5 Basic map editing (with tutorial)

Workflow

This chapter shows a typical example for the three-step workflow in eminec MYmap: brainstorm (1), organize (2) and share (3). Even though these steps are shown sequentially here, the program does not enforce this order. You may continue any of these three tasks at any time — for example, if you want to add new ideas to a map you have already used in a presentation.

However, in daily routine, you are usually going to follow the sequence shown here.

Brainstorm

When you start your eminec MYmap session, add your ideas first. This is generally done as follows:

Enter the main topic of your map. It will appear in the center of the Map view window.
Now add the main ideas; eminec MYmap will connect them to the center.
Enter more topics that describe the aspects you have just added in greater detail; eminec MYmap draws connections to their respective main ideas.

The result is a visual representation of your subject, the so-called map. It is organized as a tree structure. You can continue the procedure described above to store the information in multiple levels.

When you enter a keyword, you need not think about whether it is added to the »right« place; just add the topics where they appear to fit in the first place. As the map grows radially from the center, there will almost always be enough free space for new information, without the need to reposition the topics entered before.

Alternatively, you can use »zzap« mode — a specialized brainstorming mode, available in the »Premium« and »Academic« editions. It allows you to gather ideas rapidly without doing any structuring; in the next step, the keywords are inserted into a map. More about this can be found in the chapter Brainstorming in »zzap« mode.

Organize

When you have finished the first stage, you can move any poorly-positioned or misassigned topics. eminec MYmap makes sure that the tree structure of your document stays intact at all times; by default, all elements are automatically positioned so that they do not overlap each other.

Now it is a good time to show the traditional outline of your map. It is quite similar to the table of contents found in books. eminec MYmap generates the outline automatically and updates it in real-time as you change your map. You may also change the outline, and eminec MYmap will modify your map accordingly.

In this stage, you may also do the following:

You can add colors and symbols to your map to make it easier to grasp.
You can add links to other documents, e. g. eminec MYmap documents, documents from other applications or pages on the Internet or intranet. If the additional piece of information is relatively compact, you can add a note directly to eminec MYmap.
You can add user-defined properties to all elements in your document, which allows you to use eminec MYmap as a decision tool. More about this can be found in the chapter User-defined classes.

To convey your idea to others, you may want to show your finished map using a projector. You can also print it — as a handout or in flip chart size; a zoom feature is built into eminec MYmap. Of course you may also pass on your eminec MYmap file, which can be opened using the free eminec MYmap »Viewer« (on Microsoft Windows platforms). In all three cases, you use the map in its unmodified form, just as it is used in eminec MYmap.

The automatically generated traditional outline (as described above) can be used in a word processing application after just a few mouse clicks. This may be the starting point for a longer essay. As you can see, you can preserve the information entered into eminec MYmap even if you are not using the map appearance in the end.

The XML export interface enables you to use the data from your map in other application in a way that allows automated processing of the information. More about this can be found in the chapter Working with XML data.

Your first map

IN THIS SECTION YOU ARE GOING TO SEE HOW TO CREATE A MAP. YOU ARE GOING TO ADD MAIN BRANCHES AND TO WORK WITH THE TRASHCAN. TIME: 15 MINS.

Rename the Map center

In the center of the Map view window you can see the Map center. In a new map, it is titled »New map«. Point to it using the mouse cursor. Note that the content of the »Guide« window changes: it now says you can highlight the object »New Map« by clicking it. Do so.

Clicking: Point to an object using the mouse cursor, briefly push and release the left mouse button. This selects an object or executes the most important action for this object.

The object »New Map« is now selected. This is indicated by inverted display and an ant colon around it.

Make sure the mouse cursor is still pointing to the object »New Map«. (Note that the »Guide« tip has changed.) Click the object »New Map« again to change its caption. As changing the caption is the most important operation for the selected object, this operation is initiated by clicking. Enter the following: Advantages. Press the Enter key to commit the changes.

You can change the caption without clicking twice. Try it: type MYmap advantages. eminec MYmap automatically switches to entry mode. Again, press the Enter key to commit the changes.

Create and label main branches

Double-click anywhere in the free area of your map (i. e. any place except for the Map center). eminec MYmap creates a new main branch and changes to entry mode. Enter the following: easy. Press the Enter key to commit the changes.

Double-clicking: Point to an object or to the free area using the mouse cursor, rapidly push and release the left mouse button twice. This adds a new object.

Create three more branches somewhere else in your map, and label them fast, flexible und useless.

Move, delete and restore objects

If you do not like the way your objects are arranged, point to a main branch, push and hold the left mouse button, and move the object to its new position. Then release the button.

Dragging: Point to an object using the mouse cursor, push and hold the left button. Move the cursor, then release the button. This moves an object.

The Trashcan can be found in the left margin. Drag an object to the Trashcan to delete it. Try it: Delete the objects flexible and useless. Then click the Trashcan to show its contents. Click »Restore flexible« to add the previously deleted main branch flexible to your map again.

YOUR FIRST MAP IS FINISHED NOW. CLICK THE MENU »FILE« > »SAVE« TO KEEP THE MAP.

Improving your map

IN THIS SECTION YOU ARE GOING TO SEE MORE PROCEDURES FOR EDITING YOUR MAPS. YOU ARE GOING TO CREATE AN OUTLINE, TO ADD DETAIL TO BRANCHES AND TO ADD HIGHLIGHTS. TIME: 25 MINS.

Create an outline and navigate the map

eminec MYmap automatically creates a traditional outline for your map. You can view it in the Task pane, which is located in the right part of the window. In the following steps, your are going to modify the map; as you will be able to see, eminec MYmap automatically synchronizes the outline with the map. To show the outline, click the tab »Outline« at the right end of the window, or press the keys Ctrl+5.

To show a certain object in your map (to navigate), click the corresponding entry in the traditional outline. Try it: Click easy in the outline (this main branch should be there as a result of the previous tutorial section), and eminec MYmap will focus the main branch easy in the Map view window. This comes in handy especially if you work on large maps which do not fit onto the screen entirely. In this case, eminec MYmap scrolls your map automatically; you do not need to use the scroll bars or the scroll wheel.

Empty the Trashcan and work with context menus

Deleted objects are still listed in the outline, but their caption and icon are grayed out. They will stay in your map even if you open it again later. To remove deleted objects permanently from your map, empty the Trashcan. To do so, right-click the Trashcan and select »Empty trashcan« from the menu that appears after your click. In our tutorial, this will remove the main branch useless that is still in the Trashcan.

Right-click: Point to an object using the mouse cursor, briefly push and release the right mouse button. This shows a context menu. The context menu contains commands for editing the object you have pointed to.

Add sub-branches

Point to the main branch easy, and double-click. eminec MYmap creates a sub-branch, which is assigned to the main branch easy, and changes to entry mode. Enter the following: thanks to the "Guide" window.

Repeat this process to add more sub-branches, and enter the captions thanks to the outline and thanks to clarity.

You can continue this process to add more information to your map. (We are not going to do this now.) Double-clicking a sub-branch always creates a new outline level. As you are certainly willing to keep your map lucid, you should create at most four or five levels in your map. If there is still more information to add, it is a good idea to create multiple maps and connect them using links. This can be done in eminec MYmap without big effort.

Format captions

Point to the main branch easy, and click using the left mouse button. Activate the Task pane »Format« by clicking the tab »Format« at the right end of the window or by pressing the keys Ctrl+3. eminec MYmap will show you various options to format the object. Format the main branch easy as follows:

Font: Times New Roman
Style: italics
Size: 24 pt
Color: red (#FF0000)

Click the appropriate options in the section »Object font« of the »Format« Task pane (the color selection appears when you click the colored area below the font name). Your font formatting for the main branch easy is applied to the map immediately.

Use built-in highlighters

You can highlight the most importent objects in your map using a highlighter. There are various colors to choose from. In this example, we are going to use the main branch easy to try this.

Make sure the object you want to highlight is selected. The Task pane »Format«, which should still be open, contains a section »Object color«. Left to the color selector »Highlight« (yellow box) there is a check box. Click it; the main branch easy is now highlighted in yellow. If you want to change the highlight color, use the color selector next to the check box.

Use highlighters from the collection

Activate the Task pane »Clip Art« by clicking the respective tab at the right end of the window, or press the keys Ctrl+7.

The Task pane »Clip Art« contains a section »Categories«. Click the contained folder »Branch highlights«. The folder »Standard« appears. Click the folder »Standard«. Choose a map from the preview, and drag it to the main branch flexible. To do so, point to the highlighter you would like to use. Push and hold the left mouse button, and move the mouse cursor to the main branch flexible. Release the mouse button.

Try more! Highlight the main branch fast using a different highlighter.

Delete highlighters

Click the main branch flexible so that it is selected. In the »Format« Task pane (Ctrl+2), section »Object commands«, click the command »Delete highlight image«. This procedure allows you to remove highlighters that you have added as described in »Use highlighters from the collection«.

If you have used a built-in highlighter, as described two sections above, the command »Delete highlight image« is not available. You can remove such a highlighter by deactivating the check box in front of the »Highlight« color selector in the section »Objekt color«.

Publish maps on the Internet/intranet

Save your map. eminec MYmap stores your map in its own eminec MYmap format (EMM), which can only be opened by eminec MYmap. If you would like to pass on your map and the recipient uses eminec MYmap too, this is the most efficient option because EMM files are very small (automatic compression) and this does not require additional steps. eminec MYmap is also available in a free »Viewer« edition which allows opening all EMM files.

If the recipient cannot or does not want to use eminec MYmap (e. g. as he is using a Linux or Apple Macintosh machine), you should export the map. To publish your results on the Internet or intranet, this is probably going to be the the option of your choice, too.

Click the menu »File« > »Export...«, or press the keys Ctrl+E. A window appears; choose »Picture, JPEG« from the list to the left, and click OK. Enter a file name, and click »Save«. eminec MYmap stores a picture of your map in JPEG format, which you can use to embed your map into a web page (the exact procedure depends on the software you use to create your web pages).

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE NOW SEEN AND TRIED ALL MAJOR PROCEDURES REQUIRED FOR CREATING AND FORMATTING MAPS. THIS CONCLUDES THE TUTORIAL.

Map objects

A map can contain various object types. The tutorial sections »Your first map« and »Improving your map« have referred to Map centers, Branches and Sub-Branches. It is useful to know which object types are available in eminec MYmap. The following overview shows you a complete list of all supported objects:

Map center: Every map contains exactly one Map center. When you create a new map, a Map center is automatically added; it can be renamed and formatted, but it cannot be deleted. All other objects are subordinate to the Map center. You can verify this fact by looking at the traditional outline (»Outline« Task pane).
Main branches: Main branches are the first-level topics of your subject. A Main branch is always directly subordinate to the Map center. If you click anywhere in the free area of your map, you create a Main branch.
Sub-branches: Sub-branches are topics that are subordinate to Main branches. The term »branches« refers to both Main branches and Sub-branches. If you double-click an existing Main branch or Sub-branch, you create a new Sub-branch. Main branches and sub-branches are technically the same, the differentiation is mainly useful for explaining various aspects in the manual. Accordingly, any Sub-branch becomes a Main branch if you subordinate it to the Map center; a Main branch becomes a Sub-branch as soon as you subordinate it to another Main branch or Sub-branch. This does not change the options available for the object.
Free text: Free text is not connected to the superordinate object by a branch line. However, it is always subordinate to another object, which means it will move if you relocate the superordinate object. Free texts are ideal for adding annotations that do not fit into the logical order of your document to a map.
Connections: A Connection is a line that connects any two other objects. It can have no, one or two arrowheads, which are useful to show various relationships between these objects.
Pictures: Pictures in the JPEG, GIF, BMP (bitmap) or EMF (vector) formats can be inserted into the map by dragging them from Windows Explorer. They can be used to illustrate your ideas.

The various object types are indicated in the »Outline« Task pane by different icons.

Procedures overview

The tutorial sections »Your first map« and »Improving your map« have shown a variety of procedures for editing maps in the order that is most typical when you work with eminec MYmap. The following overview is arranged systematically, and it is complete. Please note that the overview contains mouse procedures only. More about keyboard shortcuts can be found in the chapter Speeding up your work with keyboard shortcuts.

The short reference for eminec MYmap also contains the following list. It is recommended that you print the short reference if you do not have this manual in paper form.

Insert new objects

Basic method: Double-clicking (left button)

To add a main branch:: Point to an empty area of your map, and double-click (left button).
To add a sub-branch to a branch:: Point to an existing object, and double-click (left button).
To add free text:: Point to an empty area of your map, and double-click (left button). MYmap adds a main branch (see above). Enter the caption and confirm with Enter, then right-click the branch, and select »Convert to free text« from the context menu.
To add a connection:: Right-click an existing object, and select »Create connection« from the context menu. Click (left button) the connection's target object.

Select objects and edit object caption

Basic method: Clicking (left button)

To select an object:: Point to an object, and click (left button).
To change an object's caption:: Point to an object, which is already selected, and click (left button). If the object has not yet been selected, click (left button) twice with a short pause between both clicks (»delayed double-click«)

Move and re-assign objects

Basic method: Drag-and-Drop (left button)

To move an object without changing its assignment (i. e. structure remains unmodified):: Point to an object, press and hold the left button, move the mouse somewhere else in your map (there must not be any other objects) and release the button.
By moving an object, the automatic arrangement of objects assigned to the same parent is disabled permanently. A small yellow box located near the parent object indicates this.
To reactivate the automatic arrangement:: Point to the tiny yellow box near an object, and click (left button). Automatic arrangement will be enabled for all objects directly assigned to the clicked object.
If there is no tiny yellow box, automatic arrangement is still enabled or enabled again.
To re-assign an object (change map structure):: Point to an object, press and hold the left button, move the mouse somewhere else in your map (there must be another object, the target object). MYmap draws a border around the target object. Move the mouse to the red arrow on the right; the background of the red arrow will then change to black. Release the button.
If you follow these instructions and do not point to the red arrow, but to the target object itself, MYmap will not subordinate the moved object to the target object; instead, the objects will become siblings (useful whenever the target object is not a main branch).
Re-assigning objects does not change your automatic arrangement settings in any way.

Edit objects with advanced commands

Basic method: Right-clicking

To show a context menu for an object:: Point to an object, and right-click. With the context menu, you can access commands to use the clipboard, to copy the format to other objects and to query the Internet. You may also convert objects to free text or create new connections.