This page pertains to tips regarding the Cmap program.
- Hold down the “Shift” key while drawing lines/arrows to eliminate the text box between words.
- To draw brackets, simply type them in from the keyboard.
- To remove the blue background, choose “Select Concepts” from the edit menu (this will select all the text in your diagram). Then, open the “Styles Toolbox” from the format menu. Click on the object tab and change the color from blue to none.
- To remove the box outline around your text, choose “Select Concepts” from the edit menu (this will select all the text boxes in your diagram). Then, open the “Styles Toolbox” from the format menu. Click on the line tab and change the box color from black to none.
- To change from a line to arrow (or vice versa), open the “Styles Toolbox” from the format menu. Click on the line tab and change the arrowhead designation.
- To change from a straight line to a curved one, open the “Styles Toolbox” from the format menu. Click on the line tab and change the shape designation.
- To change from a solid line to a dashed line, open the “Styles Toolbox” from the format menu. Click on the line tab and change the style designation.
- To add arrows to your text (e.g., to designate increase or decrease), open the “Styles Toolbox” from the format menu. Click on the font tab and select the mathematical character set tab. Both Greek letters and arrows are available options.
- To make a grouping (designating a cluster of findings), draw two text boxes and connect them via a line. Then, highlight both nodes (hold down the Ctrl key and select both boxes), open the “Styles Toolbox” from the format menu and click on the line tab and change the box color from black to none; next, click on the object tab and change the background from blue to none; then, click on the font tab and change the text color from black to none; finally, draw a new text box and drag it onto the line.
- To enlarge your cmap, select “Print Preview” from the file menu. Select the page setup tab at the bottom and decrease the margins. Also, make sure that the orientation for your diagram is in portrait mode to facilitate insertion into MS Word and readability for others.
- To retrieve your cmap (to attach via e-mail or save to disk for further editing) choose the “My Documents” folder, then select the “My Cmaps” folder to locate your cmap file.
