I can’t go into much detail because I am under a non-disclosure agreement with the developer, but I can give you a few high-level details about what will be included in this impressive program:

A new map layout engine: Other mind mapping applications tend to waste a lot of screen real estate as you add topics. For example, creating two adjacent topics and then populating one with numerous subtopics tends to push the other out of the way, leaving big areas of white space. NovaMind’s map layout engine has been completely rewritten in version 5 to maintain a compact map layout. Gideon walked me through several usage scenarios, and I must say, it was quite efficient, maintaining a clean map layout while preventing topic overlaps and eliminating much wasted space. If one topic threatens to intrude on another, the first topic moves out of the way just enough to accommodate it. This applies not only to topics and subtopics that are attached to the mind map, but also floating topics and callouts. Click here to view a video that Gideon recently posted to the NovaMind blog that shows this new layout engine in action.

Improved map layout system: Most mind mapping programs limit where you can place topics. Some enable you to drag and drop them within certain prescribed limits, while others are more rigid and don’t enable you to move topics around the workspace at all. In contrast, you can move topics wherever you want in NovaMind 5, and the program will honor where you place them. The new program will also include a tool that enables you to manipulate map layouts to easily convert them to right, left, up or down facing topics, as well as any angle in between, using a circular slider control (see image above for an example of an “angled” map created in NovaMind 5). What’s especially cool is that you can invoke this control not only on the central map topic, but any topic in your mind maps. So if you want to change the direction of one set of topics to something different than the overall map layout, you’ll be able to do that.

Topic images: NovaMind 5 will allow you to add up to 4 images per topic, and to control them in some very sophisticated ways, including scaling and stretching them at will.

Shapes – a new concept: NovaMind 5 enables you to add geometric shapes – such as rectangles and ovals, or images – to your map, and to have them behave either as free-floating objects or as topics themselves. This will enable you to add some unique visual enhancements to your maps.

New plug-in architecture: NovaMind 5 will include a new plug-in system that will enable users to extend its capabilities with third-party plug-ins. Gideon and his team are already working with several plug-in developers to create compatible apps that will extend its functionality in areas such as project management. I saw some of the plugins they had developed in-house, and the communication between the plugins and the application. Gideon said that one of the plugin developers they are working with previously developed a plugin for another Mind Mapping program, and said that developing for NovaMind was a breeze by comparison.

There’s much more that I saw in Gideon’s NovaMind 5 demonstration. But you’ll have to wait until next month for more details. The company hopes to roll out a beta version of NovaMind Express 5 for Windows version in October, with the Mac version to follow soon after. Pro and Platinum versions should follow a few weeks after that.

I appreciate the innovation and passion that Gideon and his team have poured into NovaMind during the last few years. The results are quite impressive, and continue to push the envelope as far as what’s possible with mind mapping software!

A special offer on NovaMind 5

If you purchase NovaMind now, you will receive a license key that will work for both NovaMind 4 and NovaMind 5. Click here to take advantage of this opportunity now.

Floating topics, attached shapes and callouts that provide a more visually rich mind mapping experience

More flexible topic lines, plus a new Bezier path editing mode that will give you precise control over their shape.

A redesigned themes and styles system that includes coordinated color palettes, making it easy for even color challenged users to create stunning mind maps.

A new layout engine that will give you more flexibility in placing map elements wherever you want them, as well as a full complement of automatic map layout settings. The developer says this will give you an experience much more akin to hand drawn mind maps, where you have complete freedom to draw anything anywhere on the page.

A new user interface with an improved Ribbon UI in the Windows version of NovaMind 5, and a redesigned Mac interface that is based upon the “inspector” paradigm.

A new plug-in architecture, which will make it possible for third-party developers to create new add-ins for NovaMind to extend its capabilities.

Gideon King, the founder and chief evangelist behind this innovative mind mapping program, promises to reveal much more in the weeks and months ahead. On the NovaMind 5 announcement page, he includes links to his Facebook page and Twitter account, so you can follow the latest announcements about this exciting new product there.

In the 3+ years I have been reporting on the world of mind mapping tools and software, NovaMind have consistently been the innovators – the ones to watch who tend to come up with the cool yet practical capabilities that no one has thought of yet. NovaMind 5 promises to deliver yet another leap in what’s possible. My only question is: Why do we have to wait so long for it?

“What’s wrong with the age-old standard project management packages like MS Project and Merlin? Well, they certainly do give you good tools to manage your projects, but they really have a strong tendency to get people focusing on the minute task levels of projects far too early in the inception phases of a project. This means that you can easily lose sight of the main objectives of the project, or get so stuck in the details that you forget some important tasks or objectives.

Often this information is gathered as large specification documents which are hard to navigate around and understand the requirements, but all of these areas can benefit from the use of Mind Mapping, and you can create Mind Maps to represent each knowledge area, and have branches for the details and hyperlinks to other documents and resources where required.”

The authort points out that mind maps make it much easier for team members to clearly see what the objectives are for the project, how they are going to be achieved, the tasks that are required to achieve the outcomes, as well as the resources that are required. They can also be used to track progress and manage the project to completion.

This excellent article is adapted from a video by Gideon King from NovaMind on the same topic. If your job involves any aspect of project management, then I highly recommend this informative overview and its companion video.