Support & FAQ

MindPlan User Manual

Mind Maps are the structuring elements of Weilgut's MindPlan. In this chapter, you will read how to create and develop a MindPlan. You will learn the most important principles for designing, structuring, arranging and positioning the elements of a MindPlan. You will receive examples on how to arrange information more clearly. You can quickly make a concept from an idea with MindPlan, which you can readily make available to others - in the form of various files, of electronic prints or in paper form.
A multitude of tasks arise in a project, which is why the project deliverables, work packages and individual tasks of each project must have a clear structure. In this part of the User Manual, you will learn step-by-step how to develop a project structure plan, create activities, allocate resources, and estimate effort and costs for your project. As you work through the manual you will become familiar with the basic and easy-to-use MindPlan project management functions. This chapter describes the basic principles of project planning in the map editor, based on the principles developed in "Brainstorming with MindMaps" in Part I.
In this chapter, we will show you how to schedule activities and work packages in the time line, define milestones and create dependencies in the Gantt editor. You will learn how easy resource planning can be and how to use standard analyses to check your resource planning and capacity of the project members.



FAQ - frequently asked questions
Rescheduling projects and sub-projects
In case your project or particular project phases have to be delayed, you can comfortably readjust them in MindPlan. Move the summary bar displayed in the project and project phase rows of the Gantt diagram. Subsequently you will be asked whether you really want to reschedule the containing activities for the desired number of days.


Editing activity properties (e.g. start and finish dates, resources) for multiple nodes
In order to edit the properties of several nodes all at once, select the respective nodes in Map or Gantt view and open the properties dialog (Edit/Properties, or press alt-enter). Changes in the properties dialog will now affect all selected nodes. For instance, you can easily assign a new resource to multiple activities that way.


Assigning an activity to multiple resources
Currently an activity can only be assigned to one resource. This is mainly due to limitations of Lotus Notes, among other things because multiple values in the resource field cannot be properly evaluated in some views (totals calculation etc.). The distribution of such a multi resource activity to the receipients would also lead to a replication conflict, when the users alter the document to change the activity progress. We suggest creating multiple activities, one for every resource. In order to match their start and finish dates, select the respective activities and open the properties dialog, which will then affect multiple selected nodes (see "Editing activity properties for multiple nodes").

Also in the development department of MindPlan the need for multiple resources arises frequently. This might be adressed in future MindPlan versions, possibly by letting MindPlan create one activity for every resource internally, which is then shown to the user as a single, easy-to-handle activity.


Scheduling times for activities
You can plan your projects with MindPlan in units of full days or fractions, e.g. 0.5 days. Planning of appointments with times is not possible yet. However, this feature will be integrated in a future version.


Creating nodes of a certain type
Since MindPlan version 1.99, pressing the paste button creates a new node of the type 'branch'. This enables you to quickly create a basic structure during brainstorming, which then can be converted step-by-step into a project plan. For this purpose, the function 'change node type' can be found in the edit menu. It converts a branch for instance into a project phase, an activity or a link. If you already know in the beginning which type of node to create, there are several ways to do it directly.

By pressing shift-paste / shift-enter, a context menu is displayed at the selected node. After selecting the type, a new node is created. This context menu corresponds to the default procedure of MindPlan version 1. It can also be configured for the paste / enter button in the MindPlan preferences (File/Preferences, Creating nodes). Alternatively, child nodes of a certain type can be inserted via the create menu.


Creating multiple MindPlan databases
You can duplicate the default MindPlan database (wMindplan.nsf) arbitrarily. For example you may create a MindPlan database for every department of  your company. This way, access rights for the data can be restricted, e.g. in order to deny regular employees access to the management's database.

There is no downside for you: MindPlan's multi-project-analysis works across multiple databases. You can easily create cross-mindplan-database analysis views, e.g. to combine your personal appointments of your private MindPlan database with the projects of your department located in a public MindPlan database on a Domino server.


Using mindplan collaboratively on a server
Three steps are required to store MindPlan databases on a Lotus Domino Server, so you can work togehter on projects with your colleagues:

1. replication of databases to the server

After installing MindPlan on your workstation, replicate the MindPlan database (wMindplan.nsf) and the MindPlan configuration database from the MindPlan directory to your Lotus Notes data directory on a Lotus Domino server. Both locally and remotely, the two databases have to be in the same directory, since MindPlan looks for the configuration database in the same directory as the MindPlan database currently open.


2. setting up user permissions
For the MindPlan users please setup an access level of "Author" or higher in the access control list (ACL) of the MindPlan database. In the configuration database the users need at least "Reader" access. For administration tasks (like e.g. create new resources or text bricks) "Editor" access on the configuration database is required.

Afterwards you can optionally work locally or directly on the server. Open the MindPlan database on the server with 'File/Open MindPlan'. Afterwards you can switch to the Domino server with the option "Other server..." in the combo box on top of the dialog.
Please note: This option is only available if your active Lotus Notes location allows network access. For instance network access is deactivated in the location 'island'.


3. setting Notes.ini variables (optional)
The default database (e.g. in the creation dialogue for new MindPlans) can be configured with two Notes.ini variables:

$wMPDbServer=sDomKax01/Haus Weilgut
$wMPDbPath=mindplan\wMindplan.nsf

According to these two lines, MindPlan will select the database 'mindplan\wMindplan.nsf' on the Domino server 'sDomKax01/Haus Weilgut' when creating new MindPlans. The default installation of MindPlan will set $wMPDbServer to an empty string or removed from the Notes.ini file (i.e. the MindPlan database is stored locally). The local installation directory of the MindPlan database is automatically stored in $wMPDbPath.
Setting these variables is only necessary, if the MindPlan database is moved or MindPlan is installed without an installation database (e.g. in case of the network drive version, which can be run without an installation).

Note:
$wMPDbServer is not available until MindPlan version 2.01


Storing the online help database on a server
By default, MindPlan installs the help database on every client. In case all work is done online, the online help can also be stored on a Lotus Domino server. For this purpose, please copy both help databases (e.g. 'mphelp_r3-0_de.nsf' of release 3 in German or 'mphelp_r3-0_en.nsf' in English) to the Domino server.

Subsequently, two Notes.ini variables in the following form are required on the client side:

$wMPCommonHelpDbServerR3-0=sDomKax01/Haus Weilgut
$wMPCommonHelpDbPathR3-0=mindplan\helpr2\mphelp_r3_de.nsf
or
$wMPCommonHelpDbPathR3-0=mindplan\helpr2\mphelp_r3_en.nsf

They contain the server and the database path of the online help. 'R3' is to be adjusted to your major release (R1 for MindPlan 1.x, R2-11 for MindPan 2.11 respectively). If the online help is found locally on your client, it will be favored and server access will be avoided.


Copying MindPlans from one MindPlan database to another
MindPlan has a copy function for this purpose, which can be found under "File/Save MindPlan as". It is not possible to directly copy node documents in Lotus Notes, since the stuctures of the MindPlans are not transferred correctly.


Removing orphaned node documents from the MindPlan database
In rare cases, database errors or program crashes can lead to node documents remaining without valid parent nodes. Since these documents are not displayed in MindPlans, you cannot delete them from within the MindPlan application. The agent '(CheckNodeStructure)' in the MindPlan database puts things right. It analyses the structure of the contained MindPlans and identifies 'orphans'. In case the MindPlan to which the orphaned node belongs still exists, a 'lost and found' node will be created in this MindPlan and the orphaned node will be appended.

If any reference to an existing MindPlan is missing, a special 'lost and found' MindPlan will be created.

You can easily start the agent by placing a symbol in the toolbar of your Lotus Notes client. Right click on the toolbar and select 'Toolbar Preferences', then 'Customize', create a new icon and enter the following @-formula:

@Command([ToolsRunMacro];"(CheckNodeStructure)")

After opening the MindPlan database, click on the new toolbar icon to start the reparation of the node structure.


Backup of all MindPlan data
Your existings MindPlans are contained in the Notes database 'wMindPlan.nsf' in the MindPlan directory of your Lotus Notes data directory (e.g. C:\Program files\Lotus\Notes\Data). This database and the MindPlan configuration database (wconfig.nsf) located in the same directory should be included in your personal backup. You should also backup the directory 'C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\MindPlan', since your preferences (File/Preferences) and license keys are stored there, besides the MindPlan log files.
Note: The directory 'Application Data' is a hidden directory in Windows.


Updating to a new MindPlan version
Please perform a backup of your MindPlan database before updating. In case you did not create new MindPlan databases and used the standard installation, you can find a subdirectory 'MindPlan' in your Lotus Notes data directory containing the MindPlan databases. Please back up the databases wMindplan.nsf and wconfig.nsf.

We distinguish between reinstallation and update installation. Select update installation, since a reinstallation would import a new MindPlan database and overwrite existing data (after asking for confirmation). Both installation modes commence a deinstallation of an existing MindPlan application. This is necessary in order to install the new version properly.

At the end of the installation process, a page is displayed which enables you to update the design of your MindPlan databases. Please perform this update with all available MindPlan databases and MindPlan configuration databases.


Export to MS Project 2003 yields an error message
If the import of an exported MPX file in MS Project 2003 yields an error message and is aborted, please install Service Pack 2 of MS Project. The MPX import used by MindPlan was corrected due to updates of MS Project. You can find updates for MS Project at http://officeupdate.microsoft.com.


Duration of validity of the MindPlan demo version
With the release of MindPlan 2.01 the existing demo version has been discontinued. The demo version permitted the creation of a maximum of 25 nodes and added a watermark to printouts. Instead of that, mindplan now features an integrated function for requesting a 21 day evaluation licence key.

The remaining duration of validity is displayed to you when you start MindPlan. You can also look it up in the license manager (Help/License manager).

In case no license key is deposited, MindPlan operates in the free of charge read-only mode, 'MindPlan View'.


Distributing MindPlan to multiple workstations
Here are different scenarios for distributing MindPlan to the workstations of your employees:

1. application without installation
There is a version of the MindPlan application which does not have to be installed on the user workstation. For example, you can install it on a shared network drive and link start menu entries directly to it. As soon as the application on the network drive is updated, the newest version is also available for your employees. The standalone version of MindPlan is available in the download section under 'version without installation'.

2. using a software distribution system
The installation of MindPlan can be automated, i.e. performed in the background and without any user input. Concerning the integration of Mindplan into your software distribution system, please contact us directly. We will provide you with the necessary settings and parameters. 

3. distribution of license keys
We deliver license keys for your employees to you as MPKey files. These files can be installed directly on the workstation for the local MindPlan application (just double click the file). Alternatively, you can store the MPKey file centrally in the MindPlan configuration database on your Domino server. When your employees access this database using MindPlan, the license keys will automatically be imported by their local installation. Use the function 'Import license key' in the 'License keys' tab of the configuration database. If necessary, press F9 after the import to make the license key visible in the key view.