MindManager comes with sets of Templates, Styles and Map Markers plus you can create your own. When, where and how do you use them? I will explain each of these in a detailed blog shortly. First of all I would like to give you a quick overview.
Templates
Use these to start a map. You cannot apply a template to a map once it is started but you can cut and paste of course.
Templates have structure and content e.g. the order of a meeting or a new client questionnaire. You fill them in to produce the map for that meeting or client. They have a Style e.g. company branding and can have Topic Styles. They have a set of Map Markers. When you create a Template make sure the Style and Map Markers are appropriate for the purpose.
It is easy to create new Templates using the Save As Template. You can take a map from another source e.g. BiggerPlate or Mappio and convert it to a Template. Mindjet have a Template Gallery. Here is a Template for the Six Thinking Hats meeting process with a guide.
I will explain more about setting up a Template and storing them in my next blog.
Styles
Each map has a Style map contained in the same file. The Style controls the default colours, line styles, shapes and many more attributes. It can be applied to a map after it has been created and edited.
For instance you have a set of maps from previous project and the new project requires some different branding but the same content. You can copy the maps and apply a new Style to them. This only works if the old maps have used default Styles. Whenever you change a font or a colour etc. on a map you override the default Style. Applying a new Style will have no affect on that attribute (e.g. line colour) of that element of the map (e.g. sub topic) until you change it to the new default Style. More about this later.
You only see the Style of a map when you look at Format Ribbon > Map Style > Modify. Styles are universal at the same element type in a map i.e. all main topics have the same default style. The colours for each stage of the Six Thinking Hats map is provided in a template or possibly a Topic Style.
Map Markers
These are groups of icons you can use to mark up topics. There are prority markers, flags, smileys, task info, arrows, single icons etc. You can easily create your own text markers e.g. departments and it’s not that difficult to download or make new icons for use as map makers. You could turn mug shots into avatars! Map Markers are a fixed size, unlike images which can be scaled. There are additional Map Markers in the Library.
There are sets of Map Markers for specific applications that come with MindManager e.g. Meeting and Finances. You can see them in Tools Ribbon > Map Marker Lists. You can add lists to an exisiting map. Any map markers not used on the map, in the original list will be lost. You can create and save your own. You can add a legend to a map.
Map Markers and some style elements are powerful ways to filter a map for viewing at a meeting e.g. focus on incomplete tasks or publishing e.g. a set of topics Tom is responsible for.
That was a quick overview. More details and examples to come for each of them. Please ask some questions now. I will try to answer them in the next three blogs.
Andrew is an experienced user of MindManager who shares his knowledge and advice for free here. And provides commercial training and consulting on how to exploit MindManager and other mind mapping software applications in business, organisations and for individuals at Cabre
For more information about Andrew please visit his Google + profile.
