Mind Map Diagramming Issues

[beachdefender]

Hi,
I'm just about to start a new project and rather than use FeeMind and then migrate to EA for the real work I decided to use the internal Mind Mapping Diagram.

There are a number of things that worry me though.

[*] Line Style  - why, oh why,  was this set as Bezier and unalterable - this is a significant drawback as it make large mind maps just plain ugly. And if its ugly, no one pays attention.  
Is there some way I can get rid of this restriction?
[*] 3 Levels - only? How do I change the type/level in the hierarchy - this is the point of a mind map, you dynamically move thought bubble up down and sidewards.  In a 'normal'  mind mapping tools one simply adds 'child' or 'sibling' nodes (rather than 'topics' ).  This is a significant negative for EA as it restricts the process of mind dumping unnecessarily.
[*] Visibility - I copied copious notes into some topics and would like to be able to have them displayed in some diagrams but I only see  'visibility'  on 'relationships'.  
[/list]

I'm not sure why these items have been tied down so hard. Mind Mapping is supposed to support unstructured thinking initially to get a mind 'dump'. Then we work though those thought and (hopefully) identify the existing and required structures underneath.

The way the current mind mapping approach seems to be based on the assumption that the analyst has the structure in their head to start with.  I don't think that is typical of a real world problem.

At present I would use the mind mapping diagram for extremely simple problem areas, but given the ability to change the things above it would be far more generally useful to me.

I love EA as a modelling tool, but it is not in the top rung as a mind mapper, for now.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

The MDG file for MindMapping has the entry:
            <TaggedValues>
              <Tag name="_Bezier" type="boolean" description="" unit="" values="true,false" default="true"/>
            </TaggedValues>
  for the relationship stereotype: Relationship.  This may be what is constraining the line type to Bezier.  Try removing this section - that may open up your options.

You should be able to change the stereotype of the item to move them up and down the "levels".

I do agree though, that the Mind Mapping MDG is a bit of EAUI.

Paolo
[edit]Yes, this DOES constrain the line to a Bezier.  It does so by creating the tagged value against the arc and by default, it sets it to true.  Consequently, if you select the line, and set the tagged value to false, you can select from the other line types.

It then becomes a question of is a Bezier line (for your use) the exception or the rule?

HTH[/edit]