Freeplane

Freeplane is a free, open source software application for creating mind maps (diagrams of connections between ideas), and electronic outlines. Written in Java, Freeplane is supported on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, and is licensed under the GNU GPL.

In July 2009, Freeplane was launched as a fork of the FreeMind project ^[1]. Freeplane maintains partial file format compatibility with FreeMind - FreePlane fully supports the FreeMind file format, but adds features and tags not supported by FreeMind which are ignored on loading. Reviewers have found early versions of Freeplane to be stable ^[2][3][4], and SourceForge reports hundreds of downloads daily ^[5].

Features

Stable release

New features of Freeplane stable release include:

• Export to PNG, JPEG, SVG (in addition to HTML / XHTML and PDF)
• Find / Replace in all open maps
• Paste HTML as node structure
• Outline mode
• Portable version (run from a USB flash drive)
• Scripting via Groovy
• Spell checker

Preview release

New features of Freeplane preview release include: ^[6]

Implemented

• Text processor like node styles^[7]
• Conditional node styles^[8]
• Map templates for new maps^[9]
• Formatting panel
• Hyperlinks for menu items
• Keyboard shortcut documentation: Map and HTML table generation added for the documentation map
• Check for newer auto save files on opening of a map
• Single instance mode: open files in existing program instance instead of opening a new one.
• Node level dependent filters
• Improvement in search and replace functions
• Different cloud shapes
• New icons for rating
• Automatic Edge Color
• "Grid" for moving of nodes (Preferences->Behaviour->Grid gap size)
• Copy and paste attributes
• Named filter conditions
• Different shapes, line types, width and transparency for connectors
• Freeplane portable version (download and install file named FreeplanePortable_xxx.paf.exe)
• File -> Properties... dialog showing facts about the map such as total nodes, branches and leaf nodes
• New icons added to facilitate speedy use of main and contextual menus
• Formulas: Use of formulas as node text and attributes (like in spread sheet processors)^[10]
• Node numbering and Formats/templates as style attributes
• Added progress icons to show incremental completion in 10% or 25% steps
• Summaries: Create graphical and textual summaries by "bracketing" nodes. See example map^[11]
• Menu and command structure^[12] refactored both to integrate new features and to make Freeplane more intuitive and easier to learn
• Dates and numbers: Parsing and formatting improved^[13]
• Digital post-its: free positionable and free floating nodes. ^[14]

Pending

• Dates and numbers: Improved scripting support^[13]

See also

• Mind map
• List of mind mapping software

References

External links

• Freeplane Official Homepage
• Freeplane Project page on SourceForge
• FreeMind By Example (French) covers usage of FreeMind and Freeplane