Format topics and objects

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

After setting a style 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.

You can use the buttons on the Ribbon, to change the formatting, or double-click or press ALT+ENTER to see the formatting options for any object. When you set new formatting options in the format dialogs, you can save the settings as the new default formatting for that object type.

To format your map quickly, you can select multiple topics when you apply formatting. The Format Painter lets you to 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 Format tab, in the Format Topic group. More options (such as transparency and using a custom shape) are available from the Format Topic dialog launcher. You can only set these options in Map View.

Change topic shape and color

1. Select the topic(s).

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

Your choice of Line color effects the topic's connecting lines and shape outline color. The Fill color is used as a highlight (for topics without shapes) or inside the topic shape. You can set the fill transparency using the 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 Home tab, click the 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 Style button if you wish to save these settings as style defaults or re-set the topic's formatting to the default style.

Set the topic font

You can set the font face and font attributes using the commands on the Home tab, in the Font group. In addition, you can change the capitalization style for topics using commands in the Font dialog. The Capitalization settings are style settings, and so, they apply to all new topics you create. You can set these options in Map View or in Outline View.

Change the topic font

1. Select the topic (s).

2. On the Home tab, in the Font group use the commands to change the topic font and color.

3. 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 Home, click the Font dialog launcher.

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

4. Click the Style button if you wish to save these settings as style defaults or re-set the topic's formatting to the default style.

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 no topic is selected the numbering is applied to the whole map.

1. Select a topic (if desired). 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 do not need to select a root 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 Format dialog launcher. You can only set these options in Map View.

1. Select the topic(s).

2. On the Home tab, click the 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 Style button if you wish to save these settings as style defaults or re-set the topic's formatting to the default style.

Topic text and image alignment

You can set the topic text and image alignment for individual topics using the commands on the Home tab. These options are also available from the Format dialog launcher. 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, in the Font group, click the Alignment arrow and select how you want the text aligned within the topic.

3. For image placement, in the 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 Style button here if you wish to save these settings as style defaults or re-set the topic's formatting to the default style.

Format boundaries and relationships

When you select a boundary or a relationship the formatting options on the Ribbon become available, 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 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 Style button if you wish to save these settings as style defaults or re-set the object's formatting to the default style.

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), 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 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 .

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

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

• 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 duplicate the same style for a large part of the map, you may want to consider creating a topic style or modifying the style 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 automatic style settings.

1. Select the object or the text within a note or topic.

2. You can select multiple objects to clear the formatting for them. Press CTRL+A to select all objects on the map, or all the text within a note.

2. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Clear .

   • 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.

You can add an image from a file by using the commands to change the background properties.

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. 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.

Change background color, transparency and image tiling

1. 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 transparent, the background color will show through.

Remove a background image

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

2. Click Remove Background Image, and then click OK.

See also:

Create a new map

Use Map Styles

Use Topic Styles

Boundaries

Relationships