The SmartAce version of HeadCase features a far richer set of properties for formatting components. It also has a Tools button on each properties tab with which one can show and hide the various formatting options to make best use of screen real-estate.
The properties for Branches include two extensible properties, called Shape and Recurve. The Shape property dictates the route the The properties for Branch follows, and includes Square, Stepped, Bezier and Straight shapes. The Recurve property makes decorative shapes which follow the curve of the Branch in the same way that Text does in HeadCase. This includes effects like zig-zags, railway track shapes, feathers and a DNA helix. These features are extensible, in that they can be added to over time and accept third-party additions. Source code for both sets of objects ship with SmartAce.
Beginner features a simplified set of properties for formatting components, and lacks the extensible features Shape and Recurve for Branches. Only four-point Bezier curve shapes are available, as in the example Mind Map above.