Get Support for IdeaWeaver

At Logical Expressions, we're committed to supporting our products. Unlike many trialware products, IdeaWeaver comes with complete online help.

If you're just getting started, check out our Free Training Video page for step-by-step video tutorials.

If you are having questions or problems using IdeaWeaver, please email us. (Barring catastrophic events, we respond within 48 hours, but usually a lot sooner.)

If you have thoughts for improvements or additions to the program you'd like to see, please let us know that too. We'd love to hear from you!

On this page, you'll find:

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Release Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Two Key Points:

• IdeaWeaver is a stand-alone WINDOWS desktop software program and you don't need an Internet connection to use it.
• IdeaWeaver does NOT run natively on Macintoshes, so Mac users must have a Windows emulator to use it. We have no plans to release a Macintosh version. (See our System requirements page for more information.)

The FAQ

• The Difference Between Categories and Topics
• What is the .NET 2.0 Framework?
• Can I Get IdeaWeaver on CDROM?
• What do I do with the Zip file?
• How can I get a discount on the price of IdeaWeaver?
• Can I run IdeaWeaver on my desktop and my laptop, or do I need two licenses?
• How do I move projects from one computer to another?
• Is IdeaWeaver compatible with Vista?
• How do I create a heading in the outline?
• How do I assign ideas to a heading?
• How do I get the drop-down menu to appear when I'm working with headings?
• Can I change the font?
• After I register IdeaWeaver, will it erase files I created with the trial version?
• "Unable to complete requested operation" error message
• When I export to RTF, the file contains only headings and none of the text
• I have dial-up so downloading IdeaWeaver takes a long time. Can I buy the license and get the trial at the same time?
• Where is the Ideaweaver database located? I want to include it in my backups.
• Running IdeaWeaver under Windows 7

The Difference Between Categories and Topics

When working with categories and topics, it helps to understand that an idea can be associated with just ONE category, but many topics.

Categories are used to help you organize similar ideas. Categories help you organize what an idea is by its type, as opposed to topics, which help you organize what ideas are about by subject matter.

For example, an idea category in a novel might be Character, whereas, topics might include scenes where the character appears, such as Dark and Stormy Night.

What is the .NET 2.0 Framework?

For a thorough description of Microsoft .NET, you can go straight to the horse's mouth at Microsoft (see links below), but I'll give you the short version here.

In essence, .NET is a collection of program libraries that make it easier to develop software applications for Microsoft Windows. Microsoft designed .NET to replace older technologies that were developed for older operating systems. If you are in the business of developing new software applications for the latest Microsoft Windows operating system, .NET is the platform you use.

Logical Expressions chose .NET for IdeaWeaver because we want to give our customers software that is optimized to run on the latest Microsoft operating systems. Also, .NET gives us the development environment and tools we need to quickly deliver updates.

Microsoft is so committed to the .NET platform that it includes the framework as part of the latest Windows operating systems, specifically Windows XP and Windows 2003. However, the operating systems ship with version 1.1 and IdeaWeaver uses version 2.0. Windows Update makes it easy for customers with version 1.1 to upgrade to 2.0, so many already have.

But what if you don’t have the .NET 2.0 Framework on your computer?

When you install IdeaWeaver, it will automatically check your system to see if your computer has the .NET 2.0 Framework. If you need the framework, the setup program will automatically download it from Microsoft’s web site. On a broadband connection, the update happens quickly. However, if you have a dial-up connection, it may take a while to download the installation program, which is approximately 25MB in size.

Alternatively, Logical Expressions offers IdeaWeaver on CDROM. The CDROM includes the .NET 2.0 Framework, so you don’t need to download anything. You can order the CDROM from our web store:

http://shop.logicalexpressions.com/proddetail.asp?prod=SAPIDEAWVCDR001

Use the following links to the Microsoft web site to find more information about Microsoft .NET:

What is .NET?
http://www.microsoft.com/net/basics.mspx

Microsoft .NET Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.microsoft.com/net/basics_faq.mspx

Can I Get IdeaWeaver on CDROM?

The download versions of IdeaWeaver are fully functional, so the CDROM version does not have any features that you don’t also get in the download. However, if you use a dial-up connection, downloading IdeaWeaver and its prerequisites from the Internet might take longer than you are willing to wait.

The main thing the CDROM gives you is that it comes with the prerequisites you need right on the disk, so the setup program doesn’t have to download them from Microsoft’s web site. The prerequisites are the .NET 2.0 Framework and the Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC). The framework is about 23 MB and the MDAC is about 6 MB, which is a lot of stuff to download through a dial-up connection.

If you would like to get a CDROM of IdeaWeaver, you can purchase one for a small fee from the Logical Expressions web store. Use the link below to navigate directly to the product:

http://shop.logicalexpressions.com/proddetail.asp?prod=SAPIDEAWVCDR001

What do I do with the Zip file?

When you download IdeaWeaver from the IdeaWeaver web site (http://www.IdeaWeaverSoftware.com), you can choose zip or exe format. If you aren't sure what to do with the zip file, then you should consider getting the exe instead. Once you download the exe file, all you have to do is double-click it and it will run the IdeaWeaver setup program for you. If you prefer the zip format for some reason (some installations do not allow the download of exe files from the Internet), then read on.

First, what is a zip file? A zip file is a common file format used for delivering a package of files (also called an "archive"). The zip format does two main things for you: It lets you store multiple files and their folder structure in a single archive file for transport. It also compresses most files, making the final zip file much smaller in size than the sum of the individual files that went into it.

Windows XP and Windows 2003 have built-in support for the zip format. Microsoft calls it "compressed folders" or "zipped compressed folders." When you open a zip file, Windows makes it look like just another folder on your hard drive. You can then copy files out of the compressed folder to another location, effectively "extracting" the files from the archive.

If you use an older operating system that does not directly support the zip format, you can download utilities from the Internet that let you work with them. The most popular is WinZip (http://www.winzip.com), which you can download for free and use for an evaluation period at no charge. Whatever zip utility you end up using, the main thing you are after is the "extract" function.

Use your zip utility of choice to extract the files from the IdeaWeaver zip file and put them in a temporary folder. Any folder will do. You can safely delete all of the extracted files once the installation is complete. After you extract the files, double click the setup.exe file to run it. This setup program will check your system to make sure that you have the prerequisite software (namely the .NET 2.0 Framework and Microsoft Data Access Components) and then it will run the IdeaWeaver installation program. If prerequisites are missing, setup will attempt to download them from Microsoft's web site and install them for you.

How can I get a discount on the price of IdeaWeaver?

We offer discounts on IdeaWeaver for educational use and to specific affiliate organizations. If you are a student or educator at an accredited educational institution, then you are eligible for a 50% discount on IdeaWeaver. You can get a 25% discount if you are a member of one of our partner organizations, such as the Small Publishers Artists & Writers Network (http://www.spawn.org).

Can I run IdeaWeaver on my desktop and my laptop, or do I need two licenses?

Yes. IdeaWeaver is licensed to an individual, not a computer. That means you may install IdeaWeaver on your home desktop computer, your laptop, and even your work computer if you want to. However, you may not give your license key to anyone else for them to use.

These terms are spelled out in the End User License Agreement, which you must agree to during program installation. You can review the license agreement at any time by going to the IdeaWeaver program folder and reading the "IdeaWeaver EULA.rtf" file. By default, that folder is located here:

C:\Program Files\Logical Expressions\IdeaWeaver

How do I move projects from one computer to another?

The easiest way to move a project from one computer to another is to use the XML export/import feature. Here are the steps you should follow:

1. Export the project from the first computer (the one with the most recent changes to your project). To do this, open the project in IdeaWeaver and choose Project, Export to XML on the menu. IdeaWeaver will prompt you for a file name and location. By default, the file uses your project title as its name, and it's located in your "My Documents" folder.

2. Copy the XML file from the first computer to the second.

3. Open IdeaWeaver on the second computer, and from the IdeaWeaver Projects dialog, choose Project, Import from XML on the menu. IdeaWeaver will prompt you for the file location and then import the project.

If you go back and forth between computers, the machine you are copying "to" may already have the project loaded in it. When that happens, IdeaWeaver leaves the old copy of the project alone, imports the XML file as a new project, and appends a number to the end of the new project's title. If you want to just "replace" the old project, all you have to do is delete it before you import.

We recommend that you make changes to a project on only one computer at a time. If you modify the same project on two separate computers, there's no easy way to "merge" the differences.

Are there plans for Vista compatibility?

As far as I know, our current software has no compatibility issues with Vista. We are planning a new release for this summer that will be tested on Vista, but we don't have plans to add any Vista-specific features or anything that will require .NET 3.0 (or higher). At some point, we probably will get platform certified for Vista with Microsoft, as we did with XP.

How do I create a heading in the outline

In the Outline pane on the right, you right click the word "Headings."

A pop-up menu appears. Select one of the options as decribed below (from the Creating Outline Headings help section).

Insert Before: inserts a heading before the selected heading at the same heading level.

Insert After: inserts a heading after the selected heading at the same
heading level.

Insert Under: inserts a heading under the selected heading (the new heading is at the heading level below the selected one).

Or click in the Outline Pane. Then click the "Insert New Item Under the Selected Item" button on the toolbar. It's the only button that's available if you are in the Outline pane and you have no other headings.

A dialog box appears that says "Heading Detail." Type in your Heading Title and click Save. A new heading appears below "Headings" in the Outline pane.

How do I assign Ideas to headings?

The easiest way to assign an idea to a heading is to use drag-and-drop. Click on the idea (holding down the mouse button) and drag the idea to the appropriate heading. IdeaWeaver adds the idea under the heading.

If the heading already has ideas under it, you can drag the new idea to the heading itself or to one of the ideas under the heading. If you drop the idea on the heading, the idea becomes the first idea under that heading. If you drop the idea on another idea, the new idea is placed after the idea you dropped it on. You can also drag-and-drop your ideas from one place in the outline to another.

The other way to assign headings is to use the Assign Headings dialog. Click on the idea to select it, and then click the Headings tab down in the preview pane. Click the Edit Assignments button and you'll see the Assign Headings dialog, which displays a heading check list. To assign the idea to a particular heading, just put a check mark next to that heading. Uncheck to remove the assignment. If you have a large outline, this method can make it easier to see where an idea was used, as opposed to scrolling through the outline looking for it.

How do I get the drop-down menu to appear when I'm working with headings?

To use the drop-down menu in the heading list, first select (left-click) on the heading you want to work with. Once the correct heading is highlighted, then right-click to display the popup menu. Note that you can also use the buttons on the toolbar, once the heading is selected.

If you already have a few headings in your list and you still get no active items on the popup menu, it is probably because the top "Headings" node is the currently selected node. Once you add the first heading for your project, the "Headings" node is just a place-holder and doesn't do anything. You need to click on one of the headings you added.

If you are doing a lot of header work, you may be able to save yourself some time using the keyboard shortcuts. You can use the arrow keys to move around the headings and use the Insert key to do an "insert under" (handy if you are adding a lot of headings at the same level). You can use F2 to edit the currently selected heading, and the Delete key to remove it.

Can I change the font?

There is no way to change the default display font right now, but it is one of the items on our enhancements "wish list."

After I register IdeaWeaver, will it erase files I created with the trial version?

The answer is no. Even if you reinstall IdeaWeaver, you never lose your ideas. The database is untouched.

The license key just makes it possible for you to use it longer (beyond 30 days).

"Unable to complete requested operation" error message

If you get an the application error, send us the log file, so we can troubleshoot the problem. Assuming you installed IdeaWeaver in the default folder, look in:

C:\Program Files\Logical Expressions\IdeaWeaver

You should see a file named error.log (or just "error" if you don't have file extensions turned on).

Contact us and when you get a reply from us, you can attach the log file to the email, so the programmer can take a look. It's just a text file, so it's quite harmless, but it contains more detailed information so the programmer can see more about what is happening when you start up.

When I export to RTF, the file contains only a heading, and none of the text

On the export, are you dragging ideas over to the outline? IW only exports the information in the outline. So if you have no ideas in the outline, you won't get them in the export.

I have dial-up so downloading IdeaWeaver takes a long time. Can I buy the license and get the trial at the same time?

Actually, it's better if you try out IdeaWeaver first and make sure you really like it.

When you purchase a license, the license key is a tiny file (1 kb), so unlike the software itself, the key takes only seconds to download even on a slow connection. We send it through email, so there's no shipping. You probably won't even notice the file size, since it's so small ;-)

You can buy a trial copy of the CD for $7, which we mail out to you.
http://shop.logicalexpressions.com/proddetail.asp?prod=SAPIDEAWVCDR001

We know how it is to be on a slow connection. We used a 26.4 connection for years and still have to go back to it when the satellite internet has a problem.

Where is the Ideaweaver database located? I want to include it in my backups.

By default, it's stored in:
C:\Program Files\Logical Expressions\IdeaWeaver

If you are backing up the software in your Program Files folders and tell it to back up all the subfolders, you should be set.

Running IdeaWeaver under Windows 7

IdeaWeaver stores your project information in a Microsoft Access database. Starting with Windows 7, Microsoft no longer includes the drivers that IdeaWeaver needs to talk to this database. You can still use IdeaWeaver on a Windows 7 computer, but you must also download and install the free 2007 Office System Driver from Microsoft's Web site. Use the link below to visit the page you need. Just follow the instructions on the page to download and install the necessary components:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=7554F536-8C28-4598-9B72-EF94E038C891&displaylang=en

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Release Information

The current release of IdeaWeaver is 1.0.10.6. You can determine which version you are running by opening IdeaWeaver and noting the version number that scrolls onto the splash screen. If you miss it, you can choose Help, About on the IdeaWeaver menu to display the About dialog, which has the same information as the splash screen.

For details about bug fixes and enhancements, please refer to the Release Notes PDF document. You can click the link below, or if you have installed IdeaWeaver version 1.0.8 or higher, you can access the release notes through the IdeaWeaver folder of your program menu.

   Click here to view the Release Notes PDF

You need the Adobe Acrobat reader (or equivalent software) to view the PDF. The Acrobat Reader is a free download that is available from the Adobe site.

Revision History

1.0.10.6: This release included several new features, including XML import/export, additional keyboard support, and drag/drop editing of the outline. It also included a few minor bug fixes (see release notes for details).

1.0.9.2: This release included bug fixes reported by customers shortly after the release of 1.0.8.2. The new release was made available within 24 hours of the reports. Way to go dev and QA teams!

1.0.8.2: This release included bug fixes and minor feature enhancements requested by customers. The most significant enhancement synchronizes the ideas in the outline pane with the ideas in the workbook pane, making it possible for users to click or arrow through the ideas in the outline to verify the document's flow. As users click each idea in the outline, the workbook's preview area shows the corresponding idea text.

1.0.7.1: This version was the initial production release of IdeaWeaver made available to the public.