MindManager add-ins Update

Whilst we are doing our best and are in contact with Mindjet®, unfortunately, we have not been able to get TPAssist 2007 or TPAssist Capture working correctly with the latest and previous versions of MindManager® (aka Mindjet® for Windows v11 or MindManager® v14). The add-ins still integrates fully with MindManager® v6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

TPAssist Licensing Changes

We have changed the licensing options for TPAssist 2007.  We now only offer the Perpetual Product License.  This license entitles you to download and use patches and minor updates (i.e. Version 1.1, Version 1.2 etc).  We are no longer offering subscription based licensing.  We have also reduced our product pricing.  You can see the new details on our Store page.


Existing subscription license will continue to enable the product.  When these subscriptions expire, you will need to purchase a Perpetual Product License.

Known Issues - TPAssist 2007 v1.8.7 installer with Mindjet for Windows (v11.1.353)

There is an issue with the installer with Mindjet for Windows (v11.1.353).  After installing TPAssist and launching Mindjet for Windows, you will get an error suggesting the Add-in can't be loaded.  The same error occurs if in MindManager, you go to the File Menu, choose Options, then select the Add-Ins tab, and then check “TPAssist Add-in for Mindjet for Windows”, click Ok.

We are working to try and isolate the cause of the issue.

For now, the best advise we can give is to down grade your version of MindManager (i.e. version 10) and re-install TPAssist add-ins.

Known Issues - TPAssist 2007 v1.8.7 installer with Mindjet for Windows (v11.0.272)

There is a known issue with the installer for TPAssist 2007 v1.8.7 when using Mindjet for Windows (v11.0.272).


There is an issue with the installer when you choose to enable Excel and MS Project, but not Outlook.  After installing TPAssist and launching Mindjet for Windows, you will get an error suggesting the Add-in can't be loaded.

The workaround:
The fix (for now), is to uninstall TPAssist 2007 and then re-install TPAssist 2007, and enable the "Outlook" option.

After re-installing, you’ll need to re-enable the adding in MindManager.  To do this, in MindManager, go to the File Menu, choose Options, then select the Add-Ins tab, and then check “TPAssist Add-in for Mindjet for Windows”, click Ok.

Note: If you don’t have Outlook installed, you will receive an error if you try to use any of the Outlook integration.  But at least you will have access to the other pieces of functionality.  

We are working a few minor features updates and we will fix the installer with the next update.

TPAssist 2007 version 1.8.6 - Release Notes

TPAssist 2007 for Mindjet® MindManager® has been updated.

Version 1.8.6 is a maintenance update.

Improvements:

• Task start/due date and duration handling adjusted for MindManager 2012
• Journal Dialog supports "Minutes" in duration (MindManager 2012 only)
• Task "Levelling" uses map calendar (for MindManager 2012 and MindManager 9)
• Outlook Integrated Linkage Module compiled for MindManager 2012 (10.0.445)
• Journal Tab adjusted to include "Active" button
• Send Map and Send Topic support "date"

Fixes:

• Journaling in multi-map now updates parent map's topic after child map (so correct priority/percent complete/flags are reflected).
• Task Summary correctly collecting "due date" as overdue not just today
• Auto-Journal no longer leaves "NOTES MACRO" tree in new maps
• Hours in day handled correctly.
• Auto-Clear Background will be skipped if font colour and background colo are the same.
• Topic Tree Template no longer processes Research and other control topics

Download the update via our download page.

What's New in TPAssist 2007 - Version 1.8

Version 1.8 of our addin for Mindjet® MindManager® contains a raft of new capabilities and improvements (Read the details here).

See the latest updates in action on Youtube.

These new capabilities include:

• Quick Links Map V2 (Group Headings, Linked Lists, Speed Keys and Tagging)
• Auto Follow (ability to interact with the target of a hyper linked topic)

We have optimised the following to make them more "GTD" like:

• Journal Tab
• Some of the Ribbon commands (Activate Task and Defer Task).

The dialog used by the following have been completely re-worked:

• Send Topic
• Link At
• Send Map
• TPAssistCapture (System Tray) and Outlook

The capture tools have been further optimsied with multi-select support and other cool features.

And finally, we added the ability to customised Excel export colours and added a new template for financial data.

Read about all the details via our help file.

TPAssist 2007 version 1.8.3 - Release Notes

TPAssist 2007 for Mindjet® MindManager® has been updated.


Version 1.8 is a major feature update.



Additional capabilities within version 1.8:

• Quick Links Map V2 (Group Headings, Linked Lists, Speed Keys and Tagging)
• Auto Follow (ability to interact with the target of a hyper linked topic)
• Journal TAB "GTDised"
• New Look Capture Dialogues
• Topic Ribbon Commands "GTDised"
• Capture tools optimized
• Excel Enhancements

See the help web site for further details.

Fixes:

• Minor fixes to Journalling in multi-maps
• Minor typos in dialog boxes
• Fixed Journal Reference - Central topic if missing
• Minor typos in Basket Processing dialog boxes

Download the update via our download page.

Known Issue - MindManager 8.2/9.0/9.1

We are seeing an issue with TPAssist 2007 and TPAssistCapture when used with MindManager 8.2, MindManager 9.0 / 9.1 on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.

It appears something changed in the add-in achitecture when Mindjet adjusted MindManager to take advantage of new capabilities in Microsoft Windows 7.

Whilst we are working with Mindjet to understand and resolve the issue, unfortunately at present we are unable to support users wishing to use TPAssist products with MindManager 8.2 or MindManager 9 on Windows XP or Vista (32bit and 64bit). To avoid any issues, you could stay with MindManager 8.1, MindManager 7.2 or MindManager 6.2.

FYI - the issue seen is:

1. Ghost Ribbon commands - see this blog post.

(Updated 2/Mar/2011 - the issue is now being seen in Windows 7 too).

Known Issue - 8.2/9.0/9.1 - "Ghost" Ribbon command issue

For your information - there is a known issue in MindManager 9.0.240, 9.1.157 and 8.2.319, whereby intermittently ribbon and quick-link commands fail to function.

This appears in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.

The button will still be there and will appear to click when you hit it with your mouse, but nothing happens. This issue applies across the board to all add-in, i.e. this includes Mindjet extensions (like Remove Filters, Task Management and Export) as well as 3rd party add-ins (like TPAssist 2007). Mindjet acknowledge the issue but can't offer a solution at this stage.

In the meantime, if you click a button in the Ribbon and nothing happens, see if closing and re-opening MindManager resolves the issues. Alternatively you can find all our commands listed in the "Customize Quick Access Toolbar", so as a work-around you could add the missing command to the Quick Access toolbar.

(Updated 2/Mar/2011 - seeing issue now in Windows 7 and 9.1, plus Mindjet acknowledge they can re-create the issue for the "Remove Filters" button by simply having an add-on or Mindjet code display a dialog box or something before all Ribbon commands have finished building)

TPAssist 2007: Known Issue - MindManager 8.1 & Outlook Integrated Linkage Module

Mindjet has recently updated MindManager version 8, with service pack 1 (i.e. MindManager 8.1.920)

What does this mean for TPAssist users? For users of TPAssist 2007:

If you are using MindManager 6 or 7, there is no issue.

If you are using MindManager 8, you should consider the following before updating your copy of MindManager.

• If you are NOT using the Outlook Integrated Linkage Module, there is no issue, you can upgrade to service pack 1 immediately.
• If you are using the Outlook Integrated Linkage Module (OLIM) you must wait for the next update for TPAssist 2007. This is because TPAssist 2007 is compiled against specific versions of MindManager.

Finally, there is no impact on any of our TPAssistCapture components with relation to MindManager 8.1.

TPAssist 2007 version 1.6.7 - Release Notes

TPAssist 2007 for Mindjet® MindManager® has been updated. Version 1.6.7 is a maintenance update.

Tips for applying this update:

• If using Microsoft VISTA Service 1 or 2, please use the Control Panel to uninstall TPAssist 2007 before applying this update (if using the Outlook Integrated Linkage Module, please uninstall all occurrences of TPAssist 2007 listed in the Control Panel).
• In all cases, MindManager and Outlook should be closed before uninstalling and installing updates.
• Download and install the update.

Additional capabilities within version 1.6.7:

• Options dialog now support the capability to "override" Outlook protection when in Mindjet Connect maps, the dialog also supports the capability to switch off OILM integration (performance increase); and ability to inherit Central Topic for %r macro if the Journal Reference is omitted in the topic tree.

Fixes:

• Multi-map Tree Update now using specific map's Tree Update properties.
• Link At now copying Financial Capabilities correctly.
• Send Topic command no longer has option to "delete topic" if used on a central topic.
• Link At and Add to Quicklinks commands now disabled in unsaved maps.
• Typo in Options dialog.
• Journal Tab and Tree Update not calculating "%y" macros in Status Callouts.
• %y0 and %y1 Macros incorrectly counting current topic in count (not just subtopics).
• Create auto-command now works in Floating Topics.

TPAssist 2007 version 1.6 - What's New

TPAssist 2007 for Mindjet® MindManager®, version 1.6 - What's New?

The "Capture/Store/Process" capabilities have been incorporated, effectively replacing the need for the MindManager add- in component of TPAssistCapture.

Optimisation of the MindManager 7 & 8 Ribbon: Help, Options and Save All have been moved to a new group, "Tools", making the "Topic" group first (NOTE: The Licensing and Check For Update commands are now part of "Options" on the Tools Tab)

Help has been moved to the Cloud (reducing install foot-print and also providing access to richer resources).

"GTD Alignment" phase 1:

• Added "Link At" capability to Capture/Store/Process;
• Improved functionality of Send Topic;
• Introduced the concept of "Sent Topic and Link At" in the same single operation;
• Better/Automated integration with Outlook (when sending topics and creating) (Outlook Integration can be "turned off" at topic level);
• Introduced concept of "Auto-Journal" to Capture/Store/Process

Streamlined installation process: The Outlook Integrated Linkage Module (ILM) component is now a separate install, reducing the need to check for Office configuration during the core add-in install and overhead for those not using ILM.

For other Fixes and minor enhancements, see our product history.

Feature Summary - TPAssist 2007 Capture, Store, Process

TPAssist includes the ability to move content around your various linked project and dashboard maps quickly and easily. This capability is defined under the heading of "Capture / Store / Process" and has the following components:

• Capture Tools (System Tray Icon, Outlook Capture, Send Topic, Link At and Send Map)
• Basket Processor (MindManager add-in)
• Auto-Journal
• Quick Links map
• Temporary Storage of TEXT capture files

These components work together as a team to help you instantly capture, store and process your ideas, tasks, notes and next actions.

Capture Tools (System Tray Icon, Outlook Capture, Send Topic, Link At and Send Map)

TPAssist supports a number of methods for capturing:

1. Firstly ideas, tasks, notes and next actions can be captured via the System Tray Capture (STC) tool (This tool is external to MindManager and installed separately, see TPAssistCapture for Mindjet® MindManager®).
   
2. Secondly, Microsoft Outlook emails and other items can be delivered to your map for processing via the Outlook Capture tool (This tool is external to MindManager and installed separately, see TPAssistCapture for Microsoft® Outlook®)
   
3. Thirdly, you can send topic trees to the capture basket via the Send Topic command (with-in MindManager).
   
4. Also, you can use the capability to automate the process of creating linked topics on dashboards and summary maps via the Link At command (with-in MindManager).
   
5. And finally, the entire mind maps can be sent to the capture basket via the Send Map command (with-in MindManager).

Basket Processor (MindManager add-in)

Basket Processing is performed within MindManager. To process outstanding items, simply open MindManager, then click the TPAssist Process command. TPAssist will now open each captured item, find the associated Quick Link, follow the hyperlink and insert the captured item as a new subtopic at the resulting location.


Auto-Journal

Auto-Journal is a facility provided by TPAssist to help you journal your captured items. The concept being that when you "capture" something you want the fact that it was captured "journalled" when it "lands". This is useful if you capture an action and want it automatically included in a task map with a starting date of when the action was captured. An "Auto-Journal" is effectively a MindManager Callout topic appropriately formatted. When TPAssist comes across this formatted Callout, it will use the TPAssist Options to determine if it is processed just as if you had use the "Journal" tab to enter the topic details.


Quick Links map

The Quick Links map is a MindManager map (compatible with version 6, 7 and 8). Unless otherwise instructed TPAssist, will create and maintain this map in your "My Documents" folder. The map will be saved as "MyTPAssistCaptureQuickLinks.mmap"

Quick Links are "instructions" that specify two things: Firstly, the Quick Link name or topic title is the Category or Tag that is used to organize your notes during the capture process. Secondly, associated with each Quick Links is a Hyper Link to another mind map and topic. It is these hyper linked topics which will "receive" your notes as new subtopics during Basket Processing.


Temporary Storage of TEXT capture files


TPAssist's Capture / Store / Process facility uses TEXT files to store captured items. These captures are stored locally in a sub folder of your "My Documents" folder. You can configure where TPAssistCapture stores these files.

How I use MindManager for Getting Things Done (GTD)

UPDATE: 3rd June 2009: Version 2 of my implementation is now in the blog. Read about it here...

-------------------------

Having been asked on several occasions to explain how I use Mindjet MindManager to implement the Getting Things Done (GTD) approach developed by David Allen (www.davidco.com), I decide to provide a summary of I do it for all to see. Please feel free to share your experience and give me feedback. Whilst still learning, the one thing I am clear about regarding GTD, is that it is an evolutionary process of continuous improvement.

So here it is...

I have an extensive implementation of TPAssist's “My Life” template and also the TPAssist role based Dashboard, resulting in near on 150 linked maps, some of which are whole projects and some of which contain lots of mini-projects.

My GTD runway “road map” or as I am calling it, my “Ultimate Dashboard” mirror’s GTD’s “Organizing Categories” (see/download template here). This is now my default map when MindManager opens. I have linked the Outcomes section to separate maps for a cleaner picture. I have linked my “My Life” and workplace dashboard to the “Areas of Focus”.

Adding in projects and actions is presently achieved using two methods. Firstly I am instantly capturing, storing and then "sending" new items to the Dashboard by using TPAssistCapture. These capture items are sent to my roadmap "IN-TRAY" for further clarification, sent directly to the ACTION category or even directly into a project map (if it isn't the next action or is more an idea). Secondly I am manually maintaining the Projects List and Actions list.

Maintaining context of my projects and next actions is achieved by dropping into the focus area map, locating the project or next action and then using the Topic-Right-Click “Copy as Hyperlink” MindManager capability to extract the linked topic. I then insert this hyperlinked topic into the project list or in the case of each project’s next action, in the appropriate category of the Ultimate Dashboard. In this way I can just follow the hyperlink back to the My Life or Dashboard map to process the action, using TPAssist’s existing journaling capabilities to record my progress and success.

As I complete actions, I drop in the next action and then I just delete the completed topic listing from the Ultimate Dashboard. With completed projects I just delete them from the Projects list, knowing that my monthly reviews of Areas of Focus will show up anything that is new.

In addition, I am using TPAssist 2007's Outlook Integration to keep some of the next actions synchronised with Outlook and therefore my mobile device.

There are some aspects that are for now a little cumbersome, however I feel "spinning the wheels" myself, at least for now, gives me a great idea of what needs to be automated in the next update to TPAssist 2007.


GTD and Getting Things Done are registered trademarks of David Allen & Co..

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TPAssist Feature Summary - Multi-Map Publish to Microsoft® Excel® and Microsoft® Project

• Microsoft® Excel® Publish - TPAssist 2007 facilitates effective publishing of your task and project maps through a series of pre- formatted Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheets.


• Microsoft® Project Export - TPAssist 2007 Microsoft Project publishing capability allows you to publish work and cost information as well as roll-up or summarise project maps via a single Gantt chart.


• Consolidate and Publish multi-maps - TPAssist 2007's publish to Microsoft® Excel® and Microsoft Project capability are multi-map enabled, allowing you to managing complex projects over multiple maps and produce consolidate Work breakdowns, project schedules and other reports.


• Analyse project plans via Microsoft® Excel® - TPAssist 2007's publish to Microsoft® Excel® capability also provides "pivot source" worksheets, which are flat exports of map topics specifically formatted to facilitate pivot tables, charting and other manipulation to help you analysis and present task and project details.

TPAssist Feature Summary - Task Automation

• Automate Task dates - TPAssist 2007 can be used to automatically create and maintain start and due dates for map topics.


• Link groups of related topics - Known as "Levelling", TPAssist 2007's date automation capability also recognises topic relationship. Relationship can be used to adjust the start and/or end dates of dependant topic tasks.


• Have complete control - TPAssist 2007's Task Automation is enabled at topic level so it can be controlled for an entire map or separately for individual topics and/or topic trees. Further more, topics with-in a group can be individually included or excluded from the group's Task Automation giving you complete control over your task and/or project maps.


• Roll-up across multi-maps - TPAssist 2007's Task Automation works in parallel to the Roll-up capability, such that topic task date details will be automatically copied up the tree and also to linked parent maps.


• Standard tools - TPAssist 2007 supports the typical methods for aligning tasks and groups of tasks (i.e. Finish-to-Start (FS), Start-to-Start (SS), Finish-to-Finish (FF) and Start-To-Finish (SF)). These modifiers can be applied to relationships and to the topic trees allowing you to create and manage even the most complex set of activity or projects.

TPAssist 2007 version 1.5 - What's New

TPAssist 2007 for Mindjet® MindManager® version 1.5 includes many new features and improvements. These include:

• Financial Capabilities that allow you to manage effort and costs with-in your maps.

• The ability to export map project and task information to Microsoft Excel in a format suitable for generating pivot tables and charts.

• A Microsoft Project export capability that is Multimap enabled, supports effort and fixed cost and will perform roll-up of task information to produce overview or summary project Gantt charts.

• A growing list of features and capabilities that enhance your Mindjet Connect experience. These including the Attachment Cache, My Tasks, Multimap export to Excel and the new Multimap enabled Microsoft Project export.

• Several productivity enhancement, including "My Tasks", export To-Dos, customisable "Topic Status", Update Outlook Integration, Multi-select Journaling, Multi-select Topic properties, enhanced resource handling, file shortcut support, customisable HTML Viewer page and topic tree template creator.

• The ability to track and compare original target date verses actual completion.

• A set of new MindManager 7 Ribbon short-cut commands and finally a number of "under the bonnet" performance enhancements and fixes.

Download TPAssist 2007 for Mindjet® MindManager® v7.2 / 6.2 today! (download for MindManager v7.1)

TPAssist User Success - Project Teams - Online Collaboration

Enhance your online Mindjet Connect collaboration experience...

• Track changes across shared maps - TPAssist automatically journals changes made to task details, including dates, priority, flags, percentage complete, text markers as well as resource assignment so you have a history, or audit trail, of where and when changes were made to the plan.
  


• "My Tasks" Resource Filtering in Tree Summarisation - The TPAssist 2007 task tree summary capability has a "Resource Filter" which can be used to manage tasks assigned to one or more individuals.

• Enable Workflow - Use MindManager and TPAssist to construct workflow tasks, set durations/effort and assign ownership. Also linking them we relationships and automated the dates. As you progress your workflow, using TPAssist, you can visually track steps taken and yet to be taken. In addition, because your actions are tracked with-in the map, you have an instant audit trail of your workflow progress.

• Manage Financial Information - Financial values captured via TPAssist will be rolled-up the map to provide the visually means to track estimates and actual details across groups of tasks, maps and Multimaps.

• Use Team Dashboards - TPAssist 2007's Tree Update and Task Summary also work with Multimaps. Dashboards can be built very easily by linking topics to sub-maps and then running TPAssist 2007 Tree Update in Multimap mode.

• Consolidate and Publish multi-maps - TPAssist 2007's publish to Microsoft® Excel® and Microsoft Project® capabilities are multi-map enabled, allowing you to managing complex projects over multiple maps and produce consolidate Work breakdowns, project schedules and other reports.

TPAssist User Success - Project Office Management

Enable Project Offices through...

• Establish Red-Amber-Green (RAG) Dashboards - Red-Amber-Green reports form a very important part of management reporting.

• Build Custom Dashboards - Managers can create Dashboard maps of project and then use TPAssist 2007 to traverse the linked maps, populating the Dashboard map with dates, priorities, flags, percentage complete and status text.

• Track Costs - TPAssist uses custom properties to capture financial estimates and actual values. This values will be rolled-up the map to provide the visually means to track any number of financial aspects associated with task, stage/phase, project and portfolio. TPAssist 2007's publish to Microsoft® Excel® capability also provides "pivot source" worksheets, which are flat exports of map topics specifically formatted to facilitate pivot tables, charting and other manipulation to help you analysis and present project details.

• Publish to MS Excel - Dashboards can be export to Microsoft Excel where it can be distributed for non Mindjet users.

• Publish to MS Project - TPAssist's Microsoft Publishing capability is Multimap enabled and provides a task roll-up function. These tools can be used to produced summarised project time-lines and portfolio overviews.