Link diagram: programs for creating

The link diagram is used in the processtraining, for example, to create summaries or systematize the material on a particular topic. You can use it for creative tasks, brainstorming, or creating presentations. The relationship diagram will help you streamline your business or plan a specific project. Finally, it can be used even in solving personal problems.

A manual link diagram helpsit is better to learn the material or understand yourself (if you use this technique to solve personal problems). But if you need to present a finished diagram at work or school, it will look much more solid link diagram created in a special program. In addition, it saves you from having to drag around for yourself a rather large piece of paper that can be wrinkled: I threw the diagram on the USB flash drive - that's all.

There are many free programs for creating associative maps. Perhaps one of the most famous is FreeMind. This is a cross-platform application writtenon Java and distributed under the GNU GPL license. Thanks to the export of XHTML, you can create schematic maps with complex branched structure that contain links to external sources (other link diagrams, files and web pages).

The program allows you to hide individual branches,use HTML to format nodes, decorate corners and branches, graphically link nodes, search by individual branches, import and export lists. The finished link diagram can be exported to JPEG, PNG, SVG and PDF formats. Provided for Integration of the application with wikis.

Based on the FreeMind application, two more projects were created: FreePlane and SciPlore MindMapping. In a programme FreePlan emphasis was placed on ease of use. One of the key developers of FreeMind took part in its creation. Like its "parent", this program is cross-platform. It fully supports the FreeMind file format, but it also contains additional options and features not supported by FreeMind.

Program SciPlore MindMapping is more focused on students andscientists. It focuses more on working with the PDF format (including importing bookmarks) and supporting BibTeX keys (software for creating formatted bibliography lists). This is the first program combining the creation of connection diagrams and the management of bibliographic information. The SciPlore MindMapping file format is 100% compatible with FreeMind.

FreeMind is based on WikkaWiki (often called simply Wikka). In fact, this is a PHP-written wiki engine that uses MySQL to store pages. The engine is very light and productive, it combines the standard features of the wiki engine with support for memory cards of the FreeMind format.

Project VUE (Visual Understanding Environment) was created specifically for educational institutions andis distributed under the appropriate license. This cross-platform free application can also be used to create presentations. In addition to the standard options that most applications for creating intelligence cards have, VUE boasts new features: tools for dynamic presentation of maps, tools for merging and analyzing maps, enhanced use of keyword tags and search, support for semantic web, advanced search for online resources (Flickr, Twitter, Yahoo, etc.).

Program XMind has a fairly simple interface. It is used to manage tasks and knowledge, at meetings and in time management. The link diagram created in this application can contain element boundaries, the relationship between elements, labels, markers, links, text labels, audio and graphic files, and other formats attached files. Finished documents can be exported to PowerPoint, MS Word and PDF.

Another free program for creating link diagrams can be mentioned CAM editor, Compendium, Pimki. There are also sites for creating intellectual maps. Most of these services are shareware. This means that either you can create in free mode only a limited number of cards (usually 2-3), or use the service for free for a limited amount of time (about a week).

The link diagram can become an indispensable assistant in study and work, and if you choose the right program, Its creation will not cost you the slightest labor!