relevant.

I’d like to blame the terrible writing on “packed conditions” but my print is that bad all the time! The layout reflects the way the maps grew during the session. Sometimes I’d revisit the topic and add extra notes just by linking with a line or capture comments in a thought bubble. I don’t know how you’d do this as rapidly or easily, in a non-linear manner, with conventional list format notes.

To give an idea this single topic about Specular Highlights (below) is shown in raw note form and as later transcribed to a MindManager map. The result conveys a lot of information, much of it from the relationship and structure, with minimal writing.

The map below shows Levels 1 & 2 of the complete notes from the session. The arrow points to the “Specular Highlights” topic seen fully expanded above. MindManager is great for this sort of overview while also holding the full detail should you need to drill down into a topic. The map has 245 topics and 912 words. The session was about 90 minutes so I wrote 2 – 3 topics/minute, many of them only one or two words, yet feel I captured all I needed without missing the real reason for being there – to see a Max/Viz legend at work.

So, do you need to take a Laptop to AU to just for notes? 

I’d say no paper is fine but a Tablet PC/Origami + MindManager, with ample long-life batteries, would be nice as offers the same pen interface and eliminates the need to transcribe it all later

UPDATE 13–10–2006: Ted has a class similar to “Materials & Beyond” at Autodesk University 2006 – Look for DV25-1 ~ All Dressed Up! ~ Design Visualization ~ Ted Boardman.

Tags: Autodesk+University+2004

MindManager video demo on Microsoft 10

Watch Michael S. Scherotter, Mindjet MindManager Business Solutions Architect, introduce Laura Foy to Mind Mapping & MindManager in this video on Microsoft 10…

Mind manager....Manage your thoughts in a logical (and pretty!) manner. | Tina Wood | Microsoft 10

UPDATE 29–09–2006: Map updated per Michaels corrections

 

MindManager Windows to Mac: More Than Just Porting an Application

This article backgrounds the effort taking Mindjet’s MindManager 6 Pro mapping application from Windows to Mac. It’s an interesting read for anyone that’s ever asked: