Saturday, February 04, 2006

Major software upgrade for concept maps: CmapTools v4

CmapTools v4 has been released and is now available for download from http://cmap.ihmc.us/

Version 4 adds a lot of new features and functionality. See the comments for the notes.

The next round of CDs that are to be provided with the campaign is to include this software.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

CmapTools v4 has been released and is now available for download from http://cmap.ihmc.us/

Version 4 adds a lot of new features and functionality to v3. Among the main improvements:

* List view. Display a concept map as a list of propositions or view them in an outline. You can also view separate lists of concepts and linking phrases of a Cmap. Great for showing the propositional nature of concept maps. You can also use it to construct a Cmap one proposition at a time.
See http://cmap.ihmc.us/Support/Help/ListView.htm

* Cmap Recorder. Allows the recording and playback of the construction of a Cmap. Ideal for following the process of construction of concept maps by students. At installation, the user can select whether to have the recorder always 'on', or choose manually when they want to record using the Cmap Recorder panel.
See http://cmap.ihmc.us/Support/Help/CmapRecorder.htm

* Presentation Builder. Allows the full-screen stepwise presentation of a Cmap. Have some ideas you want to present on a concept map? Don't bother exporting it to Powerpoint, use the presentation module to present them. Links from a Cmap in a presentation to other Cmaps that have a presentation will open full-screen.
See http://cmap.ihmc.us/Support/Help/Presentation.htm

* Cmap comparison. Graphically compare two concept maps for Cmap items that are in common. (Works better in English and with an Internet connection to take advantage of the Wordnet server for synonyms, etc.) Useful for teachers who wish to compare their Cmap with Cmaps created by their students.
See http://cmap.ihmc.us/Support/Help/Compare.htm

* Concept suggester. While constructing a Cmap, CmapTools can search the Web automatically for concepts that could be added to your Cmap (works better in English).
See http://cmap.ihmc.us/Support/Help/Suggestions.htm

* My Places. In the Views window, you can now choose to display only the Places that you usually work with. This reduces the number of Places/CmapServers that are automatically contacted periodically, thus speeding up load time. Add and remove Places as you wish. Switch to All Places to browse through CmapServers around the world.
See http://cmap.ihmc.us/Support/help/AddPlace.htm

* SSL connections: For CmapServers that have been installed with the SSL option, communication between client and server is done through a secure SSL connection.

* PKI certificates. CmapTools can be configured to use PKI to provide authentication for communication between the CmapTools client and CmapServer.

* Communication through http-proxy. If your organization has a firewall that only allows web browsing through port 80, CmapTools can still contact CmapServers.

* Many new languages. CmapTools is now available in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese,Turkish, Euskera, Finnish, Czech, French, Swedish, and German.
See http://cmap.ihmc.us/Support/help/ChangeLanguage.htm

* Additional export options. Cmaps can be exported to Scalable Vector Graphics (svg, svgz), PDF, encapsulated postscript (eps, epi, epsi, epsf), postscript, PNG, JPG, BMP, and Windows Enhanced Metafile (emf, emz).
See http://cmap.ihmc.us/Support/help/ExportImage.htm

* Improved synchronous collaboration. The real time collaboration tool has been greatly improved. As a result, please note that v4 CmapTools clients cannot engage in synchronous collaboration with v3 clients. Synchronous collaboration in v4 clients will only work with other v4 clients, and only on v4 CmapServers. Version 3 clients cannot collaborate synchronously on Cmaps stored in a v4 CmapServer. We have supplied a temporary v3.10 CmapServer called "IHMC Temporay Place for V3 (exp. 08-01-06)" for users who still wish to use CmapTools v3 to synchronously collaborate with other users with CmapTools v3, the server will be available until 08-01-2006.
See http://cmap.ihmc.us/Support/help/Collaboration.htm

...... plus you'll find many other enhancements throughout the Tools.