XMind

Brainstorming and Mindmapping!

This is a mind map about “Why no one pay attention to my mind map”, written by Chuck Frey, a great expert in mind mapping software field.

Many of us are puzzled by why people do not like my maps. We have spent much time on learning the tool, collection information, and formatting the map. But when we distribute them to colleagues, co-workers or managers. No big response.

After reading this article, We could learn more. So I map the content, hope you can find some reasons out for yourself. Or you can leave your ideas as comment.

2012 is coming soon. Happy new year! Have you got the ship ticket?

In 2011, XMind does not make any big things on the software. But after one-year study and preparement,  XMind Ltd understands more on many things, such as product design, web app, iOS development, mobile market and etc.

These knowledge may not let XMind be best at once, but we believe it will be better and better from 2012.

Below are the new 2012 calendar templates we made. If you need or like, please download them. Or you can also translate it to other language and re-upload.

English Version

German Version

Chinese Version

The brief instruction
The template uses Fishbone as the main structure, and spreadsheet chart every month. Each day is in the separated cell as a sub-topic. There are two common usages.

1. Drilldown & Floating topics

• Select the date
• Drill down (F6)
• Add daily things as the floating topics.

2. Multiple sheet

• Select the month (main topic)
• Choose “Insert — New Sheet from Topic” on the menu
• In the new sheet, add the daily tasks as date’s subtopic

Every week, XMind receives many emails about the development. There are already some products in the market. Here introduces three of them.

XMindlook.

This is made by NG Logic, a company located in Warsaw, Poland. It works on Windows. After installing it, xmindlook will help you to sync tasks between XMind and Outlook.
Recently, they released v2.0 beta 2. In this version, xmindlook will be able to support more online task managers, such as Remember the Milk, Nozbe, Toodledo, and Google Tasks. It works well on Windows. Hope someday, we can use it on Mac OS or Linux.

* This is commercial software, but can be trial 30 days free.

Mind on Track

I have to say the author is very great. He finds a good way to integrate task management idea with XMind. Because XMind can work on multiple platforms, so you can use Mind on Track anywhere too. It’s worthy to try. Another good news is that it’s free.

XMind on Roozz

This is an app in Chrome app store. Roozz makes it. After installing a small plugin, you can use xmind in Chrome. Of course, you do not need to install XMind on your computer. This brings much convenience. It works only on Windows too.

* This is a paid app. But now it releases a Holiday promotion, 50% off.

We plan to release this kind news regularly. If you’re working on this kind application, or know any software, please contact us.

It’s Thanksgiving day again. Thank you very much for all your support to XMind and our company.
This year, there are many many emails, and phone messages from our users. Some submit the bug about software. Some share their suggestions to improve XMind. Some point out the mistake on the website. Some just say the Thank you to show their support to us. We say Thank You!

We also want to say thank you to some third organizations, which support xmind file format (for example The Biggerplate and Wikisummarizer), or offer local xmind-related service to users (Please see XMind partner list ). Thank you very much!

Below is a map about Thanksgiving. Hope you like it.

XMind Portable version is special designed for people who have limitation to install software on computers, or have to use XMind temporarily on other computers. The portable version is a zip file.  Below are the steps to use it.

1. Download this zip file at, http://www.xmind.net/downloads/. (You have done this. J)
2. Unzip it to a clear folder, here named XMind Portable.
3. In XMind Portable folder, there will be 5 folders, which are Commons, XMind_Linux, XMind_Linux_64bits, XMind_Mac_OS_X, XMind_Windows, and epl-v10.html, lgpl-3.0.html, readme.txt, xmindpro_licnese.txt and Usage of XMind Portable.pdf.
4. Now according to your Operating System to choose right folder.
5. Launch XMind and enjoy it.

So simple!  No more advanced technique required. Occasionally, some people may use it in a wrong way. Take XMind_Windows for example, people may paste XMind_Windows folder into the Program file folder, and try to launch XMind. Yes, failed every time. Please remember that, if you want to move XMind Portable to another place, please move the entire XMind Portable folder instead of part of it.

Recently, Frank Wang, my friend, a designer in L.A., shared one usage with me. Because of work, he has to swift between a Mac Book and PC. So he installs Dropbox on Mac and PC, and saves all xmind files in the local dropbox folder. Then these xmind files can be synced between Mac and PC. He said although this was simple, but very useful and helpful, esp. for people who like him have subscribed xmind pro and work on multiple workstations.

Dropbox is a very great cloud service that lets us bring our photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. After signing up an account and install on computer, dropbox will create a special folder on computer. Later, it will upload and save files in this folder to your account. What we should do is to save our xmind files at this folder. So simple.

Some people may be strange, why Frank said “especially for people have subscribed xmind pro”. Because XMind promises, Subscribe one time, Enjoy XMind Pro anywhere*. Yes, Anywhere!

XMind Pro uses subscription model. Once you renew your XMind.net account with subscription code, no matter where you are, Office, Home, or in a Subway, just launch XMind, sign in with renewed xmind account, then you can enjoy XMind Pro features. Even when on a colleague’s computer, you can also launch the installed xmind, sign in with your renewed account and uses XMind Pro features to show your work.

If having interest, begin to try now!

*Normally, you should need internet access to sign in and activate XMind Pro features.

Many people have already know iThoughts can open .xmind file and save the map as .xmind file. This blog wants to share another better news. From iThoughts HD v2.2, it can upload and download maps to and from the XMind Share service.

This is a tutorial video offered by iThoughts. It’s about download from xmind.net.

To upload map to xmind.net,

1. Open an map in iThoughts
2. Click “transfer” button, and select “Export option”
3. Enable “xmind” in the list
4. Back to transfer, you can see “Send to XMind.net” option

It’s glad to share a good news with xmind users. The great mind map sharing website, Biggerplate.com, now supports .xmind files.

They said,

The addition of XMind to the library is yet another exciting step for Biggerplate, and a testament to a fantastic piece of software that has been making some big waves within the mind mapping world!

XMind has rightly earned a very large and loyal following for itself, as users have been won over by simple design, highly effective functionality, and an extremely competitive pricing model.

The free version offers a level of functionality that would put several paid software providers to shame, and the Pro version adds layers of business-oriented features that further enhance the program’s appeal.

The open source nature of XMind means this software is sure to evolve with the needs and wishes of consumers and developers, which will help to ensure it can continually provide a highly affordable, user-friendly, and extremely effective mind mapping experience for a wide range of user types.

Now, there are some great mind maps and templates already there. Below are steps to share mind map on Biggerplate.

• Create a Biggerplate account
• Upload xmind mind map to your account
• Add description to your map

Now, you can see your maps at, Mind Map library(click Most Recent).

Last Thursday, we received the stuffed bird toys from ROVIO Mobile, the company behind Angry Birds. They said, they like xmind very much, these toys are a gesture to show their appreciation for giving the opportunity to use XMind without restriction.

After checking a little time, we find how to play them, then this week becomes the Angry Birds week! Every day, we can hear many times of birds’ yell when it hits some person, and of course along with a man’s yell.

These birds bring us so much fun! Thanks very much, Mr Julien Fourgeand.

There is a piece of good news about XMind. XMind has almost finished the Russian and Danish translation.  Let’s see who have done these contribution for XMind.

Danish Translator
Mr. Finn Detlef
who is 45 years old, and works in a government department.  He told us I came across XMind about a year ago when I attended a course in my spare time at the Technical University of Denmark. I used XMind there in organizing some lectures.

Russian Translators
Mr. Sergey Sadkov and his team members
They have a large number of subscribers and popular site about mind-management in Russian. They make free and paid education courses, webinars and trainings about intelligence development.

These language packages will be available for all users in next XMind update.  Let us say Thank You to these people. Thank You very much!

If you’re interested, please download and check the translation.

• Download the portable version, a zip file
• Unzip it to a clear folder
• Open this folder and modify the xmind.ini file *
  • First line: -nl
  • Second line: ru (da  for Danish)
• Save the xmind.ini and Launch XMind

* Please read more details about xmind.ini file at No. 5 in XMind FAQ.

Please leave the modification suggestion as the comments, including The path, Wrong description, and Right description.