How to make a layered mind map

Choosing what your layers mean

Layers work best when each one holds a different kind of thing rather than a different step in a sequence. Depth planes such as context, current state and future state read well in the stack, because you can see the progression. Categories such as claims, evidence and open questions also work, since they sit side by side rather than one after the other.

Before you create anything, write each layer name on a list and check that no two of them mean the same thing. If two layers would hold the same kind of content, the split will not survive contact with real material, and you will spend your time moving nodes back and forth instead of writing.

Keep the list short. Eight layers is the maximum, and a map that uses three well is more useful than a map that uses eight. The branching rules guide covers the other half of a clean structure, and the 3D mind map guide explains why a depth axis is worth filling at all.

• Name each layer for a kind of content, not for a stage of a plan
• Two layer names must not mean the same thing
• Fewer well-filled layers beat more half-empty ones
• Write the names down before you create anything

Creating the first layer

Open a mind map and look for the layer tab row above the map, which starts with an All chip and ends with a plus button. Press the plus to add a layer: it appears at the end of the stack, it is selected straight away, and the editor scopes to it so you can start writing on it. The first layer is called Main.

The same job can be done from the Add layer chip in the 3D rail, which opens a small text field so you can type the name as you create it. Both routes add to the same stack, and both stop you at eight layers with a message rather than a silent failure.

A new layer starts empty, and the nodes you create in it stay there. When you add a child to a node that already sits on a layer, the child joins that layer too, so a branch stays together unless you deliberately split it.

1. Find the layer row. Open a mind map tab and look above the map, where a row of layer chips starts with an All chip.
2. Add the layer. Click the plus at the end of the row. The new layer is created and selected, so the editor scopes to it at once.
3. Name it as you go. In the 3D rail the Add layer chip opens a text field. Type a name such as Data or Product, which holds up to 40 characters.

Note: Layer names are stored with the map, so a name you pick here shows up in the tabs, in the rail and in the exported outline.

Moving branches onto a layer

Every node carries a layer of its own, and a branch moves as a unit when you move its parent. Select the branch you want to relocate, open the stack with 3, and use the arrow button on the target layer chip, which moves the selected branch onto that plane. The layout recomputes and the branch lands on its new layer.

Moving a branch with children moves the children as well, because a child inherits its parent's layer when it is created. If a child should live on another plane, move it separately once the parent has settled. This is the one place where the layer model asks for a second pass.

Work one branch at a time and check the result on the target layer before moving the next. A layer that collects one coherent branch is easy to read; a layer that collects half of five branches is a place you will lose your place. Moving things back and forth is normal while the split is still settling, so keep the name of each layer visible while you work.

1. Select the branch. Click the node whose subtree you want to move. Its children stay attached to it.
2. Open the stack. Press 3 to open the 3D layer stack, where the layer chips are listed in the rail beside the scene.
3. Assign the layer. Click the arrow button on the target layer chip to move the selected branch onto that plane.
4. Verify it flat. Press 2 to open the flat view scoped to that layer, and check the branch landed cleanly.

Renaming layers so they read clearly

Layer names are what a reader sees in the tab row, in the 3D rail and in the exported outline, so a placeholder name is a cost you pay later. Layer 2 tells a reader nothing about what belongs on that plane, and the export is where that shows up most clearly.

Rename a layer by double-clicking its chip in the 3D rail. The chip turns into a text field, you type the new name and press Enter, and the change is applied across the tabs, the rail and the exports at the same time. Names hold up to 40 characters.

Choose names that read as a sequence when the layers are a sequence, and as parallel categories when they are not. Data, Product and Interaction work for parallel planes, while Now, Next and Later work for a progression. Both are clearer than a numbering scheme, and both survive being read by someone who was not in the room when the map was built.

• Double-click the layer chip in the 3D rail to rename it
• Press Enter to apply, and the new name appears everywhere
• Names hold up to 40 characters
• Pick names that read correctly in the exported outline

Note: Renaming happens in the 3D rail. The chips in the flat view can switch and delete layers, but they do not rename them, so a name change costs one trip into the stack.

Switching between layers in 2D

The tab row scopes the flat editor to a single layer. Click a layer chip and only that layer's nodes are drawn, which turns a big map into a small one you can hold in your head while you write. Click All to bring the whole map back, which is what you want when you are checking that the pieces still fit together.

Scoping is the reason to split a map in the first place. A research map with three layers and sixty nodes on each is manageable one layer at a time and unreadable as a whole, and the tab row is what makes the first option real rather than theoretical.

Press 2 while a layer is active in the flat view and the stack opens again, so you can move between the two without reaching for the mouse. The shortcut sheet lists 2 and 3 next to the other mind map keys, and the layer tabs show which plane you are in.

• A layer chip scopes the editor to that layer
• All restores the whole map
• 2 returns to the stack from a scoped view
• Build one layer at a time and tab across to check the rest

Checking the stack in 3D once layers are set

Once the layers hold real content, open the stack with 3 and look at it from the side camera. That view shows the planes edge-on, so you can see how far apart they sit and which links travel between them. It is also the fastest way to notice a layer that ended up empty once the dust settled.

Push the explode slider up to pull the planes apart. A link that reaches from one plane to another becomes a visible tube crossing the gap, and a relationship that matters to you becomes obvious before you show it to anyone. Turn on trace mode with T to isolate the neighborhood of a selected node.

A layered map is worth checking in 3D before it is worth showing. The 3D layer stack guide covers the camera presets, the explode range and the trace mode, and it is worth reading before a review rather than during one.

• The side camera shows the planes edge-on
• Explode separates the planes so cross-layer links become visible
• Trace mode isolates the neighborhood of the selected node
• Check the stack before the review rather than during it

Removing a layer without losing its nodes

Deleting a layer never deletes content. The nodes on that layer are kept and move to the adjacent remaining layer, so a wrong split costs you a rename rather than an afternoon of rebuilding. The confirmation prompt tells you the layer is going and that its nodes stay.

You can delete a layer from the tab row, using the small cross on the chip, or from the rail in the stack. The last remaining layer cannot be deleted, and the stack is re-indexed afterwards so the remaining planes keep their order.

When you delete a layer, check where its nodes landed before you carry on. The nodes join the layer that sat next to the deleted one, and a branch that now rests on the wrong plane is worth moving while the context is still fresh.

1. Choose the layer. Open the tab row and find the chip for the layer you no longer want.
2. Delete it. Click the small cross on the chip and confirm. The nodes are kept and moved to the adjacent layer.
3. Re-slot the content. Click through the remaining layers and move any branch that landed on the wrong plane.

Note: Deleting is safe but not free, because the content survives. A layer can disappear without the map looking any emptier, so look at the tab row after every deletion.

A checklist you can reuse

• Every layer name says what belongs on it
• The map uses eight layers or fewer
• Branches were moved as whole branches, and split children were checked afterwards
• Each layer was named in the 3D rail before the map was shown to anyone
• The stack was checked from the side camera with the explode slider raised
• Every layer holds content, and empty planes were deleted
• The tab row was used to build one layer at a time

Common mistakes to avoid

• A layer for every branch. One branch per plane turns the stack into a shelf of single items. Group the branches that belong together and keep the layers for those groups.
• Splitting a branch halfway. Moving a parent moves its children, because a child inherits the layer of the node it was added to. Move the branch first, then place the few children that belong on another plane.
• Leaving layers called Layer 2. Placeholder names reach the tab row, the rail and every export. Rename each layer so a reader can tell what belongs on it without asking you.
• Building on every layer at once. Scoping the editor to one layer is what keeps a big map manageable. Fill a layer, tab across to check the rest, and only then move on to the next.
• Deleting a layer and assuming the content went. The nodes are kept and move to the adjacent layer, so the map does not look emptier afterward. Check where the content landed instead of assuming it was lost.

Frequently asked questions

What is the layer limit on a single mind map?

Eight at most. Each layer holds its own nodes, and the tab row and the 3D stack both work through the same list. The limit is a helpful prompt to name what each plane is for, and a ninth plane usually means the branches need better labels instead of another depth level.

What happens to the nodes when I delete a layer?

They are kept. The nodes on the deleted layer move to the adjacent remaining layer, and the stack is re-indexed so the other planes keep their order. Nothing is thrown away, so a wrong split is cheap to undo by building the layer again.

How do I move a branch to a different layer?

Select the branch, press 3 to open the stack, and use the arrow button on the layer chip you want it on. The branch and its children move together, because a child inherits its parent's layer. Move any child that belongs elsewhere a second time, and check the result in the flat view with 2.

Where do I rename a layer?

Double-click the layer chip in the 3D rail. The chip becomes a text field, and pressing Enter applies the new name everywhere it appears. The flat tab row can switch and delete layers, but the rename itself happens in the stack.

This guide is part of the 3d layer stack collection. For the wider product tour, read the complete Canvasola guide, and keep the keyboard shortcut cheat sheet open while you work.