Quick start: create, annotate, save, present and export
- Choose File → New. Double-click the central topic and name it “Weekly meeting”.
- Select the central topic and press Tab to add “This week”. Finish editing the title, then press Enter to add the sibling topic “Next week”. Switch to Outline and check their hierarchy.
- Return to the map, select “This week”, and choose the Add Note icon. Enter two lines in Edit Note, then select Save.
- Press Command-S and save a new .sishu file. Close this practice document, reopen it through File → Open…, and check both topics and the note.
- Choose Present, use the page controls to move through branches, and press Escape to exit. Begin with a small number of main branches.
- Return to the map. Use File → Export… or Export to choose PNG or PDF and the intended sheet scope. Save a new file, open it, and check its title, content and pages.
After completing these steps, you should have an editable .sishu source document and a checked file for sharing. An exported image or PDF does not replace your source backup. For equations or dense presentations, also read the known limitations below.
Turn an idea into a task
- Switch to Tasks or Gantt and choose New Task.
- Enter “Prepare meeting materials”, choose its parent topic, set the start date to 2026-10-12 and the duration to 2, then choose New Task. These dates are only for practice.
- Use the task inspector to fill in an assignee and set the priority and progress.
- Choose Day or Week in Gantt and check the schedule. Save with Command-S, close and reopen the file, then check the assignee, start date, duration and progress.
A task is still a topic in the current sheet. Switching views does not create a separate project. An assignee is local text; entering a name does not invite or notify anyone.
If a task seems missing, check its parent topic, search and filters. If it has no scheduled bar, check whether a start date has been set.
Understand work calendars and shifted dates
Duration counts working days, including the first working day. The standard template uses Monday to Friday; it does not automatically include public holidays or regional make-up working days. A calendar belongs to the current sheet, so changing one sheet does not synchronize every sheet in the document.
For example, a 2-day task starting Friday 2026-10-09 ends Monday 2026-10-12 when there are no exceptions. Its Gantt bar spans the weekend, so it covers more than two calendar days. Without dependencies, a 1-day task entered for Saturday 2026-10-10 shifts to Monday 2026-10-12.
- In Gantt, open Work Calendar and check the working week. Keep at least one working day selected.
- Add individual working-day or non-working-day exceptions when needed. Adding an exception reschedules tasks, so save a copy first.
- Use Apply and re-order to apply the working-week selection, then check the affected task dates.
If entering a start date triggers an adjustment, check the inspector’s requested and actual dates, the calendar and the dependency. Use Command-Z to undo an unwanted change. Do not assume every drag or bulk adjustment displays the same explanation.
How dependencies affect the plan
A task currently supports at most one predecessor. Finish-to-start (FS) constrains its start using the predecessor’s end date; start-to-start (SS) uses the predecessor’s start date. These are date lower bounds, so a later start you already entered can remain in place.
The practice example uses zero lag. Lag in days is not a count of working days. Moving a predecessor earlier or removing a non-working day does not necessarily pull every successor earlier. Progress is entered manually; it does not trigger approvals or notifications, and a schedule does not wait for a predecessor to be marked 100% complete before being shown.
Download a practice example
The Product Release Plan example contains 1 sheet, 13 topics and 11 tasks. Dates, role names and progress are fictional practice data, with no public holidays added. Duplicate the downloaded file and open the copy through File → Open….
In Tasks and Gantt, find “Interaction design and prototype”: it runs from 2026-10-09 to 2026-10-12 but takes 2 working days. Check the SS dependency on “Technical design”, then try changing the progress of “Archive documents” and save and reopen the file. The English version translates titles, notes and assignees without changing dates or dependencies.
Files, backups and passwords
Press Command-S and choose a location in the system save dialog. Keep the .sishu source for further editing and maintain a separate backup of important files. If you use a third-party sync folder, that service manages synchronization; this is not built-in cloud sync or live collaboration.
The developer cannot recover a forgotten password for a locally encrypted document. Keep your password safe, and do not send it or a complete private map with a support request.
Purchase FAQ: one-time purchase, price and entitlements
MindAxis is available as a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store. Its local maps, outlines, notes, presentations, Tasks and Gantt do not require a separate subscription.
As of October 16, 2026, the U.S. Mac App Store lists version 1.0.1. Before buying, check your local App Store for the available version, price, macOS requirements and regional availability.
A one-time purchase is not a promise that every future major version, cloud service or other platform will be free. Check the applicable purchase information for Family Sharing, device eligibility, taxes, offers and refund eligibility. Ask before buying if anything is unclear.
Redownload after purchasing
In the Mac App Store, sign in with the Apple Account used for the purchase. Open Apps & Purchase History, then Your Apps, find the app and use its redownload control. This applies to an app you actually purchased that remains available for redownload; your system may show different labels. It does not require a Restore Purchases button inside MindAxis.
Request a refund
For a purchase billed by Apple, use Apple’s Report a Problem website. Sign in with the relevant Apple Account, choose the refund request option, select a reason and the purchase, and submit. Apple determines eligibility and approval; MindAxis support cannot guarantee a refund or payment timing.
If the purchase is missing or you cannot submit the request, follow Apple’s official help. Never share your Apple Account password, verification codes or full payment details with support.
Import and export XMind files
Basic XMind import and export are supported. Keep the original .xmind file, import a copy through File → Import…, and save a new .sishu document. Use a new filename when exporting XMind, too.
Selected samples retained their topics and task fields when exported by MindAxis and read back by MindAxis. This does not establish a lossless round trip after editing in third-party XMind. Complex layouts, attachments, custom calendars and proprietary fields need separate checks.
- Check the number of sheets, topic titles and hierarchy.
- Check notes, links, images, styling, relationships and layout.
- Check task enablement, assignees, priorities, progress, dates and durations.
- Check work calendars, dependencies and the resulting schedule. Matching dates do not prove that calendar settings were preserved.
Known limitations in 1.0.0 (build 10)
- Equations in SVG: exported SVG files omit equations, while the original .sishu retains them. Check any output containing equations; switching formats is not a guarantee of fidelity.
- Dense presentation PDFs: the overview page can crop branches. In a sample with 12 direct branches, the first overview omitted items 9–12 while other branch pages remained. Check every page before sharing.
- Third-party conversion: editing and saving in third-party XMind, custom calendars, attachments and unknown fields have not been fully verified. Check PPTX visual output in PowerPoint or WPS as well.
The observations above were recorded with version 1.0.0 (build 10). Version 1.0.1 addresses the SVG formula omission; see Version notes below. Keep your .sishu source and check each exported file, including PDFs and files opened in other apps.
Can a presentation file replace my source backup?
PNG and PDF are for viewing and sharing; they do not replace an editable .sishu source document. Word output primarily represents topic hierarchy and notes. Use a suitable task or table export for task information and check the fields. An export-complete message alone does not establish complete content or correct layout in another app.
Send a problem report or suggestion
- Choose Trial Feedback at the top right, or Help → Send Feedback….
- Select Problem, Suggestion, File compatibility or Other feedback.
- Enter a title and description. Both are required; the title allows up to 120 characters and the description up to 5000. Include steps, the actual result and what you expected.
- Contact details are optional, up to 200 characters. Choose whether to include the system version. You can submit without contact details.
- Read the notice and privacy policy, give consent, then select Submit feedback.
- When Feedback received and a receipt number appear, save the number for follow-up.
A receipt confirms acceptance of the report, not reproduction, resolution or a promised release. There are no automatic status notifications or self-service progress page, and no fixed response or resolution time is promised.
What feedback sends
After you confirm submission, the feedback you entered, optional contact details, app version and interface language are sent to the GoldenTree server to handle the report. The system version is included only if selected. Maps, attachments and usage history are not uploaded automatically.
The form has no attachment uploader. Start with a text description. If a sample is needed later, use a channel confirmed by support and remove personal information and confidential work content. Do not paste passwords or the full contents of a private map.
If submission is not confirmed
- If the connection fails or success is not confirmed, record the message, check your connection and retry later in the same form.
- If submissions are too frequent, wait before trying again instead of repeatedly clicking.
- After a failure, the current app process retains the form. Unsubmitted drafts do not survive quitting the app, so copy necessary text before quitting.
- Without a success receipt, you cannot be sure submission completed. For follow-up, include the failure time, message and any existing receipt number.
Copyable report template
MindAxis version and build:
macOS version (optional):
Current view:
Steps:
1.
2.
3.
Actual result:
Expected result:
How often it happens:
Does it also happen in a new practice file?
Source app and conversion steps (if relevant):
Existing receipt number (if any):For date issues, include the start date, duration, working week, exceptions and dependencies. For file issues, keep the original and name the source app and version.
Contact support
Support email: carsondai3@gmail.com. Include your app version, steps and any receipt number, and send only necessary information with sensitive details removed. Support is handled manually, with no fixed response time.
Reports without contact details can still inform internal investigation. Keep your receipt number for follow-up; it locates a report but is not sufficient by itself to verify identity.
Version notes
Version 1.0.0 (build 10): Edit a map and outline in the same local document, add topic notes, plan task dates and progress, and present or export your thinking. This version includes improvements to continuous editing, list scrolling and explanations of date adjustments.
Version 1.0.1: SVG exports include an appendix with the formula source text for exported topics. Long formulas wrap, and entries link to their topics within the SVG. Formulas are shown as source text, not typeset mathematics. Check the exported file in your intended SVG viewer. This update covers SVG formula export; it does not establish complete fidelity for other export formats.
Version 1.0.2 is in preparation and has not been released. It is planned to align the MindAxis name across the app and store listing. Check your local Mac App Store for the downloadable version, price and availability.