While searching for a solution to a problem with XMind, I came across this forum post mentioning VUE. I haven’t spent very much time with VUE, but it appears to be a very robust and full featured mind mapping tool. It is completely free and open source. I wonder how many more of these great programs are out there just waiting to be discovered.
VUE appears to take a middle ground between the flexibility of a drawing tool and the core functionality of mind mapping tool. There are definitely situations where beautiful shapes and connectors are less important than node or text placement or the ability to set the size of a node. VUE could be an advantage here. VUE also has a presentation mode which looks interesting and is not available in the free version of XMind.
Freeware Genius has a full-featured write-up explaining VUE in detail. Example VUE mind maps are also at the home page gallery.
Problems With Rapid Node Creation Mode
The same key and mouse combination (ALT + Mouse) that plagues Gnome Linux users on XMind also happens with VUE. Changing the mapping for ALT + Mouse fixes the issue. See the VUE guide for more information on rapid node creation. It is a little unique, but after playing with it I liked it.
Running VUE on Fedora
VUE is not packaged for Fedora. To run and install on Fedora:
1) Register for an account–annoying compared to 99% of the other open source projects out there, but in this case it’s worth it. There are some files on sourceforge, but they appear to be older versions.
2) Download the “Linux / Generic JAR-only version (no installer included)”
3) Unpack the zip file to a directory
$ unzip -d ~/vue-3.0 VUE_3_0.zip
4) Run it
$ java -jar ~/vue-3.0/VUE.jar
April 17, 2013 at 4:29 am
I used freemind and then freeplane for years. Both these program excite those new to it with the simplicity of operation. I am not sure that VUE is that easy to use but it seems a whole new ballgame with considerable capacity.
Just downloaded it and am studying rtound it to see how it could meet my functional requirements in the education space. That exercise helps me to perceive as I work with ideas I can conceive. However, its a slow way of approaching the task.
Great work from what I can see.
samar
February 20, 2012 at 6:19 am
I am using Freeplane . I used to use Freemind, then I discovered Freeplane and have stuck to it.
It’s free and it does what I need it to do, and it’s very easy to use.
I tried Vue too, a few years ago, but I did not like its feel. I am not saying it is a bad product, but Freeplane seems simpler to use, and more natural and efficient in its behaviour, like when adding nodes , you can use and from the keyboard, and not having to switch between mouse and keyboard, which decreases productivity. Also Freeplane is much smaller in size than VUE. Like you said in one of your posting , Freeplane seems to be designed with a normal end user point of view , rather than to meet an engineer’s need.
are you going to review other mind mapping software ?
cheers.
p.s Please note I am not attaching my email address, because I don’t want spam. I am not saying that you will spam me, but I have had bad experiences from previous comment I have made on other people’s sites.