Free movement of elements?

[Tom Bosschaert]

Hi,

I've used VUE (visual Understanding environment) for a number fo big maps, and was loving it when I ran into XMind. Xmind looks a lot better and is much more 'done', so I installed it (had to install the portable version, the normal installer gave a java file error).

It all looks very sleek and extremely useful... except that it seems it does not allow me to place the elements where I want them... it always auto-organizes them. That's very frustrating, coming from VUE. Did I miss something, is there a tick-box that allows me to just move an element where I want it to be (I don't mean to connect it to something else, just move its position in relation to others)?

I have found the different map-type selections offer some rudimentary up, left, down and so on modifications, but I really miss the free movement in VUE.

If it's not there, that would be my main drawback from this wonderful tool. I know how to make good charts, graphs and flows. I'd like to determine where objects are exactly myself.

[Tom Bosschaert]

Anyone any tips for this?

[stephenzhu]

Of course, you can move the topics in XMind. But there are two limitations:
1. You should use the Map structure
2. You can only position the Main Topics.

The way is to press "Alt" key while moving the main topics.

[stephenzhu]

http://www.xmind.net/help/topic.html

[Frank Overman]

"Alt" works great while moving sub-topics!

I've been working on a map for the last week, and there were a number of times I'd move a sub-topic only for it to move back to where it wanted to be, rather than where I wanted it. I just opened the map, held down the alt while positioning the topic, and it stayed put.

Thanks Tom for your question.
Thanks Stephen for XMind!

Frank

[Tom Bosschaert]

Unfortunately I had to abandon XMind because of this. It really isn't flexible enough to make the sort of maps and presentations we want to make.
As buggy and unfinished as VUE is, it does provide that flexibility. Perhaps something for future development of XMind?

Thanks for everyone's help.

[conrad linde]

Hi,

I also experience the same issue Tom mentions. Using alt as you suggest only moves the entire xmind application in my monitor around. I've looked for everywhich way of moving, arranging and organizing topics and sub-topics to my liking thinking that surely that is a basic feature of a mind mapping tool. It seems from what you say alt should enable this but for some reason i can't here. I'm running xmind in Ubuntu 9.04

Another example is double clicking on background to create a floating topic - i just cannot move it to where i want it to. I'd like to leave it free standing but it always integrates into the mindmap
maybe you have some ideas?

[conrad linde]

Update: http://www.xmind.net/help/topic.html this was helpful... Floating Topic does give me some measure of having a separate topic that i can move around - so, that's great. However, it is not that easy to move and when i move anywhere too close to the rest of the map a link jumps out and latches unto it organizing and fixing it in its place.
Still can't move the other topics or sub-topics with alt(this seems for macs?) or ctr and/or shift. I don't know whether its a os-specific issue for me or not.

Great application though otherwise. Xmind has finally actually got me engaged and productive with mind maps in a way Freemind and others just never did.

Haven't heard of VUE before though and will see what that's about and how it is similar and dissimilar.

[Frank Overman]

Conrad,

Maybe it is an OS thing. I've not touched LINUX for a long time... This is what I see with my PC running XP.

Scenario 1:
If I go to move Floating Topic down near the central Resource Management it tries to connect to it:

Still holding down the left mouse button, if I ALSO press and hold the ALT key on my PC, it disconnects from the central topic and is free from any connection to any topic:

However, when I release my mouse button the topic just jumps back to where it was. It will do about the same thing if I try to position the floating topic anywhere within the radius of the existing topics. Every time it will jump back outside the circle, top, bottom, left, right, anywhere to "escape".

Scenario 2:
If I try to position Floating Topic below and to the left of Approach, it connects to it:

And again, while still holding down the left mouse button I press and hold the ALT key, it disconnects.

This time when I release the mouse button and then release the ALT key, it stays where I put it:

I do notice that when I've positioned the Floating Topic just below and to the left of Approach like this, and expand Now: Resource Phase (which is very large) XMind repositions Floating Topic way down on the page, below some other floating topics. But when I collapse Now it comes back to where it's shown now.

- Frank

[Willow Whispers]

i have the same problem!