== Flo 1.0 Documentation == === Introduction === Flo is a mind mapping application that is focused on building content quickly. It follows the stream of and then allows the user to organize their thoughts into a coherent outline. This outline can then be used to generate various output formats where they can be polished and create full documents. === Features === Flo has many features to help create and organize thoughts so that they can be used productively. ==== Rich User Interface ==== Flo strives to be minimalist and tries to facilitate the dumping of a stream of consciousness into a document. ===== Dynamic Layout Options ===== Flo allows users to organize their thoughts as they please or it supplies a packing method to organize the mind map automatically. ===== Integrated Spell Checker ===== Flo uses the same spell checker and dictionaries as Firefox and Open Office. ===== Undo / Redo Support ===== Every action is able to be undone or redone. ===== Custom Icon Import ===== Any image can be attached to an idea via the "Edit Emblems" dialog. ==== Export Formats ==== Flo is a great starting point for content but it is not the end. Documents can be created in Flo and then continued in word processors, and other markup formats such as wikis and docbook. ===== Wiki ===== Flo can save wiki text to the file system. WikiRPC support is planned so it can save to remote Wikis that support the WikiRPC 1.0 specification. # Creole 1.0 # Trac 0.10 # Parse Wiki 1.29 # MediaWiki ===== Docbook 4.x ===== Flo can export mind maps to docbook format for easy transformation into print ready documents. ===== Plain Text ===== Flo can export a mind map to basic ASCII text with minimal formatting. This allows for easy import into any word processor. ===== Image Export ===== Flo can export images of the mind map to any graphics format that Qt supports. Examples are PNG, BMP and even vector formats like SVG. ===== PDF Slides ===== Flo can even be used to generate PDF slides for use with a projector or a normal computer screen. Since it is PDF it will look identical on all platforms it is viewed on. ==== Multiplatform ==== Because Flo is written with the Qt toolkit it can run on various platforms. Currently Flo has only been tested on a few of these platforms. ===== Windows XP ===== ===== Windows Vista ===== ===== Ubuntu Linux ===== Flo has been tested on Feisty, Gutsy, Hardy, and Intrepid. ===== MacOS X coming soon! ===== ===== Debian Linux ===== Flo has been tested on Etch, Sid and Lenny. ==== XML File Format ==== The XML format is documented and can easily be transformed into other XML formats. ===== Auto-save and backup files ===== Flo automatically creates auto-save and backup files to keep from loosing data. === Operation === Flo has quite a few powerful features to help users organize their ideas. ==== Startup Screen ==== When Flo starts it provides the options to create new content or to open an existing file. ===== Create a New Document ===== # Document Information ** Every Flo document can have meta information that makes it easier to organize and describe different mind maps. This information is also used by the file export features. # Import an existing document ** Flo allows the importing of other file formats into a mind map. This is handy for instances when you wish to inter-operate with other users who use different mind mapping software. ## Creole 1.0 WIki ## Freemind Mindmap ## ASCII text outline *** Flo can import ascii text file outlines that are indented by tabs. ===== Open an Existing Document ===== # Recent Documents # File Selection Dialog ==== Edit actions ==== Flo provides all of the standard editing operations to the user. All of these actions work between different instances of Flo. ===== Cut ===== Copies currently selected ideas to the clipboard and removes the selected items from the mind map. ===== Copy ===== Copies currently selected ideas to the clipboard. ===== Paste ===== Pastes one or more previously copied or cut ideas. These ideas will be free floating and will need to be attached to other ideas as supporting ideas. ===== Select all ===== Selects all of the ideas for group operations. Group operations are cut, copy, delete, and the alignment operations. ===== Add Idea ===== This button will add a new supporting idea to the currently selected idea. ===== Remove Idea ===== Pressing this icon will cause the currently selected idea to be deleted. ==== Idea Properties ==== Each idea can be annotated with a few visual and informational properties to help organize the mind map. ===== Title ===== Every idea need to have at least a title. This is the only mandatory field. ===== Shape ===== There is a choice of three shapes for every node. These shapes can help visually differentiate different ideas and how they support each other. These shapes are also used by the various export formats to generate richer outlines. Currently Flo differentiates shapes in three categories. # Topic ** This is the central idea for every mind map. Usually there is only one, but there is nothing that disallows multiple topics in a mind map. # Idea ** Ideas are details that support the parent topic. There are usually multiple levels of ideas that support each other. # Supporting Idea ** Supporting ideas are minor points that provide more information for ideas. ===== Title Font ===== The display font for the idea can be changed to help certain ideas stand out from others. Be careful when sharing documents that the fonts are available on all of the systems that will view the mind maps. Flo includes a small set of fonts so that there are a set of common fonts across different machines. ===== Order ===== Each idea has an order relative to its parent. This order can be changed to reorder the items in the exported outlines. ===== Emblem ===== Each idea can have an image attached it. There are built in vector based images but custom bitmap images can be added to the individual mind map. To add custom bitmaps to the mind map use the "Edit Emblems" dialog. These images are custom to each mind map. ===== Color ===== Each idea can be marked with various colors to help visually organize ideas in the mind map. ===== Notes ===== Every idea can be annotated with Unicode text. This text flags spelling errors automatically. The spell checker/corrector can be invoked by using the right mouse menu. ==== Organize the Mind Map ==== ===== Arrange Mind Map ===== The mind map can be automatically sorted and arranged so that all nodes are organized and visible. ===== Alignment opperations ===== To help organize parts of the mind map Flo offers a variety of ways to align ideas on the screen. # Align Top ** Aligns all of the selected ideas so they are all on the same bottom alignment. # Align Bottom ** Aligns all of the selected ideas so they are all on the same top alignment. # Align Left ** Aligns all of the selected ideas so they are all on the same left alignment. # Align Right ** Aligns all of the selected ideas so they are all on the same right alignment. # Align Horizontal Center ** Moves all selected items so that they are aligned to the center along their horizontal axis. # Align Vertical Center ** Moves all selected items so that they are aligned to the center along their vertical axis. ===== Keyboard shortcuts ===== Selected ideas can be repositioned with the keyboard arrow keys. ===== Reparent ===== Ideas can be be reorganized by re-parenting nodes at will. Each idea save for the root idea can must have exactly one parent. === Contact Information === Ian Reinhart Geiser