Using map markers puts you in control of your map!
Map markers let you codify topics in your map with visual icons or text tags. Specify priorities, % complete, categories, status, or whatever you fancy. Applying markers lets you add layers of context to each and every topic in your map.
An immediate advantage is that you can quickly glance at your map and take in a lot of data. That’s just the start. After you apply markers, it becomes easier to select, display, or hide topics that match criteria that you set. I’ll cover these capabilities in tomorrow’s post. For now, I’ll show you several ways to quickly add markers to topics in your map. Review these methods and pick one that works best for you!
Add Markers Using the Ribbon Toolbar:
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Select one or more topics where you would like to place the Marker.
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On the Home tab, in the Map Markers group, click Icon or Text Markers.
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Select the marker you want to assign to the topic(s). Once a marker has been added, you can hover over it with your mouse pointer to see its meaning.
Add Markers Using the Quick Access Toolbar
Quick Access Toolbar Setup: Right click on the Icon or Text Marker on the Home tab, you will see an option to “Add to Quick Access Toolbar”.
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Select one or more topics where you would like to place the Marker.
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On the Quick Access Toolbar, left-click either the Icon or Text Markers icon.
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Scroll to and select the marker you want to assign to the topic(s).
Add Markers Using the Map Marker Pane
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Select one or more topics where you would like to place the Marker.
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Open the Map Marker Pane in the task pane
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Scroll to and left click on the marker you want to assign to the topic(s).
Add Markers Using the Topic’s Context Menu
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Select one or more topics where you would like to place the Marker.
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Right click on one of the selected topics to display the context menu.
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Select either the Text or Icon Markers option and select a marker to assign it to the selected topic(s).
Now you saw four ways to apply markers into your maps: the menu, quick access tool bar, map marker pane, and the right context menu. What are you waiting for? Start marking up those maps!
In upcoming posts, we’ll explore tips on how to use, modify, and customize your map markers.
Still have questions about Map Markers? Leave them in the comments and I’ll try to address them in the upcoming posts for this series.
Related posts:
About the Author: Michael Deutch is Mindjet’s Chief Evangelist, content contributor for the Mindjet Blog and the Mindjet Connections newsletter. Get more from Michael on Twitter.
Many thanks for these helpful comments.
Be well.
Ed
@Ed
When you move a topic to another map without specifying a destination topic, GyroQ automatically creates an In-tray in the destination map, so that you can easily find the incoming topic. Otherwise, adding it to the Central Topic would make your map messy. The extra markers that are added to this In-tray topic are for compatibility with ResultsManager, which can then identify that anything sitting in an In-tray needs further processing. When you run a dashboard, it will show you a list of topics that need sorting in your maps.
The In-tray created by GyroQ is a Map Part called “ResultsManager In-Tray.mmmp”, kept in the GyroQ installation folder. You can edit this map part in MindManager to remove any unwanted markers.
Best regards
Nick
Ed,
While there may be some mystical elements with MindManager, these categories actually get established by the Gyro-Q add-in. If they are behaving badly, I think it’ll help to raise this in their support forum. I’ll send them a link to these comments so they can review this post and your question. Alternatively, you can also reach out to the Gyronix team here: http://www.gyronix.com/gyroq/support.php
Thanks,
Michael
Michael: I guess that I had hoped to find out if there are any uses to be served by the “process” and
“in-tray” categories other than that to mystify even those of us who have been using Mindjet since before the beginning of time and hadn’t noticed much of what power is available to us until called to our attention. Karl Popper said that, “It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood.” But I try.In any event, if I haven’t made myself clear, don’t fret it.We’re lucky you’re on the job.
Lachlan, unfortunately, there isn’t a shortcut that I know of for this. I’ll pass this feedback to our usability team.
WK, thanks for sharing the shortcut key map! It’s also available in the learning center in the task pane or accessible via help (http://onlinehelp.mindjet.com/Help/MindManager/8/ENU/keyboard_shortcuts.htm)
Ed, I’m not sure what exactly you’re asking. Can you rephrase? Thanks!
Christophe, markers are part of each map but it is possible to save and apply them to other maps. I’ll write about that later in the week. To check it out, go to Tools and explore the Map Marker Lists. This is a great way to apply a consistent methodology across your individual or team-based maps.
Nice article Michael,
if someone would like to check shortcuts out – I just created small map with it:
http://bit.ly/GS0vy
Michael,
Great article! As far as I know, the Map and Text Markers are specific for each map.
Is there a workaround to have own markers created in one map available in another?
Does Mindjet plan eventually to have such feature in an upcoming release ?
Thanks,
Christophe
Is there a keyboard shortcut to assign the “Task start” marker to a topic. I know you can click on the task icon to progress to the next level of completion but a quicker way to mark a topic as a task is needed. The methods you show above are just a bit too fiddly for such a common operation.
Mike: I do use Gyro-Q. But even without it, when I move a topic from one map to another, I find at the destination map a tray with the new topic ready to be reassigned. It works fine; I’m just curious as to how.
eiesb
Ed: Are you using any app like Gyro-Q with MindManager yet?
Catherine: MindManager defaults 5 but you can add up to 9 task priorities. Here are the steps:
On your map, open the task pane. In the Task Priorities section, right click on the heading ‘task priorities’.
Select ‘new task priority’, select Priority 6 and enter the name (e.g. Priority 6).
Repeat steps for 7-9.
I’ll cover this and more in upcoming posts.
Yes, but there are only 5 task priorities and I normally have more. What do you do for #6 up?
Needed greatly, even for oldtime users. I hope that you will have something to say about the “process” and “in-tray” category markers.