Program for mapping a list

September 28, 2009 7:14 AM

Looking for software that will create a graphical concept map from a list of words, the way each is connected to other words in the list, and the direction of each connection. (Mac OS 10.6.1.)

In my Plant Ecology class, we have been tasked with making a concept map of plant structures and their interactions with the biotic and abiotic environment. The professor wants us to show not only which elements in the map are connected to each other, but the direction and specific nature of each connection.

For example, let's look at one element in the map: open stomata. A couple of possible connections include:
- Open stomata increase intercellular CO2.
- High water availability causes stomata to open.

Our end product should look like this:
- An arrow pointing from "open stomata" to "intercellular CO2", with text on the arrow reading "increases."
- An arrow pointing from "high water availability" to "open stomata," with text on the arrow reading "causes."

I would like to be able to give a program a list of connections like this, and then to receive a graphical map illustrating the connections. (I'd like this because we are going to have a HUGE amount of elements and connections, so constructing the map graphically, while possible, would be cumbersome.) Does anyone know of anything like this? I am running the latest version of Mac OS X, Snow Leopard. Webapps are also very much acceptable.

Thanks, everybody.

PS: I have done some preliminary research into the realm of mind mapping software, but none I have found can convert a list into a map in the way I have described. I had high hopes for Text2MindMap, but it doesn't seem to allow arrows or text on connection lines.

posted by dondiego87 to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

GraphViz sounds exactly like what you're looking for. It allows you to set "types" for both data points and their connections, as well as directionality. You'll have to generate the actual files programmatically, but it's pretty easy to do in Excel if you've already got the data structured and aren't exactly handy with PERL.
posted by TheNewWazoo at 8:01 AM on September 28, 2009

Does your school have Mathematica? If so you could use GraphPlot. It takes a list of rules like "this" -> "that", with various options for styling, labels etc.
posted by hAndrew at 11:58 PM on September 28, 2009

Response by poster: I think that Mathematica takes it. Luckily, our school does use it, and I used it for a Linear Algebra class so I'm familiar enough with it that I should be able to cobble something together.

@TheNewWazoo: GraphViz very well could have been perfect, but unfortunately it is not yet Snow Leopard compatible.

Thank you both for your helpful replies.
posted by dondiego87 at 7:56 AM on September 30, 2009