As a theatre-maker/ writer, just wanted to weigh in and say i can't WAIT to have link line labels as a feature in Novamind. I find it interesting that this feature-request I have seen associated with another request which is for customised templates. Maybe I can explain...
Though many of the new features of Novamind 5 are very cool (Presenter is interesting, and being able to add attachments/links is a godsend) the core functionality of Novamind is still not automated and fast enough for what I think is possible. I would use Novamind to intuitively punch out ideas in the way they appear in my head in that moment, with the opportunity of editing and restructuring later. The whole point for me is helping me make sense of my thoughts as I am getting them out, structurally and visually.
I need labels on link lines because I use them to show the relationship between ideas, and need to be able label this explicitly, and quickly within the structure. Though I know I can visually display a label next to a link line, this doesn't help when I need to quickly move a topic of link line to another place, and is not as intuitive for me as I create the map. It does not give me confidence that important notes or concepts associated with link lines won't go 'missing' because they are not properly implemented. They would also not be able to be exported correctly into other platforms, a feature of Novamind which I hope to exploit.
As for more useful templates - the Design features of Novamind are clever, but because they have to be applied manually, rather than automatically based on pre-determined styles and a heirarchy, they are not useful to me day-to-day (it also seems to difficult to clear all applied colours/shapes back to a default style, should you make a mess of things). I don't want have to think about design when I am in the throws of mind-mapping, yet it is crucial to have that information automatically falling into a visual heirarchy and neat layout that is immediately understandable. I would also appreciate being able to quickly shuffle them around and have them take on the requisite style in the heirarchy without having to switch into design-brain to help them make visual sense. I don't think colours currently work in Novamind in a definable heirarchical way.
I would love a template that be default works heirarchically (though custom or manual styles can be applied over the top, as in an Indesign document) - to have Topics appear in different shapes/ colours depending on how many nodes 'deep' you are, and be able to specify the length that topics wrap automatically - I'd never need another template!)
But well done so far, and I hope to be able to use your product once these features are available. I am really interested in your product. I would love to be able to use it in my art-making and educating.
