Mind Mapping for Martial Art Research

[Dai Zhi Qiang]

Hi,

I was wondering if any of you use mind-mapping software? I am thinking of getting some to aid me in my research (Dai Xin Yi Quan) I am collecting and categorising everything I have (photo's, articles, etc).

Ideally it has to be on mac osx as that is the operating system I am using for the moment.

I been playing around with a free trial of a programme called "Novamind" which seems to be OK, but if someone has experience in mind-mapping and can suggest something better, than I am all ears.

Thanks

Jon.

[GrahamB]

Both OmniGraffle by omni group and MINDMAP by ConceptDraw are good on OS X.

[lazyboxer]

I like The Brain http://www.thebrain.com - they have an Apple version, and there's a 30 day trial.

[.Q.]

I use Freemind since it's free and it takes minimal clicks for doing mundane tasks. My main gripe is that it doesn't support embedded images (though they can be displayed using links). It's free and written in Java. Pretty damn fast once it loads (and the latest version loads way faster than before). Supports use of tags so you can, e.g., list all your moves and use a filter to display only movements that start w/ a kick. Nodes can be interlinked w/ a physical curve line or just direct jump link.

Xmind is pretty good also since it supports embedded images, but the tag filter capability is only in paid versions. Also feels more bloated than Freemind.

[Michael]

Maybe it's that time of the month.

[cdobe]

I use Freemind since it's free and it takes minimal clicks for doing mundane tasks. My main gripe is that it doesn't support embedded images (though they can be displayed using links). It's free and written in Java. Pretty damn fast once it loads (and the latest version loads way faster than before). Supports use of tags so you can, e.g., list all your moves and use a filter to display only movements that start w/ a kick. Nodes can be interlinked w/ a physical curve line or just direct jump link.
Xmind is pretty good also since it supports embedded images, but the tag filter capability is only in paid versions. Also feels more bloated than Freemind.

Thank you very much for that one. I never thought about organising my stuff with the help of a digital mindmap. Fantastic!

You should check the latest version of the program, because I can embed images with this software...

[KEND]

Interesting-I used the system for years [before it was computerized] to write reports, articles and eventually a book, then I discovered Buzan's book and sort of formalised it. I didnt know there was a computerized version. I found it to be a powerful tool for organising ideas, it often leads to areas that you would not think of in a regular article

[.Q.]

I use Freemind since it's free and it takes minimal clicks for doing mundane tasks. My main gripe is that it doesn't support embedded images (though they can be displayed using links). It's free and written in Java. Pretty damn fast once it loads (and the latest version loads way faster than before). Supports use of tags so you can, e.g., list all your moves and use a filter to display only movements that start w/ a kick. Nodes can be interlinked w/ a physical curve line or just direct jump link.
Xmind is pretty good also since it supports embedded images, but the tag filter capability is only in paid versions. Also feels more bloated than Freemind.

Thank you very much for that one. I never thought about organising my stuff with the help of a digital mindmap. Fantastic!

You should check the latest version of the program, because I can embed images with this software...

You're welcome, but I believe your embedding's going to be a little problematic once you move the actual location of your images. All pictures are just html links using ABSOLUTE path (grrr...). If they used relative path, I can at least stuff everything in a folder and move it together, but alas...

[klonk]

Thought I'd give this a whirl. Downloaded Freemind. It asked me if I'd updated my Java RTE lately, I hadn't, so I clicked Update Java in Windows XP and it whinged about a corrupted cab. Screw it, I'll run what I brung. It's higher than the minimum Freemind recommended, anyway.

Program is quite serviceable! I can notice the lag because it's running interpreted p code, but I've coded in Java, I know what to look for, or when to look for it. The lags might not annoy some people. Every lag annoys me.

I hate the whole idea of an interpreter running a condensed and allegedly portable code. I have hated it ever since the days of San Diego Pascal. It's a totally dumb idea. Write once, debug everywhere.

That aside, mind mapping is a good idea. It is not an original idea, but a restatement of an old one. What am I talking about? Any mind map can be expressed as a stepped outline, and any stepped outline can be expressed as a mind map. All we're talking about is the difference between graphical representation and typographical representation.

Anybody who remembers UCSD Pascal also remembers the Pascal design outline. Same difference, you could express that with a mind map, but I learned to do it with any text editor, such as vi or Notepad.

Some people will like the mind map branching image better than the Pascal outline text. Some people like the movie better than the book. I would encourage the use of mind mapping for anyone who likes its representation better. It's six of one, half a dozen of the other.

How old is the basic concept behind the stepped outline, and thus behind the mind map? Uhhh... long story.

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Joke for programming geeks: Niklaus Wirth visited UC and found that many there pronounced his name like "Nickle's Worth." Said he, "I suppose they are calling me not by name but by value."

So they say. I wasn't there.