Frequently Asked Questions

What is BrainMine Standard 2005, and what does it do?

BrainMine Standard 2005 is a Knowledge Mapping tool which allows you to capture information easily on screen and allows you to see the detail and the context of that information. BrainMine will allow you to brainstorm, plan reports, prepare presentations and reports, plan projects and much more.

Who can use BrainMine Standard 2005?

Anyone can use BrainMine Standard 2005. It is a versatile tool which can be used by business, Small and Medium Enterprises, schools, colleges and Universities.

What is Knowledge Mapping?

Knowledge Mapping is data capture and visualization. The technique used by BrainMine focuses on the use of both sides of the upper cortex of the brain thus allowing you to unleash your creativity by taking a 'whole' brain approach to solving problems, planning and preparing for projects.

What can I use Knowledge Maps for?

There are a multitude of uses for Knowledge Maps. Some of these are: brainstorming, project management, documentation, project planning, writing reports, research, minutes, managing information, preparing communications, decision analysis, managing yourself and others, and design.

What are the system requirements for BrainMine Standard 2005?

Simply run the product Setup.exe after download to automatically check your Operating System version and download the correct .NET version if it is missing.

It is recommended that you run Windows Update before installing BrainMine, and again afterwards if you had to install .NET. This will also help ensure your system is up-to-date, running optimally, error free and secure.

The following Operating Systems are supported:-

• Windows 2000
• Windows XP
• Windows Server 2003

Before you can run BrainMine on Operating Systems earlier than Windows 2003, you will need:-

• Internet Explorer 5.1 or later
• Microsoft .NET Framework v1.1 with latest Service Pack
  

The installation routine automatically detects missing components and prompts to download and install them. The "with .NET" download versions include the .NET Framework and install that automatically, without download (i.e. offline), when required.

How much is a BrainMine Standard 2005 License?

Visit the shop for up to date information on pricing.

Can I get a trial version of BrainMine Standard 2005?

Yes. Click here to download free trials.

I have purchased BrainMine Standard 2005, where can I install the software?

The license agreement permits you to install BrainMine on 2 computers as long as BrainMine is only used on one computer at a time. For example you could install it on an office computer and a laptop, or a home computer and a laptop.

What is an Element in BrainMine?

An Element is a piece of information or text at the end of a link/branch.

What is a Link in BrainMine?

A Link is the line or branch connected to the Central Element or a sub-element.

How do I download BrainMine Standard 2005?

1. Open your web browser, then enter the following address (try Internet Explorer if you have another browser and it still does not work):
   
   http://www.neuralmatters.com/download
   
   Then click one of the two files (choose the larger one "with .NET" if you have a fast internet connection and you do not know if you have Microsoft .NET installed).
2. When you click the file, your web browser will ask you whether you would like to Open, Save or Cancel. Click on "Save" and store it somewhere on your computer that you can find easily. e.g. "My Documents".
3. Go to the place where you saved the file (e.g. My Documents) then click the "BrainMineStandard2004r32WithDotNet.zip" file to open it, then again on the folder inside, which will reveal a setup.exe. Click this to start the install

Is there a free BrainMine file viewer?

Yes. Click here to download. The viewer will allow you to read files if you do not have a full version of BrainMine. For personal and day-to-day business use, you may forward a current copy of the Viewer to your friends, colleagues or business partners. However, the Viewer may not be redistributed as part of any product (profit or non-profit), unless a redistribution agreement has been signed. Contact sales@neuralmatters.com for more information.

How do I view BrainMine files if I do not have the full version of BrainMine Standard 2005?

You can use the BrainMine Viewer to view BrainMine files if you do not have the full version. Click here to download.

How can I change the colour of my main and sub branches so that they are all the same colour?

This is possible using the multiple selection feature. If you encounter this problem please download the latest version of the software from http://www.neuralmatters.com/Download/Default.aspx.

How do I insert clip art from the Media Window?

1. Ensure you can see the image you want - i.e. click the Clipart or Pictures heading then scroll up and down until you see the image you want.
2. Click and hold the mouse button over the image, then move (without letting go) over the top of any Element's text (you should see the mouse pointer change to indicate it is possible to drop when over the element text).
3. Let go of the mouse button, the image should be "attached".

Please check that you have the latest version of the software as this makes clip art drag and drop much easier.

How do I import my own clipart or pictures (media)?

1. Click the "Tools" menu, then "Search for Media..."
2. Type in the path from which to add files (you can also see this at the top of Windows Explorer as you browse files on your PC). Shortcuts to common windows locations are already in the list of available folders (click the drop-down arrow to the right of the entry field). Shortcuts are surrounded by "<>" angle brackets. If you want to add the original Clip Art that came with BrainMine, select the "<Built-In Media Pack>" shortcut.
3. Click "Start", then wait for it to finish searching (status 100%). You can click Cancel if you wish to stop the procedure. Existing media files will not be added twice, so it is safe to continue later if you do stop the operation, or run the search more than once on the same path to add new items.

Can I export a BrainMine file so that it can be used in Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel or Microsoft PowerPoint?

In the current version of BrainMine, there is no direct export function. However, you can indirectly export to a high quality picture file by using an "image printer driver". When you install Microsoft Office (newer versions) or Adobe Acrobat, they also install virtual printers on your PC. E.g. "Microsoft Office Document Image Writer", "Adobe PDF Printer". If you do not have these, we suggest you go to www.download.com and search for virtual image printer driver, or on google.com search for "free virtual printer driver image -purchase -sales".

One example of an image/TIFF printer is:- http://downloads.zdnet.co.uk/0%2C39025604%2C39048034s%2C00.htm
One example of a free PDF printer is:- http://sector7g.wurzel6.de/pdfcreator/index_en.htm

How do I hyperlink to a BrainMine file?

You can hyperlink to any file from any HTML/HTM "web page" file in Windows. The "URL" (universal resource locator) has a prefix called the "scheme", which is "http:" or "https:" for internet pages. However, if you begin the URL with "file:///" you can put the path to any file on your system. So you could create a web page with the following text (source):-

Assuming there is a BrainMine File at C:\test.bmf. Note that the / slash is used because the normal \ slash can be confused with an "escape" character prefix.

For this to work, you need BrainMine installed locally and the file in the correct location.

Can my BrainMine file be used on a web page?

If you want to put a Knowledge Map on a web server you have two options:

1. Create an image of the Knowledge Map using the instructions above, for exporting to other applications (i.e. print-to-image virtual printer driver).
2. Add the .BMF file to your web site for download, and add a link to our download page to get the Viewer with which to view it. Do not copy the viewer application to your web site, as it will become out-of-date when improvements and bug fixes are made.

I sometimes get an error "Failed to Load Resources from Resource File" what should I do?

This has been fixed in the latest release of BrainMine. Click here to download the update.

I am printing a Knowledge Map and it is cropping the print out so that the edge is missing, what shall I do?

Adjust the margin sizes in the Page Setup, and/or the Fit To Page option in the Print Options dialog. These two functions are found in the File menu.

How do I contact Neural Matters?

Click here to contact us via Web, Email, Telephone or Post.

How do I change my password for your website?

You can manage all of your account details, including your password, in the "My Account" section of this web site. Click here to go to the Change Password page, you will need to logon. If you have forgotten your password, use the Forgotten Password button on the logon page to email your password. If your email address has changed or is inaccessible, send an email from your new address to support@neuralmatters.com.

I have not received my license key although I purchased the software successfully?

First check your "junk email" folder to ensure the mail from our web site has not been incorrectly redirected there.

If you still have no license files, contact support@neuralmatters.com for assistance. Response times are generally very quick, usually the same day.

I get an "unhandled exception" error what is this?

An unexpected condition has occurred whilst running our software on your computer. At Neural Matters, we aim to provide high quality software and generally you should not see any of these errors.

Before reporting a bug, first check that you have the latest version. Your problem may already be fixed, and there could new enhancements and features available in the new version. Follow this procedure to check your version:-

1. First find the version or "Build Number". This is normally in the format YYYY.MM.DD## where YYYY is the year, MM is the month, DD is the day and ## a build number.
   1. If BrainMine runs, select the Help - About menu option to see the "Build number".
   2. If BrainMine does not run, click "Start" then "Control Panel", then "Add/Remove Programs". Search for BrainMine in the list of products (Standard or Viewer, depending on which product you have the problem with). Select the item in the list, then click the "Support information" link to display the version number. The version will start 5, which means 2005.
   3. Click Start - Programs - Neural Matters - BrainMine ... - Release Notes. Look in the file for the first RELEASE VERSION number.
2. Go to our web site download page, and check the release/build number against the one currently available on our web site. If it is newer, download and install it first.

When you are sure you have the latest version, and still have a problem, follow one of these procedures to report the fault. We have a very quick, iterative release schedule that means your problem will most likely be fixed within a week or two, or even days.

To email the error information:-

1. Click the COPY button in the exception dialog.
2. Open a new email (see your email program instructions).
3. Click inside the email text area, where you want the error information to go.
4. Press CTRL + V (Paste) keys together, the error information (this will be a large piece of text) should appear inside.
5. Add a step-by-step description of what you were doing just before the error occurred. The more detail that you can provide the easier it will be for us to resolve the problem quicker.
6. Enter the email address in the To field: support@neuralmatters.com
7. Enter a description in the Subject field (this is required otherwise your email will be filtered as junk).
8. Send the email.

To make a screen shot directly into a new email (if your email program supports it - e.g. Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express):-

1. Press the SHIFT and PrtSc (Print Screen) keys at the same time.
2. Open a new email (see your email program instructions).
3. Click inside the email text area, where you want the image to go.
4. Press CTRL + V (Paste) keys together, the image should appear inside the mail. Note: you may have to select Format - HTML or Rich Text to support this.
5. Add a step-by-step description of what you were doing just before the error occurred. More detail is better.
6. Enter the email address in the To field: support@neuralmatters.com
7. Enter a description in the Subject field (this is required otherwise your email will be filtered as junk).
8. Send the email.

To make a screen shot to disk then send via email (if the direct way does not work):-

1. Press the SHIFT and PrtSc (Print Screen) keys at the same time.
2. Click the Start button, then Run, then enter "MSPAINT", Microsoft Paint will open.
3. Press CTRL + V (Paste) keys together, the image should appear inside.
4. Click File, Save, then change the "Save as type:" to "JPEG", choose a location and enter a filename, then click Save.
5. Open a new email (see your email program instructions).
6. Add an attachment (see your email program instructions), select the file you just saved.
7. Add a step-by-step description of what you were doing just before the error occurred. More detail is better.
8. Enter the email address in the To field: support@neuralmatters.com
9. Enter a description in the Subject field (this is required otherwise your email will be filtered as junk).
10. Send the email.