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VisiMap Professional Power Tips |
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Useful Short Cut Keys: |
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SHIFT+F3
Toggle from UPPER to LOWER TO SENTENCE case.
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CNTRL+Q
To sort information alphabetically. Useful for names and places.
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CTRL+F8
Toggles between map and notes view.
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CNTRL+ENTER
Opens dialogue box for changing formats - colour, lines, shapes, fonts, etc.
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RIGHT CLICK
Opens dialogue box for managing maps - links, etc.
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CTRL+D
Inserts the current date and time
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ALT + UP or DOWN arrow
Enlarges or decreases the size of the map
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F7
Spell check
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SHIFT + F7
Highlight the word you wish to find synonyms for. Shift+F7 will open a thesaurus.
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Viewing Notes: |
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Select the icon on the toolbar to access the notes pan.
When you have typed a note and return to your branch, you find find a symbol showing that a note is attached. There are three ways to access these notes:
- Let your mouse hover over and your will have a preview
- Click on the symbol and the note pan will open
- CTRL+symbol will open the notes in a little dialogue box.
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When Linking Several Maps: |
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Create a link from each linked map back to your main MAP.
- RIGHT CLICK where you want the linked map to be,
- then select "Add link", and click on the little dots to browse for the map (or any other file) that you wish to link.
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Create an extra linked map that lists the file names you allocated to all the links
This is useful when you want to copy your Map and all its links to disk.
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When Many Maps Are Open At The Same Time: |
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When you have several maps tiled in front of you, you can drag branches from one to the other.
Remember to hold the control key down if you simply want to copy them. It is easy to go from one open map to another by simply selecting the desired map from the status bar.
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Go to WINDOW "Cascade" or TILE view and click on the map you wish to change over to.
If the map is open, select from the status bar.
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To Put Order Into Your Thinking:
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Start at LEVEL 1 view
Maps can get cumbersome when they radiate off the screen. Reorder the core cognitive paths first by selecting LEVEL 1. Now work a branch at a time. You can do this as follows:
- Select VIEW from the menu
- Select MAPS - "Branch Numbering" near the top of the dialogue box and select the desired numbering scheme
(on NONE).
- To return to your full map simply repeat STEP 1
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Drag and drop around your map
This is easy. You simply click on the idea you want to move, and drag it to where you want the idea to be. Keep an eye on the little arrows that show where you will be positioning it.
To copy, rather than move the branch, hold the control key down while moving. You will see the small plus sign showing that you are copying.
When you are needing to move a few ideas around to present them in a logical order, we suggest you have your numbering 'on'. This will give you visible feedback of the order that your ideas are nesting in around your central idea. to put numbering on or off:
- Go to TOOLS "Preferences"
- Select MAPS - "Branch numbering at bottom of dialogue box" and select NONE next to Scheme.
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Use the BRANCH "Reorder" facility
This is useful when you don't have too many branches that you want to reorder. It is also very useful when re-ordering children of a parent branch. You simply go to BRANCH "Reorder" where you will be able to move the position of your branches from the desired selection point.
This option can be a little frustrating when your branches over-fill the dialogue box. To reorder branches Alphabetically, just select the branch with the children you want re-ordered, and then select CTRL+Q (see also SHORT-CUT keys).
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Work in TEXT OUTLINE format
We have been conditioned to linear thinking for most of our lives. Remember, that even though the creative process is unstructured and dynamic, you will still need to present your ideas in a logical format.
TEXT OUTLINE gives a lovely confirmation of how the ideas will ultimately be presented. While in this format, you can drag and drop your ideas around again. But stay focused on the LEVEL. With NUMBERING turned on, you will also clearly see where the idea should ultimately be nesting. It is useful to then present your notes to the RIGHT of your outline. GO TO "View", Notes Split Orientation, and select "Vertically".
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Reduce the size of your map
It can be frustrating when you are working on a third-level idea that you want to move over to another branch, but your preferred branch is out of view.
You can reduce the size of your map with the little magnifying glass on the toolbar, or by using the AUTO FIT icon on the toolbar. When you do this, remember that you will also be able to see which branch you have selected by looking at the STATUS BAR at the bottom of your map.
If your STATUS BAR is not turned on, do so through TOOLS "Status Bar". You will see that you can also set the size of the font for easy reading if preferred.
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Cumbersome Large Maps:
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Collapse the map to LEVEL 1 and work with a branch at a time
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Or, cut the well developed trees to linked maps
Select the branch that you wish to convert to a linked map:
- Select TREE from the Menu
- Select CUT TO LINKED MAP.
VisiMap will take the name of the branch and use that as the file name. From this new map, create a link back to your plenary map.
- Right click your mouse.
- Select ADD LINK
- Select the little dotted section, and select the plenary map.
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Radiate from a child branch then position.
When you enter a new branch, VisiMap automatically throws it out to the end of all the branches. Eventually the newly created branches seem 'lost' . I often generate a few new branches from one of the existing ones, then place them where I want them afterwards.
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Uses radiated branches as notes and vice versa
This is really useful. Once you have radiated your points, GO TO "Tree" and select "Cut children". After getting them swapped, simply drop these into the notes editor. They will land there nicely numbered.
If you have points that you have made in the notes and now wish to bring those onto the map instead, cut them and paste them on the desired branch. VisiMap will ask you if you want to bring them in as separate points.
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Use Your 'MY PLACES' Bar:
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Select FILE OPEN, and drag folders that you regularly use from Explorer onto the MY PLACES section of the PLACES bar
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