REQUEST: Mind Mapping

[cgalli 6]

Hello

Evernote is a very good tool for me and I use it daily to gather my thoughts and ideas.

While listing a few items today, it occurred to me that a MindMap tool or editor would be the perfect addition to evernote. structured lists could be derived from it and vice versa.

Any chance of getting something like this?

Regards

Christophe

[ilonashel 4]

Hi everybody!

I've been finding the way how to support the idea of development of Mind Map function in Evernote and have already seen the answers of evernote employees about this idea. And many thanks to all who adviced how to use other MindMapping software and integrate, but this messege is directed to Evernote developers/service as +1 to support this idea!

I'm a big fan of Evernote and been using it for more that 5 years, and absolutely saticfied with its usefullnes in making notes, or storaging some information, or everyday planning, etc. But the only thing that is missing and I think of it over and over again - is Mind Mapping. Not in other software, but exectly here in Evernote  Even if it could be developed only for Windows/Mac version - that would be just great! 

Thanks a lot.

 

[engberg 89]

We don't plan to add a MindMap UI directly into our products, but we will be publishing programming interfaces (APIs) in the near future, which would allow the creation of specialized tools like MindMaps by third-party developers.

[Suzeabelle 0]

I too would love to have the ability to pull my mind maps created in MindManager into Evernote.

[grouchal 0]

This gets my support also - within the client and on the web would be much better than mind manager import - I would pay for this to be in a premium client.

This is conditional on collaboration working better in the future!

[Mjulson 2]

I would like the ability to create mind maps or at least flows, as notes. I would specifically like it on iPad and Mac, but it should be universal on all UI's.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

There are plenty of mindmapping programs out there.

[Mjulson 2]

Thanks for the information. How many of them are there in the cloud? How many work on Mac, win, iPad and iPhone?

There are also a lot of note taking programs as well, but someone at ever note decided there was a market despite notepad being available.

From my perspective, evernote would be more valuable if it supported the creation of mind maps. YMMV

[Metrodon 2,188]

Although BnF doesn't always engage his politeness gene when replying to people on here I think he is kind of right.

I don't want EN to do mind mapping or be a 'real' word processor. I don't want feature bloat, I want a solid, reliable note capture platform that I can access from multiple devices anywhere.

I would rather the small team that builds EN dedicate their time to developing new features that are key to note capture and fixing the inevitable bugs that are part of all software.

[bllarkin 0]

As a suggestion, you could do this in "Ink" note, if you were willing to draw it. I don't think this is on all platforms yet, but I think it is probably coming.

[TheGurkha 1]

Although BnF doesn't always engage his politeness gene when replying to people on here I think he is kind of right.

I don't want EN to do mind mapping or be a 'real' word processor. I don't want feature bloat, I want a solid, reliable note capture platform that I can access from multiple devices anywhere.

I would rather the small team that builds EN dedicate their time to developing new features that are key to note capture and fixing the inevitable bugs that are part of all software.

+1.

It's not in the cloud, but FreeMind is free, and it is Java based. I have used it on Windows and Linux, it should run on Mac. I doubt it'll run on the iPhone though.

[lisbeth 4]

I am on the fence on whether to upgrade to a premium evernote account. Holding me back? The ability to create mindmaps for some people To Do List's work great but for others who need to brainstorm and dump a bunch of thoughts onto a screen a mind map allows you to begin a framework. I would add the ability to synch between desktops and mobile is a must but that is a forgone conclusion.

Give me mindmapping functionality and color me a paid subscriber Evernote.

Kudos to a great product that will some day be the leading standard on note cloud synching

[bruce_at_jacobs 0]

I am on the fence on whether to upgrade to a premium evernote account. Holding me back? The ability to create mindmaps ... Give me mindmapping functionality and color me a paid subscriber Evernote.

Funny, Being able to sync my FreeMind maps between home and work was one of the reasons I went premium 8)

My work flow is like this.

1. Open freemind and create a new map and do what ever brainstorming needs to be done.

2. Save map in the same folder as I have setup for my scanner to auto import into Evernote.

3. Close this initial map so I don't make anymore changes in a unsynced map.

Now when I want to open or edit the map I go to the note that has the .mm file stored in it and double click, it opens in Freemind and I can make what changes I want. When I save it, it is stored back in the note in evernote so I can open it on any computer that has Freemind installed. This should work for other Mind Mapping software products also, but FreeMind is free and Evernote doesn't have to invent yet another format/tool.

I guess the only thing that I might like Evernote to do is to render a preview of the Mindmap like pdf's.

[lisbeth 4]

Hi,

Thanks for the info. So do I also need a scanner? And this is only possible with the premium service?

Is that the easiest way to save a mind map on evernote? Seems like a lot of steps. I was hoping for a *click* save type of option

Thank you for responding

Lisbeth

[bruce_at_jacobs 0]

So do I also need a scanner? And this is only possible with the premium service?

Is that the easiest way to save a mind map on evernote? Seems like a lot of steps. I was hoping for a *click* save type of option

No you don't need the scanner I just use the same auto import folder that I have setup for my scanner as on auto save to Evernote folder for other programs.

Yes you need to be premium to store other program files like FreeMind, Excel or anything other than the few that Evernote supports in there free service.

This is my method for starting a new file. If you already have existing files just drag and drop them into Evernote. Somehow I created a right click send to Evernote function but I don't remember how I did that at the moment but you can probably search the forum for the instructions.

Bruce

[Metrodon 2,188]

Sign up to Premium - then you can store any file type you like.

You won't get 'previews' of anything except images and PDFs (which should be a choice but isn't) - but it should certainly fulfill your requirements and all for $45....

[lisbeth 4]

Thanks for the follow up guys. I appreciate the help. I think I will wait a bit before I sign up for the premium service

[geirhi 0]

Hi,

I use Evernote in business and for private use.

Will you integrate a mindmapping - functionality in the near future? I need a simple, cross-platform, planning/mindmapping ...

thanks,

Geir H

[jefito 5,598]

I would guess that the answer is no, at least for the short term. Evernote is primarily a cross-platform note capture and storage mechanism, with facilities for note taking. It's not meant to be a replacement for dedicated to-do lists, project planners or mind-mappers.

~Jeff

[engberg 89]

You can use a third-party Mindmapping application, and then drag the map files into Evernote if you have a Premium subscription. Then you can double-click to open them again in that application.

[Network-Ninjaneer 0]

Can you add an option to create mind maps and flow charts? I love evernote and have copied many a whiteboard session to my notes but I would really like to use it to study with as well. I would like to use evernote to document a protocol's process so that I can create study guides for myself to go back and review later while I ride the bus or take a flight.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

I'm pretty sure this isn't going to happen. However, you can use the mindmap of your choice & put the file in Evernote. Double click the icon in the note in order to invoke the mindmap app & open the file.

[jefito 5,598]

This has been requested, possibly not in the scope of what Evernote is aiming to provide (but hey, you never know).

[hherbzilla 3]

I use MindManager and will often paste an image of my map into Evernote.

I'm pretty sure this isn't going to happen. However, you can use the mindmap of your choice & put the file in Evernote. Double click the icon in the note in order to invoke the mindmap app & open the file.

[dlu 628]

Thanks for your suggestion! I haven't seen that on our upcoming list, but its been noted.

[Owyn 457]

MindMeister user and education blogger Will Richardson recently posted a screencast about his usage of MindMeister in combination with one of our personal favorites, Evernote.

http://www.mindmeister.com/blog/2011/09 ... -evernote/

https://www.mindmeister.com/pricing

[gbarry 2,658]

Nice. I've been looking at "mind patterning" or thought pattern, or whatever you call these apps, for awhile now and just have never taken the dive. Is Mind Meister worth a try?

BTW, posted this to our internal news to show other Evernote Employees. To give props where props be due, I mention it's from the forum and username with a h/t (hat tip).

[Owyn 457]

Probably. I watched the demo and read through their site. The Free Basic account let's you set up 3 mindmaps. Implementing the new forum might be a good test case for you.

I am planning to check it out, but, am currently a bit backlogged on testing new things. :?

PS: The generic term is "mind mapping".

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

Another one is Edraw. I don't know how good it is for mind mapping, since I don't do that. But it's a free app & I use it in place of Visio for dataflows.

[s2sailor 2,410]

Mind maps are one of those things that I find cool but can never really find a good reason to use them. Regardless, I've checked out a few. A very good free, open source one for Windows is FreeMind: http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/in ... /Main_Page

For the Ipad, iThoughtsHD is very well done: http://www.ithoughts.co.uk/iThoughtsHD/Welcome.html

[jsfirth48 0]

Copy an Evernote note URL; paste into a Mind Map and a link is established, it even shows as the Evernote icon. Cool!

[Gresh 1]

I am a frequent user of Mindjet's Mind Manager and Thinking Place for Android. I use it to analyse the complexity of a problem and then form the structure from which I can export to Word and then fill out the document with the detail. Being a visiual learner, seeing concepts in pictures really works for me.

A big feature of these tools for me would be to export to Evernote as either a Notebook or a series of tagged up notes in an existing notebook. They currently only seem to be able to import as images or attached files at the moment. Deconstructing a mind map in this way would be a quick way of creating multiple notes with a common structure that then could be shared with collaborators to fill in the details. I think this is a feature for the developers of Mind Mapping tools as Evernote already looks as if it provides more than enough means for Third Party systems to send notes to it.

Hoping that one of the Mind Map producers will come up with it soon then my use of Evernote and Mindmapping (especially on the mobile) will go up rapidly.

[mshparber 5]

Hi,

Is there an intention to add mind-mapping capabilities to Evernote?

It would be so cool to use mapping for brainstorming and also to see some notes connected as a mind map!

Thank you very much!

Michael Shparber

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

AFAIK, no. EN normally prefers to not reinvent the wheel. But you can add your mind mapping files, created by the mind mapping software of your choice, to Evernote.

[Wern 247]

As Burgers already said, probably not. Above all, EN wants to do one thing well: storing and retrieving information fast. There may be an "add-on" or "extension" sometime in the future for this, but not soon and nothing certain at this point in time.

Wern

[scq7 0]

I use Evernote (Android) as my sole note management application.

I use Thinking Space Pro (Android) for mindmaps.

I would like to be able to link my Thinking Space Pro mindmaps to notes that I establish in Evernote

(i.e. the ability to launch a Thinking Space Pro file directly from an Evernote note)

Currently when I attempt to do this I receive a message stating 'no activity found to handle this action'.

Any ideas? :-)

[Grimmknuckle 6]

Hi,

Is there an intention to add mind-mapping capabilities to Evernote?

It would be so cool to use mapping for brainstorming and also to see some notes connected as a mind map!

Thank you very much!

Michael Shparber

You might want to try Mindjet. I found it earlier today in the Evernote Trunk. I have been testing it out and it seems like a good mind mapping tool with a nice Evernote export button. When you export a mind map you are given the option of how you want to save it. You can save it as a text outline or an image. I found what worked best for me was to do two exports in each format and then merge the notes. It's not the best solution in the world, but it is a nice easy way to store your mind maps in Evernote.

http://www.evernote....ult&source=home

[gazumped 12,021]

Don't get me started on Mind Mapping - I'm still upset after the last podcast; mindmaps are something to do with phrenology? If I didn't need Evernote so much, I'd be offended

+1 for Mindjet, though the software is feature-rich (scary if you're not used to it) and fairly expensive (unless you're a corporate). I use it a lot. Although Mindjet has dates, projects and reminders built in, I wouldn't want to use it for smaller projects - it would be like going to the shops in your executive jet. I've recently been trying out Mind on Track which has the same basic facilities, fewer bells and whistles and a much shorter learning curve.

As to Evernote synchronicity, I agree you can save your output files in a note, and Evernote will open them, via your OS, in your editor of choice; but one of the facilities that both Mindjet and MoT offer is to keep track of your maps, and link them together like connected spreadsheets. I don't think that will work while the files are attached to notes. I currently use Evernote to launch the editor, and load maps from there.

Now the wrist-slapping bit. I know Engberg & Co don't really think that mind mapping is related to head-banging (although now you mention it..) but since it is a highly effective visual method of accessing information and memories, I would have thought that 1) you guys would have a little more knowledge than that, and 2) would realise that it is another method of searching for content that might connect rather well with a certain green product we all know and love.

Short-term I'd say that without reinventing any wheels, MindMap files could and should be another filetype that (like PDF and JPG) can be displayed in a note; and that URLs in those files should be accessible via the note interface. Since creating a map involves setting out a spider chart with headlines, then filling in those headlines with more notes, I'd say that longer term Evernote would be ideal as a note repository for a mindmap - but whether you get there in a partnership with a current player or by developing your own solution is way above my pay grade. But mindmaps is how I think - and it appears from various comments that quite a few others are of the same mind. This behooves a more serious look, guys!

(Gee I feel much better now)

Anyhoo - Mindmapping = good. Was invented by a Brit - Tony Buzan - and if you have another few hours I can teach you all about it!

Edit: PS - just looked at Owyn's link in this thread on sticky notes, and the developer there says he used the Evernote API to hold his note data for the stickies displayed...

[gazumped 12,021]

And for Android users - presumably also for those other handsets out there - there's now a Mind Manager app for mobiles so I can start a map on the phone, save it to Evernote and then develop it further on my desktop. Although you need to have the paid-for full Mind Manager app on the desktop to edit it further, there's a free mind map reader that might be suitable for some.

[Owyn 457]

Some mind mapping tools support url links for nodes. This lets you store details in Evernote notes.

[gazumped 12,021]

no activity found to handle this action

I've had the same error when trying to open an embedded email .EML file that works fine on my PC but not on the Droid. In that case my phone doesn't have the software to process the file, hence the error. In your case you have the 'pro app installed, but there's no linkage from the mindmap file to the app itself. PDF files open in PDF readers, so the possibility exists somewhere - maybe there's a generic utility out there somewhere that assigns file types to applications. Any suggestions from the crowd? (This is a bit above my pay grade.)

Thinking Space seems to have joined Mindjet Mind Manager (MM) who have a shiny new replacement app out. Good news is that it's free, bad news that it saves to .MMAP files that aren't (AFAIK) widely readable outside Mind Manager. It's an ace app and very good desktop software (if you're into mind mapping) but does come with a corporate level price tag and lots of bells and whistles that "pure" mind mapping doesn't need. (Gantt charts anyone?)

For someone (or organisations) just starting mapping, I'd suggest Mind on Track - I've mentioned it in a few threads around here (no personal interest!) - it uses a cut-down toolset of MM-style mapping, concentrating on drawing spider-diagrams, adding notes, keeping track of DUE DATES (sorry) and linking to external resources, including Evernote URLs. It's GTD-friendly and quite a nice little package.

Some of the other mind-mapping tools produce fairly garish results with big, brightly coloured icons - that's actually good from a learning point of view; you and your audience will remember that hideously green cucumber with the "Next Year's Targets" items under it.. On the other hand for internet use (where screen real-estate is important) and for presentations where a highly professional look and feel is required, the MM/MonT style of smaller minimalist icons is better.

I'm not beyond doing presentations that shock people into remembering things (I still remember a long-ago professor skipping along a lab bench singing "Don't forget the full stop ~tra ~la"... OK, long story) but these days I prefer the more mature look.

[zirxEnote 1]

I raised this as an enhancement request today with Evernote Support. I want notes to behave as nodes which can be related to each other and shown graphically.

Hi,

Is there an intention to add mind-mapping capabilities to Evernote?

It would be so cool to use mapping for brainstorming and also to see some notes connected as a mind map!

Thank you very much!

Michael Shparber

[gazumped 12,021]

Evernote has indicated previously that it doesn't want to reinvent any wheels and seems happy to leave word-processing, webpage authoring, graphics processing and lots of other stuff to the people who've already built up a substantial body of expertise (and active users) in their chosen fields. I would imagine a mind-map style interface for Evernote would not only require a considerable amount of catching up with the market on their part, but it would also mean a pretty drastic rethink of their database and infrastructure which is in daily use by millions of - in many cases fee-paying - customers.

If there's a backup back-burner to the back burner I'd guess this might be on it, but this is really not an issue you'd want to hold your breath on. It seems far more likely that either 1) a third-party developer will use the Evernote API to host the node information but display it via their own front-end; and/ or 2) Evernote will (eventually) be able to display the contents of a mindmap file if it is embedded in a note. Even so there are a number of file formats in use from MindManager to FreeMind. It is possible to output most mindmap files as a graphics file so you can attach a completed mind map to a note, but it would be useful to be able to dump a work in progress out there which could be easily resumed and saved without having to export the file first.

If you're heavily into mind mapping, you'll use file-linking where a node in one map is actually the link to another map - don't think this will be possible outside of the mind mapping software itself, so serious mappers will probably always want to use bespoke software rather than see how far Evernote can copy the facilities they need. I use MindJet and Mind on Track both of whom do lots of other things besides make pretty pictures. There's that whole diary and Due Date thing for starters...

Sorry to be negative, but I'm very happy with what Evernote does well now, and I'd hate to have that standard slip just to include some features that already exist in other commercial software.

[dlu 628]

People have backup back burners? I totally need one...

[jefito 5,598]

People have backup back burners? I totally need one...

We often -- quaintly -- believe that we do, but they' usually wind up being compost heaps, at best...

[May 268]

There is no perfect tool that does both things really well - mind mapping and all information management.

Information management apps like evernote are not as flexible for focusing on a single topic as mind mapping apps or outliners and etc. And mind mapping apps are not great for managing all information. In theory you could use a mind mapping app to manage all information but in practice a software for both great mind map editing and great all information management doesn't exist (yet). Even PersonalBrain isn't there.

You would still want to use separate mind maps to really focus on a single topic because you don't want to connect all related thoughts all the time anyway.

All information is interrelated in some ways. that's why it is not very useful to have everything in an endless mindmap. when you actually connect everything then those connections lose meaning. It takes a lot of effort to connect everything and gives no real benefit.

there is a key difference between organizing a certain topic, focusing on it in detail and all information. Mind maps are just separate notes because whenever you focus on a single topic you want to keep everything in one place anyway.

Pros and cons of using a separate app for mind mapping:

Pros

separate mind mapping app is usually more convenient to use than using all in one app

Cons

not completely searchable from evernote

[gazumped 12,021]

I'm sure I said this before somewhere (not that it'll stop me repeating it here..) but my first venture into information management was via Lotus Agenda - software so smart that it would set up its own categories to help you find stuff. I swear the phrase "artificial intelligence" came up, - and this was 30 years ago! The idea was that if (for example) you were in the real estate business and entered all your various property descriptions into Agenda as pure text, a buyer could come along and ask for all the properties with a sea view, 2-car garage and trees, and if there were properties in there that matched all three requirements, out would come the list.

Agenda was intended to help your computer takle the place of "all those bits of paper" that were lying around on everyone's desk - want to remember something? Put it into Agenda until you need it.

Trouble was, Agenda was a black box system. You didn't see your raw data once entered, and while I might suspect that some important information had been corrupted or lost, there was no way to check except by looking at search results.

Evernote has that defect licked - I can see all my notes in my various notebooks, and if necessary I can comb through the notes from a specific date looking at each one to find something I know is in there.

There's no zoom control however. I can look at my notes directly, or go via searches and tags and notebooks; and it seems lots of people use detailed titles for notes, so they can scan down a search listing to find the note they require. But that's all word and language-based.

It is possible to prompt memories, innovative thought and insight by stepping back from this level of detail and looking at a "broader picture" - I always use the example of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It's an engaging little sci-fi story about what happens when two test subjects - a mouse, then a man - undergo intelligence enhancing procedures. They get much smarter, then they don't. And somewhere in that story there's a description of the four cycles of an internal combustion engine as "suck, squeeze, pop, phooey". Reading that book in school was the first time I saw that popular contraction of the cycles, and it's stuck with me since.

Knowing that phrase gives me "induction, compression, ignition, exhaust" and writing those eight words down links me to camshafts, spark plugs, pistons and pretty much everything that makes the magic happen.

Given a following wind and a large whiteboard I can cover a lot of space with the resulting spider diagram (or "mind map" as we call it in the trade..) and I can do that again, and again. (I'll resist repeating that a few more times.)

Evernote isn't set up to create that sort of spatial relationship between bits of information, or give that sort of overview which can be applied to lots of work and personal issues. I do wish it could be, but as I said above I think the best we can hope for short(ish) term is to interest Evernote and some MindMap providers into playing more constructively together. In that context it's good that Evernote doesn't MindMap, and MindMaps aren't infinitely expandable databases. But both are definitely operating in contiguous spaces.

[Owyn 457]

I think the best use of Evernote with the visualization of a mind map is to provide:

- Links from items in the map to specific notes.

- Reliable links to external Mind Map applications from attachments in Evernote with proper update of the attachment in the note when saved.

AFAIK, both are possible now.

[May 268]

I think any addtitonal short term integration with some mind mapping won't be very useful. What would it add to evernote?

on the other hand evernote could include a mind mapping editor natively but it's also not wort the effort in my view. So for example you could create a special mind map note which would take you to a completely different mind mapping interface.

The only benifit it'd give is that those mind maps would be fully searchable. But to make this possible evernote would have to create a separate app inside evernote and to make it work across all platforms which is just not worth the effort.

[Ewster 3]

I think the original suggestion is a great idea. Came to the very same conclusion today. Evernote holds all the really useful bits of data, the nodes, but a module to play with the relationships between them, and visualise them would be awesome. I'd pay money for that.

One of the barriers for people wanting to explore the concept of Mind Maps is creating the nodes. You may have a hundred ideas in your head but only 5 or so pop to mind at a single time. Evernote contains all those nodes already.

As your database grows and contains ever more information, the ability to represent that data in different ways is invaluable. A mind-mapping overlay would be gold.

[Metrodon 2,188]

I will post a video of me eating a Brussels Sprout (the most poisonous substance known to man) if Evernote implement mind mapping in the next 3 years.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

I will post a video of me eating a Brussels Sprout (the most poisonous substance known to man) if Evernote implement mind mapping in the next 3 years.

I'm not into mind mapping... but am seriously rethinking this & may well delve into lobbying for EN to add this functionality.

[gazumped 12,021]

I will post a video of me eating a Brussels Sprout...

There's a mental picture I'd pay to forget. Seriously folks - Mind Mapping is a valuable way of taking another view of your data. It's not the only way, because one problem of big mind maps is - you start to forget where things are, and you spend more time finding and navigating to them over a large layout than you would in simply typing new points in as with Evernote. To-do lists are another way of looking at the same information. Evernote is allegedly moving towards some sort of GTD (ish) implementation, so why not mind maps? It's a big, graphics-driven area however. We may yet be saved from the Sprouts if it takes longer than 3 years.

[Metrodon 2,188]

i don't think they are moving towards any sort of GTD(ish) implementation - they are adding a due date....big gap from there to GTD.

If I see a bunch of new users adding +1s to this thread I will assume that BnF is manufacturing a demand that will cause my certain and painful death.

[gazumped 12,021]

Not really an Evernote issue, but just to add another mind map comment - I Troll around here for useful tips, and frequently follow links that seem to lead to irrelevant happy chance finds.. there was a link in something I read recently to a piece by Dan Gold about his use of Evernote + SugarSync, and DG's piece linked to a page of his useful links, which led me to a video about mind mapping.

Now I know the audience here will yawn, because we've done mindmapping to death already: but bear with me - this is SciPlore Mindmapping a beta product tweaked by some guys in white coats for writing higher ed and science papers. This little honey will list all the PDFs in a hard drive folder when pointed at the folder, and will also show bookmarks and meta data from the files in a mindmap, as well as allowing editing.

I have quite a few PDFs on my laptop that I haven't gotten around to moving or shrinking yet, and it seems to me that this software will do very nicely to index what I do have and save its output to Evernote so I can kind of search-by-proxy all my files whether Evernoted or not.

If you're interested in mind mapping I recommend a view.

[jbenson2 2,149]

i don't think they are moving towards any sort of GTD(ish) implementation - they are adding a due date....big gap from there to GTD.

It might be more than just a Due Date addition. If it Evernote was simply replacing the Subject Date with a Due Date, the change would have happened a year or more ago. I believe Evernote is doing a bit more. Not to the level of GTD, but more than just a new field.

From Business Insider (a couple months ago)

http://www.businessi...ist-app-2011-12

Dec 8, 2011

Evernote - What's coming next?

We asked Evernote CEO Phil Libin point-blank if to-do lists, which are a popular use for Evernote, are coming.

"To-do lists are coming,"

he said after taking a deep breath.

<snip>

Libin also took pains to stress that it wouldn't look and feel like traditional to-do list apps.

"I don't want a to-do app,

I want a DO app.

I don't want a list," Libin said.

.

[Metrodon 2,188]

To Dos with bells and whistles?

Or maybe Phil is going to come over and do my next 2 hours of boring conference calls for me? A Phil Do App so to speak.

[jbenson2 2,149]

To Dos with bells and whistles?

Or maybe Phil is going to come over and do my next 2 hours of boring conference calls for me? A Phil Do App so to speak.

Or a Phil to-do robot?

[Metrodon 2,188]

It's a good start, but it needs a big stick.

[kenyob 0]

It seems like http://webbrain.com/ has the mind mapping covered and it works as a web page with JavaScript so maybe evernote for the web could support this as is. What else would we need to do to link to notes in evernote itself?

[gazumped 12,021]

Webbrain includes that horrible word "publish" - many of the maps I want to produce will be stuff I want to be confidential to just me and Evernote.

[Jay P. 5]

Howdy everyone!

I love reading this thread because it hits all the pain-points I've had acquainting myself with the Evernote rich-text-only paradigm.

I've been using mindmapping tools for almost a decade (FreeMind anyone?) and found myself still using it most when I had serious contemplation to do or needed to take a lot of notes really quickly in way that was legible immediately afterwards. Because I'm now such a hardcore Evernote user, using a different mindmapping tool for any note taking felt like I was complicating my life more than I should. Frankly, all of the mindmapping tools that claim to have Evernote integration suck and integrate with Evernote in such an awkward way it's no better than just using FreeMind+Dropbox and occasionally attaching PDF or PNG representations of my mindmaps and hoping OCR would help me later.

I came to the juncture of asking myself whether it was worth just foregoing mindmapping altogether to keep my note-taking life simple.

As a developer, I was intrigued by the problem and set out to fix it. And I think I have fixed this mindmapping+Evernote problem now.

I'll be releasing my app for the world to use in the coming weeks but I'm looking for beta testers right now. I'd like Evernote users ranging from very-little-to-no mindmapping experience and people like gazumped in this thread who seem to be dedicated mindmapping connoisseurs.

If you'd like to participate in the beta of my Evernote mindmapping tool, please contact me via email: jicksta at gmail dot com.

When I launch the tool publicly, I'll also announce it in this thread.

Thanks!

Jay Phillips

[Owyn 457]

I'm looking for beta testers right now

Email sent.

[dlu 628]

Howdy everyone!

I love reading this thread because it hits all the pain-points I've had acquainting myself with the Evernote rich-text-only paradigm.

I've been using mindmapping tools for almost a decade (FreeMind anyone?) and found myself still using it most when I had serious contemplation to do or needed to take a lot of notes really quickly in way that was legible immediately afterwards. Because I'm now such a hardcore Evernote user, using a different mindmapping tool for any note taking felt like I was complicating my life more than I should. Frankly, all of the mindmapping tools that claim to have Evernote integration suck and integrate with Evernote in such an awkward way it's no better than just using FreeMind+Dropbox and occasionally attaching PDF or PNG representations of my mindmaps and hoping OCR would help me later.

I came to the juncture of asking myself whether it was worth just foregoing mindmapping altogether to keep my note-taking life simple.

As a developer, I was intrigued by the problem and set out to fix it. And I think I have fixed this mindmapping+Evernote problem now.

I'll be releasing my app for the world to use in the coming weeks but I'm looking for beta testers right now. I'd like Evernote users ranging from very-little-to-no mindmapping experience and people like gazumped in this thread who seem to be dedicated mindmapping connoisseurs.

If you'd like to participate in the beta of my Evernote mindmapping tool, please contact me via email: jicksta at gmail dot com.

When I launch the tool publicly, I'll also announce it in this thread.

Thanks!

Jay Phillips

Make sure you talk to the guys who manage the trunk!

[dracnath 0]

I've been thinking about mind mapping and evernote a lot recently and just wanted to add my own 2c to this.

Personally I've no interest in a mind mapping tool that would allow notes to be linked. What I'd really like is to be able to create mind maps that reside completely in a particular note. So when creating a mind map of a meeting it could reside within a note and then be dropped into a folder and tagged just like any other note.

As for linked solutions, that's ok, but it's an extra painful step for people. For it really to be useful it would idealy be an either built in or related in teh same way that Skitch is. So that there could eventually be one cross platform mind-mapping-note-taking-ass-kicking tool for mac, pc, ios, android and even for the BlackBerry Playbook.

[tjeef 3]

Since EN can't really make relationships (structures, hiearchies, sequences) between notes and therefore has limited use as an outliner, I would LOVE to see MindManager (or another mindmapping tool) take on that role, in integration with EN.

Ie. the possibility to manage a "tree" (including the sequence of child notes/topics) of notes in a mind map.

This would be the best of both worlds.

(Even without the mind map, it would be GREAT if EN got this functionality within. Similar to UltraRecall and other outliners, where parent/child relationships and sequence of siblings can be set up).

[Brian M 2]

Just to kick in what I would reccomend for a mind mappign application... it is open source, cross platform, fast, and does what I think all mind mappers should do which is allow quick mappings (mind map is really just a outline in a pretty form)

Xmind

http://www.xmind.net/

Been using it for years, I like mindjet, but only if I had a spare $300 every year...

[Jay P. 5]

I've been thinking about mind mapping and evernote a lot recently and just wanted to add my own 2c to this.

Personally I've no interest in a mind mapping tool that would allow notes to be linked. What I'd really like is to be able to create mind maps that reside completely in a particular note. So when creating a mind map of a meeting it could reside within a note and then be dropped into a folder and tagged just like any other note.

As for linked solutions, that's ok, but it's an extra painful step for people. For it really to be useful it would idealy be an either built in or related in teh same way that Skitch is. So that there could eventually be one cross platform mind-mapping-note-taking-ass-kicking tool for mac, pc, ios, android and even for the BlackBerry Playbook.

I totally agree. This is what I think I've solved. Sorry for all the teasers. I promise there's more info coming shortly!

[llbean 8]

So I read May's pdf regarding organizing non-actionable items in EN and mindmaps and was very intrigued. I've never done much mind mapping but have come to realize that there are at least 3 to 4 in my head, mostly process related, which I wanted to jot down and inventory in EN. Some sections of my process seem better described visually with embedded links as opposed to the format EN has to offer.

I've also started using OF, so I'm not looking for a mind mapping app for Mac which acts as a task manager. What I to do is simply create mind maps with file/note links. I'd like an iOS version as well to sync. The best I've found so far is MindNode, which seems almost adequate in its free version except for the fact that you cannot disconnect a node from an existing parent and establish it on a new node.

Any advice if this is worth the $20?

L

[jefito 5,598]

Oh, tell me that the "llbean" of your handle is not the same as the "L. L. Bean" of the boots..

[moreproblemo 0]

Jay, any luck with your beta testing?

[Evernot 6]

Frankly, I don't understand all this fuss over "mind maps".

Let's get one thing straight first. Are we talking about the traditional, over-hyped, single-parent "radial" mind map made popular by Tony Buzan, as in Mind On Track? Or are we talking about a "network" design that allows one to create hierarchies of parent/child notes with multiple links between them?

Taking radial mind maps first, their only real claim to fame is that a user should be able not just to allocate children of the central topic like spokes on a wheel, but also to spatially cluster said children meaningfully (afaik only Mind Manager does this properly) as well as have subchildren (descendants) coming off them. If we make a cut in this "wheel" and straighten it out into a vertical line, we end up with a simple outline. EN already provides this in the form of a hierarchical tag list. You could allocate one tag per note if you wish.

If you are hell bent on creating a mind map, by all means do so using some other app, and keep a screen capture program handy (I use Jing) to make copies of your map and update the existing one already stored in your Note as you edit it in your mind mapper app.

As far as "network" type mind maps go, with proper multiparent trees, etc. you can also create one in EN using keywords and/or tags. See my post here with valuable contributions made by May, JBenson2, gazumped and others. No matter how eloquent your mind map is, it becomes impossible to view it all together (a fundamental requirement) after it reaches a certain size, so you might as well accept this and create several "views" (PersonalBrain attempts this), storing screenshots in EN.

At heart, EN is a card file, aka "flat file" database, like a Rolodex, but encrusted with added bells and whistles such as stacks and tags. Trying to graft on mind mapping features would be to compromise on speed and basic efficiency.

[llbean 8]

Oh, tell me that the "llbean" of your handle is not the same as the "L. L. Bean" of the boots..

I do live up north. I'll leave you to guess

[jefito 5,598]

I live within 3 miles of the Big Boot mothership, and go by it every day on my way to work...

[peterfmartin 221]

http://www.theonion.com/video/africanamerican-boycott-of-ll-bean-enters-80th-yea,14170/

[GaryLKing 46]

+1 I'm sorry, that link is just funny.

[Joshua Zerkel 7]

I've been using XMind alongside iThoughtsHD with Dropbox sync, and have been quite happy. No real Evernote integration, however.

[s.mackesey 0]

I have a major feature proposal for Evernote that I assume has occurred to others. If the developers don't plan to implement something similar, I am hoping that someone can point me to another app that has this feature.

I currently use Apple's Keynote to maintain a large list of 'cheat sheets' for various technical tasks-- math and programming mostly. I find the free-form placement of information to be essential. While I find that this system works, Keynote is not designed for this purpose and it shows. I've now got about 50 slides and its an increasing pain to navigate them. I often have reams of information crammed into single slides, and it will take me a while to find what I'm looking for. On top of this, I have to keep Keynote in a space separate from that holding my work.

What the system really needs is search-- if I can't remember Taylor's theorem or the correct syntax for string formatting in Python, I should be able to find that information immediately and have it pop up in a window in my working space. I once tried keeping this kind of info in Evernote for exactly this reason, but I found I didn't use it. The information was too fragmented for Evernote to provide a satisfying solution, and searching wasn't quick enough. It was easier just to go to my Keynote space and visually scan for the needed info.

Since then, my machine has gotten faster and I've begun using Alfred to search Evernote. I now think that the speed of reference issues are resolved. But I would still miss the high level view that I get in Keynote.

Thus I propose a new feature for Evernote: the ability to arrange individual notes on "maps" or "bulletin boards" in a similar fashion to the Keynote silde shown below. This feature would be purely grafted onto the current system. It is not as if a note would have a home map. It could be on as many or as few as one desired. This would have applications far beyond my needs. The ability to view aggregates of notes as a two dimensional whole would be a major step towards more flexible information representation. Linear lists, Evernote's current offering, just aren't that great.

Thoughts? Suggestions for other apps that might serve this purpose?

EXAMPLE MAP:

[peterfmartin 221]

Welcome to the forums, s.mackesey.

I haven't used this program, since I don't need what you're asking for, but you could try out Desk in the Clouds (newly available, it seems, for Mac as well as Windows). If you want more information on Desk in the Clouds, search the forums, since users have described it in other conversations.

[gazumped 12,021]

I agree that visual mapping is a powerful addition to Evernote's current set of 'brain' tools - +1 for the suggestion, meantime Mind Mapping of various sorts and apps like Workflowy are your only other options to peterf's suggestion above...

[jefito 5,598]

I have a major feature proposal for Evernote that I assume has occurred to others. If the developers don't plan to implement something similar, I am hoping that someone can point me to another app that has this feature.

<snip>

Thus I propose a new feature for Evernote: the ability to arrange individual notes on "maps" or "bulletin boards" in a similar fashion to the Keynote silde shown below.

Evernote do not usually divulge their plans ahead of time, so if they're planning something like this, we likely won't know until it starts showing up in betas. I'm doubting that this is coming any time soon, myself; it seems too specialized (maybe I'm wrong about that) and requires a bunch of new organizational glue to make it work.By the way, I'm not sure if this fits in with the notion of maps as purveyed by the mind-mapping crowd (granted I am n expert in that area). Bulletin board sounds closer, though.

Anyways, some of the pieces are in place already. For example

This feature would be purely grafted onto the current system. It is not as if a note would have a home map. It could be on as many or as few as one desired.

To me, this says tags. Equating a "board" with a tag allows you to have any number of notes on that board; conversely, you can tag a note with multiple boards. What's lacking in Evernote is the ability to metadata to the boards: how notes are ordered on the board, layout information, etc., etc. You cannot tie any metadata to a tag. So I think that you'd need to store that externally, and that, I think pushes this into the realm of third-party developers, who would build on Evernote's infrastructure, but add their own

So, could Evernote deliver something like this? Sure.

Will they? Short term, probably not, but long term, who knows?

Maybe you should switch from Math to software development, and make it happen...

[brain4hire 1]

I am using FreeMind to manage (minor-scale) projects. Unfortunately inserting the "evernote:/.."-Link the desktop-program provides (Copy link) does not work as FreeMind doesn't recognize that kind of links.

However, found kind of a workaround (source: http://sourceforge.net/projects/freemind/forums/forum/22102/topic/4954326): Use the web-based evernote and copy the Link you get when selecting a specific note. This one is "https:/"-like and works fine with FreeMind (and Wikidpad and presumably other tools not supporting "evernote:/..."-links)

Advantage: Integration of Evernote in FreeMind

Disadvantage: Web-Interface instead of desktop-Program means the need to be "always online" (not a real problem for me)

Additional question: Is there a way to teach FreeMind and/or Wikidpad to use "evernote:/..."-links"?

[alexei 0]

Huh, just found this thread as I was thinking how I would link a mind mapper to Evernote. I've written a mind mapper which I've been meaning to release under GPL (best intentions and all that) and which I've been using it for years for both research and teaching...

Creating a mindmap in a note doesn't seem very exciting - this could be done trivially by exporting a pdf or text outline and throwing that into a note. Now, you could use Evernote as cloud storage and this might be quite nice if the map had both a visual representation within Evernote and contained the data the application needs. It would mean the note would be essentially read only like a pdf though.

Linking notes from evernote to a map sounds really interesting but there is an issue of scale. I have only several thousand notes in Evernote but if I was to put that on a map it would be utter chaos. So you need a filtered subset and this fits much nicer with maps as a focused approach to a particular topic anyway. So how would it work?

Linking to only a single note seems only a little better than using copy and paste. It could have a nice interface within the mind mapper that lets you search Evernote and creates a live two way link, but still. Maybe adding a branch which gets populated by notes with a particular tag? Or maybe it should hang off the folders? Scale bites here again, because if you have 30 subbranches that's looking really crowded. How would you add a note to the map in a way that indicates it should go to Evernote? What if you have several maps that link to the same note?

I guess I'm stuck on how the two programs would play well with each other, they are quite different approaches to managing information.

[sch01ar 48]

Google junkies - combined Android and Chrome users - may get mileage out of Connected Mind, which is an app that runs on both. Integration cross platform is great. I use it to pop a screengrab of a topic I've mapped into Evernote. Google Play link is here

[Bojan011 27]

I don't believe that Evernote itself should develop mind mapping solution, but there is certainly something that you can do to encourage mind map developers to do something about creating tighter integration of their software into Evernote.

[olinr 3]

For individuals who like to use mind maps ConceptDraw MINDMAP has just released the ability to put mind map content into Evernote. One can place a map topic (text), a map branch (text), an entire map (text), or an entire map (text, image, file) into your Evernote account. I am looking for feedback on our next interation of ConceptDraw product.

[Joshua Zerkel 7]

I don't personally do a ton of mind mapping, but I've enjoyed using XMind when I've needed to. You can export as a PDF and store in Evernote (not as elegant as Mindjet, I know).

[Iker Etxebarria 0]

Hi all

I've a problem that I don't know if it can be fixed. When I attach a mindmanager file to my notes on Evernote, if I want to modify it from my desktop pc, there is no problem, but If I modify it from my tablet, the modifications made to the mind map are lost.

So, when I modify a mindmanager attached file from my tablet I alway loose the modifications.

But if, instead of opening the file from evernote, if I open it from mindmanager, then the modifications are saved correctly.

I don't know if the problem comes from evernote or from mind manager, but any help will be very gratefull.

Thanks

[GrumpyMonkey 4,320]

Hi all

I've a problem that I don't know if it can be fixed. When I attach a mindmanager file to my notes on Evernote, if I want to modify it from my desktop pc, there is no problem, but If I modify it from my tablet, the modifications made to the mind map are lost.

So, when I modify a mindmanager attached file from my tablet I alway loose the modifications.

But if, instead of opening the file from evernote, if I open it from mindmanager, then the modifications are saved correctly.

I don't know if the problem comes from evernote or from mind manager, but any help will be very gratefull.

Thanks

Hi. Welcome to the forums. I do not know Mind Manager, but I don't think it matters much, because what you are talking about is the expected behavior. Evernote doesn't have anything to do with most file types. When you try to open something, it looks for a program on your computer or tablet that is appropriate for the file type. On the desktop, your file will open in that program and save back into Evernote.

On the tablet, though, the operating systems isolate programs from one another, especially on the iPad, where you "open in" another program and have to "open in" Evernote to get it back into Evernote. This will create a new note, and you are unable to save the file into the same note where you started. I only know of one program that has overcome this obstacle in the operating system -- Quick Office Pro (http://trunk.evernote.com/app/quickoffice-pro-hd/ipad). Unfortunately, it would not work with Mind Manager.

Are you using Android or iOS?

[Iker Etxebarria 0]

Android.

[GrumpyMonkey 4,320]

Android.

Well, I'd say your chances of getting this to work there are at least better! Maybe not with the current build, which is rather limited, because it only supports editing of plain text, but perhaps in future versions.

[dallonc 1]

What are the mindmapping tools people are using to integrate with Evernote? I've been testing Mindomo, XMind, and Curio (Mac only). I'm looking for something where, at a minimum, I can either link to a web-based map or easily open a mindmap in Evernote to edit. I use mindmaps a lot to brainstorm new project ideas, and I use Evernote for my GTD and my general "hub" application. Thanks!

[CaptainTime 94]

I am an Xmind user (Windows) but haven't tried any integration with Evernote. Like you , I use mind maps for brainstorming new project ideas. I also use it to take notes when coaching clients. I use Evernote for general filing, resource library and research.

[gerscha 1]

@dallonc, what experiences did you make with Mindomo?

[Mario@NCI 2]

MindManager from Mindjet. It has served me very well for a decade. I've been using it in conjunction with Evernote since I've adopted Evernote. I have also subscribed to Mindjet's Catalyst, which is their cloud service for storing mindmaps in the cloud. I can link maps--and even objects in maps--to Evernote notes and vice versa.

[olinr 3]

Wanted to point out that ConceptDraw MINDMAP v7 is integrated with Evernote Macintosh and Windows client. One button determines which content you want to move to Evernote. More information can be found at the ConceptDraw web site or in Evernote's The Trunk (Macintosh)

http://trunk.evernote.com/app/conceptdraw-mindmap/mac

or (Windows)

http://trunk.evernote.com/app/conceptdraw-mindmap/windows

[wenger2k 0]

I don't understand the opposition by some people for Evernote to take on some mind mapping capabilities.  I personally see mind mapping as yet another way to index pieces of information and is just a tool that allows people to define the interaction and relationship between various nuggets of info which seems to me to fit the evernote world very well.   I like the ideas in evernote with notebooks and tags but honestly haven't you realized that notebooks and tags are basically 2 different ways to attempt to manage the same thing?  We've all come up with some rules we use about putting things into notebooks or having tags by either using on our own method or by reading somebody elses recommendations and I'd venture to guess that you've changed your mind a few times - what made sense before doesn't now and so on - whatever - knowledge is fluid and having tools that allow you just see some of the possible interrelations of various nuggets just seems logical to me and If it doesn't work for you then don't use it...

 

mind maps are usable as tools for conceptualizing a single idea which might be initially seen as a single note in evernote but I'd venture to guess that most ideas that have legs need further development and individual elements of what was initially a single note now might become much more elaborate in some cases requiring an entire new tree/map.  I used to think of maps in two categories 'indexs' and 'concepts' but after playing with them for awhile I realize that they're really the same thing.  Either way I find the lack of such a tool in Evernote to be disappointing.  That doesn't mean I don't love evernote and don't get value from it but the lack of some sort of graphical dynamic multi-indexing capability limits its value IMO.  

[ChristianHirsch 4]

We have just launched our "Mohiomap" web application - A Visual Memory for Evernote - available at https://www.moh.io/mohiomap/

 

Mohiomap allows you to visualize and navigate your Evernote notebooks, and experience your notes in a whole new light! 

 

The application is available for free. After signing up for a Mohiomap account, you can securely connect to you Evernote account and start exploring. 

 

Some more information also at https://moh.io/mohiomap-blog/mohiomap-public-beta-launch/

 

We are committed to ongoing improvements and development of new features. At this stage we are most interested in feedback from beta testers regarding the functionality and stability of the application. Once you are logged into the application you can contact us using the "Feedback" button. 

 

(Mohiomap is an update to our "Mohionote" app that we had in last years DevCup: http://2012.devcup.evernote.com/submissions/8695-mohionote)

 

Please get in touch for any questions, comments, or feedback - we would love to hear from you!

 

 

Thanks!

Christian Hirsch

 

http://www.moh.io

[ClutterBGone 155]

I think you are on to something. It sure did a very fast search of my 3300+ notes! After more testing will get back to you.

David in Wichita

[gbarry 2,658]

Thanks for testing out David! 

 

Just wanted to chime in that the team from Mohio is a legitimate group doing very cool things--please feel free to check them out.  We'll pin this up for a bit in case anyone is interested in trying.  Cheers.

[ChristianHirsch 4]

Thanks for the feedback, David!

 

I'd be very interested in any further comments once you tested it a bit more - let me know

 

Christian