It’s been a while since our last update to our site or software. So let’s do both at once. Let me introduce you first to our new site and then to the new version of Argunet Editor.
Relaunch
We decided to simplify things: one page for the editor, one for our upcoming browser widget and one for our new blog. This will make it easier for you to find what you are looking for. And it will make it easier for us to maintain the site. Did I say “new blog”?
Yes, a brand-new blog!
While we were busy deploying Argunet in exciting new projects and trying out unreleased cool features, this site lay dormant for years. With this new blog we want to change that. Next week we will begin to post regularly about everything related to Argunet, argument maps and argumentation theory in general. So watch out for new posts!
Fine, but where are my argument maps?
Now to the bad news: We will no longer support publishing argument maps on our site. First of all, this was never a feature that was really used that much by our users. And secondly it made it hart to update and change this site according to our needs (one of the reasons we didn’t do it for years).
Don’t be mad at us. We didn’t delete your debates on the Argunet server. You can edit, download or export them with Argunet Editor. And we still want to help you publishing your own argument maps on the web. We only think there are much better ways to do this…
Announcing Argunet Browser
Wouldn’t it be nice if it were as easy to embed your argument maps into your own webpage as it is with a youtube video? We thought so as well. In the last months we worked hard on a first version of an Argunet Browser widget that you can use wherever you want. It will only take three steps: 1) Export your argument map from Argunet Editor into an xml file, 2) upload the file to your webspace and 3) embed Argunet Browser in your page. That’s it.
So, where is it? It’s practically ready to be released. Just wait for a week or two… (or take a peak at a first screenshot.)
Release of Argunet Editor 2.0
And there are even more good news: Argunet Editor has gotten a facelift as well! And it looks not only better than ever, it comes with some handy new features as well! Download Argunet 2.0 now.
Features
- Argunet files: Local debates are now managed via local argunet files (.arg). You can now backup, copy and share debates as easily as other files (you can even share them via Dropbox).
- Compatibility: Old debates will be imported the first time you start Argunet 2.0. Please note that the server has been updated and is now incompatible with older versions of Argunet. If you want to work online, please update your client!
- Restore: If Argunet should crash during your work, it will restore your debates on restart.
- Automatic Layout: Argunet has now a build in layouter (ColumnBasedLayouter) which automatically layouts argument maps. For even better layout results we recommend that you also install the new YFiles Layouter plugin. Because Argunet is open-source and the layout plugin is based on proprietary code, Argunet cannot come shipped with it. But if you don’t want to miss out on Argunet’s coolest new feature, you should really check it out.
- Plugins: It is possible to install Argunet-Plugins. Currently the followings plugins are available:
- YFiles Hierarchical Graphlayouter: An advanced layouter to automatically layout an argument-map.
- Argunet Graphexporter: This plugin enables you to export an argument map into different file-formats (such as pdf, jpg, svg and graphml). Using the graphml-format argument-maps can now be edited in other graph-editings tools, such as yEd Graph Editor or embeded into webpages via the Argunet-Browser.
Fixes
- Copying of colors and groups between debates.
- Key-binding bugs.
Known Issues
- If you use the new layout algorithms they will insert bended arrows into your map. Currently, it is not possible to edit bendpoints or copy and paste them between argument-maps in a debate or between different debates. Instead, just klick again on “layout” after changing your map.
That’s it for now. Please let us know what you think of our rebirth.
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