Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Comprehensive guide to all keyboard shortcuts available in Shoebox.

Main Window Navigation

Help & Documentation

• F1: Open documentation website

Moving Through Your Archive

• ↓ Arrow Down: Next item in navigation list (shows preview)
• ↑ Arrow Up: Previous item in navigation list (shows preview)
• Page Down: Jump forward 15 items
• Page Up: Jump backward 15 items
• Home: Jump to first item
• End: Jump to last item

Mouse Navigation

Hover your mouse over any item in the navigation list (left side) to instantly preview it without changing selection. Click to select and view full details.

TIP

Use Ctrl+Shift+P/A/V keyboard shortcuts or the checkboxes at the top of the window to filter by media type. Use the Sort dropdown to change sort order.

Filter Toggles

• Ctrl+Shift+P: Toggle Photos filter
• Ctrl+Shift+A: Toggle Audio filter
• Ctrl+Shift+V: Toggle Video filter
• Ctrl+Shift+L: Toggle Limit to Collection filter
• Ctrl+Shift+F: Toggle Face Tags display

Slideshow Mode (Photo Frame)

Transform Shoebox into a digital photo frame for displaying your archive.

Starting & Stopping

• Space: Start/Stop slideshow
  • Automatically enters photo frame mode
  • Hides navigation column and header
  • Shows photos only (skips audio/video)
  • Default: 5 seconds per photo

Speed Control

• ← Left Arrow: Decrease slideshow speed by 1 second (slower = longer per photo, min: 1s, max: 30s)
• → Right Arrow: Increase slideshow speed by 1 second (faster = shorter per photo, min: 1s, max: 30s)

Navigation Mode

• Backspace: Reverse direction (forward ⇄ backward)
• Ctrl+Shift+R: Toggle Random/Sequential mode
  • Random: Randomly selects next photo (avoids repetition)
  • Sequential: Follows current sort order

Exit

• Escape: Exit photo frame mode (stops slideshow)
• ↑ Up / ↓ Down: Stop slideshow and resume manual navigation

Visual Indicators

The slideshow shows an overlay with current status:

• ▶: Playing forward
• ◀: Playing backward
• 🔀: Random mode active
• ⏸: Paused (window lost focus)
• Speed: Current interval (e.g., "5s")

Auto-Pause

Slideshow automatically pauses when the window loses focus and resumes when you return.

Metadata Display

Your metadata display mode (shortened/detailed) persists throughout the slideshow. Set it before starting for the best experience.

Platform Differences

Cmd vs Ctrl

• macOS: Use Command (⌘) key
• Windows/Linux: Use Ctrl key

Fullscreen Toggle

• macOS: Cmd + Ctrl + F
• Windows/Linux: F11

Menu Shortcuts

File Menu

• Cmd/Ctrl + Q: Quit Shoebox

View Menu

• Cmd/Ctrl + R: Reload window
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + I: Toggle Developer Tools
• Cmd/Ctrl + 0: Reset Zoom
• Cmd/Ctrl + =: Zoom In
• Cmd/Ctrl + -: Zoom Out
• F11 (Win/Linux) or Cmd + Ctrl + F (Mac): Toggle Fullscreen

Window Menu

• Cmd/Ctrl + M: Minimize window
• Cmd/Ctrl + W: Close window

Help Menu

• F1: Open documentation website

TIP

Press F1 anytime in the main window to quickly access this documentation online.

Note About Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts only work when the main window is focused. They won't work when typing in input fields or dropdowns.

Menu Access Keys (Windows/Linux)

Use the Alt key + underlined letter to access menus:

• Alt + F: File menu
• Alt + R: Archive menu
• Alt + C: Collections menu
• Alt + V: View menu
• Alt + W: Window menu
• Alt + H: Help menu

Within menus, use the underlined letter to select items:

File Menu:

• A: Choose Accessions.json file

Archive Menu:

• A: Add Media Metadata
• V: Validate
• B: Backup Archive
• P: Person Manager
• E: Edit Media

Collections Menu:

• C: Create Collection
• D: Delete Collection
• U: Update Collection
• A: Validate Collection
• B: Backup All Collections
• X: Export Collection (only visible when collection is active)

Window Menu:

• T: Family Tree

Tips for Efficient Navigation

1. Quick Filtering: Press Ctrl+Shift+P (photos only) or use checkboxes, then Space to start slideshow
2. Speed Browsing: Use Page Down/Up to quickly scan through large archives
3. Person Sort: When sorting by person, people appear under all their last names (maiden and married) - perfect for finding anyone regardless of how they're known
4. Targeted Search: Use the sort dropdown to organize by person, date, location, etc.
5. Random Discovery: Start slideshow (Space), enable random mode (Ctrl+Shift+R), and explore your archive serendipitously

Customization

Currently, keyboard shortcuts are not user-configurable. If you have suggestions for new shortcuts or remapping, please open an issue on GitHub.