Inspiration: Part 2 – More features
Duration: 6 mins 40 secs
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About this item
| Description: | Inspiration is a mind mapping tool that supports a range of visual learning methodologies. This is Part II of a series. |
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| Created: | 2012-07-13 12:18 |
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| Collection: | UCS Documentation |
| Publisher: | University of Cambridge |
| Copyright: | B. Baggs |
| Language: | eng (English) |
Transcript
Transcript:
Inspiration Part 2 – More features
Inspiration is a mind mapping tool that supports a range of visual learning methodologies. The software will help plan, research and create projects and documents. A finished project or document can be exported into Microsoft Word, iWork Pages or Open Office. It can also be transformed into a PowerPoint presentation, using Inspiration’s Presentation Manager. Whether you use Inspiration on a Macintosh or a PC the interface is identical and easy to use.
In Part 1 Getting Started a basic mind map was created. This screencast takes a closer look at formatting a mind map, keeping track of additional information such as web pages and documents and viewing the map in an alternative way.
In this example, the diagram looks cluttered and it’s hard to distinguish the relationships between symbols. Colour is a useful way to visually identify relationships.
To change the colour of one symbol, select it, then choose a colour from the colour palette located on the formatting toolbar at the bottom of the Inspiration screen. To select multiple symbols click and drag with the right mouse button across these symbols then use the colour palette to change the colour in one step.
Another way to visually represent ideas is to use images as well as text. Inspiration has an in-built library of images to select from. First select a symbol then, in the Symbols palette on the left hand side of the screen, click on the drop down menu to browse for an appropriate image, making sure that the Libraries tab is selected. Notice that the images change in the symbols palette depending upon what topic you hover over. When you select an image it will replace the current symbol but the text will still appear underneath the image. If you can’t immediately see the image you require you can use the search facility to help find it.
As you are entering your ideas and thoughts you may find you have additional information, or resources, that you want to keep track of. Inspiration allows you to attach a note to a symbol as a way of grouping together external information. To add a note, first select the symbol where the note is to be attached, click on the Note icon in the main toolbar. You will see a small text box open up where you can now type additional information. You’ll see a small icon next to the image or symbol where you have added a note. This icon is a toggle switch to hide or display the note.
You may also have links to web pages, research notes or documents that you also want to be able to access. You can copy and paste web addresses into you notes sections or Inspiration has a hyperlink feature that will make the text of the symbol a hyperlink to the web page or document.
Now you can see that from the initial objective of writing about a specific topic we have, in effect, broken the task down into manageable sections. First, we quickly captured the ideas and information relating to the topic, then we created structure and order out of those ideas and finally we have added additional information that we can view again at a later stage.
From the Diagram view you can easily switch to the Outline view. The Outline tool on the main toolbar can transfer the diagram into a structured hierarchical outline view.
The symbols now appear as topic and sub-topic headings and each item has been automatically numbered, hyperlinks are shown as underlined links and while the notes text is visible, it can be hidden if necessary by clicking on the toggle button.
You can add a new idea by clicking on an item within the list and use the topic and subtopic creation buttons from the main toolbar. Using the sub-topic button will create a new item one level below the currently selected item, while the topic button will create a new item on the same level as the currently selected item.
So, if it’s a new topic you require click on an existing topic and click the topic button. Inspiration will add the new topic and re-number the list. If it’s a new sub-topic you want click on the topic that you want to associate it with and Inspiration will add the new subtopic.
You can click and drag on topics and subtopics to reorder your outline. To promote or demote your topic and subtopic headings you can use the left and right arrows on the toolbar. Clicking on the right arrow demotes the item and clicking on the left arrow promotes the item.
Any changes you make to the Outline view will be reflected in the Diagram view.
This is the end of Part 2. In part 3 we will look at inspirations built in word guide, the presentation manager and how to export your project into a word processor.
Inspiration is a mind mapping tool that supports a range of visual learning methodologies. The software will help plan, research and create projects and documents. A finished project or document can be exported into Microsoft Word, iWork Pages or Open Office. It can also be transformed into a PowerPoint presentation, using Inspiration’s Presentation Manager. Whether you use Inspiration on a Macintosh or a PC the interface is identical and easy to use.
In Part 1 Getting Started a basic mind map was created. This screencast takes a closer look at formatting a mind map, keeping track of additional information such as web pages and documents and viewing the map in an alternative way.
In this example, the diagram looks cluttered and it’s hard to distinguish the relationships between symbols. Colour is a useful way to visually identify relationships.
To change the colour of one symbol, select it, then choose a colour from the colour palette located on the formatting toolbar at the bottom of the Inspiration screen. To select multiple symbols click and drag with the right mouse button across these symbols then use the colour palette to change the colour in one step.
Another way to visually represent ideas is to use images as well as text. Inspiration has an in-built library of images to select from. First select a symbol then, in the Symbols palette on the left hand side of the screen, click on the drop down menu to browse for an appropriate image, making sure that the Libraries tab is selected. Notice that the images change in the symbols palette depending upon what topic you hover over. When you select an image it will replace the current symbol but the text will still appear underneath the image. If you can’t immediately see the image you require you can use the search facility to help find it.
As you are entering your ideas and thoughts you may find you have additional information, or resources, that you want to keep track of. Inspiration allows you to attach a note to a symbol as a way of grouping together external information. To add a note, first select the symbol where the note is to be attached, click on the Note icon in the main toolbar. You will see a small text box open up where you can now type additional information. You’ll see a small icon next to the image or symbol where you have added a note. This icon is a toggle switch to hide or display the note.
You may also have links to web pages, research notes or documents that you also want to be able to access. You can copy and paste web addresses into you notes sections or Inspiration has a hyperlink feature that will make the text of the symbol a hyperlink to the web page or document.
Now you can see that from the initial objective of writing about a specific topic we have, in effect, broken the task down into manageable sections. First, we quickly captured the ideas and information relating to the topic, then we created structure and order out of those ideas and finally we have added additional information that we can view again at a later stage.
From the Diagram view you can easily switch to the Outline view. The Outline tool on the main toolbar can transfer the diagram into a structured hierarchical outline view.
The symbols now appear as topic and sub-topic headings and each item has been automatically numbered, hyperlinks are shown as underlined links and while the notes text is visible, it can be hidden if necessary by clicking on the toggle button.
You can add a new idea by clicking on an item within the list and use the topic and subtopic creation buttons from the main toolbar. Using the sub-topic button will create a new item one level below the currently selected item, while the topic button will create a new item on the same level as the currently selected item.
So, if it’s a new topic you require click on an existing topic and click the topic button. Inspiration will add the new topic and re-number the list. If it’s a new sub-topic you want click on the topic that you want to associate it with and Inspiration will add the new subtopic.
You can click and drag on topics and subtopics to reorder your outline. To promote or demote your topic and subtopic headings you can use the left and right arrows on the toolbar. Clicking on the right arrow demotes the item and clicking on the left arrow promotes the item.
Any changes you make to the Outline view will be reflected in the Diagram view.
This is the end of Part 2. In part 3 we will look at inspirations built in word guide, the presentation manager and how to export your project into a word processor.