Center Pane

When no document viewer occupies the center pane, it shows either the selected location’s Documents browsing overview or a Case section such as Issues or Legal Diary. This topic covers those views; see Document View for PDFs and images for reading and annotating an open document.

Return to the browsing overview

Select a Case, then its Documents section in the left pane. This returns to file browsing and closes the document views without deleting their files. Selecting a Case tile also opens that matter’s Documents overview.

The Case overview contains, from top to bottom:

1. Case tiles and left/right arrows.
2. Upload Docs/Images, its Upload to Case button, and the supported-file/working-copy notice.
3. The Documents heading, Rename, and the file list.

The overview automatically shifts its content upward as far as possible when shown, to reveal more file names. The tiles or upload controls may therefore be above the visible area. Scroll the outer overview back toward its top to reach them. Scroll inside the file list, or drag its scrollbar, to reach additional files; the list and the outer overview are separate scroll areas.

For library material, select Global Lib. or a subhead instead. That overview shows the selected library location and its upload/file controls, not the Case tiles. See Global Lib..

Screenshot placeholder: Center-pane Documents overview with Case tiles, upload notice, Rename, and file list; mark the outer overview and inner file-list scroll areas.

Case tiles

The first tile represents the active Case and has a highlighted border; an active/check indicator appears when space permits. The adjacent tile shows another Case. Use the left/right arrows to browse the other available matters, then click or tap that tile to select it. Moving an arrow changes the candidate tile; it does not switch the active matter until you select the tile. Arrows are disabled at the ends of the available choices.

Selecting a tile changes the active or browsing Case and its Documents list. It does not replace the receiving Canvas/PenPad by itself; the Canvas/PenPad already open in the right pane remains the Copy to Canvas destination until you explicitly open another Canvas/PenPad. On startup, the default or last active Case opens with its default or last-open Canvas/PenPad. Selecting the active tile returns to that matter’s Documents overview too.

The tile shows the matter name. Where space permits it also shows creation/matter details; compact tiles shorten long names and may hide those details. Use Available Cases in the left pane as another way to choose a matter.

When no other matter is available for the adjacent tile, it offers + New Case. If there is no Case yet, follow No Case yet and create one before uploading matter documents, or select Global Lib. for shared material.

Related topics: Create Case, Switch between Cases.

Screenshot placeholder: Active Case tile, another selectable tile, navigation arrows, and the New Case alternative.

Upload documents and images

1. Select the intended Case or library location. Check the active tile/location and upload button before proceeding.
2. Under Upload Docs/Images, choose Upload to Case, Upload to Global Lib., or the button naming the selected subhead.
3. Choose one or more supported files from the system picker. The upload summary names any unsupported or unreadable selections that were skipped.
4. If Document Already Exists appears, choose Overwrite Existing Doc only if replacement is intended, or Cancel Upload to keep the existing file.
5. Watch the upload result beneath the notice and the document’s processing status in the list.

The supported extensions are txt, text, md, markdown, rtf, odt, html, htm, eml, msg, ics, vcs, csv, docx, pdf, png, jpg, jpeg, tif, tiff, and webp. Audio recordings are made with Record audio, not this picker. The upload button is temporarily disabled while imports are running; cancelling the file picker adds nothing.

Text-like formats, including Markdown, RTF, ODT, HTML/HTM, EML/MSG email, ICS/VCS calendar, CSV, TXT/TEXT, and DOCX, open as searchable text previews after extraction. PDFs and images open on a page surface that supports page ink and area selection.

The notice explains that an internal working copy is stored in the app’s local vault. OCR/text extraction and cross-document semantic indexing continue in the background, so an uploaded file can appear before search or AI suggestions are ready. For large libraries the notice recommends keeping the app foregrounded and the device charging for 30 minutes to 1 hour; this is guidance, not a completion guarantee.

The upload follows the selected browsing location, not whichever canvas is visible on the right. See Upload documents, Processing status, and Library uploads.

Screenshot placeholder: Upload Docs/Images, destination button, supported-file/working-copy notice, and upload result or duplicate-file confirmation.

Documents list: select or open

The list combines documents, images, recordings, and Canvas/PenPad files belonging to the selected Case, library root, or subhead. These locations have separate lists. Items are ordered newest first by document import time or Canvas/PenPad update time, not alphabetically.

• Click or tap the file name/row to highlight that file and enable Rename. This selects the row; it does not open the file.
• Click or tap the action icon at the right end of the row to open it. The file-type icon on the left identifies the kind of file; it is not the open button.
• Open document opens a document/image in the viewer. From this browsing overview, the center pane is available for it.
• Open Canvas / Open PenPad opens that workspace file in the right pane and makes it the destination for subsequent Copy to Canvas actions.
• Play audio opens the recording in the in-app audio player.

This differs from the left-pane document browser, where clicking/tapping a document name opens it directly. See Open documents from the left pane.

Processing… after a document name means extraction/OCR is still pending or running; OCR failed means that processing failed. These labels do not appear on recordings or Canvas/PenPad files. Audio rows show their storage location; Canvas/PenPad rows show the workspace kind and file name below the title. Long names are shortened to fit; the Rename dialog lets you inspect the current name without saving a change.

The list height adapts to the available display space. Scroll within it for further rows; when necessary, its visible scrollbar can be dragged. No files yet means there are no items in that location. File removal is handled separately through Delete Items.

Screenshot placeholder: Highlighted file row, Rename button, file-type icon on the left, Open/Play action on the right, processing label, and file-list scrollbar.

Rename the selected file

1. Click or tap the file’s row/name in the center-pane list, without using its Open/Play button.
2. Select Rename above the list. It is disabled until a row is selected.
3. Edit File name, Audio name, Canvas name, or PenPad name, as appropriate.
4. Select Rename to save, or Cancel to leave the name unchanged. Check the Renamed to … message.

For documents and images, the original file extension is preserved; renaming is not a file-format conversion. The stored document identity and location remain the same. Canvas/PenPad names that conflict with an existing file of that kind are rejected. See Rename a file.

Screenshot placeholder: Rename dialog with the selected file’s existing name, Cancel, and Rename.

Recorded audio in the list

Use the left-pane microphone (Record audio / Rec audio) and check the destination in Record Audio? before selecting Record. Use the same microphone/stop control to finish and save.

• An active Case receives the recording.
• If Global Lib. or a subhead is active, the recording belongs to that selected library location.
• If no Case is available, Global Lib. is the default destination.

The destination is fixed when recording starts, even if you switch locations before stopping. Saved recordings, such as recorded_audio_1, appear in that destination’s center-pane Documents list. Use Play audio to listen, or select the row and Rename to give it a meaningful name. Recordings are not listed in the left-pane document browser.

See Record audio for recording indicators, playback controls, storage, and troubleshooting.

AI and saved section lists

To show entries here, select Issues, Legal Diary, Facts, Evidence, Tasks/To-dos, Drafts, Authorities, or Research under the active Case in the left pane. The selected section replaces the Documents overview with its header, action toolbar, and a scrollable entry list.

Selecting a document opens its viewer; it does not filter these section lists to that one document. Section entries belong to the selected Case and section. Their source labels identify the supporting documents. For an index of one document, use its left-pane Structure / AI Legal panel instead.

The list shows Saved first and Local AI Suggestions below it. Both groups share one scrolling area beneath the toolbar; scroll past Saved to reach pending suggestions. The toolbar remains above the list. Buttons can wrap onto additional rows in a narrow pane.

• User identifies an entry you added manually.
• Needs review identifies a pending AI suggestion.
• Local AI identifies an AI-origin entry in Saved. Some Drafts and Research entries are generated directly into Saved; this label does not mean you personally accepted or verified them.
• AI entries can show Confidence n%, available dates/due dates, and a source document/page. Confidence is a review aid, not a guarantee of accuracy.

Long titles/details are shortened on the list card. Open Edit to read the full content, then Cancel if you only wanted to inspect it. No saved items yet and No pending suggestions refer to the respective group, not to whether the Case has documents.

These sections are unavailable for Global Library browsing. See Section entry workflows and AI Generated Entries.

Screenshot placeholder: Center-pane section header and toolbar above a scrollable Saved/Local AI Suggestions list, with origin, confidence, date, source, and action controls.

Section buttons

Buttons depend on the entry’s origin, review status, source link, and section. Editing, copying, or selecting a suggestion for export does not accept it. Copying creates a separate card; PDF export creates an entry report, not a copy of the original source PDF or canvas. Always verify AI content against its sources.

Full instructions: Add/edit, Source and review actions, Legal Diary and task dates, Copy to Canvas, Export selected entries.