Mind maps in Latex?

Question

I would like to dump some minds map in latex. I have them following this structure:

Although it does not need need to be exactly like in that chart, just some nice way of drawing hierarchical outline summaries. Thanks.

Answer 1

You could hack your way out using nested \left\{ delimiters and tabular environments. This is a first approximation on which one could improve further.

\documentclass{article}

\newenvironment{subgroup}
  {$\left\{\tabular{l}}
  {\endtabular\right.$}

\begin{document}

Idea General
\begin{subgroup}
  Idea Principal
  \begin{subgroup}
    Ideas Complementarias \\
    Ideas Complementarias \\
    Ideas Complementarias  
  \end{subgroup} \\[2em]
  Idea Principal
  \begin{subgroup}
    Ideas Complementarias \\
    Ideas Complementarias \\
    Ideas Complementarias  
  \end{subgroup} \\[2em]
  Idea Principal
  \begin{subgroup}
    Ideas Complementarias \\
    Ideas Complementarias \\
    Ideas Complementarias  
  \end{subgroup}
\end{subgroup}

\end{document}

I have some improvements in mind (but no time to implement them right now): one would like each “entry” in the map to be typeset on a \parbox with a \raggedright and a specific width. One would also probably want appropriate spacings (such as \\[2em]) to be automatically added. Finally one would probably like an user interface closer to enumerate and \item's instead of ending entries by \\.

I wonder if a package to do exactly this has been already implemented?

Answer 2

See TikZ manual 38 Mindmap Drawing Library

Answer 3

this solution with tikz trees might be helpful

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{trees}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[edge from parent fork right,grow=right,level distance=3cm,level 1/.style={sibling distance=4cm},
level 2/.style={sibling distance=1cm}]
\node[text width=1cm] {Idea General}
child {node {Some idea}}
child {node {Some idea}
child {node {Details}}
child {node {Details}}
child {node {Details}}
};
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Answer 4

Nobody seems yet to have mentioned that there is a package to draw precisely this kind of diagram, schemata. This may well be because people at the time this question was asked lacked time machines or, therefore, access to future packages. Some people just give up too easily ...

Since no code was provided and I don't know the relevant language, I've translated what I think it may be saying into something more familiar. Well, more familiar to me. Your kilometres, gentle reader, may vary ....

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{schemata}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[welsh]{babel}
\usepackage[LY1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{berenis}
\begin{document}
\schema{%
  \schemabox{Syniad Cyffredinol}
}{%
  \schemabox{%
    \schema{%
      \schemabox{Syniad\\Prif}%
    }{%
      \schema{%
        \schemabox{Syniadau\\Cyflenwol}%
      }{%
        \schemabox{Manylion\\Manylion\\Manylion}%
      }%
    }\\
    \schema{%
      \schemabox{Syniad\\Prif}%
    }{%
      \schema{%
        \schemabox{Syniadau\\Cyflenwol}%
      }{%
        \schemabox{Manylion\\Manylion\\Manylion}%
      }%
    }\\
    \schema{%
      \schemabox{Syniad\\Prif}%
    }{%
      \schema{%
        \schemabox{Syniad\\Cyflenwol}%
      }{%
        \schemabox{Manylion\\Manylion}%
      }%
    }%
  }%
}
\end{document}

If anybody knows what 'schemata' is in Welsh, please leave a comment!