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MindManager User Community Support ForumTopicIdeaMindManager Windows
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Category MindManager Windows
Tags structure, file, folder, map, snapshot, re-create

Snapshot of File-Folder Structure to Mind Map

Andrey K. shared this idea 2 years ago
Voting Open

Greetings!


I use MM to develop an optimal file-folder structure (including naming) to store multi-project data for a network share.

It would be great to have a utility to:

1) transfer (make a snapshot) an existing file-folder structure of a selected root folder to an new/existing mind map;

2) re-create a file-folder structure at a user-specified location from the existing mind map.


I attach an example of such file-folder structure mind map.


Does this make sense?

Files: File-Folder Str...
3 I like this idea

Replies (7)

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Andrey K.
Top Contributor
● 2 years ago

I hope this can be done using MM VB scripting facility, but not sure about that.

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Andrey K.
Top Contributor
● 2 years ago

A related idea: https://community.mindmanager.com/topic/274-mm-for-mac-smart-map-for-folder-structure

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Ary V.
MindManager Expert
● 2 years ago

Maybe I completely misunderstand what you need, but...

In Mapparts there is FILE EXPLORER.

This works fine in MM21 See images

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The Result

3906f27d2d5829c70aad6a1b2b1ffc9b


However, This does NOT FUNCTION in MMvs 22 for windows.

(Maybe because I have several versions installed because I need them in Training Sessions)

There is NO Option to select the files I want.

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Andrey K.
Top Contributor
● 2 years ago

Dear Ary,

Thank you for the suggestion!

I tested File Explorer @ Map Parts and found that is partly solves task 1) (making a snapshot).


As for task 2 (re-creating file-folder structure from an existing map) I do not see the solution in the MM current version.

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Ary V.
MindManager Expert
● 2 years ago

Come on Andrey,

This you should know for years.

To fine tune File Explorer template, for example remove icons and properties

Go to View tab Look for Hide/Show in the details section and there you have it.

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Andrey K.
Top Contributor
● 2 years ago

I see the point of hiding specific topic items.

However I am curious about getting the resulting map without the specifics elements at all.

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Ary V.
MindManager Expert
● 2 years ago

Every Answer crreates a new question...


You could filter them out and do a save-as with only the stuff you want.

Or just delete what you don't want.

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Andrey K.
Top Contributor
● 2 years ago

Hm...

I tried to find an alternative way and open Files and Folders.mmmp located in ...\AppData\Local\Mindjet\MindManager\21\Library\ENU\Map Parts\File Explorer folder via right click to call the context menu and Modify.

MM opened the template, but it turned out that a user cannot remove the properties from the template....

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Andrey K.
Top Contributor
● 2 years ago

Moreover, when I tried to manually remove topic properties from a map generated by File Explorer, it turned out that I also cannot remove them!

Does this mean that the map generated by File Explorer, contains special (non-standard) topics with locked properties?

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Alex G.
MindManager Expert
● 2 years ago

Yes, the properties seem to be locked to the folder or file and I can't figure out how to remove them using only MindManager.

However, they can be deleted using the Property Manager feature in the MindManager add-in MAP. This allows users to manipulate, duplicate and delete topic properties, either in selected topics or across the whole map. Once they are deleted though, the topics representing the folder structure or individual files can't be refreshed and an error message appears if you try to do so. The links to the folders or files remain unaffected.

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Andrey K.
Top Contributor
● 2 years ago

Got it.

Currently I don't have a license for MAP, so this is not an option.

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Alex G.
MindManager Expert
● 2 years ago

Hi Ary, File Explorer is working OK for me in MM 22.2, and as you suggest would seem to be the answer to Andrey's first question. A couple of years ago I published an article on how to combine this facility with File Explorer's search function which might be useful: https://sociamind.com/2020/05/25/search-all-files-in-mindmanager-with-a-little-help-from-windows/

The second question is more problematic. You would think that MindManager would lend itself to creating a folder structure but there doesn't seem to be a way to do this. There was an Add-on a few years ago which could do this but it appears to have been discontinued.

One option would be to export the map with the folder structure to Excel. Apparently Excel can be used to create a folder system, but I've never tried this. See these articles for more details:

https://www.extendoffice.com/documents/excel/800-create-folders-based-on-excel.html

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-create-multiple-folders-at-once-from-excel

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Andrey K.
Top Contributor
● 2 years ago

What is the name of the discontinued add-on?

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Alex G.
MindManager Expert
● 2 years ago

It was called MapFolderMaker and was produced by Mind Logik, a New Zealand-based company.

Sadly they discontinued it some time ago, along it seems with most of their other add-ins. This is a shame because it was a simple but effective add-in. I suspect being a relatively niche product it might not have sold that well.

However, they are still in business as a MindManager dealer, so you could contact them directly to see if there is any hope of reviving it: https://mindlogik.com/

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Andrey K.
Top Contributor
● 2 years ago

I contacted Mind Logik team. They confirmed the MapFolderMaker was discontinued.

I asked them to share the source code or snippets to re-create a folder structure.

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Andrey K.
Top Contributor
● 2 years ago

Dear Alex,

Thank you for sharing the knowledge.

Is there a way to fine tune File Explorer template, for example remove icons and properties?

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Andrey K.
Top Contributor
● 2 years ago

Investigation shows that VB scripting seems to solve the task and I will try implementing folder creation there.

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Nick D.
MindManager Expert
● 2 years ago

The quickest way is to reference the Microsoft Scripting Runtime from your macro and use the Filesystem Object. If you need examples please feel free to contact me.

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