Did you have a good idea in mind but it disappeared suddenly? Are you a members of a group that need to constitute the plan of a project? We usually write down our ideas or plan on paper but it is not the best way obviously. If there is an intuitionistic and simple way to map our mind. Of course, FreeMind is just for you. Thank for the designer of this mind mapping software. With FreeMind we can improve our work efficiency observably.

FreeMind is an open source mind mapping software that enables us to visualize ideas, projects, concepts, brainstorming, internet research or any other task that can benefit from a structured overview. We can create nodes with child and sibling nodes and add icons, clouds, notes and custom formatting for better presentation. The nodes can be expanded or collapsed, or interactively linked to local files, other maps, online resources and more. We can also insert encrypted nodes or create encrypted maps for sesitive projects. The finished maps can be exported to HTML, clickable XHTML, Open Office document, image file and other formats.

Currently we can use FreeMind 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. Keeping a small database of something with structure that is either very dynamic or not known in advance. Commented internet favorites or bookmarks, with colors and fonts having the meaning we want.

The key features and functions of FreeMind include: 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 (we do not have to make choice between fast following of links and fast fold/unfold). We can move the map by dragging the map background as well as using mouse wheel. Undo: Smart Drag 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 . Find facility, where found items are shown one by one as we 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 we have a lot of maps created by FreeMind and we want to switch to another program, writing a conversion program should be easy, especially if that program features Visual Basic scripting facility.

However FreeMind has weak spots too, such as: The support of pictures in nodes is in preliminary stage. When we want to carry a map around with us, we have to take care that we take the image files with us. 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, some 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.

FreeMind is an open source mind mapping software that enables you to visualize ideas, projects, concepts, brainstorming, internet research or any other task that can benefit from a structured overview. You can create nodes with child and sibling nodes and add icons, clouds, notes and custom formatting for better presentation. The nodes can be expanded or collapsed, or interactively linked to local files, other maps, online resources and more. You can also insert encrypted nodes or create encrypted maps for sesitive projects. The finished maps can be exported to HTML, clickable XHTML, Open Office document, image file and other formats.

FreeMind is a premier free mind-mapping (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map) 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.

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?

Apart from other things, this release of FreeMind features:
1. Fully functional following of HTML links stored in the nodes, be it www links or links to local files.
2. From very early versions, Freemind supports folding which is its essential property.
3. 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.
4. Undo
5. 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
6. 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
7. Smart copying and pasting from, including plain text and RTF (MS Wordpad, MS Word, MS Outlook messages).
8. Export of map to HTML, with folding (see example (freemind.sourceforge.net/PublicMaps-exported.html))
9. 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.
10. Possibility to use and edit long multiline nodes; even with newlines
11. Possibility to decorate nodes with built-in icons, colors and different fonts.
12. 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. Christoph Rissner describes in his article (krottmaier.cgv.tugraz.at/docs/seminar/sem2002_mindmaps.pdf) at IICM site (krottmaier.cgv.tugraz.at/veranstaltungen/seminar/abgeschlossen.html) his implementation (krottmaier.cgv.tugraz.at/docs/seminar/sem2002_mindmaps.tar.gz) of data exchange between FreeMind and MindManager.
13. File mode enables you to browse the files on your computer, seeing the folder structure as mind map.

The license of this software is Free, you can free download and free use this presentation software.