News and thoughts from CS Odessa, maker of the ConceptDraw product line: ConceptDraw PRO, ConceptDraw PROJECT and ConceptDraw MINDMAP.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Mind Map Exchange Blog

The new Mind Map Exchange Solution, now available in the ConceptDraw Solution Park, is very exciting. It expands ConceptDraw MINDMAP’s import and export abilities to include the file formats of many popular mind mapping products on the market, including MindManager, FreeMind, XMind, and host of others. Sharing mind maps has never been easier!




Opening third-party mind maps in ConceptDraw MINDMAP is as simple as choosing Import from the File menu, and then browsing for the file. There is some variation in the features which can be imported from other applications (summarized here) but the overall structure of the map will remain intact. With the map imported, you have access to all the features you already love about ConceptDraw MINDMAP for adding content: Brainstorm mode, Topic Types and Data, PowerPoint Export, and all the rest.

The Mind Map Exchange also offers an easy way to combine maps from differing file formats into a single file. Simply import each one into a ConceptDraw file, then copy-and-paste them into a single map. From that new map, you can easily Output to a Project Plan (with ConceptDraw PROJECT installed) or presentation. It’s no longer a problem to work with collaborators on different operating systems or mind mapping platforms; Mind Map Exchange makes it simple and easy.

But there’s more! With the increased number of export options, ConceptDraw MINDMAP users never have to worry over whether their colleagues can decipher their maps. The variety of export capabilities means that even if ConceptDraw MINDMAP can’t export directly to another program’s format, it almost certainly can export to a format the other program can read. OPML and text outlines are great for this, since practically every mind mapping application can read them.

The Mind Map Exchange Solution is a huge step towards what we at CS Odessa like to call a Universal Business Graphics Format. By continuing to push the boundaries of mind mapping software, we aim to enable anyone and everyone to unlock their creativity with the innovative organization abilities of mind mapping.

A full featured, 21 day trial of ConceptDraw MINDMAP is available for download on http://www.conceptdraw.com/. Click the Join Us link on the homepage to get started, and enjoy mind mapping!