UI Overview
A comprehensive guide to the FrameCounsel interface, including panels, toolbars, keyboard shortcuts, and navigation.
UI Overview#
FrameCounsel's interface is organized around a multi-panel workspace designed for forensic video analysis. Every element is accessible via keyboard shortcuts, and the layout can be customized to fit your workflow. This guide covers each major area of the application.
Main Window Layout#
The FrameCounsel workspace is divided into four primary regions:
- Toolbar (top) - Case management, import, analysis controls, and search
- Evidence Panel (left sidebar) - File browser, evidence list, and case metadata
- Workspace (center) - Video player, transcript, and analysis views
- Inspector (right sidebar) - Properties, findings, and annotation tools
You can resize any panel by dragging its border. Double-click a border to reset it to the default width. Toggle panel visibility using the View menu or keyboard shortcuts.
Toolbar#
The toolbar provides quick access to the most common operations:
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Case | Cmd + N | Create a new case project |
| Open Case | Cmd + O | Open an existing case |
| Import Evidence | Cmd + I | Import video, audio, or documents |
| Run Analysis | Cmd + R | Start the analysis pipeline |
| Export Report | Cmd + E | Generate a formatted report |
| Search | Cmd + F | Search transcripts and findings |
Evidence Panel#
The left sidebar organizes all imported files for the active case. Evidence is grouped by type:
- Video - Body camera footage, surveillance recordings, cell phone video
- Audio - 911 calls, radio transmissions, interview recordings
- Documents - Police reports, witness statements, court filings
Each evidence item shows a thumbnail, filename, duration (for media), import date, and integrity status. Right-click any item to access properties, re-analyze, or remove from the case.
Quick Navigation
Press through to jump between evidence categories. Press to show all evidence.
Video Player#
The center workspace features a forensic-grade video player with capabilities beyond standard media players:
Playback Controls#
- Frame-by-frame navigation using the left and right arrow keys
- Variable speed playback from 0.1x to 8x using and
- Timestamp overlay showing absolute time, relative time, and frame number
- Zoom and pan for examining specific regions of the frame at full resolution
Analysis Overlays#
When analysis is complete, you can toggle visual overlays on the video:
- Face Detection Boxes - Colored rectangles around detected faces with tracking IDs
- Object Markers - Highlighted objects of interest (weapons, vehicles, evidence items)
- Motion Trails - Path visualization for tracked subjects across frames
- Audio Waveform - Synchronized audio waveform below the video timeline
Toggle overlays using the buttons in the player toolbar or press to cycle through overlay modes.
Transcript Panel#
The transcript panel displays the full speech-to-text output synchronized with the video. Key features include:
- Speaker Labels - Each speaker is identified and color-coded
- Confidence Indicators - Words with low transcription confidence are highlighted in amber
- Click-to-Seek - Click any word to jump the video to that exact timestamp
- Inline Editing - Click to correct transcription errors without leaving the panel
- Search - Full-text search across the transcript with
Inspector Panel#
The right sidebar displays context-sensitive information about the current selection:
Properties Tab#
Shows metadata for the selected evidence file, including codec information, resolution, frame rate, duration, and chain of custody details.
Findings Tab#
Lists all analysis findings for the current evidence, filterable by severity and type. Each finding links to a specific timestamp and transcript excerpt.
Notes Tab#
Your personal annotations, bookmarks, and case notes. Notes are timestamped and can be linked to specific moments in the video.
Keyboard-Driven Workflow
Nearly every action in FrameCounsel has a keyboard shortcut. Press at any time to open the keyboard shortcut reference overlay.
Customizing the Layout#
FrameCounsel supports multiple layout presets accessible from View > Layout:
- Standard - All four panels visible (default)
- Focus - Video player and transcript only, maximized
- Review - Side-by-side video comparison for multi-camera cases
- Report - Document view with findings panel for report preparation
You can also save custom layouts through View > Save Layout for quick switching between different analysis phases.
Next Steps#
Explore the Core Features documentation to learn about FrameCounsel's advanced video analysis, transcription, and report comparison capabilities.