Select Topic Greyed Out for Import

Kathleen B. shared this question 6 months ago
Answered

I'm trying to import form an Excel file, but Select Topic is greyed out. I need to import into an existing map.

Replies (2)

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Is the topic in a map based on a flowchart or concept map template? I hadn't noticed this before, but it seems that the Select Topic option is greyed out in these.

You could try creating a floating topic in a "conventional" mind map and then use this as the basis for importing the file via the Excel Data Mapper. You could then copy the floating topic and the attached imported branches and paste as a floating topic in the original map.

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Excel Data Mapper needs a regular topic as base for an import, because the import will create subtopics.

Please check the Layout of the topic.

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Thank you for your replies. My map is using swim lanes ... so it must be related to the type of map.

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Hi Katherine,

If you are using swim lanes it is likely you are using a Free Form Map template. These are similar to flow chart and concept maps in that they don't use standard MindManager topics or trees, and importing Excel spreadsheets to a topic in these won't work either.

You could try the trick I suggested earlier of importing the spreadsheet to a floating topic in a conventional map and then copying and pasting the resulting tree into the free form map, but you may have difficulties getting everything to align with the swim lanes especially if you are importing a large spreadsheet.

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Hi Kathleen,

swim lanes doesn't matter 😀

create a topic somewhere and change the layout of this topic to "Right Map". Use this topic as base for your import.

After the import you can move selected topics to the lane you want.

Take care, a second import of your xls will not synchronize the topics in the lane, it will create new topics on the base with the xls-icon

Regards, Andreas

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