Keyboard-Based Node Reordering for List Layouts

theo west
theo west EN Basic Posts: 47 Star Contributor

I’d love to see a more efficient way to reorder nodes in mindmaps using keyboard shortcuts—especially for list or structured layouts where dragging nodes becomes tedious.

🔧 Suggested Functionality:

  • Activate Move Mode:
    Select one or more nodes, then hold down a multi-key shortcut (e.g., Cmd + Ctrl, Alt + Ctrl, etc.) to enter a special “move mode.”
  • While holding the shortcut:
    • Use arrow keys to physically move the selected node(s) in the pressed direction — up, down, left, or right — regardless of layout type.
      (Currently, arrow keys only change selection — this feature would allow actual repositioning of nodes.)
    • Or, use the mouse freely to scroll around the map. Still holding the shortcut, you could then click another node to define a destination point.
    • Release the shortcut and the selected node(s) would be inserted relative to that target (above, below, beside, etc depending on layout).
  • The nodes remain selected for further adjustments if needed.
  • Re-hold the shortcut at any time whilst still selected to fine-tune position using arrow keys again.

➕ Additional Notes:

  • Supports multi-node selections via Cmd/Alt + click.
  • Preserves relative order of multiple selected nodes.
  • Prioritizes direct, literal movement based on arrow key input — no need to "interpret" layout types.

✨ Why this matters:

Dragging nodes can be slow and frustrating — especially when rearranging items in a list or moving multiple nodes to a new location. This kind of keyboard-driven movement system would:

  • Greatly speed up reordering,
  • Reduce friction for power users,
  • And allow for much more fluid mindmap creation.
5
5 votes

Open for voting · Last Updated

Comments

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  • Emily
    Emily EN Pro Posts: 132 Star Contributor

    Upvote +1 this is a great request and perfect for brainstorming

  • Miša Hennin
    Miša Hennin Admin, MeisterLobster, EN Business Posts: 1,688 Community Admin

    Hey Theo! Welcome to the Community 😄.

    Thanks for your idea and thorough explanation with screenshots. It's amazing when users share the detail on their feature request, otherwise we're left to do a lot of guess work.

    Plus, I totally agree with what you're suggesting. I think being able to use the keyboard to move things around your map would save time, increase efficiency and make the workflow smoother. It's similar to the other shortcuts we have which save time by removing the necessity to use the mouse. AND it's more precise, as you said! I've seen this most when working in AdobeXD. Whenever I move something by dragging it, it always ends up in the wrong places. Comparatively, with the arrow keys I can get things exactly where I want them bit by bit.

    So you've got my vote!

    P.S. Thanks so much for taking the time to make the screenshots.

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  • Sonny Cano
    Sonny Cano EN Basic Posts: 5 Beginner

    Why hardcode this by OS though?!?! Just fixed "issue" "system-wide" by adding MacOS shortcuts to ^c, ^x, ^v, etc. Works across all apps, even the browser EXCEPT when editing Mindmeister maps…

    Just either follow OS shortcuts/edits and/or allow US to edit them. I imagine this is also an issue for people who:

    1. Remote into MacOS from Windows/Linux
    2. Use non-Apple external Keyboards
    3. VMs

    Until this is availble/fixed - Is there a way to change URL to make Mindmeister think I'm on Windows/Linux?

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