Format topics and objects

Set the topic shape and color

You can set the topic shape and fill color for individual topics using the commands on the Format tab, in the Object Format group, or on the mini-toolbar. More options (such as transparency and using a custom shape) are available from the Object Format dialog launcher.

You can only set these options when viewing the map.

Change topic shape and color

1. Select the topic(s).

2. To change the shape, do one of the following:
   

   On the Format tab, in the Object Format group, click the Topic Shape arrow.

   OR

   For a flowchart topic: right click, then select Topic Shape. List of flowchart shapes

3. Then click a topic shape, or click Image from Library ▼.

   • The Library pane will open, displaying the Shapes folder.

   • Click a shape in the lower pane.

   • Line color and Fill color do not apply to custom shapes.
   • You can adjust the content margins for any shape.

4. To change fill or line color, do one of the following:
   

   On the Format tab, in the Object Format group, click Fill Color or Line Color ..

   OR

   For a flowchart topic: Right click, then select Fill Color or Line Color.

5. On the Format tab, in the Object Format group, click Fill Color or Line Color .
   Read Hint

   Or, you can right-click the topic and use the mini-toolbar's Topic Shape , Line Color , and Fill Color options.

Your choice of Line color effects the topic's connecting lines and shape outline color. The Fill color is used  inside the topic shape or as a highlight (for topics without shapes). You can set the fill transparency using the Object Format dialog launcher.

Read Hints

More shape and color options

1. On the Format tab, click the Object Format dialog launcher.

2. On the Shape and Color tab, choose the desired attributes for the topic.

• You can set the Fill Transparency here.

• You can use a Custom Image shape ▼.

  1. Under Custom image shape click Select Image, then navigate to the image file and click Insert.

  2. If you want to save this image to the MindManager Library for re-use, click Save Image, navigate to the target folder, then click Save. If you save the image to the default location, it will appear in the Library's Shapes folder.

  3. The image is used for the topic shape, and will stretch or compress to accommodate the topic text. The topic text is superimposed over the shape.

3. Click the Map Theme button if you wish to save these settings as theme defaults for this map, or re-set the topic's formatting to the default from the theme.

Set the topic font

You can set the font face and font attributes for a single topic, and the capitalization style for all topics. The Capitalization settings are map theme settings, and so, they apply to existing topics and all new topics you create. You can set these options when viewing the map or in Outline View.

You can modify the placeholder text that appears in central topics, main topics, floating topics, callout topics, org-chart topics, and all levels of subtopics.

Change the topic font

1. Select the topic (s).

2. On the Format tab, in the Font group use the commands to change the topic font's attributes.
   Read Hints

   Right-click the topic and use the mini-toolbar commands.

   Font colors can be used as map markers to classify topics on your map (for example a topic in green text means "Michael's task"). See Markers for more information on using markers.

Change topic text capitalization

1. Select a topic.

2. On the Format tab, click the Font dialog launcher.

3. On the Capitalization tab, choose the capitalization style for topics.

4. Click the Map Theme button if you wish to save these settings as theme defaults for this map, or re-set the topic's formatting to the default from the theme.
   Read Hint

   You can apply different styles of capitalization to various subtopic levels. For example, if the capitalization was already set for subtopics at level 4 and beyond, setting the capitalization with a level 2 subtopic selected will only affect levels 2 and 3. The capitalization for level 4 and beyond remains unchanged.

Set default placeholder text

1. On the Design tab, click Edit Default Text.

2. In the Edit Default Text dialog, enter new placeholder text in the corresponding topic field.

Set topic size

There are a number of options for controlling the size of topics. You can choose to automatically resize topics based on their contents or set a specific topic size for individual topics. You can give a map a cleaner look and  make it more presentable by increasing the size of smaller topics to match the width of the largest topic within the same branch. It also aligns the beginning of text in each level.

Size topics based on their contents

1. Select a topic or multiple topics, right-click and choose Format Topic.

2. In the Format Topic dialog, click the Size and Margins tab.

3. Enable the Automatic Topic Size option.

Set the size of a specific topic

1. Select a topic or multiple topics, right-click and choose Format Topic.

2. In the Format Topic dialog, click the Size and Margins tab.

3. Enable the Fixed Topic Size option and set the topic size in the Height and Width boxes to create topics of a specific size.
   If the amount of content exceeds the size of the topic, the content is truncated and a blue triangle appears in the lower right corner of the topic. You can view the whole topic by hovering over the icon.

Match topic widths

Do one of the following:

To reset topics to their original width, choose Reset Widths.

Set default line thickness

You can set the default connector-line thickness in central topics, main topics, floating topics, callout topics, org-chart topics, and all levels of subtopics.

1. Right-click the central topic, and choose Format Topic.

2. In the Format Topic dialog, click the General Layout tab.

3. Choose one of the following options from the Line thickness applies to drop-down list:

·        All Topics — applies to lines to all topics

·        Main Topic Lines — applies to lines between the central topic and main topics

·        Organic Lines — thickness settings for topic levels below the central topic are ignored

Set default topic style

You can set the default style for topics of the same type.

1. Select the topic containing style to set as the default style.

2. On the Format tab, click Set Default Style.

To reset the topic style to the default theme, select a topic and click Reset to Default on the Format tab.

Number topics

The Topic Numbering command can be used in Map View or Outline View to add a numbering scheme to the subtopics of the selected topic. If the central topic is selected the numbering is applied to the whole map.
Read Note

1. Select one or more topics whose subtopics you want to number. (Numbering can only be applied to topics with subtopics).

2. Do one of the following on the Insert tab, in the Topic Elements group:
   

   Click the Numbering arrow and choose the type of numbering to use.

   Or

   Click the Numbering arrow, click Numbering Options, choose the options you want to use, then click OK.

   Or

   Click Numbering to number the map with the current options.

Numbering is added at the start of the topic text for all subtopics up to the specified depth. If you add, remove, or reorganize topics your map will be automatically renumbered. If you switch to Outline View, the same numbering scheme will be used for your outline.

Read Note   

Read Hint  

You can change, expand or reduce the numbering scheme at any time by repeating the initial numbering steps. If you add numbering for a topic (or the entire map) that already contains numbered subtopics, the new numbering scheme will override the old and the subtopics will be renumbered.

Remove numbering

1. Select the root topic for the numbering.

• If you numbered the whole map or outline at once you should select the central topic.

• If you numbered a portion of your map or outline, and you want to remove this portion's numbers, you must select the root (source) topic of the numbered section.

• If you numbered the whole map or outline first, and then re-numbered several sections separately you can remove all the numbering by selecting the Central Topic.

2. On the Insert tab, in the Topic Elements group, click the Numbering arrow, then click Remove Numbering.

Notes on exporting numbered maps ▼

Include hidden topics in numbering

By default, hidden topics are excluded from topic numbering. However, you can modify map settings to include topics hidden by filters.

1. Do one of the following:

2. Disable the Renumber topics when there are topics are hidden by filters check box

Topic size and margins

You can set the topic size and margins for individual topics using the Object Format dialog launcher. You can only set these options in Map View.

1. Select the topic(s).

2. On the Format tab, click the Object Format dialog launcher.

3. On the Size and Margins tab, choose settings to apply to a standard topic shape. If a Custom shape is used, you'll see a preview image where you can set the text area. Padding applies to topics with images. The measurement units used (in or mm) are set using MindManager's General options.
   Read Hint

   Some experimentation may be required to get just the right "look" for your map - click Apply to see how your settings will look without leaving the dialog. Also, some settings, such as Preferred Width, which controls the width at which text wraps,will not display until you add content.

4. Click the Map theme button if you wish to save these settings as theme defaults for this map, or re-set the topic's formatting to the default from the theme.

Topic text and image alignment

You can set the topic text and image alignment for individual or multiple topics in a variety of ways. You can only set these options in Map View.

Change the alignment of topic text and images

1. Select the topic(s).

2. For text alignment, on the Format  tab, in the Font group, click the Alignment arrow and select how you want the text aligned within the topic.
   Read Hint

   Or, you can right-click the topic and use the alignment command in the mini-toolbar.

3. For image alignment, in the Format tab, Object Format group, click the Align pull down, then select Align Image to set the options.
   Read Hint

   You can drag an image inside the topic to change its placement.

You can click the Theme button here if you wish to save these settings as the formatting defaults for this map, or re-set the topic's formatting to the default for the theme.

Format boundaries and relationships

When you select a boundary or a relationship, the formatting options on the Design tab are enabled, and you can use these to change the object's appearance. See Boundaries and Relationships for information on further modifying these objects.

Additional options are available when you right-click on the object, and then click Format Boundary or Format Relationship (or double-click, or select the object and press ALT+ENTER).

1. Select the formatting options you want to use.

2. To see how the boundary or relationship will look, click Apply.

3. Click the Map Theme button if you wish to save these settings as formatting defaults for this map, or re-set the object's formatting to the default from the theme.

Use the Format Painter

The Format Painter transfers format settings from one object (the source object) to another (the target object). Usually, you will paint the format to another object of the same type (e.g. from one topic to another, or from one text selection to another), but you can also paint the format to a different object type (e.g. from a boundary to a topic). In the second case, only the types of formatting supported in the target object will be applied.

Format a single object with the format painter

1. Select the object or text whose format you want to duplicate (the source object).

2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Format Painter . You'll see the cursor change to a paint-brush .
   Read Hint

   Or, you can right-click the topic and use the Format Painter command in the mini-toolbar.

3. Paint the format to the target object(s):

• Click on the target object.

• For text, drag to select the target text.

Format multiple objects with the format painter

• On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Format Painter , then press CTRL and click to paint the same format on several objects.

• On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, double- click Format Painter , then click to paint the same format on several objects.

Stop the Format Painter

• Click on an empty space on the map.

• Press ESC.

Read Hint

Remove formatting

You can remove the formatting that you have applied to any map object and return it to the default formatting (determined by the map's theme).

1. Select the topic, object, or the text within a note or topic.
   Read Hint

   Or,for regular map topics, you can right-click a topic and use the Clear Formats command in the mini-toolbar. (This command is not present on the flowchart topic mini-toolbar.)

2. On the Home tab, click the Delete button, and then select Formats .

• Press CTRL+SPACE.

Format the map background

MindManager comes with a wide assortment of suitable background images designed to enhance the look of your map. You can add these background images from the MindManager Library pane, or use your own image from a file. You can combine a background image with a solid color by adjusting the image transparency.

Add a background from the Library

1. Right-click the map background, click Background, and then click Assign Image from Library

2. In the Library pane, locate the image you want to use.

3. Click the preview image in the lower part of the Library pane to add the image to your map.

Add a background image from a file

You can use a background image from a file in one of the following formats:

bmp, emf, wmf, gif, jpeg/jpg, pcx, png

1. Do one of the following:
   

   On the Design tab, click Edit Background.

   Or

   Right-click the map background, click Background, and then click Background Properties.

2. Click Select Image and navigate to the image file.

3. You can drag an image from a file list (for example, from Windows Explorer) into the image preview area in the dialog to add it as a map background.

Change background color, transparency and image tiling

1. Do one of the following:
   

   On the Design tab, click Edit Background.

   Or

   Right-click the map background, click Background, and then click Background Properties.

2. Select the background Color if desired.

3. Select a background image file. (If you've already selected an image, you'll see its name here.) You can use transparency to "fade" it so it doesn't detract from the map.

4. The image will be tiled according to the Tile options you select.

5. Set the image transparency (0% is opaque).
   Read Hint

   The background image is drawn on top of the color, so if you make the image semi- transparent, the background color will show through.

Remove the background

1. Do one of the following:
   

   On the Design tab, click Edit Background.

   Or

   Right-click the map background, click Background, and then click Background Properties.

2. To remove the image, click Remove Background Image.

3. To remove the color, set the Color to None.