After seeing @macmarrum 's demonstration regarding tables, I remember a feature request that I was planning on creating a post for: Trello Board Node Layout
Currently we only have the default view/layout:
And the outline view
And I thought be we could have something in between where a certain level (i.e., Level 1 nodes) organize themselves horizontally with their siblings, and their children organized vertically like this
A perfect use case for this is for a To Do list for a GTD system where you can easily drag and drop stuff into their respective columns.
Now I'm not sure how should this be implemented i.e., if it can only be applied to Level 1 nodes which is probably the easiest and simplest implementation or if it's possible to apply the layout to other specific nodes, kind of like a "Horizontal Layout" checkbox that you can toggle in the Formatting panel of a node. Either way this could be another interesting way to visualize information :)
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Just FYI, other mindmapping programs have lots of layout options, whereas FP has only two. Dimitry told me this was mostly because of lack of user demand for alternative layouts. If I remember correctly (feel free to correct me) Dimitry also said, I think, that it would be a challenge to add other layouts as the programming is complicated and that he did it a long time ago so the logic is not fresh in his mind, although I'm sure he would be open to the possibility.
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Outline view shows summary nodes, floating nodes and nodes with changed locations at the same positions as if they were just ordinary nodes. Adding other outline view like layouts is not difficult while creating new layouts considering this information is very challenging.
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Just for a different point of view, if this could help, I use sometimes this way for creating "tables"=matrices, it is far from what you show but you have to think about it as to some sort of prototype.
In the attached map apply the script to the node with the windows icon (similar to a matrix)
Obviously it is possible to extend the matrix nodes with some subtrees, but it has to be studied a little bit...
That does look impressive for creating tables @sfpcom :D but yes not necessarily what I imagined for a Kanban/Trello board specifically
After some thought, maybe this "Trello/Kanban Board" view doesn't necessarily have to be it's own layout but instead it could be it's own node, which I would call the Column Node which is basically a Floating Node but automatically arranges it's children vertically like in the Outline View. Here's how I imagine it would work:
Of course the children shouldn't overlap with this node like what happened with the left column. This way, there's less questions that need to be answered since it just follows the behavior of a floating node :)
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just to complement the ideas... I was always wondering how to prevent my matrix-style tables from showing a kind of "slope" when moving to the right. As every node shows a bit of a vertical offset each time attached to its parent.
Hi @nnako
I came across this slight offset too and was wondering why it sometimes appeared and sometimes didn't. It turns out that it's the nature of Fork. Bubble/Rectangle nodes form a straight line.
I use a transparent border for all such nodes and a Cloud for the first node in a line to simulate a row.
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Hi macmarrum I got it and took already an example to be used as template in my maps, appreciated.
I even like the alternative possibilities proposed by Bartolome, but I don't know how to realize them using current FP tools,
I think those are an interesting view to be apply to partial zones of a map and they are very good for visualizing concepts or issues...
SFPC
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@sfpc I've just opened your Matrix Creator.mm and ran the script.
👍 It's a nice idea, i.e. to create a matrix view of a regular node structure by using free-positioned nodes. The link back to the original node is a useful feature.
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It is a bit cumbersome because you have to think to axes references and to put in attributes the coordinates...
A bit of history: I used the forum support and I enhanced it a little bit. I was annnoyed not beeing able to create matrices of existing nodes just as an alternative view (to study/reflect on specific parts of projects). Still I'm missing gantt effects...
But because normal MSProject gantt is not enough to summarize activities during time periods, I find better to use some sort of a matrix approach.
The link is because I do not want to change the original nodes map (including often notes, deliverables links, etc.)
To change matrix you have just to add another attribute the nodes
My hope is that this prototype could eventually suggest how to embed matrices in FP.
SFPC
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
After seeing @macmarrum 's demonstration regarding tables, I remember a feature request that I was planning on creating a post for: Trello Board Node Layout
Currently we only have the default view/layout:
![](https://i.imgur.com/JGeEs3K.png)
And the outline view
![](https://i.imgur.com/0cownfE.png)
And I thought be we could have something in between where a certain level (i.e., Level 1 nodes) organize themselves horizontally with their siblings, and their children organized vertically like this
A perfect use case for this is for a To Do list for a GTD system where you can easily drag and drop stuff into their respective columns.
Now I'm not sure how should this be implemented i.e., if it can only be applied to Level 1 nodes which is probably the easiest and simplest implementation or if it's possible to apply the layout to other specific nodes, kind of like a "Horizontal Layout" checkbox that you can toggle in the Formatting panel of a node. Either way this could be another interesting way to visualize information :)
Just FYI, other mindmapping programs have lots of layout options, whereas FP has only two. Dimitry told me this was mostly because of lack of user demand for alternative layouts. If I remember correctly (feel free to correct me) Dimitry also said, I think, that it would be a challenge to add other layouts as the programming is complicated and that he did it a long time ago so the logic is not fresh in his mind, although I'm sure he would be open to the possibility.
An interesting idea.
Here's how the current functionality can be used to simulate something similar
And with this example (board_based_on_dark_nord_template.mm), I started a new thread: MindMap Examples
Last edit: macmarrum 2022-03-07
Outline view shows summary nodes, floating nodes and nodes with changed locations at the same positions as if they were just ordinary nodes. Adding other outline view like layouts is not difficult while creating new layouts considering this information is very challenging.
Just for a different point of view, if this could help, I use sometimes this way for creating "tables"=matrices, it is far from what you show but you have to think about it as to some sort of prototype.
In the attached map apply the script to the node with the windows icon (similar to a matrix)
Obviously it is possible to extend the matrix nodes with some subtrees, but it has to be studied a little bit...
SFPC
here the map
SFPC
That does look impressive for creating tables @sfpcom :D but yes not necessarily what I imagined for a Kanban/Trello board specifically
After some thought, maybe this "Trello/Kanban Board" view doesn't necessarily have to be it's own layout but instead it could be it's own node, which I would call the Column Node which is basically a Floating Node but automatically arranges it's children vertically like in the Outline View. Here's how I imagine it would work:
https://i.imgur.com/blZ5Xz3.mp4
Of course the children shouldn't overlap with this node like what happened with the left column. This way, there's less questions that need to be answered since it just follows the behavior of a floating node :)
Hi,
I like the idea proposed by @macmarrum in his previous post as a starting point.
But let's imagine the following feature:
Following this logic it will look like a table
Last edit: Edo Frohlich 2022-03-08
In pictures:
From this ... (normal cloud)
... to this (table cloud)
I notice in the example above the nodes have similar widths.
Here are some images with a new example
@edo_f Great minds think alike 😉
This is what I presented at Freeplane community online conference on Sunday, March 06, 2022 . The approach I've taken is to set the width of each "column" on demand, with a script. Each node's width is set to the widest node in the column.
Last edit: macmarrum 2022-03-08
Great!
I rarely use clouds, but using them for this is a great idea!
Thank you for sharing it
Interesting macmarrum, I think it is useful in this way.
SFPC
Hi,
just to complement the ideas... I was always wondering how to prevent my matrix-style tables from showing a kind of "slope" when moving to the right. As every node shows a bit of a vertical offset each time attached to its parent.
Hi @nnako
I came across this slight offset too and was wondering why it sometimes appeared and sometimes didn't. It turns out that it's the nature of Fork. Bubble/Rectangle nodes form a straight line.
I use a transparent border for all such nodes and a Cloud for the first node in a line to simulate a row.
Hi macmarrum I got it and took already an example to be used as template in my maps, appreciated.
I even like the alternative possibilities proposed by Bartolome, but I don't know how to realize them using current FP tools,
I think those are an interesting view to be apply to partial zones of a map and they are very good for visualizing concepts or issues...
SFPC
@sfpc I've just opened your Matrix Creator.mm and ran the script.
👍 It's a nice idea, i.e. to create a matrix view of a regular node structure by using free-positioned nodes. The link back to the original node is a useful feature.
It is a bit cumbersome because you have to think to axes references and to put in attributes the coordinates...
A bit of history: I used the forum support and I enhanced it a little bit. I was annnoyed not beeing able to create matrices of existing nodes just as an alternative view (to study/reflect on specific parts of projects). Still I'm missing gantt effects...
But because normal MSProject gantt is not enough to summarize activities during time periods, I find better to use some sort of a matrix approach.
The link is because I do not want to change the original nodes map (including often notes, deliverables links, etc.)
To change matrix you have just to add another attribute the nodes
My hope is that this prototype could eventually suggest how to embed matrices in FP.
SFPC