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Scapple Free Form Mind Mapping Tool 1 3 3

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Scapple is an easy-to-use tool for getting ideas down as quickly as possible and making connections between them. It isn't exactly mind-mapping software-it's. 3 months free with 1-year plan. It's Scapple Simple. Creating notes is as easy as double-clicking anywhere on the page; making connections between ideas is as simple as dragging and dropping one note onto another. And unlike real paper, in Scapple you can move notes around and never run out of space. Write notes anywhere. Connect notes using drag and drop. Completely freeform. Mindly Pricing: Free mobile version includes 3 mind maps each with up to 100 elements; $6.99 on iOS and $5.49 on Android for additional features including unlimited elements, passcode, and search; $29.99 on macOS. Best free mind mapping software. Diagrams.net (Web, macOS, Linux, Windows, Chrome OS).

  • If you don't have a licence, Scapple will run in trial mode. The trial is exactly the same as the full version but will stop working after 30 days of use. (If you use it every day, it lasts 30 days; if you use it only two days a week, it lasts fifteen weeks.).
  • It's Scapple Simple. Creating notes is as easy as double-clicking anywhere on the page; making connections between ideas is as simple as dragging and dropping one note onto another. And unlike real paper, in Scapple you can move notes around and never run out of space. Write notes anywhere. Connect notes using drag and drop. Completely freeform.
I had a productivity software episode a couple weeks ago, brought on by disappointment that Scapple is not available for Windows (yet). You see, I draft most everything I write--including this blog post--on scrap paper before entering it on the dreadfully blank, linear, and permanently ephemeral screen. As my thoughts don't come out in sequence, and I'm always afraid I'll lose something important, I end up brainstorming all over the page (like this).
Among the several disadvantages of this pack rat writing style are that I write slowly, my internal hamster tends to fall off its wheel when I run out of room on the page, and I eventually have to enter the bits and pieces worth saving into permanent storage on my computer. (I also go through a lot of scrap paper. I once accidentally printed 400 pp. from a colleague's book manuscript, which kept me supplied for a while. Since that stock ran out, I've taken to dumpster diving recycle bins around the school.)
Sometimes fountain pen and paper aren't good enough. Sometimes I want to keep my random thoughts in the more-or-less random form in which they emerge. I also wondered about saving time by brainstorming on screen rather than on paper. Enter Scapple:
'Scapple is an easy-to-use tool for getting ideas down as quickly as possible and making connections between them. It isn't exactly mind-mapping software—it's more like a freeform text editor that allows you to make notes anywhere on the page and to connect them using straight dotted lines or arrows. If you've ever scribbled down ideas all over a piece of paper and drawn lines between related thoughts, then you already know what Scapple does.'
Alas, Scapple is not currently available for Windows, so I looked around for alternatives. The short answer is that there are none. After reading about Blumind, TheBrain, and connectedtext, and trying xmind, Freemind, Coggle, CompendiumNG, I settled on Freeplane as a workable stop-gap with VUE as a runner-up [Update: I've switched to VUE; see below]:
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Freeplane is a free, open source, powerful mind-mapping program that allows you--somewhat awkwardly--to click and type in different areas of the 'page' (which, as far as I can tell, is limitless). [Update: Freeplane doesn't really work for unconnected notes because, as far as I can tell, you can't move text around freely. If you are stuck with Windows and it is a free-form text editor you are looking for, try VUE. (See this post for more detail.)] If Perhaps because it is a mind-mapping program geared toward brainstorming related thoughts, it has not eliminated my perpetual need for scrap paper when I am working on a writing project, but I have begun to use it to store stray thoughts, and it works quite well for that purpose. One neat feature, which sets it apart from Vue, is that you can copy your mind-map and paste it into OneNote as an outline.

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Give it a whirl!

Free Mind Mapping Software


There are many free mind mapping tools, such as FreeMind, that are a good option if you want to make basic mind maps. There are also some subscription-based online mind mapping tools which allow users to store maps on the internet for sharing and collaboration. Working online may prove a little cumbersome because it is dependent on your internet connection and some features, shortcuts and habits will be different from traditional desktop software. However, online mind mapping software makes it easy for an educational institution to provide remote access to students.

Storing mind maps containing confidential or sensitive information online could cause some security issues that conflict with company policies, GDPR compliance and educational regulations for storing student data. Please beware that some cloud solutions lure you in with free basic versions but charge on a monthly basis for the advanced features you may need.

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There are many iPad, mobile and Tablet PC solutions available but they are yet to reach the standard of desktop applications when it comes to creating the basic mind map. As far as overviewing the map, small screen size is a problem even for average sized maps – which is basically the whole point! It will take some time and practice to master typing and capturing information on a small screen.





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