Refbox

About Refbox

For creative professionals, the biggest enemy of productivity isn't a lack of skill—it's constant context switching. The endless cycle of alt-tabbing between a design app and a folder of reference images, a browser tab with a tutorial, and a note-taking app for ideas shatters focus and kills momentum. This fragmented workflow is the core problem Refbox was built to solve. Refbox is a powerful, floating reference manager designed to keep all your essential inspiration and resources visible and accessible right on top of your workspace. It transforms your desktop into a dynamic, organized canvas for your creative process.

The app allows you to pin images, GIFs, videos, notes, and web links into always-on-top, resizable frames that float above any other application. Whether you're sketching in Photoshop, modeling in Blender, animating in After Effects, or designing in Figma, your references stay in your line of sight, eliminating the need to constantly minimize your work. You can gather media from the web, your computer, or directly from your clipboard into a central sidebar. From there, view everything in a Masonry grid, drag individual items out as independent floating windows, or use a full-screen gallery on a second monitor. With features like frame-by-frame GIF scrubbing, markdown-enabled notes, and instant collection swapping, Refbox is the essential companion for any 3D artist, illustrator, UI/UX designer, animator, or photographer who demands a seamless, focused, and efficient workflow.

Features of Refbox

Always-on-Top Floating Frames

The cornerstone of Refbox's utility is its ability to pin any reference—images, videos, GIFs, or notes—in resizable, transparent windows that stay visible above all other applications. This means you can position a character pose, color palette, or storyboard directly beside your canvas in Photoshop or Blender. You can lock these frames in place, minimize them temporarily, or set them to auto-hide, giving you complete control over your screen real estate and ensuring your primary app remains accessible while your inspiration stays within reach.

Multi-Source Media Collection & Organization

Refbox eliminates the hassle of managing references across different locations. You can instantly add content by dragging and dropping from your computer, pasting image URLs or files from your clipboard, or even capturing website screenshots by pasting a link. All collected media is organized within the main sidebar. You can create multiple, distinct collections (e.g., "Character Design," "UI Inspiration," "Color Studies") and swap between them instantly with a single click, keeping projects neatly separated and your workspace clutter-free.

Advanced Media Interaction Tools

Refbox goes beyond simple image viewing with powerful tools tailored for detailed creative work. For animators and motion designers, the frame-by-frame playback and scrubbing controls for GIFs and videos are indispensable. For pixel artists, a dedicated pixel rendering mode ensures crisp, non-blurry viewing. You can crop images to focus on specific details, use a built-in color picker on any media to copy hex codes, and view SVG files directly. These thoughtful features save countless trips to other specialized apps.

Integrated Markdown Notes & Bookmarks

Creative workflows often involve written instructions, task lists, and links to resources. Instead of juggling a separate note-taking app, Refbox lets you create floating notes with full markdown support. You can write ideas, create checklists, or jot down client feedback in a note that stays pinned to your desktop. Similarly, you can save clickable web links as bookmarks to tutorials, articles, or mood boards, keeping every piece of textual and link-based reference integrated directly into your visual workspace.

Use Cases of Refbox

Digital Illustration & Concept Art

Illustrators and concept artists constantly need to reference anatomy, lighting, environments, and color palettes. With Refbox, they can gather dozens of inspiration images into a collection, then drag key references out as floating frames around their drawing canvas in Clip Studio Paint or Procreate. The ability to zoom, pan, and compare references without ever leaving their art app streamlines the study and execution phase, leading to faster, more accurate artwork.

3D Modeling & Animation

3D artists working in software like Blender or Maya require precise visual guides for modeling, texturing, and rigging. Refbox allows them to pin orthographic reference sheets, texture photos, and animation keyframe poses as always-on-top windows. They can scrub through video reference frame-by-frame to capture subtle movement, and use notes to keep track of modeling specifications or animation timelines, all while maintaining an unbroken viewport workflow.

UI/UX & Web Design

Designers crafting interfaces in Figma or Sketch need to reference design systems, competitor layouts, and inspiration from sites like Dribbble. Refbox enables them to take screenshots of live websites or save links as bookmarks, then float those references alongside their design file. They can create collections for different projects or client brands, and use the markdown notes to hold user stories, feature lists, or feedback, keeping the entire design context visible and organized.

Motion Graphics & Video Editing

Motion designers and video editors using After Effects or Premiere Pro work with storyboards, style frames, and video clips. Refbox's video playback controls let them analyze motion timing and effects by scrubbing through reference videos. They can pin a storyboard sequence in floating frames for shot-by-shot guidance and keep a note with edit decision lists (EDLs) or client revision points visible at all times, preventing costly mistakes and rework.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Refbox handle performance with many floating references?

Refbox is engineered to be lightweight and efficient. It uses optimized rendering to ensure that having multiple floating frames, even with videos or GIFs, has a minimal impact on system performance. You can control this further by minimizing frames you aren't currently using or utilizing the auto-hide feature for the main sidebar. The app is designed to be a helpful companion, not a resource hog, so you can maintain smooth performance in your primary creative software.

Can I use Refbox with a dual-monitor setup?

Absolutely. Refbox excels in multi-monitor environments. A common workflow is to use the main Refbox sidebar on your primary monitor for organization and to drag out specific references, while using the full-screen Gallery Mode on a second monitor to display an entire collection of images or a slideshow. This gives you a massive, dedicated space for all your visual inspiration without consuming any screen real estate on your main working display.

Is my data stored locally or in the cloud?

Refbox prioritizes speed, privacy, and offline access by storing all your collections, media files, and notes locally on your computer. Your references are instantly available and not dependent on an internet connection or cloud sync delays. This also means your proprietary work and inspiration remain completely private and under your control, which is crucial for many professional creatives.

What are the system requirements and is there a free trial?

Refbox is currently available for macOS. You can download a full-featured free trial directly from the Refbox website to test it in your own workflow without any limitations. The trial allows you to evaluate all core features, including floating frames, collections, and media tools, to see how it integrates with your creative process before making a purchase decision.