Full-Screen Lightbox (Images and Video)
Click any picture thumbnail to open the lightbox — a full-screen viewer for inspecting images and videos, navigating the case filmstrip, and (when permitted) annotating or editing pictures.
Opening the lightbox
- Click a thumbnail image (when not in selection mode)
- Use Previous / Next chevrons or keyboard arrows to move between pictures
- The filmstrip at the bottom shows other pictures in the case; toggle it open or closed from the footer bar
Authenticated users on desktop open the Lightbox editor with annotation tools. Guests and narrow layouts may see a simplified viewer with zoom and download only.
Toolbar (images)
When you have edit permission and the picture is not a video, the top toolbar includes:
| Control | Action |
|---|---|
| Zoom in / out | Magnify the image |
| Fit to screen | Reset zoom and pan |
| Rotate left / right | Rotate 90° steps |
| Rectangle / Circle / Arrow | Draw annotation shapes |
| Undo | Remove the last shape |
| Download | Save the current picture |
| Delete | Remove the picture (when allowed) |
| Details | Open or close the side panel |
Details panel
The details panel on the right shows picture metadata and editable fields:
- Capture date and creator
- Notes — add or remove predefined notes
- Comment — edit the remark (up to 50 characters)
- Post / Hide — workflow flags when your role allows
Toggle the panel with the Details button in the toolbar. Edits in the panel can be saved together with annotation changes when you close the lightbox.
See also Picture notes, comments, and geo tags for the same fields on thumbnails and in the picture edit modal.
Video pictures
When the current item is a video (.mp4, .mov, .webm):
- The lightbox plays the video with standard play / pause / seek controls
- Annotation and rotate tools are hidden for video
- You can still use the filmstrip, details panel (when available), and download
- Grab frame (when permitted) captures the current frame as a new picture in the case
Saving edits
If you draw annotations or change brightness/contrast, closing the lightbox prompts to save or discard unsaved changes. Metadata edits from the details panel follow the same save flow.
Picture edit modal vs lightbox
| Picture edit modal | Lightbox | |
|---|---|---|
| Open from | Edit button on thumbnail hover | Click thumbnail image |
| Best for | Quick note/comment/status changes | Full-size review, annotations, navigation |
| Annotations | No | Yes (images only) |
Keyboard and accessibility
- Escape — close the lightbox (may prompt if unsaved edits exist)
- Arrow keys — previous / next picture when focus is in the viewer
- Screen reader announcements for the current picture index (
1 of N)
Related topics
- Picture metadata on thumbnails
- Case actions — selection, bulk send, and case menu
- Sharing cases — guest links use a read-only viewer