Format topics and objects

The automatic formatting for topics and objects on the map is determined by the map's theme. Its a good idea to decide on an overall look for your map before formatting topics individually. You can apply a suitable Map Theme or modify the current theme to suit your needs.

After selecting a theme you can apply formatting to topics and other objects on the map. The formatting you choose is applied to the currently selected topics or objects.

To format topics and objects you can:

• select it and then use the buttons on the Ribbon

• right-click a topic to see the mini-toolbar with formatting commands
  

• select an object (such as a relationship or boundary) and press ALT+ENTER, or double-click to see the formatting options

When you set new formatting options in the format dialogs, you can save the settings as the new default formatting for that object type in the current map's theme.

To format your map quickly, you can select multiple topics when you apply formatting. The Format Painter lets you transfer formatting between topics, boundaries or relationships. If you find yourself using a particular set of formatting attributes frequently, you can create a topic style with these attributes for easy re-use on other topics.

Some formatting options (font color, fill color) can be used as map markers to classify topics on your map (for example a topic in green text means "Michael's task") , but you can also use these attributes casually to add visual interest and clarity to your map. See Map markers for more information on using these attributes as markers.

What do you want to do?

• Set the topic shape and color
• Set the topic font
• Number topics
• Format boundaries and relationships
• Use the Format Painter
• Remove formatting
• Format the background

Set the topic shape and color

You can set the topic shape and fill color for individual topics using the commands on the Design 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. On the Design tab, in the Object Format group, click the Topic Shape arrow, 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.

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

• 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.

• Fill colors can be used as map markers to classify topics on your map (for example a topic in with red fill means "critical task"). See Markers for more information on using markers.
• You can enable or disable gradient fills using the Visual Effects options.

More shape and color options

1. On the Design 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.

Change the topic font

1. Select the topic (s).

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

3. Or, you can right-click the topic and use the mini-toolbar commands.
4. 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 Design 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.

5. 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.

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.

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 Home tab, in the Editing group:

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

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

• 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.

• Once numbers are added they cannot be directly edited. (You can still edit the rest of the topic text.) If you want to delete the numbers you must use the Remove Numbering command to delete the numbering.
• You can apply different types of numbering to different sections of your map.

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 Home tab, in the Editing group, click the Numbering arrow, then click Remove Numbering.

Notes on exporting numbered maps ▼

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 Design 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.

4. 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.

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 Home tab or Design tab, in the Font group, click the Alignment arrow and select how you want the text aligned within the topic.

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

3. For image alignment, in the Design tab, Object Format group, click Align Image to set the options.

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

Click More Options in either menu to see the Alignment dialog. 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.

Start 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 .

• 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):

• For a single object, click on the target object.

• For text, drag to select the target text.

• For multiple objects press CTRL and click to continue to paint the same format on several objects.

Stop the Format Painter

• Click on an empty space on the map.

• •    Press ESC.

• If you find yourself using the Format Painter to apply the same formatting to a large part of the map, you may want to consider creating a topic style or modifying the map's theme settings (the automatic map formatting) to achieve the same effect more easily.

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.

2. Or, you can right-click a topic and use the Clear Formats command in the mini-toolbar.

2. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Clear, and then click 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 Map 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 Map Background.

• Right-click the map background, click Map 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 Map Background.

• Right-click the map background, click Map 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).

• 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 Map Background.

• Right-click the map background, click Map 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.

See also:

Create a new map

Use Map Themes

Use Topic Styles

Boundaries

Relationships