XMind

Brainstorming and Mindmapping!

XMind offers many keyboard shortcuts. Working with shortcuts can really save the time and free your mind to find where is the mouse. So knowing them well will bring you great convenience. Here are some important and helpful shortcuts for your references.

• F2 to edit selected topic
• F3 to add label
• Ctrl+N to new a blank workbook
• Ctrl+T to new a blank sheet within workbook
• Ctrl+F6 to switch Workbook
• Tab to insert subtopic
• F7 to begin mapshot

Below map introduces all working shortcuts in XMind. Please read and enjoy your XMind.

Aftre releasing XMind 2012, XMind website gets 441,808 visitors around the world (about 10,000 visitors everyday). And top 10 teritorries are, Unisted States, German, China Mailand, TaiWan, France, Japan, Brazil, Mecixo, Russia, and United Kingdom.
XMind Software, including XMind for Windows, XMind for Mac, XMind for Linux and XMind Portable, has 267,375 downloads from official website (about 6000 times everyday).
XMind new Support System recieves more than 900 cases. People shared many many good suggestions with us. And more than 2000 public maps are uploaded to XMind Share.

We really really want to say thanks to all people. Your support has always been our motivation. And now, XMind team is preparing a mirror update for XMind 2012, to let it more stable.

Below are a few XMind usage tips,

• Move topics free
• Benefit from XMind Portable package
• Create the dependency fast in Gantt chart view
• Insert priority marker quickly
• How to know what XMind version I use?

We will add more articles about using XMind in the support system.

From XMind 2012, all xmind online service are free, including private sharing the online map with others.

Normal Share

1. Luanch xmind, open a map
2. Click Share button on the toolbar
3. In the coming upload dialog, add description for this map, select Public or Unlisted in the privacy page, and upload this map
4. In the coming finish notification dialog, click See It Now
5. Then, you’ll see this map online, and share its URL to others via email, IM tool, twitter and etc.

Private Share

The first two steps are same with normal share.

1. In the coming upload dialog, add description for this map, select Private in the privacy page, and upload this map
2. Go to this map page, click share to button on map’s description area
3. Input the xmind ids or emails of friends, colleagues and others,  then click ok.
4. XMind.net system will send every one an invitation email.

Then, your friends or colleagues can review this map online or download to their computers to do modifications.

BTW, to let people read full map online, it will be better to expand all branches before uploading it.

This month, we receive many emails focusing on some same questions. I believe many other users have these questions too. So it’s necessary to write a post to share them publicly.

Q. I work in a business organization. Can I use XMind free version in the office?
A. No problem. There are no any limitations on where to use XMind free version. BTW, it is an open source software dual licensed under two licenses, LGPL and EPL. If you’re a developer, and want to do something, please bear the licenses.

Q. I have bought XMind Pro subscription code via paypal, where is my code?
A. XMind Pro Subscription code has 25 letters and numbers. If you buy with paypal, because of paypal’s rule, XMind system will send the subscription code to the primary email of your paypal account soon after your payment. If you can not find this email at inbox, please also check about the spam folder.

Q. I’m a XMind Pro user, and have a PC and Mac. Should I ordered two subscription codes if using XMind Pro on both of them?
A. No need. Current XMind Pro uses Subscription mode. So once your XMind account has been renewed by subscription code, you can launch XMind, sign in with this renewed XMind Account and enjoy XMind Pro anywhere.

Q. I have not seen any update of XMind for a few months. Are you still working on it?
A. Yes, and we’re working on XMind new version. It should not take long time to wait.

Here we introduce a short but great video. This video will help us to know XMind and Mind mapping better.

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.