Working with flowchart topics

What do you want to do?

A flowchart consists of several different types of topics, including decisions to describe the components of a process. The capsule-shaped "Start" topic appears on a new flowchart automatically. You can then add new topics using the Quick Add tabs, the menu commands, or keystrokes.  You can even add topics and relationships "free-form," by double clicking the background to create the topics, then dragging and dropping the relationship lines between topics.

Read Hint

A feature that is unique to the flowchart is Add Decision.  This inserts a diamond shape decision topic with rectangles above and below, linked by relationship lines labeled "Yes" and "No." Using the decision topic allows you to create forking paths in the process flow, then follow those paths to determine potential outcomes..

Read Hint

You also have the option to add a simplified version of the Decision topic (Add Decision Only) with only the diamond.

 

   See also:

 

Add topics using Quick Add tabs

Once you have created a new flowchart, it's easy to start building it using the Quick Add tabs, and dragging and dropping the topics into place.
Read Note

Click the Start topic, which will display the green topic frame and the Quick Add tabs.

Now click one of the Quick Add tabs.

The topic becomes surrounded by an orange square, and the relationship line is displayed.

Move the mouse to where you want to add the next topic—anywhere on the map surface.

Here ...   

 

  

... or even here.

At the selected location, click the mouse. A new topic is added.

Need to move it?

Just drag and drop to the new location

Add topics using menu commands

When you create a flowchart, some options on the Home or Insert tab (Add Topics group) change to reflect the unique features available with this type of map  

To add topics using the menu: in  the Home or Insert tab, Add Topics group, do one of the following:

Click New Topic to add a topic after the selected topic. OR Click the New Topic arrow and select Add Topic Before to add a topic before the current topic.
Click New Decision to add a decision diamond with "Yes" and "No" decision topics above and below the diamond. Click the New Decision arrow and select Add Decision Only to add a decision diamond topic without the "Yes" and "No" decision topics.

 

Add topics and relationships "free-form"

You can also place topics the map and then create relationships as needed:

Add a topic by double clicking anywhere on the map. Then, add a second one.

Click on of the topic's Quick Add tabs.

The topic becomes surrounded by an orange square, and the relationship line is displayed.

Move the mouse to the frame of the second topic until it also is surrounded by an orange square, and click.

 The relationship line connects to the second topic with the label field displayed,

(If you don't see the orange square on the second topic, clicking will not connect the two topics. Instead, it will create a third, new topic connected to the first one.)

Add topics using keystrokes

To add:

Keystroke

Mouse

Topic

Select a topic and press ENTER

 

Topic before (above) a  topic

Select a topic and press SHIFT + ENTER

 

Decision topic

Select a topic and press INSERT or CTRL + ENTER

 

Callout topic

Select a topic and press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER

 

Floating topic

 

Click the map background and  type the topic text at the cue arrow  
Or

Double-click the map background and type directly into the floating topic.  

You can set options to enable these features.

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Edit and format flowchart topics

Just as you can edit topics on maps, you can edit flowchart topics to replace or modify the text or resize the topic to control how the text wraps. You can also modify and format relationship lines between topics, including adding text labels.

Move or copy flowchart topics

Drag and drop flowchart topics to a new location, "free-form" restructuring your map.

Select the topic(s) and drag them to a new position on the map. A visual cue appears showing where the topic(s) will be added.

 

Delete or remove topics

You can delete a topic (including its callouts).
 Read Hint

  1. Select the topic(s) and do one of the following:

    Press DELETE. The topic(s) (including icons, images and shapes), attached subtopics and callouts will be deleted. Or On the Home tab, click the Delete button, and then select Topic.

Flowchart layout and themes

You can use map layout features to adjust the arrangement of flowchart topics.  

Additionally, you can use the Layout pull-down menu on the design tab to convert any flowchart topic into a regular topic with the selected layout, effectively combining flowchart and map layouts in one visual display. .

  1. Select the topic(s)

  2. Click the Layout pull-down arrow, and select a layout from the list: Map, Right Map, Tree, Adaptive Map, Split Tree, Org-chart, Up Org-chart, Split Org-chart.

  3. The frame around the topic(s) will change from green to blue. Any new subtopics added to the converted topic(s) will display in the selected layout format and growth direction.  

Flowchart themes

MindManager provides a number of flowchart themes, including swim lanes, or you can create and save your own custom themes.

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