Text to mind map

There are several programs that allow you to produce a mind map, concept map or network from some structured text.

Click on the images to see full-sized versions.

Text2mindmap

Text2mindmap

Text2mindmap is probably the best known. It makes simple tree-based mind maps from text. The maps are very plain and the tree format is a limitation for serious work.

Mappio

Mappio

Also the mind maps libary, Mappio has that function. Again, this produces a tree-structure but provides much more opportunity for formatting and even allows images.

(It’s not obvious how to make a map from text with Mappio because the instructions are slightly out of date, saying there is a “Create new MindMap” link in various places, whereas now it’s a big orange Upload a MindMap button. And you can upload a map as a text file, indented to show the hierarchy, or put the indented text straight in the Comments section for a new map.)

Diagrammr

Diagrammr

Diagrammr can make concept maps or sequence diagrams from text. Diagrammr has some integration with Google – you can protect and re-find your diagrams by logging in with your Google account. There’s more about it from the author at this blog post.

WebSequenceDiagrams

WebSequenceDiagrams

WebSequenceDiagrams makes UML sequence diagrams from text. You can select from numerous styles – the example here is “Back of a Napkin” style.

NodeXL

NodeXL

If you have an Excel spreadsheet of data, NodeXL can make a graph from it. That’s a mathematical graph (nodes and edges – a network) not a statistical graph. This is an altogether more serious application but, like all the others, it’s free, and believe it or not it is from Microsoft.

Diagramic (seems to be non-functional)

Diagramic

Diagramic makes non-hierarchical and colorful bubble charts from text.

This has not been working for 3 months. It produces an error message when I pressed “Draw Diagram”. I let them know in November, 2011, but fear this may be a lost cause.