File Tree & Workspaces

Notemap stores your mind maps as local files on your Mac, giving you full control over your data. The file tree sidebar and workspace system help you organize, browse, and manage all your maps in one place.

What Is a Workspace?

A workspace is simply a folder on your Mac that contains your mind map files. When you set a folder as your workspace, Notemap displays all the .notemap files within it in the sidebar’s file tree. You choose where your data lives, and Notemap works with whatever folder structure you prefer.

Setting Up a Workspace

To get started, choose a folder on your Mac to serve as your workspace. This can be any folder, whether it is a new empty folder, an existing directory you already use for notes, or a folder inside a cloud sync service. Once selected, Notemap will scan it and show all your mind maps in the sidebar.

The File Tree Sidebar

The left sidebar displays your file tree, showing every .notemap file in your workspace along with the folder hierarchy. You can:

• Browse your maps — Click any file in the tree to open it in the editor
• Expand and collapse folders — Navigate through subfolders to find the map you need
• Create new mind maps — Add a new map directly from the file tree
• Rename mind maps — Right-click a file in the tree and choose rename
• Delete mind maps — Right-click and delete to move the file to Trash

Organizing with Subfolders

You can create subfolders within your workspace to organize your maps by project, topic, or any structure that makes sense for you. The file tree reflects your folder hierarchy, so you can use Finder or the file tree itself to arrange things however you like.

For example, you might organize like this:

My Workspace/
├── Work/
│   ├── Project Alpha.notemap
│   ├── Project Beta.notemap
│   └── Meeting Notes/
│       ├── 2026-02-03.notemap
│       └── 2026-02-07.notemap
├── Personal/
│   ├── Book Ideas.notemap
│   └── Travel Plans.notemap
└── Quick Notes.notemap

Switching Workspaces

You can switch between different workspaces at any time. This is useful if you keep separate collections of maps for different purposes, such as one workspace for work and another for personal projects.

Automatic File Watching

The file tree updates automatically when files change on disk. If you add, rename, or delete a .notemap file using Finder or another application, the sidebar reflects the change without requiring a manual refresh.

Cloud Sync

Since your mind maps are regular files on your local filesystem, you can use any file sync service to access them across multiple Macs. Place your workspace folder inside iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or any other sync service, and your maps will be available on every machine where that folder syncs.