Pane System
Biom uses a tree-based multi-pane layout that lets you view and compare multiple images simultaneously. Each pane operates independently with its own camera, adjustments, and annotations.Splitting panes
You can split any pane horizontally or vertically:- Hover over a pane to reveal the split controls
- Click the horizontal or vertical split button
- The pane divides into two independent viewers
Constraints
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum panes per tab | 6 |
| Maximum nesting depth | 4 levels |
| Split ratio range | 5%–95% |
Pane types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Canvas | Image/video viewer — the default pane type |
| Pipeline Builder | Visual pipeline editor for building analysis workflows |
| Table | Tabular data viewer for CSV, TSV, and JSON files |
| Slides | Deck/card presentation view |
| Gallery | Grid view for browsing folders of images |
Pane isolation
Each pane maintains fully isolated state:- Camera — independent pan, zoom, and rotation
- Active image — each pane can show a different file
- Channel settings — per-pane channel visibility, colors, and contrast
- Annotations — per-pane annotation visibility
- Image adjustments — independent brightness, contrast, gamma
- Tool state — active tool, selection, processing overlays
- Comments — per-pane comment visibility
Pane operations
| Operation | Description |
|---|---|
| Split | Divide a pane horizontally or vertically |
| Close | Remove a pane from the layout |
| Resize | Drag the divider between panes to resize |
| Move | Drag and drop panes to rearrange them |
| Duplicate | Clone a pane with its current viewport state |
| Maximize | Expand a pane to fill the entire workspace |
| Link cameras | Sync pan/zoom across multiple panes |
| Change type | Switch between canvas, table, pipeline builder |
Pane header controls
Hover over a pane to reveal the header bar:- Drag handle for rearranging panes
- Split horizontal / vertical buttons
- Duplicate pane button
- Maximize / minimize toggle
- Camera link / unlink button
- Active filename display
- Close button (when more than one pane exists)
Drag and drop
You can drag and drop content into panes from multiple sources:- Files from your desktop or file manager
- Biom Drive files from the sidebar file browser
- Database assets (Zarr, NWB) from the Databases tab
- Pipeline definitions from the pipeline library
- Tabular files (CSV, TSV, JSON) — opens in table pane
- Cards from the deck sidebar
Drop behaviors
- Drop on empty pane — loads the file in that pane
- Drop on occupied pane — shows split-zone overlay (left/right/top/bottom quadrants) to split and load
- Alt + drop on occupied pane — adds the image as an overlay layer instead of replacing (up to 8 layers)
- Drop multiple files — splits into N new panes, one per file
Multi-tab system
Biom supports multiple tabs, each with its own pane layout:- Create new tabs for different analyses or datasets
- Each tab persists its layout in IndexedDB
- An LRU cache keeps the 3 most recent tabs mounted for performance
- Switch between tabs without losing your viewport state
Gallery mode
Gallery mode provides a grid view of all images in a folder:- Right-click a folder and select Open as Gallery
- Each image loads in its own pane arranged in a grid
- Use pagination to navigate through large folders
- Exit gallery mode to restore your previous pane layout