Is it possible to put content into layer in MindManager v17?

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Hello

Is it possible to put your content into layers in MindManager for Windows (v17)?
Beyond the base layer, I would like to be able to at a single click turn on and off an entire 'layer' of content from appearing. I looked into the MindManager filters a few months ago and found them rather weak.

With thanks

J
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John Smith

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Posted 3 years ago

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3 years ago
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Nick Duffill, Champion

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This is a good question. There are several use cases where you need to properly segregate metadata, e.g. actions relating to managing the map, versus actions related to the content; or making a distinction between guidance and content in a reusable template. I often use Callout topics for this purpose, because you can turn callouts on and off completely (in the View > Show/Hide menu). They can also be combined with marker based filtering to good effect. It is quicker and easier to use filtering from the context menu in the Marker Index: right-click on a marker and choose "Quick Filter". If you use tags instead of icons, and hide tags in the View > Show/Hide menu, then there is no extra visual clutter from the markup of this metadata.
3 years ago
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Ary Velstra, Expert Trainer

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Could you explain to us what you mean with "put your content into layers in MindManager" ?

Nick gives some examples of possible interpretations of your question, but maybe you need something completely different.

Since MindManager is a visual tool, the best way is to include images.
(Edited)
3 years ago
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Alex Gooding, Champion

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Yes, it would help to have a better understanding of what you are trying to do, but if you are talking about showing different layers of topics then Nick's idea to use callouts is a good one. Don't forget that you can attach branches and sub-topics to callouts.


If you want to turn groups of topics on and off selectively however then you might have to look at alternatives such as attaching these groups to invisible floating topics; you can use the expand/collapse button on the floating topic to make these groups appear and disappear. I've described the process here: https://sociamind.com/2015/03/02/crea...


Another option has emerged with MindManager 17.1 (and later) - the ability to use topic roll ups in dashboard maps to show selected branches and topics in one or more parent maps. This means for example that if you have a map where each branch represents activities in different stores in a chain of stores, you can use a dashboard map to show selectively just the sales figures for a specific item across all stores. This post provides an example: https://sociamind.com/2017/01/17/mind...
(Edited)
3 years ago
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John Smith

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OK slightly shooting from the hip here (!)...  in this case my requirement was to run a personal task management system (loosely based on GTD) whereby I might show/hide projects and tasks that were at different 'actionable' status at a single click.

I might have have a subject area hierarchy in the base layer, and then turn on and off projects (and actions) that were of specific statuses. A simple one might be to hide all my "Someday-Maybe" tasks and later to show just all Someday-Maybe tasks. But there would be a number of other statuses.
And it would be nice to have any new stuff to default into the current layer.  And maybe even have stuff that is on a specific layer default to showing up in a user-defined colour?

Likewise one might turn on/off each of my "do asap" Actions that I had categorised by Context, in turn, so I could just see all my Errands on one screen... but also to have them show up in the correct 2D location with respect to the subject area layer of the map.

Moreover I might have a number of non-standard-GTD statuses, such as "Complete_Soon (but not yet)" or "Don't look at this for at least 1 year"

OR maybe I would have a different view (i.e. layer) for each of:
- standalone actions
- normal projects & their actions
- larger projects & their actions

OR maybe I might slap the Urgent and Important onto different layers (but this raises the problem of what to do about something that is both! i.e. Can an item be on 2 layers at once?!)

In truth I haven't given a vast amount of thought into how I would use it exactly. I just remember apply filters seems quite fiddly and involving a lot of clicks.

But either way it sounds like there is no built-in way to do layers, yes?

J
3 years ago
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Ary Velstra, Expert Trainer

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Sorry, but your images did not come through on this side ;-)
3 years ago
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Ary Velstra, Expert Trainer

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But the things you mention can (most or -) all be done easily with clever use of markers and the index - as Nick pointed out-. Just forget the word Filter and you're set to go.
3 years ago
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Nick Duffill, Champion

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Ary is right. It will be a frustrating exercise to try to manage this by controlling what you see in the map itself. This is what the Marker Index is designed to do - to give a different breakdown of the contents of a hierarchical map. The steps are:

1. Choose the map structure carefully as you only have one structure to work with and it will be a pain to change later. I would avoid choosing a status-based structure such as days of the week, percent complete, or priority. Design it either around strategic outcomes or projects.
2. Define the GTD-like actions you want to be able to do, such as completing next actions, reviewing someday/maybe stuff and so on.
3. Identify what lists you need to see to be able to do the steps in 2.
4. Design map markers to generate these lists and apply them to the map. Try to avoid cases where you need to use specific combinations of markers if you can. These lists will always be there without any filtering or clicking.
5. Look at the function for showing or hiding completed tasks in the marker index. This is very useful for working with actions.
6. If your design does rely on combinations of markers, try to arrange it so that you can filter on one marker (which is easy from the marker index), leaving the list you want visible under another marker. This is easier than setting up advanced filters.
3 years ago
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John Smith

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Sounds promising. I shall investigate later as I am out of time now. Many thanks

J
3 years ago
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Alex Gooding, Champion

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For the sorts of things you are trying to do I agree with the approach suggested by Nick.

Sometimes however you do end up having to use power filters, but you can save and manage these queries and even apply them cumulatively (though be very careful if you do this to ensure that you are getting the results you want).

Also have a look at the commands under Filter on the View tab on the ribbon. These make it very easy to show and in particular hide topics based on either the standard task filters or saved power filters; in fact they are the easiest way to hide matching topics based on a saved power filter with just one click.

(Edited)
3 years ago
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John Smith

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Hello

I am re-visiting this.

BACKGROUND RE-CAP
I have a large mind-map hierarchy organized by subject area, and scattered within the hierarchical tree I have individual stuff (projects/actions) having one of about 8 'statuses' of execution (e.g. SomedayMaybe, Live, Today, Do_Soon, Defer, Done etc)

I have tried using Flag Markers to define the Status of each item. It that what you mean, Nick?
If so, I have tried creating a Power Filter for each Status.

PROBLEM
It's quite a lot of clicks to change which Status is currently being shown.

Is there any way to put individual Power Filters onto the Quick Access Toolbar or Ribbon? ... So that they can be executed at a single click Because I change Statuses views very frequently. [I think someone said not. 
Failing that is there any way to create a user-defined hotkey for each? Presumably not...

Thanks

J
3 years ago
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Nick Duffill, Champion

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Power Filters are a lot of clicks to access. Are the filters complex, i.e. a combination of markers? If not, then do the lists of topics in the Marker Index task pane not show you what you need? Alternatively, if the filtered views of the map are based on a single marker, you can right-click on an icon on a topic and choose "Quick Filter" to show just the topics with that marker.
3 years ago
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Alex Gooding, Champion

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Also see my previous comment about accessing saved power filters under Filter on the View tab on the ribbon, which should take only a couple of clicks.
3 years ago
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John Smith

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Thanks guys.

For something I'll be doing a LOT,  if I understand you correction, it's still quite a lot of clicks. 

Nick - no, I am just using individual Markers.  
e.g. Click on:  1.  [Tag name] ==> 2. Click on Quick Filter ==> 3. Show
==> So that is 3 clicks minimum. And that's assuming that the tag name is currently visible...

Alex - Yes slightly better, particularly as I can add the Filter Show command to the Quick Access Toolbar.
e.g. Click on: 1. Filter Show  ==> 2. [Query name]
==> So that is 2 clicks minimum 

...} PLUS I may need to click Remove filter first (or Control+Shift+Alt+A)

So to change from filtering so as to show just one Tag (or other Marker) to another Tag, that is a minimum of 3 or else 4 clicks. 

I was ideally hoping for a single click to change 'layer'. 
I was also hoping that any new stuff that one adds when one is working in any given layer would default to into being tagged as being that layer.

Conclusion
Hmm... I suppose can I probably work with the above, but it does feels quite clunky for the use that I have in mind.
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