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 1. MODULE 1: Getting Started 
 2. MODULE 2: Brainstorming to tas...  
 3. MODULE 3: Day-to-day Task Mana...  
 4. MODULE 4: Getting more out of ...  
 5. MODULE 5: Managing Complexity ...  
 6. MODULE 5: Automated task tree ...  
 7. Further Information 
4. MODULE 4: Getting more out of TPAssist
This module dives deeper into the capabilities with-in TPAssist for maximising your time and effort when managing your activities and tasks.
After completing this module, you be an expert at using TPAssist to capture and manage the goals, tasks and activities that are part of your world.
STEP 1: Adding Semi-Structured notes to your tasks
TPAssist's use of the Topic notes area has been designed around interoperability with Microsoft Outlook (tm) and portable versions of the mind maps.  Instead of using Rich Text to structure Topic notes, TPAssist uses very simplistic headers and dashed borders.  In this way, notes can be added and removed easily without the need for complex formatting, fonts or colours. 
For example, as illustrated below, the "Journal" section of the Topic notes is enclosed by a dashed border.
graphic
TPAssist also provides a means to add further semi-structured content to your Topic's notes area.  This facility is known as "In Notes Tags".
Let's look at using the In Notes Tags.
1) Select and right click on "Book Hire Car" and choose "TPAssist Topic".
2) If not already, choose the "Topic" tab.
3) Now choose the "In Notes Tags" button from the list of Builder Tools.
4) From the list of choices on the right- hand-side, choose "Project Notes".
5) In the text area type "Need care hire for 10 days."
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6) Now click OK.
7) Open the Topic notes
If the MindManager Topic Notes pane isn't already visible, open it on the toolbar (graphic) or by pressing Ctrl-T.
Notice now how the Topic Notes includes a dashed bordered area that includes the Project Notes.
graphic
The list of tags can be customised via the Documents tab in the TPAssist Console.
STEP 2: Use your notes and task context in another application
As you use TPAssist to capture and track your activities, you may wish to make use of the hierarchical structured created in your mind maps in notes in other applications (i.e. Outlook (tm) or OneNote (tm)).
TPAssist has two methods for capturing context, firstly the "CLIP" button will take the results of your journal entry and copy them to the clipboard.  And secondly, "Cut'n'paste Topic Context" tool in the Documents tab of the TPAssist Console will take the current topic tree path and insert it into the clipboard.
Let's explore the use the "Cut'n'paste Topic Context".
1) Select and right click on "Book Hire Car" and choose "TPAssist Topic".
2) Now change to the "Document" tab.
3) Click "Cut'n'paste Topic Context"
4) Open NOTEPAD, Microsoft Word or a new e-mail message in Outlook (tm) and choose "Paste" from the Edit menu.
The resulting text should look something like the following:
graphic
STEP 3: Working without Journals to manage tasks
In order to make use of the rich logging capability of TPAssist, it is advisable to always use the Journal component of the TPAssist Console to make changes priority, percent complete, start- date, due- date, resources and duration.  However, the ability to roll-up task status information works with out using the TPAssist Journal capability.
Let's explore making changes to task information using the MindManager tools.
1) Move down the mind map to the "Getting on the plane" sub main topic and select the "Book the airport taxi" topic.
2) Now choose the "Task Info" tab from Task Panes.
graphic (NOTE: In MindManager 7, choose Task Info button on the Home Ribbon Tab)
3) Now in the Task info, change the Priority to "Priority 3" and the Complete to 50%.
graphic
Observe how the priority icon and percent complete change on the "Book the airport taxi" topic, BUT NOT on the "Getting on the plane" sub main topic or central topic.  This is because when you use the Journal tab of the TPAssist Console, TPAssist automatically updates parent topics when any of these items change.
Let's manually force TPAssist up date the tree structure.
4) Right-click on the central topic and choose "TPAssist Tree Update".
graphic
Notice now how "Getting on the plane" has gone from Priority 4 (i.e. in Active) to Priority 3 (i.e. active).  Also you notice the percent complete has increased.
This technique works for all task properties and markers. Let's explore flags to illustrate this process.
5) Select "Pickup tickets & vouchers" and then pick Icon Markers on the toolbar and then choose the Red Flag.
graphic
Once more, you will notice the flag on "Getting on the Plane" stays Amber. 
6) Right-click on "Getting on the Plane" and choose "TPAssist Tree Update".
Observe how the flag on "Getting on the Plane" changes to Red whilst the central topic is still Amber.  This is because we choose to update the tree at a localised level. 
This process can be repeated anywhere on the map at any time.
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