Talk:Asked questions

Here are poorly consolidated, not so relevant or not yet answered questions.

Answered

How does one use the MindManager XSL transform?

the wiki page http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Import_and_export_to_other_applications has an XSLT for converting MindManger v5 maps to freemind. That is really cool, but how do I use it?

see File/Import/MindManager X5 Map! Works very well! --mailias

Can you have freemind nodes on one side only?

I am exploring the way freemind works and would like to know if you can have the mind map only grow out one side of the first node. at the moment when you add child nodes to the first one it puts them on each side of the first one. I would like to be able to have the first node at the top left of the page and then all others growing down from left ot right and top to bottom of the page.

start by grabbing a node on the left of the root (first) node, and drag it over the oval for the root node. When you have dragged it over the root node oval, notice that the root node oval is shaded either on the left half or the right half depending on which side you have your mouse pointer over. Release the node over the right half of the root node oval and the entire node is shifted to the right side of the root. Use this to get every node from the left side onto the right side. Does this help? --?? Jan 6 2005

using the keyboard, you can use control arrow up or down to move a node. When you reach the top or bottom they will move to the left or right side.

Linking trees

Is there a way to associate a whole subtree from another part in the map? For instance, I am trying to create topics of programming knowledge and find that "Patterns" would fall under "C++", "JAVA" and "General programming techniques". I just want to make sure that what gets changed under one subtree gets propagated to the other instances.

(the same user later) The answer to the above "Linking Trees" is (teaches me to read the friendly manual first) is to be found in the article. --?? 07 May 2004

Custom CSS in HTML Export?

Can I configure the html export so that it includes a link to a CSS? So I don't have always to change the exported html page.

No. Currently, you can't configure the html export so that it includes a link to CSS or CSS itself. --Danielpolansky 08:24, 2 Oct 2004 (PDT)

Can I run FreeMind on other Mac OS than OS X?

As a Java based an hopefully crossflatform application, is it theoretically possible to run on Mac not OS X? What are the problems? --?? 19 May 2004

It's just that nobody reported running FreeMind on other OS of Mac than Mac OS X. I am ignorant on Mac's operating systems anyway. --??

The old Macs are in effect a different operating system and Apple is nolonger updating it. The old macs do not have Java 1.4+ and will never get it. Solution, old mac user upgrade to OSX and then run FreeMind, which works very well on OSX 10.3.3 Java 1.4.2 --??

On linking nodes with OpenOffice1.1.1. under Linux2.4

Hello, under W2K, I can link nodes with external documents without any problem. Under Linux I didn't figure out a way of doing the same. A 2003 post by Daniel stated that, at this time, there was no other possiblity under Linux but launching Mozilla whatever file extension or mime type was associated in the link. Is there a way now ? --?? 07 Jun 2004

Self answer, found in a forum : Unlike Windows, Linux does not have a core facility that launches applications based on a file's MIMEtype. Such capabilities exist in various places - such as in the file managers for the desktops - but I know of no command you could reliably use in all Linux environments to launch an application from a file." One possible solution might be to launch the file in Netscape itself, with the AppletContext.showDocument() method. Netscape would presumably "show" the document in some way that makes sense for the document's MIMEtype."

____

Well well, if starting an application based on the mime type seems difficult in Linux, it may exist another way. Sorry for the presumable childish question : is it possible to use Mozilla for issuing a shell like commande, like "../program/swriter toto.sxw" ? Or anything else that would open the linked openoffice file from a node and letting not only view (a html save as would do it) but actually edit? Thank you for your attention. JFD

P.S.: If there is no elegant workaround, I'll copy the full text paths in the text nodes and later copy to the openOffice url locator for editing / viewing.

>> What about the files: /usr/lib/mime/packages/freemind == application/x-freemind; /usr/bin/freemind '%s'; test=test -n "$DISPLAY"; description="FreeMind MindMap file"; textualnewlines; nametemplate=%s.mm == and /etc/mime.types ? == application/x-freemind mm == On debian it's handled by mime-support package.

W2K, OpenOffice1.1.1 (upgrade), and broken file links

Since upgrading my OpenOffice from 1.1.0 to 1.1.1 a link to a spreadsheet no longer works. I've tried re-doing the link to no avail. No other problems noted with the OO or freemind; what now? --?? 09 Jun 2004

Regarding this problem of mine -- might it help to reinstall FreeMind? --?? 18 Jun 2004

Stand alone browser

load it all in one folder with relative links and burn... tell us what happens --?? 10 Jun 2004

Email Links from FreeMind

How do I paste in an email link? I can paste in a link to a message, but it doesn't seem to work like the example on the Documentation --?? 17 Jun 2004

Are more languages available?

Is German or French available?

Change the language in user.properties.

To install freemind*.deb on a debian system

Hello, how do I install freemind[bla].deb on my debian system? I did not find any answers about what to do after downloading the dot deb file on this page :( --?? 20 Jun 2004

I tried the following on Debian/sarge and it worked: $ dpkg -i freemind.deb --Christophe 15 Jul 2004

freemind Debian package needs j2re1.4 or java2-runtime packages that are not in Debian archives.

How can I find them ? Thanks for your answer. --?? 28 Jul 2004

Go to Sun's Java Site and follow the the instructions for a manual download and installation of the JRE under Linux.

Follow instructions on the Blackdown Site - simple matter to update your /etc/apt/sources.list, then you can install from apt-get as per the instructions, or through dselect - then freemind dependencies will be taken care of. - Kurt Woodham 1/12/05

URL nodes

Can you have nodes that are URLs?

(later the same user) I am sorry - Ctrl K does what I wanted. (great tool by the way!) --?? 25 Jun 2004

Difference between FreeMind and Buzan mind-maps?

Why do you say that FreeMind isn't really like Buzan-style mind-maps? Simon

We have several reasons for warning users that FreeMind does not comply fully with Buzan's wishes. Firstly, the graphical possibilities are limited. The look of the main branches is basically the same as the look of secondary branches. The positioning of the main branches is not flexible, unlike in MindManager. Secondly, the support for pictures is inferior. We do not support pictures embedded directly in the mind map, i.e. the picture files are stored outside the mind maps. And when you try to edit a picture, your favorite bitmap editor is not opened. Summed up, it is possible to work with pictures, but not seamless. Our main point is to keep as many as possible of the statements we make on the web pages traceable. We don't want to create a gap between expectations created by our presentation texts and by the actual user experience. --Danielpolansky 05:55, 26 Sep 2004 (PDT)

To open links in only one browser window, rather than several

Depends on the internet browser you are using. With Mozilla Firefox with TabBrowser Extension you can customize Mozilla to work with one window only, open new links in separated Tabs. --?? 07 Jul 2004

To set background picture

Hmm - can you specify a picture to be used as the background and not a color per se?

No, it's not possible.

Multi-line nodes overlap others

Multi-line nodes overlap with other nodes, making the others difficult to see and access. How can I stop this happening?

This is a known error; only the children of the root suffer from this.

Installation won't pick up j2se1.4 when installing from rpm

I'm trying to install freemind-0.7.1-2.noarch.rpm on Sun's Java Desktop 2.0 (which is essentially SuSE with some interface changes. I get the following messages:

# rpm -i freemind-0.7.1-2.noarch.rpm
error: failed dependencies:
java_runtime >= 1.4 is needed by freemind-0.7.1-2

However, as you can see, I have TWO j2re's >= 1.4:

j2re-1.4.2_04-fcs
j2re-1.4.2_05-fcs

java is in the path:

# which java
/usr/java/j2re1.4.2_05/bin/java
# java -fullversion
java full version "1.4.2_05-b04"

And just for good measure, I've set the JAVA_HOME variable:

# printenv JAVA_HOME
/usr/java/j2re1.4.2_05

What is the secret handshake, here?!? --?? 07 Jul 2004

Whatever your problem is, the plain binary distribution of FreeMind (in contrast to RPM packaging) should work for you. --?? 29 Jul 2004

I have just installed FreeMind RPM and had the same problem. As I was sure my j2re was OK, I just made a 'rpm -i --nodeps'. Freemind is working fine.

Is there any support for import/export from MindMapper? If not are there any clever hacks to do most of the work? --?? 13 Aug 2004

re: installation won't pick up j2se1.4

23 Aug 2004

history of install:

3827  sudo rpm -i --nodeps freemind-0.7.1-2.noarch.rpm
3828  ls
3829  whereis freemind
3830  updatedb
3831  sudo updatedb
3832  freemind/
3833  ls
3834  sudo freemind

/usr/bin/freemind: line 30: java: command not found

fc1

re: installation won't pick up j2se1.4

I'm not nearly as successful as you. I just installed the jre but it's not coming up when I run which java... How did you set your path? dgd goes looking --?? 23 Aug 2004

Deleting Nodes

Is there a way to invoke the deletion of a node with a keyboard combination rather than the right click menus. Althought this is a personal preference anyway, as someone who suffers with RSI, I try to avoid as much mouse activity as possible. Many thanks --?? 17 Aug 2004

Press Ctrl + X to cut out (ie. delete) a node with keyboard.

Line-break

Is it possible to have a line-break in a node? Found it myself already. Great tool BTW. --?? 18 Aug 2004

Notes

Is there a way of attaching a note to a node? For example I want to provide more information on a specific node for review purposes without having to add the contents of my note as a separate child node because it is not part of the scheme at hand. --?? 18 Aug 2004

No. --Danielpolansky 05:25, 26 Sep 2004 (PDT)

Will FreeMind be part of ASQ and 3 and even 4 dimensional mapping?

See also ASQ.

I don't understand the question. FreeMind is an application while ASQ is a programming language. How can an application be a part of programming language? Whatever ASQ is, we at FreeMind don't make any commitment in ASQ's direction. --Danielpolansky 04:59, 26 Sep 2004 (PDT)

Is FreeMind suitable as a non relational XML database?

In a sense, FreeMind is a personal non relational XML database. But as I don't know how the term non relational XML database is used in general, I cannot answer that question properly. I don't think that program like FreeMind without any indexing capability can properly be called a database. --Danielpolansky 04:59, 26 Sep 2004 (PDT)

Should non-linear books and N-psi-clopidieas be stored in FMXML?

Now I don't know what non-linear books and N-psi-clopidieas are, and don't have time to find out. FreeMind can certainly be used to store complete books. --Danielpolansky 04:59, 26 Sep 2004 (PDT)

To change fonts or more nodes at once

Is there a simple way of changing the fonts (or color, size, etc) of all nodes at once? --?? 07 Jul 2004

Do it by selecting multiple nodes, which you can do by holding control while selecting. Also, you can select a complete subtree by selecting its root while holding alt.

How can I include FreeMind maps in Wikka Wiki pages?

From version 1.1.6 on, you can simply copy and paste the code. Otherwise try to link the map. See http://wikka.jsnx.com/FreeMind for more deatails.

Not Answered

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Left Toolbar Extends Offscreen

The left toolbar is too long to fit on a 1024x768 screen. I'm running FreeMind 0.8.0 on Ubuntu Breezy with Sun JDK 1.5.0_04. Is there any way to make the buttons at the bottom of the toolbar visible?

XHTML Compliant FreeMind Browser

Hello everyone, I found out how to transform the invalid 'applet' elements into something more XHTML and HTML compliant.

A xhtml file and a html file are available for the purpose of demonstration.

I read the following site, to guide myself while converting 'applet' into 'object' tags.

Here is what I came up with:

<!--[if !IE]>-->
<object classid="java:freemind.main.FreeMindApplet.class" type="application/x-java-applet" archive="http://rolandog.com/freemind/freemindbrowser.jar" width="450" height="300">
   <param name="scriptable" value="false" />
   <param name="modes" value="freemind.modes.browsemode.BrowseMode" />
   <param name="browsemode_initial_map" value="http://rolandog.com/freemind/Textbook.mm" />
   <param name="initial_mode" value="Browse" />
   <param name="selection_method" value="selection_method_direct" />
<!-- <![endif]-->
   <object classid="clsid:8AD9C840-044E-11D1-B3E9-00805F499D93" codebase="http://java.sun.com/update/1.5.0/jinstall-1_5_0-windows-i586.cab" height="300" width="450">
      <param name="code" value="freemind.main.FreeMindApplet" />
      <param name="archive" value="http://rolandog.com/freemind/freemindbrowser.jar" />
      <param name="scriptable" value="false" />
      <param name="modes" value="freemind.modes.browsemode.BrowseMode" />
      <param name="browsemode_initial_map" value="http://rolandog.com/freemind/Textbook.mm" />
      <param name="initial_mode" value="Browse" />
      <param name="selection_method" value="selection_method_direct" />
      <strong>
        This browser does not have a Java Plug-in.
      </strong>
      <br />
      <a href="http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/downloads/index.html">
        Get the latest Java Plug-in here.
      </a>
   </object>
<!--[if !IE]>-->
</object>
<!-- <![endif]-->

It is an example code that you would place in a webpage (replace ' />' with '>' if it's an html page... leave them for xhtml).

--Rolandog 18:08, 26 Mar 2006 (PST)

Node with more than one parent

Is it possible to create a node with more than parent? So maybe i want to have something like this:

  a
 /  \
b    c
 \  /
  d

--Pintman 02:32, 18 Jul 2005 (PDT)

No it is not! MindMaps are hierarchical, you may want to use graphical links to connect nodes in some way even though that's not what you requested. Another option is to use Cmaps instead (see other software section...). --mailias

Cloud Border

How is the color of a cloud's border set by FreeMind? Can this behaivor be altered with user.properties? Can a default color be set?

Changing Default Save Director

Is it possible to change the default directory that FreeMind points to for saving files under Windows? I prefer not to use My Documents and it would easier if FreeMind could be pointed to my preferred directory instead.

stand alone browser

is there a way to include and use the FreeMind browser applet on a CD-ROM. I want to use it to present my mindmap in a browser with links to documents included on the cd-rom and on the internet. --?? 05 May 2004

FreeMind doesn't work after installation

I installed the latest Java and then FreeMind. I had a play with FreeMind and it crashed. I had to restart my WinXP machine. Since then, cannot run FreeMind. I have uninstalled FreeMind and Java. Then re-installed Java then FreeMind. If I double click or run the FreeMind exe I don't see a window appear, nothing in the taskbar or anything. Also, if I try open a page on your site, that needs Java then my IE window just closes. Shame, I was looking forward to trying FreeMind. Any ideas? --?? 16 May 2004
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Other user: PC with Windows 2000, Java JRE build 1.4.1_01-b01. After having installed FreeMind, when clicking on FreeMind icon, the mouse pointer turns into the hourglass for a couple of seconds and then turns back to the regular arrow, however FreeMind does not launch. Looked in the "Asked Questions" section of FreeMind Wiki, where it is suggested to run FreeMind.bat and check for messages. Cannot find any freemind.bat file in my "c:\program files\freemind" installation directory. Run a search on the whole hard drive, no file "freemind.bat" could be found. Any clue on what prevents FreeMind to launch? (30 Nov. 2004)
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Tariq: I have the same issue, I installed Freemind but it doesnt run.T his is what I got after running the freemind.bat file

       Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: java/util/logging/Log
       ger
       at freemind.main.FreeMind.getLogger(FreeMind.java:643)
       at freemind.main.FreeMind.<init>(FreeMind.java:109)
       at freemind.main.FreeMind.main(FreeMind.java:647)

any idea what this would be

Hosting freemind on IIS

How to Host freemind on IIS? --?? 08 Jun 2004 This worked for me :

1 ) copy freemindbrowser.html, freemindbrowser.jar and <yourmap>.mm to some folder

2 ) go to IIS, right-click on your web site and choose properties. Go to HTTP Headers tab and click on MIME Types. Add the following MIME type :

extension : mm MIME type : application/freemind

[sergio giraldo][19 Jan 2005]

Provide links between nodes or link to a specific node in a different map

Is there a way to establish a link from one node to another node, either in the same, or a different map? --?? 01 Jul 2004

Cloud outline color

Is it possible to change the outline color of a cloud? (not bubble or fork or background).

Forked background colors

How, precisely, do you change the background color - not text - of the forked (not Cloud) style of the nodes? --?? 07 Jul 2004

Repository for easy distribution to education admins

It would be fantastic if resources were found to supply an rpm repository for the educators using apt-get or yum to maintain and update LTSP; LTSP supplies some 100,000+ students with computer services. --?? 23 Aug 2004

Easiest way to combine two maps?

What is the easiest way to combine two large maps into one, preferably preserving the first two? I'd like to run two separate sessions of Freemind with two different groups of people, then combine the results. --?? 27 Aug 2004

Creating Links textfile and Filechooser

I am trying to create a link in one mm that links to another mm file. This works okay if the target mm is in my home directory (in my case "P:\My Documents"), but if the target is in a subdirectory of home, I get a "New Mindmap". --?? 02 Sep 2004

Creating graphical links beyond the page borders

When creating a graphical link and it's beyond the page borders...how do you scroll the screen while holding left mouse button + cntrl + shift. I can's find a way to scroll. Is it possible? Mouse scroll button does not function and neither does the side bar. Maybe I'm missing something.Any suggestions? --?? 06 Sep 2004

Viewing online, works in IE6 beautifully, no interation in Firefox 0.9

Having published a test map at http://www.kilobox.net/mindmaps/freemindbrowser.html I fid it works so well in IE6, right clicking functionality and (un)folding children, but there's no such interaction in Firefox 0.9. I've checked my java settings, but no idea, any help? -- email Wedgekin <at> gmail.com 09 Sep 2004

I can see your mind map in Firefox without any problems. --Danielpolansky 08:17, 2 Oct 2004 (PDT)

Exporting icons to HTML

I've tried to export a mindmap with icons to HTML. The icons however do not appear in the HTML-Document. Is there a way to manually copy the icon-files into an image folder on my webpage. Where are these files located?

Exporting to text outline format?

Is there any way to have FreeMind export to a simple text outline from the map?

Export Text user.properties Options

I would like to add that some options in user.properties would make such an export VERY useful:

ExportText.IncludeTopNode: Default is true, which is normal. A setting of false removes the top node from the export (would be nice if it could become the filename). This is needed for example to allow PowerPoint to import the children as slides.

ExportText.IndentString: Default would be four spaces as it is now, but would allow any string. This would make it easy to export to many formats.

It would be REALLY nice if these two parameters (and perhaps others?...) could be packaged together and displayed as a droplist in the menu so one could create many variations on the basic text export and have them readily available.

Saving Page Set-Up & Node Background Colours

Is it possible to save a page setting to be used each print run? Currently I need to set-up the page format (margins and orientation) each time I fire-up FM.

Colouring the nodes - of course - changes the text colour. Is it possible to change the background colour too - ala clouds?

It's a pretty stupendous tool, by the way. In a matter of weeks I find all of my work can be organised in this way. I have been using MM's for years and this tool has made it all more formalised! Its great!!

Thanks to all who made the effort - you done good!

Ian

Linking Path for FreeMind on a Web Page?

Hi Folks

How would I go about linking images to nodes on a web page - that is, what path should I use to create the links and where should I store the images in the web site?

Seems like this should be obvious but there seems no way to use referential linking of paths so when its saved on a Host it can still find the graphics!

Ian

Can we treat a node as HTML using an attribute?

Instead of the cumbersome "<html>" string required at the beginning of the text. And even worse, having to keep the MaxNodeWidth enforced with something like <body width="600">. Why not take a different approach. One that seems like it would have little impact on the code, though I have not read it as of yet...

If html was treated as an attribute like bold and italic as in html="true", then process the entire node as html same as when the string "<html>" is detected at the beginning of the text. There would be a default <style>body {width:<MaxNodeWidth>}</style> in place, though the actual html in the node could override this just the way normal CSS does.

This has MAJOR implications for the use of the xml file. Though I have not written any XSLT yet for FreeMind, I was APPALLED at the thought of having to strip out this "<html>" string out of every node that used it. And positively frustrated at the idea of having to test for irrelevant tags used to control width, i.e. <body width="600">. I really thought this crude and that it would slow the proceesing of files that use what is really a most beautifully clean concept.

However, an html attribute does away with all of this and seems to me to be a much more elegant and cleanly way to deal with html....

BTW, it would be very straight forward to write an XSLT transform to upgrade existing .MM files.

missing "undo"

Where is the "undo"?

Debian apt-get install freemind

root@jabber: Desktop# apt-get install freemind Reading Package Lists... Done Building Dependency Tree... Done Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable distribution that some required packages have not yet been created or been moved out of Incoming.

Since you only requested a single operation it is extremely likely that the package is simply not installable and a bug report against that package should be filed. The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:

 freemind: Depends: j2re1.4 or
                    java2-runtime

E: Broken packages

why? I've java, I've and I work with NetBeans... tnx

How to emulate labelled edges?

In freemind.mm -> Demonstration of some features,there is a featrue called "emulate labelled edges". But no infomation about how to do. :(

Could a simple vector-graphics feature be added?

Using Freemind to take notes, being limited to text is very frustrating. Yes, bitmap images are possible, but I simply want to draw a graph or systems map etc. Nothing too fancy, but it would be nice to be able to add a "vector graphics" node with the following features:

- Cutdown, SVG-based implementation

- Small, internal editor

- Rectangles, circles, lines, text

- Varying line widths, colours

- Varying 2-colour gradients, (1D, angle)

- Vector area is scalable, contents scale with border.

- When editing, contents do NOT scale with border

That would do me!

Ideas for added functionality

Hi everyone,

first I want to thank all developers for making FreeMind (0.8.0). It's a great tool!

Working with FreeMind I still miss somethings and maybe you like the ideas and can integrate them in the 0.9 oder 1.0 release. As I did not find a "proposal" page, I'll put it in here.

1.) It takes too much interaction to change the color of text, background, line color and/or icon for a node element

How about presets, easily accessible with hotkey, say CTRL 1-9. For each hotkey, an interface lets you define a combination of icon and the 3 textcolors. CTRL 1 can be Icon Question + Line color red (the background and text color are not influenced, so I could use CTRL 9 setting these both too on the same node without overwriting the first CTRL 1). This would be easy and convenient.

2.) I store a lot of plans/projects in FreeMind. Notes are implemented rather simple at the moment. First I miss a hotkey to add a note. Second I simply cannot find a way to remove a note. (Here is a question hidden ;) ) Third, the lower part of the screen is not the best way to edit larger nodes. An (optional?) popup window would simplify both editing and reading (and could be the same hotkey as the creation of the note).

3.) An optional setting that copies color/icon settings on creation of a new node from its father. And an additional hotkey to clear the setting, if it is not needed. This would be a great help in Mindmaps where one wants for example maps with nodes starting from root with different color and passing them down the whole structure.

Thanks for reading, keep up the good work Markus