FrameRef's canvas is where everything happens. It's fully interactive, infinite, and designed to keep your workflow fast and intuitive. Whether you're organizing images, videos, or groups, all objects share a consistent set of controls and behaviors.
General controls
Section titled “General controls”Regardless of the object type (image, video, PDF, shape, or group), some controls work exactly the same. Once you have one or several objects selected, they can be:
- Moved by dragging them with the left mouse button.
- Scaled by dragging their borders with the left mouse button.
- Rotated by moving the image corners.
- Snapped and aligned with other objects by dragging while holding Shift.
- Grouped for organization by pressing Ctrl + G.
- Arranged for order and layering by pressing 5.
All objects also share these abilities:
- Focus on an object by pressing Space or double-clicking with the left mouse button. Press Space or double-click again to return to the previous view.
- Local pan/zoom with Alt + scroll, then Alt + middle mouse button to pan the selection.
- Duplicate an object by holding Alt and dragging with the left mouse button.
- Add or remove tags to make objects searchable in the search bar.
- Give a rating from 0–5, which affects their sorting in search results.
The infinite canvas
Section titled “The infinite canvas”The FrameRef canvas gives you unlimited space to organize your references in any layout you want. You can move freely, zoom smoothly, and arrange content without ever running out of room.
- Pan — Middle mouse button drag.
- Zoom — Scroll wheel or trackpad pinch.
- Focus — Select an object and press Space to center it (you can also double-click an object).
Layers & depth
Section titled “Layers & depth”Objects in FrameRef exist on layers, allowing you to manage overlapping references or separate different categories of work.
- If you have overlapping objects, clicking an object brings it to the front temporarily. This behavior can be disabled in the preferences.
- Bring objects forward with Bring to Front or send them backward with Put to Back. These are available in the selection menu.
Organization actions
Section titled “Organization actions”When boards grow large, staying organized becomes essential. FrameRef includes tools that make it easy to find, sort, and structure your references:
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Groups | Ctrl + G | Combine related objects for easier navigation. |
| Arrange | 5 | Select X objects and place them neatly together. |
| Tags | — | Select an object and click the tag icon to label content for quick searching. |
| Ratings | — | Select an object and click the star icon to highlight your best references and affect search order. |
| Search | Ctrl + F | Instantly locate tagged items (and all actions in FrameRef). |
Smart alignment
Section titled “Smart alignment”FrameRef helps you align and distribute objects precisely, so your boards always look clean and structured.
- Snap objects to the edges of nearby objects.
- Hold Shift to temporarily enable or disable snapping.
- Use quick alignment options (Left / Right / Center / Top / Bottom) from the selection menu.
- Automatic grid snapping — Once you move an object, it automatically snaps to the invisible grid. The grid size can be controlled in the preferences.
- Resize snapping — Hold Shift while resizing an object to see guides for easy snapping.
Mind map edges
Section titled “Mind map edges”If you hover over any FrameRef item, you will see a blue dot appear. Drag from this dot to connect several items together.
The View menu
Section titled “The View menu”From the View menu at the top of FrameRef, you can find the following:
| Feature | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Undo History | Ctrl + Shift + Z |
| Always on Top Mode | Ctrl + Shift + A |
| Toggle Frameless | Ctrl + Shift + F |
| Full Screen Mode | F11 |
| Increase Opacity | Ctrl + Shift + ↑ |
| Decrease Opacity | Ctrl + Shift + ↓ |
| Scroll Opacity | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + scroll |
Next steps
Section titled “Next steps”Now that you know the basics of the canvas and navigation, it’s time to explore all the available actions in FrameRef.