Frames

Frames are movable canvases for working with Assets that float above your workspace.

Frames let you create a copy of a Box Asset that floats independently on your Desktop and remains above all your other apps. You can navigate around each Frame (zoom, pan, rotate...) without affecting the Asset in your Box. You can create multiple Frames from the same Asset to view it at different zoom levels or transformations.

Frames on workspace Multiple Frames open on a workspace

Deleting a Frame does NOT delete the Asset in the Box.

Creating Frames

Drag from Box

The most common way to create a Frame:

Click and drag an Asset from the Box sidebar
Drop it onto the workspace area
A Frame opens displaying the Asset

Creating a Frame Dragging an Asset to create a Frame

From Group Context Menu

You can also create Frames from Assets within a Group:

Right-click an Asset in a Group Frame
Select Create Frame from the context menu

Multiple Frames

You can create multiple Frames from the same Asset. This is useful for:

Viewing different zoom levels side-by-side
Comparing the same image with different transformations
Referencing multiple details from one source

Focus, Move, and Resize

Focus a Frame

Click any Frame to focus it. The focused Frame receives keyboard input.

Multi-Select

Hold Shift and click additional Frames to select multiple at once.

Move a Frame

Click and drag the Frame body to move it (don't hold Space).

Resize a Frame

Drag the edges or corners to resize. Hold Shift to maintain aspect ratio (or change default behavior in Settings).

Minimize/Restore

Click the minus (−) button in the top-right to minimize. Click the plus (+) to restore.

Close a Frame

Click the X button in the top-right, or press Delete when focused.

Frame controls Frame window controls in the top-right corner

Common Frame Controls

These controls work across most Frame types. Most interactions have mouse and keyboard alternatives for trackpads and tablets.

Pan

Space Drag Wheel Drag to pan around inside a Frame.

Zoom

Wheel Z Drag to zoom in and out. Behavior depends on your Frame scroll setting.

Rotate

R Drag to rotate the Frame content.

Rotate Snap

Hold Shift while rotating to snap to 15° increments.

Opacity

Adjust Opacity

T Drag to change Frame opacity.

Opacity Snap

Hold Shift while adjusting to snap to 10% increments.

Other Common Actions

Flip Horizontal

Press Shift H to flip the content horizontally.

Flip Vertical

Press Shift V to flip the content vertically.

Grayscale

Press ⌃ G to toggle grayscale mode.

Color Picker

Press ⌃ I to activate the color picker tool.

Copy Image

Press ⌃ C to copy the current Asset to your clipboard.

Save Media

Press ⌃ S to save the Asset to your computer.

Reset View

Double-click the Frame OR press ⌃ R to reset all transformations.

Lock Frame

Press ⌃ L to lock the Frame, preventing accidental changes.

Locked Frames cannot receive mouse or keyboard input. Unlock all Frames via the Toolbar.

Frame transformations Rotating, flipping, and adjusting opacity

All Frame transformations are non-destructive. They only affect how you view the Asset in the Frame, not the original file.

Frame Context Menu

Right-click any Frame to access quick actions. Available options vary by Frame type. Common actions include:

Opacity, rotation, flip, grayscale controls
Copy, Save As
Lock, Reset, Close
Type-specific options (see individual Frame type pages)

Right-click context menu for a Frame

Frame Types

Refbox supports different Frame types for different Asset types, each with specialized controls:

Image Frames

Static images and animated GIFs with crop, rendering modes, and playback controls.

Video Frames

Video playback with timeline, volume, and speed controls.

Text Frames

Rich text editing with formatting toolbar and link support.

Audio Frames

Audio playback with waveform visualization and loop controls.

3D Frames

3D model viewing with orbit, zoom, turntable, and background options.

Group Frames

Multiple Assets in a single Frame with layout modes and reordering.

Quick Swap Frames

Focus a Frame and use the left or right arrow keys to swap it out for the next Asset in your Box (automatically skipping Note Frames).

Customize how Frames behave in the Settings panel:

Frame scroll behavior: Choose whether the wheel zooms or scrolls by default
Scaling: Free or Fixed (hold Shift for opposite behavior)
Media corners: Adjust frame border rounding
Zoom/Scroll sensitivity: Control zoom and scroll strength

Tips and Best Practices

Create multiple Frames from the same Asset to view different details simultaneously.

Lower a Frame's opacity and lock it to use it as a tracing/modeling guide.

Use Reset (double-click or ⌃ R ) to quickly return a Frame to its default state after experimenting with transformations.

Multi-select Frames with Shift + click to move or manipulate multiple Frames at once.

Gallery View

Browse all your Assets in a full-screen view.

Image

View and navigate around static images and animated GIFs in Frames.