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The future CMAPTOOLS vs VUE and others

Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 5:23 am
by kewapo
Maybe it is important for you to improve the features of your mind mapping tool. I write this post to send you my experience.

I usually use concept maps for all projects I begin. My two favorite programs are CmapTools and Visual Understanding Environment.
The two features I most like of VUE are:
  • With it you can construct a map as fast as you think: you only have to press CTRL+N and type the concept, or ALT + mouse to connect two concepts. In two minutes you have a draft of your thinking. Later in a most peaceful process, you can order this thinking.
  • It is a .jar file you can save in your USB unit. It is important to have a portable version of the application because I usually make presentations, and the guest computers don't have the program installed, and I can't install it via internet because of security reasons.
I like to show the people my tinkling, so the presentations features are important:
  • Full screen
  • As many ways as you can think to construct slides
  • A way to navigate through this slides.
  • A easy way to have zoom in the presentations
I consider concept maps as a document type like text or spreadsheets, so I save them in the project directory.
It's a good think to have as many format features as you can add: this facilitates learning.
Other question I miss in CmapTools is a way to have a exported html we can expand and collapse (for nested nodes).

I am waiting a portable-USB lite application we can use to share our "way of understand".


Thanks for share this app with us.

Re: The future CMAPTOOLS vs VUE and others

Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 2:43 pm
by cmapadmin
Thanks for the suggestions.

Adding control characters is on our to-do list, and getting fast to the top. Any suggestions on what the shortcuts should be are welcome
Having CmapTools be a single .jar file is complicated ... can't see that happenings.
CmapTools' presentation mode is not a showcase of presentation features, but works great to have linked presentations and linked .pps (or equivalent) files... its quite popular.

Re: The future CMAPTOOLS vs VUE and others

Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 8:34 am
by chudodey
I'm using a Mindmanager for everyday thinking. But!

1. It have an argly useless app for ipad.
2. Mindmap should have only one main topic, bat I'm my associative stream of thought uses a large number of "crystallization centers". Therefore, I prefer the concept maps than mental.

However, when using the cmaptools, I feel the ergonomic difficulties.

1. I can't zoom in/out map with mouse wheel, why?
2. I can't use only keyboard for nodes fast creating, as it is done in mindmanager.Yes, I understand that cmap don't have strong hierarchical structure, so it's hard to navigate cross nodes only with arrow keys. But I have ideas, see below.
3. I can't pan the screen with mouse.

Do you know a yEd Graph Editor? I think it is best app for fast shemes and graph creating.
One left mouse click - create node
Press left mouse buttom and pull - create edge
Press right mouse buttom - pan the screen
Roll mouse wheel - zoom the screen

And they have a lot of autolayout methods.
But they don't have cloud and ipad version and social network and collaborations services. :(

Than do you know the WorkFlowy.com?- it's a cool outline editor.

So I think the best way of thinking is a mix of mindmapping + conceptmaping + outline coding with diffent way of input and visualisation of information. Below I attach my vision of thinking process.

Thanks.

Re: The future CMAPTOOLS vs VUE and others

Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 6:57 am
by cmapadmin
Thanks for all the suggestions. We go slowly with improvements, basically depending on the level of external funding (research funds, donations, etc.) we get for development.