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  4. How to Create a Mind Map

How to Create a Mind Map


To create a mind map, you need to follow only three simple steps.

Step 1. Install the Mind Maps

Go to the Apps section and select the appropriate application:

Click the Install button.

After installing the application, the window for creating a map opens, and the Mind maps section appears on the menu.

You can provide access to this application only to certain employees. You can do this in the Apps Mind MapsUser Access Settings section or by clicking on the Gear button in the upper right corner on Mind Maps page:

This can also be done in the profile of a specific user.

Going to the user profile

Granting access rights

Step 2. Сreating a Map

You can import an already-existing mind map from XMind 8 Pro. To do this, go to the Mind maps application and click on the appropriate button.

  • To add a new map in Flowlu, click on the Create button.
  • In the opened sidebar, enter the map name (1) and description (2). If necessary, immediately provide access using the external link (3).
  • Click Save or Enter.
  • Write the key idea or the main issue in the center and create a branch using the Enter key.
  • To create a subsection (child node), click on the appropriate section and press Tab key. Also, a new section and subsection can be created by opening the menu with the right-click button. To add a sibling section (node), click on the appropriate section and press Enter. 

Here you can:

  • change a name, description of a section;
  • add an icon for visualization;
  • determine the priority;
  • reflect the progress;
  • delete a section or subsection.

To quickly change the name of a mind map section, double–click it with the left mouse button:

To quickly open the edit page of the item, double–click with the left mouse button behind the area with the title:

Any section can be attached to any subsection, simply by dragging it to the necessary place:

Dragging the Notes section to the Info section 

Notes section moved to the Info section 

To focus on a specific section of the mind map, you can maximize subsections by clicking on "+":

For each element, you can add a description, comments or files. To do this, click on the necessary element with the right-click button and click the Edit button. Alternatively, you can double–click with the left-mouse button behind the area with the element title. In the opened sidebar, fill in all the necessary information and click the Save button or the Enter key.

To add a new sheet for creating additional maps of related topics, click on the "+" at the bottom of the page:

To edit the name, description of the mind map or delete it, click on the three dots in the lower right corner:

Step 3. Providing Access for Collaborative Editing

If you want to edit a mind map with coworkers, you need to add collaborators.

To do this, click on the name of the map from the list:

And add collaborators:

After that, they will be able to edit the map. If necessary, you can give access using the external link (1) and send it for viewing to any person (2).

When the map is created, you can export it and open it in XMind 8 Pro. The export button is located to the right of the Go To Edit button:

How to Proceed to Map Editing

You can go to editing from the mind map list. To do this, you need to point at the name and click on the button with the arrow:

Or you can click on the name of the map and go to edit:

How to Delete a Mind Map

To delete a mind map, click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the map page:

You can also delete a map from the general list of the mind maps. The trash can icon will appear when you hover over the map name:

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