Is there a mind mapping software that can handle latex?

I run Lubuntu 12.04 and after several terrible experiences with libre office I downloaded core and have not touched it since april. I find kile ok and have been learning to use that and writing with latex.

I am hoping there's a mind mapping program that I could use that is not too "bubbly" but most importantly can handle maths (i.e. latex). I don't need it to be able to integrate with kile but anything extra is a bonus! Tips?

Edit: The latex is needed for writing mathematical equations.

Edit: I thought they were all useful suggestions but on balance, the selected answer was my personal favourite out of them. Though it was tough to decide. Dia particularly does look like a good shout with ekee.


Have you seen: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/2847/mind-maps-in-latex and https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/44112/mindmapping-with-latex ?

Both suggest http://www.texample.net/tikz/

http://www.texample.net/tikz/examples/feature/mindmaps/

...although the provided mindmaps feature is quite "bubbly"

As far as handling Maths:

https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/42611/list-of-available-tikz-libraries-with-a-short-introduction ... Graphics in LATEX using TIKZ ... TIKZ and PGF examples ... and http://www.texample.net/tikz/examples/tag/text-and-math/ will also prove helpful.


This will not completely answer your question but my daughter creates mindmaps using Dia and I use LaTex (although not Kile), I use MikTex and LiveTex.

The common denominator is that both have XML and SVG compatibility. You may have to do some additional research about integration capability as I have never come across your integration requirement before.

Before I continue with my answer, if you don't know already, there is a dedicated TeX/LaTeX Q&A in Stack Exchange. It might not do any harm asking your question there also. Lets start with mind mapping and Dia

Dia is available from the Ubuntu Software Centre and is inspired by Microsoft 'Visio,' though more geared towards casual and informal diagrams including Mind Maps. It can be used to draw many different kinds of diagrams with "special objects" to help draw entity relationship diagrams, UML diagrams, flowcharts, network diagrams, and many other types. My daughter swears by this application (if that’s worth anything)

enter image description here

It can load and save diagrams to a custom XML format (a format also supported in LaTex), as well as exporting diagrams to a number of formats, including EPS, SVG, XFIG, WMF and PNG, and can print diagrams (including ones that span multiple pages). You may want to refer a question asked here "How to convert latex equations to SVG" as I think this will be an integral step in your final solution.

Example Screenshot of Dia

You can also create custom shapes for Dia Or download additional shapes from their repository here.

I think your requirement(mindmapper +mathematics+LaTeX) begs more clarity regarding what your expectation is, you give an example of LaTeX (using ie) but it would be very useful if we could undertstand your objective better.


Try freeplane. You can type latex into the nodes. http://freeplane.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page