Boxes

Boxes are containers for your Assets. Each Box holds images, videos, GIFs, PDFs, 3D models, audio, links, and notes. Think of them as project folders that keep your reference materials organized and separated by context.

A Box displaying various asset types in the sidebar

Creating and Managing Boxes

Create a Box

The Add Box dialog with icon and name options

Switch Between Boxes

You can have multiple Boxes, but only one is active at a time. To switch Boxes:

1. Open the Boxes menu in the Toolbar
2. Select the Box you want to switch to

Edit a Box

To rename a Box or change its icon:

1. Open the Boxes menu
2. Find your Box in the list
3. Click the edit icon next to the Box name
4. Update the icon or name as needed

Delete a Box

1. Open the Boxes menu
2. Click the edit icon for the Box you want to delete
3. Click Delete Box
4. Confirm the deletion

Box Interactions

Refbox offers multiple ways to interact with Boxes, giving you flexibility to use whichever input method feels most comfortable. Most actions support both mouse and keyboard alternatives for trackpads and tablets.

Scrolling and Navigation

Different ways to navigate through a Box

Reordering Assets

Click and drag any Asset up or down within the Box to reorder your collection. Your custom order is preserved automatically.

Native File Drop

You can drag Assets from Refbox to your operating system:

1. Hold Shift
2. Drag an Asset from the Box
3. Drop it into a folder, application, or desktop

See the Native File Drop section on the Assets page for important details about how this works.

Dragging an Asset out to the file system

Asset Actions

Right-click any Asset in the Box to access quick actions like delete, copy, save, and move to another Box. See the Assets page for the full list of context menu options.

Exporting and Importing Boxes

Export Boxes

To back up or share Boxes:

1. Open the Boxes menu
2. Click the edit icon for the Box you want to export
3. Click Export Box
4. This opens the Export Boxes modal with the selected Box checked. From here you can select any other Boxes to be exported as well.
5. Click Export and choose a save location

This creates a .refbox file containing the Box and all its Assets.

Import Boxes

You can import Boxes from a .refbox file using any of these methods:

1. Drag and drop the .refbox file directly into your current Box
2. Click the "+" icon in the Toolbar and select the .refbox file
3. Open Settings, navigate to the Data tab, and click Import

Any of these methods will open the Import Box modal, which displays information about what you're importing. If any Box names overlap with your existing Boxes, you'll be given the option to:

• Override: Replace the existing Boxes that have conflicts
• Treat as Copy: Import the new Boxes alongside your existing ones

Import dialog with override and copy options

Box Display Settings

Refbox offers several settings to customize how Boxes appear and behave in your workspace.

Sidebar Position

Choose whether the Box appears on the Left or Right side of your screen:

• Flip Sides button: Enable in Settings > Toolbar, then click to toggle position
• Settings dropdown: Settings > Style > Box > Sidebar Position

Auto Hide Behavior

Enable Auto Hide to make the Box sidebar slide away when not in use. The sidebar reveals when you:

• Hover over the edge of the screen
• Click a movable "Reveal" button along the edge of the screen

Configure the reveal method in Settings to match your preferences.

Keep Toolbar Open

Enable Keep Toolbar Open if you frequently add Assets or switch between Boxes. This keeps the Toolbar visible at all times instead of only appearing on hover.

Box Width

You can resize the Box by clicking and dragging the resize handle between the sidebar and the Toolbar.

In Settings, you can control how width is remembered:

• Per-Box Width: Each Box remembers its own custom width
• Global Width: All Boxes share the same width when you switch between them

Visual Customization

Customizing Box appearance in Settings

Layout Modes

Standard Mode

The default Box layout displays Assets as a vertical list with thumbnails. This mode supports manual reordering by dragging Assets up and down.

Masonry Mode

Masonry mode arranges Assets in a dense, grid-like layout that maximizes space efficiency. This mode is ideal when you have many Assets and want to view a larger portion of your collection at once.

Switch between modes in the Box settings or Toolbar.

Comparison of Standard and Masonry Box layouts

Tips and Best Practices