Home - FAQ
Answers to frequently-asked questions about MindModel
Click one of the questions below to scroll to the scroll to that question and its answer:
General Questions about What MindModel Can Do
Q. How is MindModel different from other database software?
Q. How much information can fit into a single model?
Questions about Specific MindModel Features
Q. Is there a way to hide noun types I don't want to see, and only show nouns of certain other types?
Q. Can MindModel read free text such as emails, and break the text down into MindModel statements?
Questions about Data Entry
Q. How do I enter information into MindModel?
Q. What do I do if I can't find the verb I want?
Questions about Querying
Q. How do I find all the information about a single person?
Questions about Database Administration
Q. How do remove MindModel from my computer?
Q. How do I export information into another application?
Q. How is MindModel different from other database software?
A. MindModel is different from other database software because:
1) MindModel is easier to use than other software that allows you to create relational databases.
A relational database stores different types of information and also stores the relationships
between individual items of information.
2) MindModel can store information on any topic.
3) MindModel costs less than other software that allows you to create single-user,
multi-user or Internet-accessible databases.
4) MindModel Corporation offers outstanding customer support, at no extra charge.
Q. How much information can fit into a single model?
A. There is virtually no limit on how much information that can fit into a single model.
MindModel is based on Microsoft’s Jet database engine, so it can hold millions of
nouns and millions of statements.
Q. Does MindModel save my information automatically, or do I have to use the Save Model command before I exit the program?
MindModel saves automatically. You do not have to use the Save Model command.
What can and can't be added to MindModel?
You can add as many nouns and statements as you wish to a model. You can't add noun
types, verbs, or statement types to MindModel. This rule is necessary to keep MindModel
easy-to-use.
Q. How do remove MindModel from my computer?
A. You can remove MindModel by starting the uninstaller from the Control Panel. For
more information click here.
Q. How do I enter information into MindModel?
A. Using the Add/Edit Statement Wizard. MindModel makes it easy by providing you with
lists of choices wherever possible to reduce typing errors. MindModel is unique in
that the more information you put into a model, the faster and easier the process
becomes.
Q. Is there a place in MindModel where I can store big chunks of text, such as the contents of an email?
A. Yes, you can store large chunks of text in "text" nouns.
There are three ways to do this:
1) Select the "<all types>" noun types category in the Noun Types Window. Select the
"texts" noun type in the Noun Types List of the Noun Types Window, then click the
Add Text button below the list of types. Paste your text in from the Clipboard or
type it directly into this window. Choose OK. You can then add statements for the
text noun, such as "This is the text of an email <is relevant to> John Doe."
2) You can use text as an object noun. For example, you can create a statement such
as: "John Doe <said> the text: This is a really long speech made by John Doe..."
3) You can use text as an object of preposition noun. Sounds complicated, but in
fact it’s simple. You can create a statement such as: "John Doe <sent email to> Jane
Doe containing the text: This is a long email by John Doe." Use the Prepositions
tab of the Add/Edit Statements Wizard to add prepositions to a statement.
Q. Can MindModel read free text such as emails, and break the text down into MindModel statements?
No, it can’t. We’ve found that computer programs that read English text (called "natural-language
processors") are only moderately accurate. If you’ve got vast amounts of information
to process, and it’s not worth converting the information to MindModel statement
form, you might want to use natural-language processing software. If you want total
accuracy and the information is worth the effort it takes to convert it to statements,
use MindModel.
Q. What do I do if I can't find the verb I want?
A. In the Add/Edit Statement Wizard, you can choose a verb category to see the verbs
in that category. If you prefer, you can choose Help with Verb Types from the Help
Menu in MindModel. You can then choose verb categories from the drop-down at the
top of this window.
I entered a statement saying: "Jane Doe is friends with Mary Smith." "Mary Smith"
appears in the Statements List as an object. Does that mean she's not a subject too?
Most nouns can be subjects as well as objects. Mary Smith is the object of your statement,
but she could be the subject of another statement. To add a statement about Mary
Smith, double-click on her name in the Statements List. You'll see her name fly up
to the Nouns List. Click once on Mary Smith in the Nouns List. You can then choose
the "Add" radio button in the middle of the Model Window, then click on the button
labeled "Mary Smith" to add a statement about her.
Q. Is there a way to hide noun types I don't want to see, and only show nouns of certain other types?
A. There are two ways to do this:
Using "<included in this model>"
If you've already added nouns to a model, and you want to have the Noun Types Window
display only those types that appear in the model, choose "<included in this model>"
from the Noun Type Categories drop-down in the Noun Types Window.
Using marked noun types
You can hide noun types using the marked nouns feature.
Choose "<all types>" in the Noun Type Categories drop-down in the Noun Types Window.
MindModel will display all noun types in the list.
Hold down the shift key and click once on the noun types you want to show. When you
click on a noun type, the noun type becomes marked. You can tell it's marked because
it will appear with a yellow highlight (as long as it's not the currently-selected
noun type). The name on the noun type will also appear in bold. To unmark a noun
type that's already marked, shift-click it again in the list.
Once you've marked all the noun types you want to show, choose "<marked types>" in
the drop-down menu. MindModel will display only the noun types you have marked. If
you exit MindModel and open it again later, the same noun types will still be marked.
You can unmark them at any time by shift-clicking them.
Q. How do I find all the information about a single person?
A. First use the Find Nouns command to locate the person. Then double-click on the person's
name in the Nouns List.
Q. How do I export information into another application?
A. With MindModel you can export all of the statements in your model, or just those
related to one noun. To export all statements, choose "Export All Statements in the
Model to Excel" from the File Menu. To export the statements related to a noun, first
double-click on the noun to fill the Statements List with statements related to that
noun. Then choose the "Export Statements in the Statements List to Excel" item from
the File menu.
Q. Where is my information stored in MindModel? Which file do I copy if I want to share or back up a model?
A. By default, your information is stored in a model document called "ModelDocument.min".
If you installed MindModel in the default directory (where the installer suggested
you install it) you will find this file at: C:\Program Files\MindModel\ModelDocument.min.
In addition, you can create other models using the New Model or Save Model As commands
in the File Menu.