I’m still bouncing between MarginNote and LiquidText. I love the annotation / note building of MarginNote but find the mindmap way too structured. It seems to be the only way I can place topics where I want them rather than autoarranged into strict grids us to place them outside of any group, is that right? But then if I create links between topics (rather than parent child relationships which again placed them in a strict arrangement) the topic notes replicates those of the linked topic, which isn’t what I want.
Yes, if you create a link between two topics, it’s a two-way link by default. And like what you have mentioned, the topic notes replicates the linked topics, which allows users to review mindmap cards in a more convenient way.
I’m not quite sure which link method you prefer, could you please explain your idea in detail? Thanks.
What I really want to achieve is to be able to place topics in the workspace where I want them to be rather than them being auto arranged into strict grid.
I’m not sure. That’s still showing out being added as a child and therefore being auto positioned right next the parent in a neat layout.
I want / need to be able to createbetween topics but to be able to place them in the workspace whether I want them. Free layout rather than auto layout.
Hello，JKF,
Thanks for the information provided. Finally, I think I understand your thoughts.
Yes, you’re right. There is no free layout in MN3.
Regards,
Bryan
I agree this a MAJOR shortcoming -
Even worse is that the nodes are entered in the map in the order ad hoc (not my way)
So, after some playing around =
I add numbers to each title - to I can make sure they are in order in the outline
(And if not - they can be dragged into correct order = this seams, so far, into allowing the order of the nodes in map to be rearranged - ie this is much easier than rearranging the nodes in the mindmap
I also mind the map tiles only — to re-arrange, then back to trees (if wanted)
FYI
Even though I am not a mind map heavy user - I do have some considerable experience
Have not used them in a few years
And wow - then were 3 choices (programs) - now more than 50
But ALL - seem to have lost a TON of flexibility
They exchanged ease of use for flexibility
I find them so limiting - I often now just use PPT so I can arrange the look and feel (layout) the way I want
So — my ‘other soliution’ I do not think of MN mind map as a mindmap
To me is just a ‘visual outline’ — now I have less ‘expactations’ (frustrations) with expactations
Yes, I agree. And this is exactly why (again) I’ve stepped away from MarginNote. I don’t need an outlining tool, I want something that allows me to very easily group and connect info - not so much a mindmap as a concept map. I want to ‘play’ with the information to get it, then move on. I don’t need the neat outlines.
I think I need something half way between MarginNote and liquidtext…
@JKF and @TheeeDragon , I agree with you so much. And I believe we are not the minority here. I imagine most users want what you mention - When new users use the app for the first time, after first being impressed and amazed by the features, the first things they notice with Margin Note is how limited the mind map is.
It is clear that making the mind map more free would unleash MarginNote to its full potential. It really is a great study app, but with small improvements it could take it to a whole new level. The foundation is already there, please take advantage of the opportunity.
Please consider making the mind map more like a concept map. That is what the users want and how the users actually use the app in practice. I know you want to limit the app to a strict mind map structure for simplicity and to keep with branch like data storage logic - but that is not the way to go if you consider user experience and actual studying in practice. I know there are other apps that are dedicated for concept maps, but none are so well integrated with the actual text and the act of reading and note taking as MarginNote.
Anyways, thank you for an amazing app! (even if it has lots of room for improvement)
That would at least be a good start. Also have you noticed how floating notes moves to another place as soon as you make a group of multiple notes? They all get moved over to the side under the child notes within the group. Even if the have links… So annoying.
Yes, I definitely need something like this. Quick and easy placement, the ability to link / group without imposing rigid arrangement / duplicated text. Ideally the ability to easily (double tap?) add handwritten note directly into the mindmap.
I’m totally stepping away from the outliner, Ira not what I need at all and I was spending too long in getting my notes ‘right’ in outline terms (and then having to play with export formats).
I’ve actually moved away from MarginNote now and am using Bookends or DEVONthink to go (haven’t decided) to do initial annotations then using goodNotes to drag and drop excerpts to plus handwritten notes. Not nearly so functional but a better fit for what I need. I did discover you can drag and drop excerpts from MarginNote to good notes, which is a further option.
I wrote about this here, but I totally agree with the chorus. I feel like there could just be a button that lets you set the outline on or off, and if it’s off then you gain a whole new arsenal of mapping flexibility. That way everyone is happy.
Hate to make things more complicated – but why not BOTH - how about the OPTION of strict MindMap OR ConceptMap - and maybe being able to switch between them – TheBrain does something similar, allowing you to switch between Concept linking view or MindMap view or even heirarchal list view. On that note…How about a TheBrain Import/Export option? (but I digress). Thought @Sushi_Support-Team, @Lanco_Support-Team, @Relight_Support-Team??
Agreed. Now that Liquidtext has updated its UI slightly, I’ve almost permanently headed in that direction. Apparently device sync is coming later and then I’m there
My use case is not for neat, structured notes as an output, but quick and flexible non-linear processing of complex papers, and grouping of concepts, in order to gain understanding more quickly.
Ironically, if neat notes as an output was a requirement of mine, MarginNote‘s export functionality is really quite limited.
I’d like to echo everyone else’s request for the ability to float notes anywhere and for them to then stay there. Drawing a line between them that does not create a link but only creates the appearance of a link between free floating nodes would also be extremely useful. Basically I want the abilities of Scapple included on top of what MarginNote already offers.
I’ve included a PDF exported from Scapple to show what I mean. In this case I am not dealing with strictly hierarchical knowledge and I really don’t mind whether things are linked by html or not, I am simply happy to be able to see visually what is a pretty dense argument. Having this attached to the PDF that I’ve imported to MN and marked up in there using my iPad would be mega. The way you’ve implemented the pencil kit to write on the mind map would further lend itself to this - sometimes I get bored of typing and would like to add to the mind map by handwriting (sort of like OneNote can do). Sadly Scapple doesn’t have an iPad app, OneNote doesn’t make linking text boxes easy and doesn’t work nearly as well for marking PDFs up and extracting from them as MN does.
Drawing a Link: Doable using PencilKit: you can have a fake link by just connecting it with a pen, or generate a real link if you turn on the mindmap gesture in pencilkit settings.
You can directly write on the mindmap and then drag a rectangle to select your content and turn it into a card, if you want.
Sorry I was replying to @shv.
I thought what shv asked is to achieve a similar result like his embedded PDF in our software. Maybe I misunderstood him/her … could you help elaborate this for me?
Many thanks.
Hi,
I think @shv is supporting the main idea developed in all the previous comments i.e., more flexibility when it comes to creating mind maps. He provides a graphical example of what it would be good to achieve within MN (attached pdf)
He is also arguing that drawing a link between nodes is not the same. For instance, it is not possible to collapse/expand the information linked to that parent node.
I think this would be ‘game-changing’ for many users (like myself) that are choosing other apps (e.g., Liquidtext) for this lack of flexibility.
