FreeMind (FM) : Map Your Minds, Draw Your Thoughts and Express Your Ideas

FreeMind is a free mind mapping application written in Java. FreeMind is licensed under the GNU General Public License. It provides extensive export capabilities. It runs on Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac OS X via the Java Runtime Environment.

[ Detailed Description ]

FreeMind is a premier free mind-mapping software written in Java. The recent development has hopefully turned it into high productivity tool. We are proud that the operation and navigation of FreeMind is faster than that of MindManager because of one-click “fold / unfold” and “follow link” operations.

As with other mind mapping software packages, FreeMind allows the user to edit a hierarchical set of ideas around a central concept. The non-linear approach assists in brainstorming new outlines and projects as ideas are added around the mind map.

As a Java application, FreeMind is portable across multiple platforms and retains the same user interface, causing some amount of variation from the common interface on each platform.

Mac users may notice the most difference from their traditional user interface, but a MacWorld reviewer says the software’s features should still appeal to the segment of users who accept function over form.

So you want to write a completely new metaphysics? Why don’t you use FreeMind? You have a tool at hand that remarkably resembles the tray slips of Robert Pirsig, described in his sequel to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance called Lila.

Do you want to refactor your essays in a similar way you would refactor software? Or do you want to keep personal knowledge base, which is easy to manage? Why don’t you try FreeMind? Do you want to prioritize, know where you are, where you’ve been and where you are heading, as Stephen Covey would advise you? Have you tried FreeMind to keep track of all the things that are needed for that?

[ Key Features ]

• Fully functional following of HTML links stored in the nodes, be it www links or links to local files.
• From very early versions, Freemind supports folding which is its essential property.
• Fast one-click navigation, including folding / unfolding on one click and following links on one click at the same time (you don’t have to make choice between fast following of links and fast fold/unfold). You can move the map by dragging the map’s background as well as using mouse wheel.
• Undo
• Smart Drag’n Drop, including the possibility to copy nodes or copy style of nodes; dragging and dropping of multiple selected nodes; dropping of texts or list of files from outside
• Smart copying and pasting into, including pasting of links from HTML or structuring the pasted content on the basis of the number of leading spaces in a line; pasting of lists of selected files

• Smart copying and pasting from, including plain text and RTF (MS Wordpad, MS Word, MS Outlook messages).
• Export of map to HTML, with folding (see example)
• Find facility, where found items are shown one by one as you do “find next”, and the map is unfolded only for the current item.
• Possibility to use and edit long multiline nodes; even with newlines
• Possibility to decorate nodes with built-in icons, colors and different fonts.
• Low costs of risk of switching away to another mind mapping tool, because FreeMind stores maps in XML format. If you have a lot of maps created by FreeMind and you want to switch to another program, writing a conversion program should be easy, especially if that program features Visual Basic scripting facility.
• File mode enables you to browse the files on your computer, seeing the folder structure as mind map.
• See more details in Freemind development tree

[ Weak Spots ]

• The support of pictures in nodes is in preliminary stage. When you want to carry a map around with you, you have to take care that you take the image files with you.
• FreeMind is basically one user application. Although users can in principle work on the same map, there is only preliminary locking mechanism to prevent conflicts, at the time, switched off by default.
• In rare cases, following of HTML links in the web browser does not work on some computers; the same holds for opening local files.
• Limited support for fancy graphics.

[ Main Applications ]

Current users of FreeMind use it for the following purposes:

• Keeping track of projects, including subtasks, state of subtasks and time recording
• Project workplace, including links to necessary files, executables, source of information and of course information
• Workplace for internet research using Google and other sources
• Keeping a collection of small or middle sized notes with links on some area which expands as needed. Such a collection of notes is sometimes called knowledge base.

• Essay writing and brainstorming, using colors to show which essays are open, completed, not yet started etc, using size of nodes to indicate size of essays. I don’t have one map for one essay, I have one map for all essays. I move parts of some essays to other when it seems appropriate.
• Keeping a small database of something with structure that is either very dynamic or not known in advance. The main disadvantage of such approach when compared to traditional database applications are poor query possibilities, but I use it that way anyway – contacts, recipes, medical records etc. You learn about the structure from the additional data items you enter. For example, different medical records use different structure and you do not have to analyze all the possible structures before you enter the first medical record.
• Commented internet favorites or bookmarks, with colors and fonts having the meaning you want.

[ Getting a taste of FreeMind ]

You can view mind maps created with FreeMind now in your web browser, if you have Java 1.4 installed.

Map	Note
FreeMind documentation	Shown as a mind map, using a Java applet with around 700 KB.
Mind Map Gallery	Mind maps contributed by FreeMind users, embedded into this wiki.
Daniel’s public map	Some bookmarks and remarks.
Daniel’s public map (HTML)	Map exported into HTML; some bookmarks and remarks.

[ Running ]

To run FreeMind, do one of the following:

• In Windows, double click Freemind.exe
• On any operating system, double click freemind.jar in the lib/ folder of the folder in which FreeMind has been installed.

[ System Requirements ]

FreeMind is written in Java, so it will run on almost any system with a Java runtime environment. So, it needs Java Runtime Environment 1.4 or later.

[ Tips ]

Documentation available includes the following:

• Mind map documentation: Application menu: Help > Documentation.
• Windows help-like documentation: Application menu: Help > Help.
• Key Mappings Quick Guide: Application menu: Help > Key Documentation PDF

[ Related Links ]

• FreeMind User Guide (PDF)
• Search results for FreeMind from YouTube
• Official Mind Map Gallery
• FreeMind Frequently Asked Questions
• FreeMind Official Forum

Other Tutorials:

• Comprehensive video tutorials for Freemind : Training tutorials from GuruShare.com
• Getting Started with Freemind
• A series of videos showing FreeMind’s usage
• A french blog about Freemind : News, tutorials (text and videos), tests,… Blog francophone développé autour de Freemind : informations sur Freemind, nouveautés, tutoriels (textes et vidéos Flash), tests,…

[ Official Download ]