Freeplane is an offshoot of FreeMind after some disagreement among the developers about the direction of that mindmap project. The Freeplane group modularized the codebase to ease development; they're now at stable release 1.12 with a 1.2.x preview while FreeMind has been at 0.8.1 since 2/27/08, with an 0.9 RC.

Improvements include a spell-checker and an efficient single-pane outliner view. And many others, with new production releases each month since June.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/freeplane/
http://www.freeplane.org

Jerome S.

I started trying it out recently, within the frame of a critical evaluation of mind mapping software, which I am using more and more in my work. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try their hand in mindmapping.

Among others, the fact that it can import Mind Manager files (as Freemind can) means that one can play around with countless ready made files available from http://mindmappingsoftwareblog.com and elsewhere.

Freeplane seems indeed as excellent an alternative to commercial mind mapping applications, as Open Office is for Microsoft Office.

I have Freeplane loaded on my Mac, but when I've tried to install and run it on my PC at work, nothing happens. That is, it seems to install okay. There is an icon on the desktop, but when I double click this nothing happens. I suspect it has something to do with Java -- although I run PersonalBrain on my PC just fine. Anyone have any thoughts about why that might be happening, and how I might correct it? BTW, I run Windows XP.

Thanks.

Steve

Stephen Zeoli wrote:

I suspect it has something to do
with Java -- although I run PersonalBrain on my PC just fine. Anyone have any thoughts about why that might be >happening, and how I might correct it?

First thing is to check your Java install in the XP Control Panel, where you can see if it's up-to-date; presently Version 6 Update 21. Or obtain the same information in your browser at Java.com .

Jerome S.

JJSlote wrote:

First thing is to check your Java install in
the XP Control Panel, where you can see if it's up-to-date; presently Version 6 Update
21. Or obtain the same information in your browser at Java.com .

Jerome,

No luck. According to the Java control panel, I'm running the latest version. I tried re-installing Freeplane, but get the same result -- it seems to install fine, but nothing happens when I try to run it. Clearly there is some issue with Java, but -- as I mentioned above -- PersonalBrain works fine. Any other suggestions?

Thank you.

Steve

Stephen Zeoli wrote:

nothing happens when I try to run it. Clearly there is some issue with Java,

How's your Firewall? In Windows Firewall, I have exceptions checked for various executables labeled Java(tm) Platform SE Binary. And "Display a Notification when Windows Firewall blocks a program" is checked.

Jerome

Jerome,

Actually, my windows firewall was turned off, so that couldn't be an issue. I just turned it on, but didn't find the exceptions for Java you mentioned.

I've been trying to find some sort of support for Freeplane -- even a user forum -- but couldn't find one. Are you aware of any?

Thanks, again.

Steve

Stephen Zeoli wrote:

trying to find some sort of support for Freeplane -- even a user forum -- but couldn't
find one. Are you aware of any?

It's at:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/freeplane/forums/forum/758437

with a 100-item full text RSS feed at:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/freeplane/forums/forum/758437/subscribe

Jerome

Folks:

I, too, had a problem with Freeplane not running if you double click the icon. I did find, though, that if you go to the installation directory (generally c:/program files/freeplane) and double click "freeplane.bat" it will run.

Good luck.

Charles

My past experience has been the same as Charles', but with Freemind. I expect that in this regard the programs are similar.

As far as I remember, the problem indeed involved Java in a subtle way; either .jar files where not associated with Java or the Java path was somehow broken. Again, after double clicking the icon (which calls freemind.exe or freeplane.exe), nothing happened, whereas freemind.bat worked fine..

I also didn't have trouble running other Java apps like Personal Brain and Cmap Tools, but I believe this has to do with some kind of cleverness from their part in calling Java (Cmap Tools actually includes the Java runtime in its installation, independently of one's PC).


CRC wrote:

I, too, had a problem with Freeplane not running if you double click the icon.
I did find, though, that if you go to the installation directory (generally
c:/program files/freeplane) and double click "freeplane.bat" it will run.

Even just clicking on the batch file doesn't work. I think I'll have to resign myself to being unable to use Freeplane. (Cue violins!)

Even just clicking on the batch file doesn?t work. I think I?ll have to resign myself to being unable to use Freeplane. (Cue violins!)

Steve: did you try the portable version? It will run on a USB stick, so there must be fewer dependencies.

Jerome

JJSlote wrote:

Steve: did you try the portable version? It will run on a USB stick, so there must be fewer dependencies.

Jerome,

I did try the portable version and had the same result. Perhaps the problem isn't related to Java but something else. I posted my dilemma on the Freeplane forum but so far I haven't had any responses. Meanwhile, I can use Freeplane on my MacBook.

Thank you!

Steve

Steve

Freeplane under SourceForge has a Mantis system for issue reports. If you start here:

http://sourceforge.net/apps/mantisbt/freeplane/view_all_bug_page.php

and sort by Severity, the list will start with blocks and crashes up front. Several similar to yours. One of the "block" issues is misclassified as a crash. The problems tend to be something on the Java path: two different Java versions in the path, a damaged jpeg.dll, etc. Worth a look.

Unfortunately, Mantis itself suffers from occasional mySQL lockouts under SourceForge, so you may not get in every time....

Jerome

One more suggestion: open a DOS window, go to C:\Program Files\Freeplane and run freeplane.bat

Ideally, before doing the above, edit the first line of the .bat file to "echo on" (without the quotes)

This process should give you some kind of feedback in what runs and what not.

Alexander,

Thanks for the tip. It looks like the problem is it is not recognizing java as a command. Here is what it says:

'java? is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.


The batch file currently is composed of the following text:

@echo on
set freeplanedir=%~dp0
set xargs=init.xargs
set defines= "-Dorg.freeplane.param1=%1" "-Dorg.freeplane.param2=%2" "-Dorg.freeplane.param3=%3" "-Dorg.freeplane.param4=%4"
set resdir="-Dorg.freeplane.globalresourcedir=%freeplanedir%resources/"
@echo on
java -Xmx512m "-Dorg.knopflerfish.framework.bundlestorage=memory" "-Dorg.knopflerfish.gosg.jars=reference:file:%freeplanedir%core/" %resdir% %defines% -jar "%freeplanedir%framework.jar" -xargs "%freeplanedir%props.xargs" -xargs "%freeplanedir%%xargs%"

Any idea how I might be able to edit it to get it to properly find java?

Thank you!

Steve

I expect that substituting java for "C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\java.exe" (or whatever your path to java.exe is) should do the trick, but it's only a workaround.

There is clearly an issue with the Java installation. Normally, typing "java version" in a DOS window in any directory is the way to test for Java. I assume that this does not work in your case, because the java path has not been set (or has been deleted).

My suggestion would be to uninstall/reinstall Java.

Alexander and Jerome,

Thank you for your heroic efforts to help me get Freeplane running. Alexander, I just tried uninstalling and re-installing Java, and I tried changing the .bat file to include the path to Java... neither worked.

I am now officially giving up. Maybe a future version will fix whatever it is that's creating the problem.

Thanks, again!

Steve

Do try X-Mind as well, which is astonishingly accomplished (although possibly overkill for those who aren't thrilled by MindManager). Oh, and it's free and open-source, although X-Mind Pro looks pretty cool, too. You'll find it at:

http://www.xmind.net/

I've been using FreePlane preview versions for a few months. Find the preview version here: http://freeplane.sourceforge.net/preview/
The preview versions are very stable and offer MANY more features than the release version. I highly recommend trying this application.

I now use it as one of my primary data-sorting and categorizing tool.
Recently I started using it to take notes when I read books- the visual map and train-of-thought becomes clearer with a mind-map and I'm able to review major ideas in a book very quickly.

Freeplane will soon be the foundation for a plugin made by open source SciPlore team that integrates mind mapping with reference and pdf management
http://sciplore.org/software/sciplore_mindmapping/

I'm impressed with this application and even more impressed by the speed at which it is developing. New versions are released every few weeks.

I have only just discovered that if you export a Freeplane mind map as a Word document, it assigns the appropriate level headings to each item.

So when you open it in Word, you end up with a hierarchical outline in the Navigator Pane and the headings in the document (effectively a 2-pane outliner set-up).

Unfortunately it didn't export the item notes in Word, which seems to be a bug, as it did when exported as an Open Office document.

Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but another neat feature in Freeplane is "View > Notes > Display notes in map," which displays item notes below the mind map item, i.e. inline.

Considering the dearth of single-pane outliners that can display notes inline (Outline 4D, Inspiration, NoteMap, UV Outliner, Maxthink), this is pretty useful. In fact in "Outline view" mode Freeplane effectively turns into a single-pane outliner with inline notes, so it could be rightfully added to this list.

A simple copy and paste of the outline view into Word creates a bullet-point hierarchy with inline notes included (which gets around the earlier mentioned bug, though headings won't be preserved this way).

Freeplane *used* to be my mapping sw of choice until I found MindMaple Lite. Although I eventually got familiar with Freeplane, I always found it difficult to use and even harder to get appealing (and visually memorable) results. MML not only produces awesome graphics, for me it was completely intuitive and very easy to use. Although it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of FP, this freeware more than meets my needs and if you haven't tried it, you should probably at least consider it.

Listerene wrote:

Freeplane *used* to be my mapping sw of choice until I found MindMaple
Lite. Although I eventually got familiar with Freeplane, I always found
it difficult to use and even harder to get appealing (and visually
memorable) results. MML not only produces awesome graphics, for me it
was completely intuitive and very easy to use. Although it doesn't have
all the bells and whistles of FP, this freeware more than meets my needs
and if you haven't tried it, you should probably at least consider it.

Thanks for the suggestion. I did check out MindMaple. It does look nice but Freeplane suits my current needs better. I'm using it purely as an outlining tool at the moment, so I'm after the most minimalistic interface possible and the most economical use of screen space.

I've also downloaded the iPad app (https://itunes.apple.com/app/id569417388 as they're offering it for free for a limited time. I'll trial it later.

Dr Andus wrote:

I've also downloaded the iPad app
(https://itunes.apple.com/app/id569417388 as they're offering it for
free for a limited time. I'll trial it later.

The MindMaple iPad app is pretty good actually for speedy mapping (for a free app). The export functions are somewhat limited. It seems you can only export them in the proprietary file format to be used with the (also free) desktop companion, or as an image.