The user.properties file

The user.properties file has many useful options. Unfortunately, it can be scary for novices. Here's a selective look at some of the choices you might want to adjust.

To change the options, you'll copy the file "user.properties" from FreeMind's program directory to the folder "freemind" in your home directory and edit it using a text editor. You surely know your home directory if you're working on Linux. On Windows 2000, it's typically "C:\Documents and Settings\<UserName>\", on Windows 95, it's "C:\WINDOWS\". Edit "user.properties" in the folder "freemind" of your home directory.

When you start out, all of the options are commented out with a single "#" symbol. To change an option, remove the "#" and edit the line. Then save the file and restart FreeMind. (Comments in the file are marked by "##". You should not remove the comment symbols from those lines.)

These notes apply to version 0.7.1. The file is likely to be different in future versions.

The value shown in the examples is the default value, the one you'll get if you leave the line commented out.

Language. Supported are "en", "de" and "fr":
language = en

Experimental file locking ("true" or "false"):
experimental_file_locking_on = false

Default node style -- "fork" or "bubble":
standardnodestyle = fork

Standard node color in HTML #RRGGBB notation:
standardnodecolor = #000000

• All color references here are in HTML notation. Many references to HTML color codes are on the Internet. A handy chart, and links to some color tools, is at http://www.lissaexplains.com/color.shtml.

Default node font. This will only work if the font (TrueTypeFont) is available on the system:
defaultfont = SansSerif
defaultfontstyle = 0
defaultfontsize = 12

Default maximal node width in pixels:
max_node_width = 600

Standard edge color:
standardedgecolor = #808080

Standard edge style -- "linear" or "bezier":
standardedgestyle = bezier

Standard cloud color:
standardcloudcolor = #f0f0f0

Standard link color:
standardlinkcolor = #b0b0b0

Standard background color:
standardbackgroundcolor = #ffffff

Look & Feel to use. "metal", "windows", "motif" are supported on all platforms; "mac" is available only on MacOS. default means that the default look and feel is used.  If there are problems with the look and feel, then choose "nothing" here. It work for applets.
lookandfeel = windows

Initial map size:
mapxsize = 1000
mapysize = 3200

Options for the window that opens up to edit long nodes:
el__buttons_position = above
el__position_window_below_node = true
el__min_default_window_height = 150
el__max_default_window_height = 500
el__min_default_window_width = 600
el__max_default_window_width = 600
el__enter_confirms_by_default = true

Next comes a long section of keystroke definitions. Valid modifiers are:
 shift | control | alt | meta | button1 | button2 | button3

Menu accelerators:
keystroke_newMap = control N
keystroke_open = control O
keystroke_save = control S
keystroke_saveAs = control A
keystroke_print = control P
keystroke_close = control W
keystroke_quit = control Q
keystroke_export_to_html = control E
keystroke_export_branch_to_html = control H
keystroke_open_first_in_history = control shift W
 

Map and mode switching:
keystroke_previousMap = control LEFT
keystroke_nextMap = control RIGHT

keystroke_mode_MindMap = alt 1
keystroke_mode_Browse = alt 2
keystroke_mode_File = alt 3

Node editing commands:
keystroke_node_toggle_italic = control I
keystroke_node_toggle_boldface = control B
keystroke_node_toggle_cloud = control shift B

keystroke_cut = control X
keystroke_copy = control C
keystroke_copy_single = control Y
keystroke_paste = control V

(You can change the following key to DELETE, but it's disabled because of the lack of an Undo function:)
keystroke_remove = none

keystroke_edit = F2
keystroke_edit_long_node = alt ENTER
keystroke_join_nodes = control J
keystroke_toggle_folded = SPACE
keystroke_toggle_children_folded = control SPACE
keystroke_set_link_by_filechooser = control shift K
keystroke_set_link_by_textfield = control K
keystroke_set_image_by_filechooser = alt K
keystroke_node_up = control UP
keystroke_node_down = control DOWN
keystroke_node_increase_font_size = control L
keystroke_node_decrease_font_size = control M
keystroke_branch_increase_font_size = control shift L
keystroke_branch_decrease_font_size = control shift M
keystroke_export_branch = alt A

keystroke_node_color = alt C
keystroke_node_color_blend = alt B
keystroke_edge_color = alt E

Node navigation commands:
keystroke_moveToRoot = ESCAPE
keystroke_move_up = E
keystroke_move_down = D
keystroke_move_left = S
keystroke_move_right = F
keystroke_follow_link = control ENTER

New node commands:
keystroke_add = ENTER
keystroke_add_child = INSERT
keystroke_add_sibling_before = shift ENTER

Search:
keystroke_find = ctrl F
keystroke_find_next = ctrl G

Apply patterns. There is no limiting number of the pattern, you can have as many keystrokes for patterns as you want. F10 and beyond aren't used in the default because F10 has a special function on Windows.
keystroke_apply_pattern_1 = F1
keystroke_apply_pattern_2 = control shift N
keystroke_apply_pattern_3 = F3
keystroke_apply_pattern_4 = F4
keystroke_apply_pattern_5 = F5
keystroke_apply_pattern_6 = F6
keystroke_apply_pattern_7 = F7
keystroke_apply_pattern_8 = F8
keystroke_apply_pattern_9 = F9
keystroke_apply_pattern_10 = control F1
keystroke_apply_pattern_11 = control F2
keystroke_apply_pattern_12 = control F3
keystroke_apply_pattern_13 = control F4
keystroke_apply_pattern_14 = control F5
keystroke_apply_pattern_15 = control F6
keystroke_apply_pattern_16 = control F7
keystroke_apply_pattern_17 = control F8
keystroke_apply_pattern_18 = control F9

keystroke_zoom_out = alt UP
keystroke_zoom_in = alt DOWN

Key typing: if enabled enters node editing. Default is to enable this mode:
disable_key_type = false

Key typing: overwrites content (false) / creates new sibling (true). (Requires: disable_key_type = false):
key_type_adds_new = false

Tell if HTML exported from FreeMind should contain icons. The trouble with icons is that quite often the links to icons will not be found in the exported HTML.
export_icons_in_html = false

Selection time delay of nodes when mouse is over (in msec). Change this value to 1 if you want direct selection on mouse over.
time_for_delayed_selection=500

Autosave options:

Time between two consecutive automatic saving actions (in msec). To disable automatic saving set this number to 2000000000.
time_for_automatic_save=60000

If the autosave files should be deleted automatically on a normal shutdown of Freemind set the following variable to true:
delete_automatic_saves_at_exit=true

Number of different files to store the autosave maps into. The first automatic save is done in the first file, and so on, up to the n+1 save, which is again stored in the first file (cyclic):
number_of_different_files_for_automatic_save=10

Autosave path. To change the default path (this is "java.io.tmpdir" of Java), enter a directory path here.  freemind_home stands for the directory where the auto.properties are. ( * default points to java.io.tmpdir):
path_to_automatic_saves=freemind_home