Freeplane

Freeplane
	Screenshot of Freeplane 1.1.3
Developer(s)	Dimitry Polivaev, et al.
Stable release	1.11.11 / 2024-03-01
Preview release	1.11.12-pre08 / 2024-03-26
Repository	github.com/freeplane/freeplane ;
Operating system	Cross-platform
Platform	Java
Type	Mind Mapping
License	GPL version 2 or later
Website	www.freeplane.org

Freeplane is a free, open source software application for creating mind maps (diagrams of connections between ideas), and electronic outlines. Written in Java, it is supported on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, and is licensed under the GNU GPL version "2 or later".

In 2007, Freeplane was forked from the FreeMind project.^[1] Freeplane maintains partial file format compatibility with FreeMind, fully supporting the FreeMind XML file format, but adds features and tags not supported by FreeMind, which FreeMind ignores on loading.

Features

Release 1.1

New features of Freeplane stable release (June 2010) include:

Export to PNG, JPEG, SVG (in addition to HTML / XHTML and PDF)
Find / Replace in all open maps
Paste HTML as node structure
Outline mode
Portable version (run from a USB flash drive)
Scripting via Groovy
Spell checker

Release 1.2.x

The first stable Freeplane 1.2.x was 1.2.20 released on October 20, 2012. It includes the following new features:

Text-processor-like node styles^[2]
Conditional node styles^[3]
Map templates for new maps^[4]
Formatting panel
Add-ons: Installable enhancements^[5]
Hyperlinks for menu items
Keyboard shortcut documentation: Map and HTML table generation added for the documentation map
Check for newer auto save files on opening of a map
Single instance mode: open files in existing program instance instead of opening a new one.
Node level dependent filters
Improvement in search and replace functions
Different cloud shapes
New icons for rating
Automatic Edge Color
"Grid" for moving of nodes (Preferences->Behaviour->Grid gap size)
Copy and paste attributes
Named filter conditions
Different shapes, line types, width and transparency for connectors
Freeplane portable version (download and install file named FreeplanePortable_xxx.paf.exe)
File -> Properties... dialog showing facts about the map such as total nodes, branches and leaf nodes
New icons added to facilitate speedy use of main and contextual menus
Formulas: Use of formulas as node text and attributes (like in spread sheet processors)^[6]
Node numbering and Formats/templates as style attributes
Added progress icons to show incremental completion in 10% or 25% steps
Summaries: Create graphical and textual summaries by "bracketing" nodes. See example map^[7]
Menu and command structure^[8] refactored both to integrate new features and to make Freeplane more intuitive and easier to learn
Dates and numbers: Parsing and formatting improved^[9]
Digital post-its: free positionable and free floating nodes.^[10]
Dates and numbers: Improved scripting support^[9]

Release 1.3.x

Version 1.3 was published ((date)). New features of 1.3.x included:

Expand LaTeX feature to both formulae and text^[11]
Integration of OpenStreetMap^[12]

Release 1.5.x

New features of Freeplane 1.5 include:

New options for creating mind maps with high homogeneity and symmetry^[13]
Clones^[14]
Init scripts^[15]
Background images^[16]

Release 1.6.x

References to other mind maps from formulas and scripts
PDF and SVG exports enhancements
Java 9 support
JLatexMath update
Bug fixes

Release 1.7.x

Dark UI mode support (Look and feel and map template "Darcula")
User interface enhancements
Nodes and aliases enhancements
Java 13 support, Java 11 compatibility, Java 7 support dropped, Java 8 is required
Bug fixes

Release 1.10.x

The latest stable release is 1.11.14 (May 14, 2024; 6 months ago (2024-05-14)) [±].

Add-ons

One feature of Freeplane is the support for installable enhancements. Add-ons are a way to extend and customize Freeplane similar to how plug-ins and extensions can be used to extend and customize well-known applications like Firefox or LibreOffice. Freeplane add-ons can be used to provide a single function, a bundle of multiple functions, bind those functions to a menu item, etc.

Available add-ons include :

GTD support ^[17]
Study planner
Versioning and collaborative work ^[18]

References

^ June 2014, Project of the Month – Freeplane sourceforge.net interview with Dimitry Polivaev
^ Node styles
^ Conditional node styles
^ Map templates
^ Add-ons such as Freeplane|GTD. Study Planner and Add-on Developer Tools.
^ Formulas
^ Example map of nodes summarized by "bracketing"
^ Menus and commands
^ ^a ^b Input & format of dates and numbers
^ Free positionable and free floating nodes
^ LaTeX in Freeplane
^ OpenStreetMap Plugin
^ Jonas Batista Freeplane Version Announcement
^ Clones
^ Init scripts
^ Application for Mind Mapping, Knowledge and Project Management
^ "use freeplane for GTD". Archived from the original on 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
^ collaborative mind-mapping and map versioning

External links

Official website
Freeplane on SourceForge
(in French) FreeMind By Example covers usage of FreeMind and Freeplane

[1] June 2014, Project of the Month – Freeplane sourceforge.net interview with Dimitry Polivaev

[2] Node styles

[3] Conditional node styles

[4] Map templates

[5] Add-ons such as Freeplane|GTD. Study Planner and Add-on Developer Tools.

[6] Formulas

[7] Example map of nodes summarized by "bracketing"

[8] Menus and commands

[dates-9] Input & format of dates and numbers

[10] Free positionable and free floating nodes

[11] LaTeX in Freeplane

[12] OpenStreetMap Plugin

[13] Jonas Batista Freeplane Version Announcement

[14] Clones

[15] Init scripts

[16] Application for Mind Mapping, Knowledge and Project Management

[17] "use freeplane for GTD". Archived from the original on 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2013-10-27.

[18] rative mind-mapping and map versioning

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