Can I define a topic Fill Color when linking an Outlook Email to a topic?

Hello Dear MM Gurus! I have upgraded to MM 14, and am wondering if this feature exists. I periodically link Outlook emails to topics in my maps. The link comes over with the default fill color (which is no color.) I then manually make the fill color a particular tan color that I like.

I would love for the fill color to be automatically assigned when I create the link.

Is there any place to do that? I've searched the Options, and this message board. I see in the Help documentation that there is a feature called Smart Fill which allows me to assign a fill color based on certain conditions, and this seems like it should work for me, but I don't know how to define the Condition of the topic being an email.

I thank you in advance for your help :)

Thanks!! (and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you!)

Connie Zimmermann

28 Posts
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Posted 5 years ago

5 years ago

Alex Gooding, Champion

1147 Posts
280 Reply Likes

Hi Connie,

I'm fairly certain that Smart Fill can't be used in this way.

One alternative might be to apply a category to the emails in Outlook which is associated with a colour. MM recognises categories and colours when they are imported from Outlook and retains the category colour (assuming one has been applied), so you could apply a generic email colour or set up several email category colours.

These could even be applied automatically on receipt of emails within Outlook, based on subject or recipient using Outlook rules facility. Remember though that MM generally won't apply a colour to a topic that has more than one category colour.

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5 years ago

Connie Zimmermann

28 Posts
0 Reply Likes

Thanks for the info Alex! Sounds like a great idea.

I have not yet ever tried to associate a color with categories in Outlook, but will give it a try. It would truly be wonderful if I could have the color applied automatically. It's just one color that I use for Email topics.

I'll report back my results. In 2015 :)

Image: https://d2r1vs3d9006ap.cloudfront.net/s3_images/1137880/RackMultipart20141231-28446-viu8it-animated-happy-new-year-image-0064_inline.gif?1420062152

Image: https://d2r1vs3d9006ap.cloudfront.net/s3_images/1137880/RackMultipart20141231-28446-viu8it-animated-happy-new-year-image-0064_inline.gif?1420062152

(Edited)

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5 years ago

Alex Gooding, Champion

1147 Posts
280 Reply Likes

Hi Connie - good luck with it. It seems to work fine for me.

And greetings from 2015 (as I write, the Australian east coast is already over 11 hours into the new year). It isn't too bad so far!

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5 years ago

Connie Zimmermann

28 Posts
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Hi Alex, It appears that because I am on an old version of Word (2003) for the time being, I don't have those features to apply a color to a category. What version are you using? I'll be moving to the newest version sometime in the next couple of months.

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5 years ago

Alex Gooding, Champion

1147 Posts
280 Reply Likes

Hi Connie, yes, there were fundamental changes in the handling of categories between Outlook 2003 and 2007, with some minor changes between 2007 and 2010 (which I use). I think Outlook 2003 used a coloured flag system which was then abandoned for the coloured categories.

The following article discusses the changes: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/outl... - also have a look at the linked articles and comments. I think that a Outlook 2013's handling of categories is substantially the same as in Outlook 2010.

(Edited)

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5 years ago

Connie Zimmermann

28 Posts
0 Reply Likes

Thank you Alex! I shall work on getting my new computer sooner than later. I want that feature!! I want it in general, in addition to what it will do for me with MindJet. I will report my progress once I get this going.

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5 years ago

Alex Gooding, Champion

1147 Posts
280 Reply Likes

Thanks Connie. Once you start using categories in both Outlook and MindManager you will find there is a lot you can do with them. MM will also sync Outlook categories and while the process is a little convoluted you can assign and manage Outlook categories from within MM, After they have been imported from Outlook.

Also if you set reminders on emails in Outlook you can use MM queries to import only emails that are due, say, this week, though this process is a little buggy - see my responses to this question: https://community.mindjet.com/mindjet...

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