Collapse Branch using Outline

OmniGraffle
1

Is it possible to collapse a branch when using the outliner in OmniGraffle? I’m using it for a mind map and would be good to collapse branches when focusing on other areas of the map. Thanks…

2

Grant

  1. What, exactly, is …
    - the outliner in OmniGraffle

  2. Have you tried using the Menu/Arrange/Subgraph (hate the name) facility, then Expand/Collapse ?

  3. I do use OG quite a lot for this sort of thing, and some of my diagrams are quite intense:

  • collapse branches when focusing on other areas of the map

But I use a Method from a Standard that is unrelated. The limitations are:

  • the diagram is multiple Canvases
  • Each Canvas is a different SubjectArea (what you call focus), wherein branches that are not relevant to the SubjectArea are collapsed
  • Excellent for Presentation mode, not drawing mode.

If you have the interest, say so, I will make a movie.

Cheers

3

thanks so much for the response and all of the information.

  1. Sorry should have said Outline in the side bar for toping in topics, sub-topics for different branches in a mind map
  2. No I haven’t tried it (didn’t even know that it was a thing). Just gave it a go but may need to explore it more to get a handle on it. Yes, subgraph is definitely not the best name for this.

I would definitely love it if yo have time to do a video on how you go about it! Thanks for the kind offer!

4

A Preamble

Not suitable for OG beginners

Rather than making a movie, I will use one of my diagrams that is in the public domain, hope you don’t mind. The con is that it is more intense than I planned for only demonstrating the need here.

It is important to understand the principles here, less so the rules (which govern eg. my diagram vs different rules for your diagram). And even less so the rendition, exactly what the symbol you choose to use for yourself, I will give a few symbols, but that is relevant to my diagram, probably best if you copy my method but make up your own symbol (GroupedShape).

B My Diagram

Look for the structure, and the thing we are dealing with (Expand/Collapse a Branch). It is a Data Model, a pure Logic Map (as distinct from your Mind Map), it has strict rules, which do not apply to you, eg. no duplication. The solid lines are a pure Tree (Directed Acyclic Graph). You can safely ignore dashed lines.

Don’t get too caught up in the content.

C Example Diagram

C.1 Expand/Collapse w Simple Symbol (NOT Branch)

Demonstrates the principle of breaking a large diagram on A1 size, into smaller SubjectAreas, such that it can be printed on A3, and bound.

  1. Data Model viewed from 10,000 metres viewed from 10,000 metres, on A2. Shows labels (not the symbol!) and relations only, just to know that such exists.
  2. Data Model all detail, on a single A1 page. Again, just to know that such exists. A developer would print this on vinyl in A0, and hang it on the wall.
  3. Data Model in A3 Booklet, intended for users of the database.
  • (3.1) It is [2], broken up into SubjectAreas, pages 3 to 9
    • each SubjectArea page uses the collapsed symbol when it needs to be known but not in detail (when showing any thing, it must be shown with all its relations, starting from the top of an Hierarchy.)
  • (3.2) but that really needs an index in front, so I give you:
    • contextual Index on page 1, which is [1] above reduced … this does not use the symbol
    • Textual Index on page 2, which is [1] above shown as
    • (a) an Hierarchy, a pure Tree (DAG, no dashed lines), showing use of the collapsed symbol only
    • (b) plus Alphabetical order on the right
  • The A3 doc is self-contained and fully cross-linked: clicking any Shape [that is not-detail] will take you to its detailed article, in the proper context (SubjectArea where it is “home”).

Repeating, this is for understanding only, re the principle and method for handling a large diagram, by dividing it into SubjectAreas, using a simple collapsed symbol.

C.2 Expand/Collapse w Collapsed Branch Symbol

Now that you understand the principle, we can delve into different ways of depicting the collapsed branch, expanding it, etc. I will use a somewhat less intense diagram. Again, study the structure, and ignore the content.

  1. Data Model in PDF
    Final product, works better in Presentation mode, using the PDF
  2. Data Model source in OG 6
    So that you can examine an actual construction that was used to create the PDF.

Method

On the full detail page (page 1 in this example)

  1. Select the elements in the branch that you wish to collapse
  2. Copy as PDF
  3. Duplicate the full detail page to a SubjectArea page

Now on the SubjectArea page

  1. Paste
    Place it in a blank area, so that you can work it
  2. Double-click
    This will take you to a Link-Back doc, the Copy-as-PDF
  3. Edit as desired: add rectangle; etc
  4. Group the entire diagram
  5. Miniaturise it
    Grab the right-bottom handle, shift-drag towards top-left, to the desired size (easier in OG 7)
  6. Save & Close

It will return to the SubjectArea page

  1. Connect lines to the CollapsedBranch if necessary
  2. Delete the detail branch (original shapes that are now collapsed).

Option • Shadow

  • Select the branch (single PDF object) & add a Shadow

Option • ExpandBranch

  • Select the branch, add an Action to switch to the the full detail page, or a new page that shows only the branch
  • Set by Properties/Action/JumpsElsewhere/<Canvas>.

Enjoy

5

Ah, the Contents panel in the sidebar. Unfortunately, no.

I completely agree that that is intuitively the best place to make such changes, from the HierarchicView. An Expand/Collapse button (an additional triangle that flips, or RightClick menu item) would be great.

I asked for something similar in OG v4/v5. But it turns out the development team do not recognise the power available in the Contents/HierarchicView, there is so much that can be done. They have improved the Contents a tiny bit over the decades, but nothing in the order that you and I are contemplating, (They have a flattened leaf-level perspective of the universe, which limits everything.)

Cheers

6

Thank you for taking the time for such detailed replies. Yes, it would be an excellent feature to hide branches from the sidebar. Great workarounds that you have created there! Probably a bit too involved for me and I’ll keep using Omnigraffle but resort back to Simplemind for easier mind mapping. Appreciate you help!

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