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FAQs

Q. How can I connect two concepts without a linking phrase in between?

A. Press and hold the 'Shift' key down while you create your link to either an existing or new concept.

Q. When I attempt to install CmapTools in Windows I receive the following message: "Installer User Interface Mode Not Supported, Unable to load and to prepare the installer in GUI mode". After this message is displayed, installation terminates.

A. This error message appears when the Windows user name contains "strange" characters like !, ¡, or #. A simple workaround is as follows:
1. Open the Control Panel, double click on "User Accounts", and Create a new user (i.e. "temp").
2. Login as this new user ("temp" in our example) and install CmapTools; be sure to choose "Create Icons For all users" in the "Choose Shortcut Folder" step.
3. Relogin as the user with the strange characters and use CmapTools.
Then, the temporary user ("temp" in our example) user can be deleted; however in order to uninstall CmapTools, you will have to recreate the "temp" user.

Q. I am running CmapTools on Windows Vista, and I'm not able to perform drag and drop operations from other applications (i.e. Firefox, Windows Explorer) to CmapTools components (i.e. Views, concepts, linking phrases). I get a black circle with a diagonal line when the cursor enters a CmapTools window. Is this a bug in CmapTools?

A. No, it is not a bug in CmapTools. The problem is related to how Windows Vista handles permissions. Vista blocks drag and drop operations when dragging from a lower permission application (i.e. Firefox, Desktop, Windows Explorer) to a higher one (i.e. CmapTools). So, when you accept the credentials to run update.exe (a program used by CmapTools to update the application), it means that CmapTools will run on a high permissions level (Administrator level), and other applications will run on a lower level (non-administrative user).

Why does the update.exe requiere Admin permissions to run? Update.exe requests Admin permissions because it is asking to modify or install sensible information on your system. It is an installer.

Please follow this steps to create a shortcut and avoid the drag and drop problem.
1. Right click on the Desktop.
2. From the contextual menu select "New --> Shortcut"
3. Browse to the install location of CmapTools and open the "bin" directory. Select "CmapTools.exe" and press OK. By default CmapTools is installed at "C:\Program Files\IHMC CmapTools\"
4. Click Next to continue
5. Type a name for the shortcut (i.e. CmapTools) and press Finish.

Q. Are CmapTools and the CmapServer able to make use of an LDAP server for "User" and "Group" permissions on folders stored in a CmapServer?

A. Yes. Beginning with CmapTools and the CmapServer v4.08, using LDAP for permissions is supported. For more information on how to configure LDAP with a CmapServer and use LDAP permissions in CmapTools, please visit the LDAP documentation for both CmapTools and the CmapServer here: http://cmap.ihmc.us/Support/LDAP.php

Q. I am running CmapTools on Kubuntu, and when I either double-click a URL resource or click the "View as Web Page" button on an open Cmap stored in a Place, Firefox will open two instances of the URL and Konqueror also opens an instance. Is this a bug in CmapTools?

A. No, it has to do with some unused devices that are being used in the "xorg.conf" file on your machine. To correct the problem, please try the following (***Note: Incorrectly modifying the "xorg.conf" file can lead to failure of the GUI to boot at all, so if you are uncertain please consult with an experienced Linux admin before attempting these steps!):

1. Open a terminal and 'CD' to /etc/X11/
2. Make a backup of the file by typing:
cp xorg.conf xorg.old
3. Use the "sudo" command to open the xorg.conf file with your favorite text editor (i.e. "sudo kate xorg.conf"). When prompted, supply the password you normally use to login to the account currently being used.
4. From the open file, do the following:

Take out the Sections for the Wacom Erasor, Cursor, and stylus in the "inputDevice" section. Then in the "Serverlayout" Section near the bottom erase the following three lines:

InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"

Put the "SendCoreEvents" part after your primary mouse pointer definition, if you want or need it.
5. Save and exit the xorg.conf file back into its original location:
/etc/X11/xorg.conf
6. Either restart X or reboot your machine for the changes to take effect.

Now when you double-click a URL resource or open the Web version of a Cmap stored in a Place using the "View as Web Page" button, it should open only one instance of the URL in the browser specified first in the cmaptools.cfg for the parameter "nlk.resourceViewer.externalViewer.linuxAppList=".

Q. Our educational facility makes use of Active Directory to maintain users and groups for our Windows Domain.  Will the CmapServer's LDAP permissions scheme work as expected when configured to bind with the AD's LDAP directory server?

A. Versions of the CmapServer that are v4.11 Beta 2 or higher can successfully authenticate and bind with the Active Directory LDAP server, but only for users at this time.  No groups are currently recognized when using CmapTools to browse the list of groups for permissions on a folder stored in a CmapServer that binds with an AD server.  When configuring the CmapServer to use an AD LDAP server, the server admin should keep the following in mind:

- The "ldap.user.directory.userAttr" should be set to "userPrincipalName" (no quotes).

- User IDs, both for the "ldap.root.folder.account" parameter and for searching and adding users to permissions lists of folders in CmapTools, should be in the form: <userID>@<domain name> (e.g. alopez@IHMC).

LDAP groups support for CmapServer compliance with Active Directory is still being developed and should appear in a future version of the CmapServer.

Q. I installed and launched the CmapServer successfully, but when I return to the serverconfig.txt file I see that my passwords have been encrypted. Is there a way I can change my password, or add additional server admins to the list of Administrators by using this file?

A. Yes, you can change passwords and add additional server admins to the standard and LDAP root folder Administrator lists. You can also change the the SSL keystore password, the PKI keystore password, the current "AdminTool" admin password, and replace the admin account of the existing "AdminTool" admin of the server with a different admin. Here is the procedure:

1. Shut down the CmapServer.
2. Open this file using a text editor: /IHMC CmapServer/bin/serverconfig.txt
3. Remove the "encrypted_<some random characters>\=" (no quotes) value completely from one or more of these parameters:

ssl.keystore.password=
pki.keystore.password=
admin.password=
root.folder.password=
ldap.root.folder.password=

4. Change user ID(s) as needed.

There is no corresponding User ID to change for the SSL and PKI keystore password parameters.

(If replacing the "AdminTool" admin) -- Please note that if you replace the "AdminTool" admin user ID listed as the value for the following parameter, the previously listed admin will no longer have admin control over the CmapServer and will effectively be replaced by the new admin upon relaunching the CmapServer:

admin.account=

(If adding a new admin) -- To add a new Administrator for either of the root folder accounts, you'll need to replace the user ID(s) with the new admin's user ID for one or both of these parameters:

root.folder.account=
ldap.root.folder.account=

5. Supply new password(s) for the value(s) of the password parameters listed in step 3 that you wish to change.

6. Save and exit the file, then launch the CmapServer.

If you added a new root folder admin, they should now be successfully added as an additional root folder Administrator in the permissions list in CmapTools. Additionally if you added a new root folder admin, you will not have to worry whether or not the first admin's account was replaced; the previously-listed admin should still be listed as an Administrator of the server root folder when viewing its permissions list using CmapTools. If you just changed the existing root folder admin's password, that admin must now authenticate in CmapTools using their new password. All passwords that were replaced will again be encrypted in the serverconfig.txt file once the CmapServer has been launched.

Q. Can I install a third-party SSL certificate, such as one by Thawte or Verisign, into the bundled Web server that comes with the CmapServer in order to ensure that users are accessing the Web-versions of Cmaps, folders, and resources stored there via a secure connection?

A. Yes. When the CmapServer is configured to use SSL for client/server connections, the default setting is to create a self-signed SSL certificate. Starting with CmapServer v4.11, for those who are instead planning to make use of a third-party SSL certificate that your school or university has (or is planning to) purchase, the following procedure has been tested to work:

1. Install the CmapServer, making sure to select "Secure (SSL)" for the connection mode.

2. Open a terminal or command prompt and 'cd' to this folder:

/IHMC CmapServer/jre/bin/

3. Generate a private key by typing the following and then pressing "Enter":
keytool -genkey -alias tomcat -keyalg RSA -keystore <domain_name>.kdb
E.g. of a valid keystore database filename (only works for the ihmc.us domain): ihmc.us.kdb

4. Now you will be prompted to specify a password for your keystore. After doing so, you will be prompted to supply your first and last name.

***Important: Instead of supplying your first and last name at this prompt, supply the fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) of *your* website.

E.g. of the components of an FQDN: cmap.ihmc.us

5. At the remaining prompts, you may enter relevant information upon reaching each new instruction until your keystore database file is finally created in this location:

/IHMC CmapServer/jre/bin/<domain_name>.kdb

***Important: To minimize complexity, please choose to keep the same password for "<tomcat>" as you supplied in step #4 for the password of your keystore.

6. Generate the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) by typing the following and pressing "Enter":

keytool -certreq -alias tomcat -keystore <domain_name>.kdb -file <any_name>.csr

Note: Replace <domain_name> with the title of the *.kdb file you chose in step #3, and replace <any_name> with either whatever file title you choose, or with whatever filename might be required by your third-party SSL certificate vendor. You will be prompted for the same password you supplied in step #4.

***Important: Once finished, make sure to *not* delete the <domain_name>.kdb

file and instead make a backup of this file so that it will be safe. That keystore database file will be essential later on in the procedure.

7. Give a copy of the <any_name>.csr file you created in step #6 to your third- party SSL certificate vendor by using the procedures outlined on their website, so that you will receive their "root" certificate file and the SSL certificate file that you purchased.

***Important: The certificates you receive from the third-party vendor *must* be in x.509 format, otherwise they will not successfully import into your keystore in the next step. One way to avoid complications is to not apply any formatting of the contents of *.cer files that you receive. The line breaks are important in the body of the certificates and must not be altered.

8. Rename the "root" CA certificate you received from the vendor to: root.cer
...and rename your purchased webserver SSL certificate to: <domain_name>.cer
E.g. of a valid webserver SSL certificate filename: ihmc.us.cer

9. Copy and paste both certificate file from step #8 to this location:
/IHMC CmapServer/jre/bin/root.cer
/IHMC CmapServer/jre/bin/<domain_name>.cer

10. Open a terminal or command prompt and 'cd' to:

/IHMC CmapServer/jre/bin/

11. Type the following and press "Enter":
keytool -import -trustcacerts -keystore <domain_name>.kdb -alias root -file root.cer

When prompted, supply the password you chose in step #4. Note: Replace <domain_name> with the title of the *.kdb file you chose in step #3.

12. Type the following and press "Enter":
keytool -import -trustcacerts -keystore <domain_name>.kdb -alias tomcat -file <domain_name>.cer

When prompted, supply the password you chose in step #4. Note: Replace <domain_name> with the title of the *.kdb and *.cer files you chose in steps #3 and #8 (respectively). The title should be the same for both files; only the three-letter extensions should be different.

13. Open this file using a text editor (typical installation location):

/IHMC CmapServer/bin/serverconfig.txt

14. Supply the fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) of the machine for the value of this parameter:
server.hostname=
Note: This FQDN *must* exactly match the FQDN specified in step #4 when you were generating the CSR.

15. Supply the absolute path to the keystore database file for this parameter:
ssl.keystore=
Examples of the formatting for the value of the above parameter.
(Windows) -- ssl.keystore=C\:\\Program Files\\IHMC CmapServer\\jre\\bin\\<domain_name>.kdb
(Linux) -- ssl.keystore=/root/IHMC_CmapServer/jre/bin/<domain_name>.kdb

16. Supply the password chosen in step #4 for the value of this parameter:
ssl.keystore.password=

17. Save and exit the serverconfig.txt file, then launch the CmapServer. Now when accessing cmaps stored in your CmapServer via the Web, the "https:\\" will appear in the address bar, and the connections of HTTP clients that access your CmapServer's Web server will be encrypted. If your certificate is not expired, was obtained from a vendor who is in the list of trusted vendors for a client's Web browser, and the FQDN specified for the SSL certificate exactly matches that of the
FQDN that appears in the address bar of an open Cmap in the client's Web browser, then the client should not receive any warnings when accessing Cmaps, resources, and folders on your CmapServer's Web server that was made secure using your third-party SSL certificate.

Q:  I used Presentation Builder to create a Cmap presentation, but I can't get CmapTools to display the presentation full screen as I would expect to see it on the projector I have connected to my computer. Why?

Before opening CmapTools, you should first make sure that the projector is securely connected to your computer. Also, it is recommended to adjust the resolution for the connected projector from the computer before opening up CmapTools.

Q:  When I try to install CmapTools on my Windows XP machine, a window appears saying “fatal application error: invocation of this java application has caused an invocation target exception“.  How can I install CmapTools?

This is a known issue with the third-party installer software that we use, “InstallAnywhere”.  Here is the procedure to correct the problem:
   1) Right mouse click the installer
   2) Select properties
   3) Select 'Compatability' tag
   4) In the Compatibility mode panel, ensure the value in the pull down menu is set to Windows 2000 or Windows XP (as long as its not
        Windows 95 or Windows 98/ME) and also ensure that the 'Run this program in compatibility mode for:' check box is checked.
   5) Click 'Ok' to exit the properties box
   6) Run installer again.

Q: I am interested in using CmapTools to model OWL ontologies.  Does CmapTools support this?

Yes.  A version of CmapTools called CmapTools Ontology Editor(COE) has been developed that allows users to work with ontologies. You can now download the latest version of COE at http://cmap.ihmc.us/coe. This page also explains how you can share ontologies with others in Places such as "IHMC Public Cmap Ontologies". We encourage you to join the COE mailing list.  To subscribe, send an email to coe-l-on@ihmc.us.

Q: Where is the directory that CmapTools installs to?  Where does the CmapServer install to?

With a “Typical” installation, CmapTools installs to the following default locations:

Windows: C:\Program Files\IHMC CmapTools
Mac OSX: /Applications/IHMC CmapTools
Linux: <directory you downloaded to>/IHMC_CmapTools
Solaris: <directory you downloaded to>/IHMC_CmapTools

With a “Typical” installation, CmapServer installs to the following default locations:

Windows: C:\Program Files\IHMC CmapServer
Mac OSX: /Applications/IHMC CmapServer
Linux:<directory you downloaded to>/IHMC_CmapServer
Solaris:<directory you downloaded to>/IHMC_CmapServer

Q: I successfully downloaded CmapTools on my Mac that's running OS X, but the installer won't run.  The green icon appears in the dock briefly, and then it goes away entirely.  I recently updated QuickTime to version 7.1.  Is that the problem?

Yes. If you are running Mac OS X v10.3.9, then the problem can be solved one of two ways:

A)  Upgrade to 10.4.x (where 'x' is the latest available OS X version)

B)  If you don't want to upgrade OS X to v10.4.x, then there is a second method that allows MacOS 10.3.9 users to keep Quicktime 7.1 and still allows you to run the CmapTools installer and CmapTools.  It requires replacing three files with an existing file on your system.  The file on your system that will be used is named "JavaApplicationStub", and it can be found on any 10.3.9 mac here:

/System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.Framework/Resources/MacOS/

1. Copy the JavaApplicationStub file onto the desktop three times.

2. Rename one of them "install" (no extension).

3. Control+click the "install.app" file and click "Show Package Contents".

4. After performing a "Show Package Contents" on the "install.app", use the newly-named "install" file from the desktop to replace the file located here: install.app/Contents/MacOS/install

5. Now run the "install.app" as normal.  You should be able to install CmapTools.

6. After installing, rename the "CmapTools" shortcut on the desktop to something else temporarily.

7. Rename the second "JavaApplicationStub" file on the desktop to "CmapTools" (no extension).

8. Use the "CmapTools" file from the desktop to replace the file located here:

/Applications/IHMC CmapTools/bin/CmapTools.app/Contents/MacOS/CmapTools

9. Rename the last copy of JavaApplicationStub file on the desktop to "Uninstall CmapTools" (no extension).

10.Use the "Uninstall CmapTools" file from the desktop to replace the file located here:

/Applications/IHMC CmapTools/UninstallerData/Uninstall CmapTools.app/Contents/MacOS/Uninstall CmapTools

Now all functions of CmapTools should work correctly with QuickTime v7.1 installed.  To fix the CmapServer installer and the CmapServer applications such as the "AdminTool.app", "CmapServer.app", "Uninstall CmapServer.app", etc., repeat the procedure above, taking care to name the JavaApplicationStub file to whatever the name is already inside the *.app package.

Q. Can I install and run CmapTools from my USB drive on Windows machines?

Yes. The following procedure describes what is needed to dynamically map the Windows-assigned drive letter your USB drive for CmapTools configuration purposes (this only works for Windows):

1) Open a command prompt window (Start -> Run., then type "cmd" in the box Click "OK").

2) For the CmapTools configuration we will assume that the public computers do not assign the letter "Z" to any other drive on the machine. We need to reassign the USB drive letter to "Z" (in the example below, the USB drive received the letter "E" from Windows as it was plugged in). Type this at the command prompt and press "Enter":

subst Z: E:\

3) Install CmapTools in the USB drive, using the drive letter "Z" for these parameters in the installation:

+ Install directory: Z:\IHMC CmapTools
+ Profile directory: Z:\Profile
+ My Cmaps directory: Z:\My Cmaps
+ Create a log files: No

4) Run CmapTools for the first time, filling in the boxes with your profile information when prompted.

5) From the command prompt, create the following file in the root of your USB drive by typing:

copy con Start.txt
subst Z:
^z (press the Ctrl key and the letter "z" simultaneously)

6) Using a text editor, create a file called: "start.bat" in the root of your USB Drive and save these lines of text to it:

@echo off
cd \
copy Start.txt CmapTools.bat > nul
cd >> CmapTools.bat
echo \"IHMC CmapTools"\CmapTools.lnk >> CmapTools.bat
CmapTools.bat

7) Now, when you want to run CmapTools from your USB drive, all you have to do is:

-Connect your USB drive to a Windows computer.
-Open Windows Explorer, and open the USB drive.
-Run the program: start.bat

Q: I installed CmapTools and it complains that there is another instance of CmapTools running in my computer. What can I do?

The default behavior of CmapTools allows to run multiple instances of the program simultaneosly in the same computer as long as they are executed by different users (i.e., people that logs in to that computer using different login names). Even though it is not recommended, if for any reason you would like to run several instances of CmapTools under the same user (a generic user, for instance), you need to modify the file called "CmapTools.lax" which is found in the directory (folder) called "bin", under the directory (folder) where the CmapTools program was installed. By default, in Windows this file is located in the directory (folder):

C:\Program Files\IHMC CmapTools\bin

Inside the file, using a text editor (e.g. NotePad, vi), locate the line that starts with

lax.nl.java.option.additional

In this line, please check if the following text exists:

-DcheckForMultipleAppInstances=true

It indicates to CmapTools whether to check for other instances running. Change the value from 'true' to 'false' if you would like CmapTools to stop checking for multiple instances, or viceversa.

Q. I am having problems printing out a concept map. Sometimes it only prints one page or not all of the concepts are printed, in other words, some of the concepts are empty even though there is text showing in those concepts on the screen. Do I need to install a special driver for my printer?

You need to increase the amount of memory assigned to Java. Please refer to "How can I increase the amount of memory assigned to CmapTools?."

Q. I have tried repeatedly to install CmapTools but keep getting the message: "Please select another location to extract the installer to:". How much free disk space does CmapTools requiere?

It is not related to disk space, the message means that the installer file is corrupted. Sometimes it is caused by transmission problems by the time the installer was downloaded into your computer. Download a new version by going to IHMC's ftp server, browsing into the folder for your platform, and saving a new copy of the installer to your machine.

Q. Do you have a version of CmapTools for the Pocket PC?

We had a version running on PDAs, but the screen is so small that you couldn't get more than a few concepts on the screen -- pretty useless. So we didn't continue with the effort.

Q. The Search function does not work for resources in "My Cmaps". It does not return results, although I know I have resources related to the keyword used in the search. How do I search for resources in "My Cmap"?

The problem is related to the corruption of the "My Cmaps" index file .  So, the index needs to be created again. Follow these instructions:

1. Quit CmapTools.
2. Go to the "CmapTools" profile folder.  

Windows:
* Open a command prompt.
* Type "cd C:\Documents and Settings\<your user name>\Application Data\CmapTools\"
* Type "start ." NOTE:  there is a "." after start

Mac OS X
* Open the finder
* Go to Library > Preferences > CmapTools

Linux and Solaris
* Open a terminal window
* Type "cd .cmaptools"  NOTE:  there is a "." before cmaptools

3. Delete the folder titled "local".  This is the directory where the index is stored.

6. Restart CmapTools

Since the index is not present (the "local" folder under CmapTools has been deleted), CmapTools will recreate it.  It should take a couple of minutes, depending on how many resources you have, and you'll notice your disk chattering from all the access.

Q. How can I insert mathematical symbols or equations into a concept?

The current version of CmapTools includes a formula editor that is accessible from the third row in the Mathematical Character set of the Styles palette. The Mathematical Character set consists of the upper and lower case Greek alphabet, sets and unions, logic, equivalence,and other useful characters.

Q. I have an Internet connection, but I cannot access the Places (CmapServers).
A. Make sure you are connected to the internet before you run CmapTools. If a list of Places (CmapServers) is not display when you click on the Shared Cmaps in Places button of your Views window, it could be because your machine is behind a firewall or using a proxy server to access the Internet. If you have a firewall on your computer, or your access to Internet is through a firewall, the firewall must be configured to allow requests through specific ports to go through. You may need to contact your systems administrator if the firewall is part of the local area network your computer is attached to. The specific ports that need to be opened are:

If access to the Internet is through a proxy server, you need to configure the proxy settings by going to the "Preferences" menu entry (Edit/Preferences in the Views window) and selecting the "Proxy Configuration" tab.

Q.  I have modified my firewall and opened the ports in order to allow CmapTools to connect to the Internet, but I'm still not able to access the Shared Cmaps on Places.  Do I need to install CmapTools again?

A. If you still cannot see the CmapServers it is most likely that the connection to the Directory of Places is timing out because the parameter in the "slp.conf" file is too short. The "slp.conf" file is found in the "bin" directory where the CmapTools program was installed. By default, in Windows this file is located at:

C:\Program Files\IHMC CmapTools\bin

Please edit the "slp.conf" and modify the line that indicates the timeout parameters for contacting the Directory of Places:

"net.slp.datagramTimeouts".

By default the parameter is set to "2000,2250" but you will need to specify a longer timeout. Try "10000,20000".  After the changes, the line should look like this:

net.slp.datagramTimeouts=10000,20000

Q. Why do some of the Places (CmapServers) appear grayed out in the Views window?
A. A grayed out Place (CmapServer) means that CmapTools is aware of the existence of the Place, but is unable to establish a connection to it. This could happen because of several reasons:

1) If only some of the Places appear grayed out, it means that those Places that are grayed out are not accessible at this moment. This could happen because the CmapServers for those places themselves are behind firewalls, in which case they register with the Directory of Places making their existence known, but your computer cannot access them. These Places will continue to appear gray unless the firewalls that are protecting them are configured to allow connections to come through. Or, the Place may be grayed out because CmapTools "remembers" it has contacted that CmapServer before, but at this point the CmapServer is not responding (the CmapServer may be down, or its connection to the Internet broken). CmapTools will periodically try to contact the CmapServer until it establishes the connection, or, after a few days, will give up and remove it from its list of known CmapServers. If the CmapServer comes online again, CmapTools will add it to its list after finding out about it through the Directory of Places.

2) If all the Places are grayed out, and have always been grayed out, then you need to check whether your computer is behind a firewall or uses a proxy server to access the Internet (see FAQ above).

3) If all the Places are grayed out, and CmapTools has been able to access some Places before (the have appeared "colored"), your connection to the Internet is probably down. CmapTools remembers those Places from the list it keeps, but is unable to contact them. Check your Internet connection (e.g. dial up-connection has disconnected, cable connection to DSL or cable modem is disconnected, etc.) You may want to test whether other programs are able to connect to the Internet (e.g. a Web browser) to ensure the link is working.

CmapTools periodically updates its list of Places (CmapServers). You can force it to perform this update by selecting the Edit/Refresh menu entry in the Views window, or with the F5 function key.

Q. I do not have access to a shared Place (CmapServer), can I transfer a Cmap from one computer to another one?
A. If you don't have access to a shared CmapServer, you can still transfer Cmaps "manually" between computers. Make sure that the Cmap you want to transfer is on "My Cmaps" (if you are going to transfer more than one Cmap and/or resources, place them all within the same folder and perform the same operations described here with that folder). Drag-and-drop the Cmap (or entire folder) to the desktop or to a local file system window (e.g. Windows Explorer, Mac Finder, etc.). Copy the Cmap (or folder) to the desktop or file system window of the target computer (using an external drive, through a network connection, send it as an email attachment, etc. You can drag-and-drop a Cmap directly from the Views to a mail client to send it as an attachment.) On the target computer, drag-and-drop the Cmap (or folder) to “My Cmaps”, or to a folder in a Place. (Note: drag-and-drop from a Place to the desktop or local file system is not allowed because of problems with the Windows operating system; you need to first copy the resources to "My Cmaps". Drag-and-drop from the desktop or local file system to a Place is allowed.)

Q. I created a folder in a Place (CmapServer) and now CmapTools asks me for a User ID and Password when I try to modify it. What are my User ID and Password?

The first time CmapTools is run on a computer, it displays the following dialogue box, whereby the user is asked to choose a "User ID" and "Password" that will be used for identification in collaboration and setting permissions:

CmapTools remembers this "User ID & Password" combination, and uses it to establish permissions whenever the user creates a folder, whether in My Cmaps or in a Place. That is, the "User ID & Password" combination is set as the "Administrator" of that folder. (On My Cmaps, permissions are not checked since its assume the user has permissions on all folders) As long as the user continues to use CmapTools on that same computer, the program always uses this "User ID & Password" combination when accessing resources in Places. If the user switches to another computer on which CmapTools is already installed, then this installation may have been given a different "User ID & Password" combination the first time it was run. In this case, when accessing his/her folders, the program will present a dialogue box requesting a valid "User ID & Password" combination. The same would happen if the user switches to another computer and, when he/she first runs the program, provides a different "User ID & Password" combination.

So, when CmapTools presents the dialogue box requesting the "User ID & Password" in order to perform the requested operation, you must provide a "User ID & Password" combination that has the required permissions. (Depending on what permissions are set on the folder that contains the resource on which the operation is requested, selecting the Properties menu entry for the folder where the resource is located, and then clicking on the Permissions button of the dialogue box displayed may show the list of "User IDs" with permissions on that folder, but will not show the Passwords. This may help you remember what the "User ID & Password" combination might be). If you don't remember the "User ID & Password" combination, the administrator for the Place (CmapServer) will be able to change the Password, but not retrieve it (we are working on modification to the program that will enable the retrieval of the Password). Once you have provided a valid "User ID & Password" combination, the program will remember the combination and will attempt to use it in further operations. This way, as the user accesses various folders that require different "User ID & Password" combinations, the program remembers them all and attempts to use them when accessing the same, or other folders.

The user's default "User ID & Password" can be changed in the "User Info" tab, after selecting the menu entry "Edit/Preferences" in the Views window.

For detailed information on User IDs, Passwords, and Permissions under CmapTools, check the Cmap "User IDs and Passwords for Identification during Collaboration and for Permissions" or refer to the white paper "Permissions and access controls in CmapTools" ( .pdf ) that is located here.

Q. What XML import/export formats are supported by CmapTools? Are resources included in the XML import/export?
A. CmapTools supports import and export of two XML formats: XML Concept Maps (XCM 3.0) and XML Topic Maps (XTM 1.0).

The XCM format is was designed specifically for the concept maps built with CmapTools and includes all of the layout and style information as well as resource links included in the Cmap. The format is open for others to use, and we welcome developers to take advantage of it as a means of providing capabilities to other programs to import complete Cmaps, or as a way to export concept maps into CmapTools.

When the XCM export is performed, a file is created with the XML extension, and a folder with the same name is created which contains the resources ((images, URL's, other Cmaps, etc.) that were referenced in the Cmap. Similarly, importing an XCM file will import not only the Cmap but also the resources linked to it by taking them from a folder with the same name as the XML file. In addition, a concept map exported and imported using the XCM format preserves its layout and style (colors, images, fonts, etc.)

The XTM format is an emerging standard for exchanging web-based Topic Maps http://www.topicmaps.org/ and is therefore compatible with many applications. XTM includes only the concept text, links, and resources attached to concepts. No layout, style, or background image information is included in the XTM format. Unlike the XCM format, the XTM format is meant to be human-legible and users can create XTM files for import using any text editor. As with the XCM format, a folder with the same name as the XML file is created to contain the resources attached to concepts in the Cmap. During an import operation, linked resources found in a folder with the same name as the XTM file will be imported.

When exporting a Cmap to XML, the desired format (XCM or XTM) can be chosen in the export dialogue box, from the select list located right below the field for the name of the exported file; the default format is XCM. When importing, CmapTools will automatically determine the format of the XML file being imported (XMC or XMT).

Q. Do I need to install Java in my computer in order to run CmapTools?
A. No, you do not need to separately install Java. CmapTools automatically installs the Java binary files on its working directory, without causing any conflict with other Java versions installed on your computer.

Q. Could you send me the source code of CmapTools?
A. No, we do not distribute the source code of CmapTools. Only the executable programs are available.

Q. How do I run the CmapServer as a Service under Windows (NT, 2000, XP, 2003/.NET)?
A. During the installation process of the CmapServer under Windows NT, 2000, XP, and 2003 (.NET) a service called “cmapserver” is configured, but is set not to run automatically. To configure the CmapServer as a service, follow these instructions after having installed the CmapServer software.

1. Create a separate account (i.e. cmapservice) with Administrator permissions. The CmapServer will run as a service under this account -- it needs to be a separate account, not the Administrator account.

2. Run the “Service Manager” program. (In the “Control Panel”, within the “Administrative Tools” folder , open the “Services” program to start the Services Manager.)

3. Select the “CmapServer” service, then right-click and select "Properties".

4. If you want the CmapServer to start automatically when Windows is booted, select "Automatic" as the "Startup Type" in the General tab of the Service dialog box. Otherwise, select "Manual" or "Disabled". (If you select "Manual", you will need to go into the Services utility, select the CmapServer, and click the Start or Stop button every time you want to start or stop the CmapServer.)

5. In the "Log On" entry, click "This  Account" and type the User ID and password you created (e.g. cmapservice)

6. Close the Service window.

When you reboot the machine: if you set the service to run Automatically, from now on, the service will run when Windows is launched, even if no user is logged in. (You can login and work with the account associated with the service without interfering with the CmapServer.)

Q. CmapTools is running out of memory. How can I increase the amount of memory assigned to CmapTools?
A. CmapTools is written in Java. The Java Virtual Machine (VM) is assigned a specific amount of memory when launched, and is limited by that amount. On the other hand, the VM consumes memory until it uses all the memory allocated to it, so you need to be careful not to allocate too much memory, particularly if your computer does not have a lot of memory.

If you are using many images/pictures as background to concepts or Cmaps, have opened and saved a lot of Cmaps from servers on the same session (which requires the generation of an image file for the Web Page version of the Cmap when saving), you have dozens of Cmaps opened, or have Cmaps with thousands of nodes, you may be experiencing "Out of Memory" problems.

By default, CmapTools is assigned 120 MB of memory. This has been found to be adequate for most users. To increase this amount, you need to modify a file called "CmapTools.lax" which is found in a directory (folder) called "bin", under the directory (folder) where the CmapTools program was installed. By default, in Windows this file is located in the directory (folder):

C:\Program Files\IHMC CmapTools\bin

Inside the file, using a text editor (e.g. NotePad, vi), find the line that indicates, in bytes, the amount of memory that will be used by CmapTools. It should look something like (the number at the end may be different):

lax.nl.java.option.java.heap.size.max =122880000

where the number at the end indicates the number of bytes. To increase the amount of memory, for example to 256 MB , you need to change the line to:

lax.nl.java.option.java.heap.size.max =268435456

where 268435456 bytes = 256 * 1024 * 1024 = 256 MB

For this change to take effect, save the file and start CmapTools again.

A. CmapTools needs permission to act as a server in order to access the cmaps and resources in the "My Cmaps" directory. If you are running a firewall (i.e ZoneAlarm, Norton Security, or Win XP SP2), you may need to configure it to grant CmapTools permission to act as a server and to access the Internet.

1. Select Program Control, then Programs.

2. In the Programs column, click *LaunchAnywhere GUI* or *javaw.exe*, then click in the Server | Internet column and select Allow from the popup menu.

Q. Do I have to modify any CmapTools setting if I install the Service Pack 2 for Windows XP?

A. Microsoft Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP contains significant changes to the windows software in four areas: e-mail security, memory protection, browsing the Internet, and network protection.

The CmapTools architecture requires a connection to the Internet to contact the shared Cmaps on Places, and to provide other services such as Web Search, Thesaurus, etc. CmapTools has been implemented using Java, so the first time you run CmapTools after you have installed SP2, you will receive a "Windows Security Alert" notification from the Windows Firewall about an attempt from "JAVAW" to connect to the Internet. It asks you if you want to keep blocking JAVAW. You need to "unblock" JAVAW if you want to contact shared Cmaps on Places.

Additionally, if you export cmaps as "Web Pages" to your local drive, and use Internet Explorer with Win XP SP2 to view them, you need to modify the Control Notification of Active Content by following these steps in an Internet Explorer window:

1. Click "Tools", and then click "Internet Options".

2. Click the "Advanced" tab.

3. Click to select the "Allow active content to run in files on My Computer" check box.

4. Click to select the "Allow active content from CDs to run on My Computer" check box, and then click "OK".

More information about the CmapTools architecture can be found in our website (http://cmap.ihmc.us/) in the White Paper called "The Network Architecture of CmapTools" (follow the resource link in the "Documented" concept).

Q. I have an ATI video card and I find that I have various problems when I attempt to run CmapTools. How could I solve them?

A. We have discovered a problem with some ATI Video Cards due to a known Java incompatibility. This may cause the application to get stuck, or dissappear, or possibly a blue or black screen.

You may be able to upgrade your ATI driver to correct this problem. See http://www.ati.com/support/infobase/4570.html
You should also search the ATI site for recommendations specific to your card.

You should also make sure that you have the latest version of DirectX (8.1 or later works fine). To determine which version you currently have installed, go to "Start --> Run" and type "dxdiag". You will see a window with information related to the DirectX version and some tests.

If you don't have version DirectX 8.1 or later, then upgrade your DirectX and try again.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.aspx?url=/windows/directx/downloads/

Finally, if the previous procedure does not fix the problem, then there is a work around. With a text editor like Notepad, edit a file called  "CmapTools.lax" (In Windows the default installation directory is "C:\Program Files\IHMC CmapTools\". So, if you followed the defaults when installing, the file should be in "C:\Program Files\IHMC CmapTools\bin\").

In the "CmapTools.lax" file find this line:

lax.nl.java.option.additional=-Djava.library.path="C:\\Program Files\\IHMC CmapTools\\lib" - DcheckForMultipleAppInstances=true

Add two parameters to it:

-Dsun.java2d.d3d=false -Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true

Then the line should look like:

lax.nl.java.option.additional=-Djava.library.path="C:\\Program Files\\IHMC CmapTools\\lib" -DcheckForMultipleAppInstances=true -Dsun.java2d.d3d=false -Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true

Notice that the line could be different depending of the operating system and the directory in which you installed CmapTools

Those parameters also will have to be added to "Uninstall CmapTools.lax" file located in the "UninstallerData" of your CmapTools working directory.