Design and use Custom Frame topics

Learn how to using Mind Pad for designing and using Custom Frame topics. Compare Contact represented in mind map and contact represented in Custom Frame topic. If you have a complicated map with a lot of topics and sub-topics, consider designing and using custom frame topics.

Why use custom frame topics

• Make your map look compact;
• Use graphics for topic;
• Make information management effective;  

With Mind Pad Custom Frame topics:

• If you have a complicated map with a lot of topics and sub-topics, consider designing and using custom frame topics. You will be able to replace some branches with a single custom designed object. 
• Use ready to use custom designed objects. Mind Pad already has Contact custom designed object. For task of comparative analysis we designed a special Compare Analysis object.
• Make information more visual. Make information about your objects more visual;

Compare how you can represent information about contact in simple mind map software and in Mind Pad.
Mind Mapping in Mind Pad		Custom Object in Mind Pad
Mind mapping is great, but the map with a lot of contact will looks complicated; You need to think about object's properties instead of filling them with valuable information;		Mind Pad shows primary properties for contact object; You can use any people - picture from Image Library to assign to the topic;

Using custom object 

1. First select custom object in Mind Pad object menu.
2. Now double click on Mind Pad workspace. The object of this type will appear.
3. Now you can: link it with others, change frame icon. 
4. By double clicking on topic, you'll be able to change it's main property (for contact object - it's "Full Name"). If you like to change other properties then find them in the Properties toolbar.

Design custom object with Model Editor

Run Model Editor

1. Run Mind Pad Editor. Select "Mind Pad Editor" in Start > Programs > Mind Pad. 
2. Select "Frame classes" in Model Tree and right click on "Frame classes" option. Select "Add Frame Class..." command.
3. Follow "Create Frame Class" wizard and put the name of new custom object. 
4. Select created class. . Now you can design new properties.    

Designing new object:

1. Select just created object in Model Tree.
2. See the frame properties. You can change custom object icon, describe new object in Description field. 
3. Click "..." button to start designing new attributes of object.

Design properties:

1. Click "Add" button to add new attribute to the object. 
2. Let's create "Ideas" property to support idea catching process. 
3. Note: it's "Type" is string (meaning text). 
4. Also, we put some text in "Category" and "Description" properties.
5. Click "OK" to finish adding properties to the frame.
6. Click "Save configuration" button to install this new object.
7. Now see "Using Custom Object" chapter above to add created object to your map.

Evaluate Mind Pad

You can download fully-function 30-days evaluation version of Mind Pad: http://www.mind-pad.com/download.htm 

Please, visit ordering page for more information about pricing and ordering.

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