NeuronGrow - AI-Powered Mind Mapping

Welcome to NeuronGrow, an innovative, interactive web application that leverages AI to generate dynamic mind maps for any topic. With a sleek interface, dark/light theme support, and features like history saving, exporting, and undo functionality, NeuronGrow helps users visualize and explore ideas effortlessly.

Overview

NeuronGrow is a frontend web app built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, paired with a secure backend (Node.js/Express) for AI-powered subtopic generation. Users can input any topic, create a mind map with AI-generated subnodes, save their work, export it as a PDF or image, and undo changes. The app supports both light and dark themes for an optimal user experience.

Features

• AI-Powered Mind Mapping: Generate subtopics for any node using a secure backend API (e.g., OpenAI integration).
• Dark/Light Theme: Toggle between light and dark themes for better visibility and user preference.
• Save History: Save and load mind map history locally using browser storage.
• Export Options: Export the mind map as a PDF or PNG image for sharing or documentation.
• Undo Support: Revert changes with an undo feature to maintain flexibility during mapping.
• Interactive Interface: Click any node to generate AI-powered subtopics, with smooth animations and connections.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (for the backend, if used): Ensure Node.js (v14 or higher) is installed.
• Web Browser: Any modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) for the frontend.

Frontend Setup

1. Clone or download this repository to your local machine:

   git clone https://github.com/makalin/NeuronGrow.git
   cd NeuronGrow

2. Open the index.html file in a web browser or serve it locally using a simple HTTP server:

   • Using Python (if installed):

     python -m http.server 5500

     Then visit http://localhost:5500 in your browser.
   • Alternatively, use VS Code’s Live Server extension or any other local server.

Backend Setup (Optional, for AI Subtopics)

1. Navigate to the backend directory (create a server folder if not already present):

   cd server

2. Install Node.js dependencies:

   npm init -y
   npm install express cors dotenv axios express-rate-limit jsonwebtoken

3. Create a .env file in the server directory with the following:

   PORT=3000
   JWT_SECRET=your-secure-jwt-secret
   OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key
   

4. Obtain an OpenAI API key from OpenAI and replace your-openai-api-key in the .env file.

5. Start the backend server:

   node server.js

   Ensure the server runs on http://localhost:3000 (or update the frontend fetch URL in index.html if using a different port or domain).

Usage

1. Open index.html in a web browser.
2. Enter a topic (e.g., "Technology") in the input field and press Enter to generate an initial mind map.
3. Click any node to generate AI-powered subtopics (requires the backend to be running).
4. Use the control buttons to:
   • Toggle between light and dark themes.
   • Save the current mind map history.
   • Load a previously saved mind map.
   • Export the mind map as a PDF or PNG image.
   • Undo recent changes.
5. Interact with the mind map to explore and expand ideas dynamically.

Dependencies

Frontend

• html2canvas (via CDN): For capturing the mind map as an image for export.
• jspdf (via CDN): For generating PDFs from the mind map.

Backend (Optional)

• Express: Web framework for Node.js.
• Cors: Cross-Origin Resource Sharing middleware.
• Dotenv: Loads environment variables from .env.
• Axios: HTTP client for API requests (e.g., to OpenAI).
• Express-Rate-Limit: Limits request rates to prevent abuse.
• Jsonwebtoken: For secure JWT authentication.

Configuration

• Ensure the backend API URL in index.html (http://localhost:3000/api/subtopics) matches your backend server’s address.
• Update the .env file with your JWT secret and OpenAI API key for secure backend operation.

Contributing

We welcome contributions to NeuronGrow! Here’s how you can help:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix:

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

3. Make your changes and commit them:

   git commit -m "Add your commit message"

4. Push to the branch:

   git push origin feature/your-feature-name

5. Open a pull request on GitHub, describing your changes and their purpose.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Feel free to open issues or reach out for collaboration on enhancing NeuronGrow!