xmind

name	xmind
description	Create XMind mind map files (.xmind). Use this skill when the user asks to create a mind map, mindmap, XMind file, or brainstorming diagram. Produces native .xmind files that open directly in the XMind application.

XMind Mind Map Creator

Create .xmind files by building a JSON structure and piping it to the bundled script.

How to create an XMind file

1. Build a JSON object with path and sheets fields (see format below)
2. Write it to a temp file, then run:

node <skill-dir>/scripts/create_xmind.mjs < /tmp/xmind_input.json

Where <skill-dir> is the directory containing this SKILL.md file.

JSON Input Format

{
  "path": "/Users/user/Desktop/my_mindmap.xmind",
  "sheets": [
    {
      "title": "Sheet 1",
      "rootTopic": {
        "title": "Central Topic",
        "children": [
          {
            "title": "Branch 1",
            "notes": "Plain text note",
            "children": [
              { "title": "Sub-topic A" },
              { "title": "Sub-topic B" }
            ]
          }
        ]
      },
      "relationships": [
        { "sourceTitle": "Sub-topic A", "targetTitle": "Sub-topic B", "title": "related" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Topic Properties

Each topic object supports:

Field	Type	Description
title	string (required)	Topic title
children	array of topics	Child topics
notes	string or {plain?, html?}	Notes. HTML supports: <strong>, <u>, <ul>, <ol>, <li>, <br>. NOT <code>.
href	string	External URL link
attachment	string	Absolute path to a file to attach (embedded in the .xmind). Mutually exclusive with href.
linkToTopic	string	Title of another topic to link to (internal xmind:#id link, works across sheets)
labels	string[]	Tags/labels
markers	string[]	Marker IDs: task-done, task-start, priority-1 to priority-9
callouts	string[]	Callout text bubbles
boundaries	{range, title?}[]	Visual grouping of children. Range: "(start,end)"
summaryTopics	{range, title}[]	Summary topics spanning children ranges
structureClass	string	Layout (see below)
shape	string	Topic shape (see shapes below)
position	{x, y}	Absolute position (only for detached topics in free-positioning sheets)

Topic shapes

• org.xmind.topicShape.roundedRect — rounded rectangle (default)
• org.xmind.topicShape.diamond — diamond (use for conditions/decisions)
• org.xmind.topicShape.ellipserect — ellipse (use for start/end)
• org.xmind.topicShape.rect — rectangle
• org.xmind.topicShape.underline — underline only
• org.xmind.topicShape.circle — circle
• org.xmind.topicShape.parallelogram — parallelogram (use for I/O)

Layout structures

• org.xmind.ui.map.clockwise — balanced map
• org.xmind.ui.map.unbalanced — unbalanced map
• org.xmind.ui.logic.right — logic chart (right)
• org.xmind.ui.org-chart.down — org chart (down)
• org.xmind.ui.tree.right — tree (right)
• org.xmind.ui.fishbone.leftHeaded — fishbone
• org.xmind.ui.timeline.horizontal — timeline

Task properties

Simple checkbox (no dates needed):

• taskStatus: "todo" or "done"

Planned tasks (for Gantt/timeline view in XMind):

Field	Type	Description
progress	number 0.0-1.0	Completion progress
priority	number 1-9	Priority (1=highest)
startDate	ISO 8601 string	Start date, e.g. "2026-02-01T00:00:00Z"
dueDate	ISO 8601 string	Due date
durationDays	number	Duration in days (preferred for relative planning)
dependencies	array	{targetTitle, type, lag?} — type: FS, FF, SS, SF

Two approaches for planned tasks:

1. Relative (preferred): Use durationDays + dependencies. XMind auto-calculates dates.
2. Absolute: Use startDate + dueDate for fixed dates.

When the user mentions "planning", "schedule", "timeline", "Gantt", "project", "phases", use RELATIVE planned tasks unless specific dates are given.

Sheet properties

Field	Type	Description
title	string (required)	Sheet title
rootTopic	topic (required)	Root topic
relationships	array	{sourceTitle, targetTitle, title?, shape?} — connects topics by title. shape: "org.xmind.relationshipShape.curved" (default) or "org.xmind.relationshipShape.straight"
detachedTopics	array of topics	Free-floating topics (require freePositioning: true and position on each topic)
freePositioning	boolean	Enable free topic positioning (for logic/flow diagrams)

Logic / Flow diagrams

For flowcharts, logic diagrams, or algorithmic diagrams, use free positioning with detached topics and straight relationships:

{
  "path": "/tmp/flowchart.xmind",
  "sheets": [{
    "title": "Algorithm",
    "freePositioning": true,
    "rootTopic": {
      "title": "START",
      "shape": "org.xmind.topicShape.ellipserect",
      "structureClass": "org.xmind.ui.map.clockwise"
    },
    "detachedTopics": [
      {"title": "IS X > 0?", "position": {"x": 0, "y": 130}, "shape": "org.xmind.topicShape.diamond"}
            
            
              
    
     
           
             
             
           
           
    
  

Conventions: Use ellipse for start/end, diamond for conditions, rectangle (default) for actions, parallelogram for I/O. Use "org.xmind.relationshipShape.straight" for all connectors. Position topics on a grid (y increments of ~130px, x offsets of ~200px for branches).

When the user mentions "flowchart", "algorithm", "logic diagram", "organigramme de programmation", "diagramme logique", use this pattern.

Working with large files

When reading a PDF or other large file fails (e.g. "PDF too large"), extract text using CLI tools before building the mind map:

# Preferred: pdftotext (install: apt install poppler-utils)
pdftotext input.pdf /tmp/extracted.txt

# Fallback if pdftotext unavailable:
python3 -c "
import subprocess, pathlib, sys
p = sys.argv[1]
try:
    subprocess.run(['pdftotext', p, '/tmp/extracted.txt'], check=True)
except FileNotFoundError:
    subprocess.run(['pip', 'install', 'pymupdf'], check=True, capture_output=True)
    import importlib; fitz = importlib.import_module('fitz')
    doc = fitz.open(p)
    pathlib.Path('/tmp/extracted.txt').write_text('\n'.join(page.get_text() for page in doc))
" input.pdf

Then read /tmp/extracted.txt to build the mind map.

Important rules

• The output path MUST end with .xmind
• Always write the file where the user requests (e.g. ~/Downloads, ~/Desktop)
• IDs are generated automatically
• Topic references in relationships and dependencies are resolved by title
• HTML notes: only <strong>, <u>, <ul>, <ol>, <li>, <br> are supported. <code> is NOT supported by XMind.
• Internal links (linkToTopic) work across sheets
• Notes should be substantial and detailed — don't just repeat the topic title. Use notes to add explanations, context, definitions, examples, key points, or reasoning. Aim for 2-5 sentences minimum per note. Use HTML notes with <strong>, <ul>/<li>, <br> for well-structured content. Most topics should have notes unless they are self-explanatory leaf nodes.