iSoftBox User Guide
Getting Started
Open iSoftBox and tap anywhere to dismiss the gesture guide. The selected color fills the display without permanent controls or status indicators, leaving a clean light surface.
iSoftBox keeps the display awake while the light is active and temporarily manages system brightness as part of the light output. Your previous system brightness is restored when the app leaves the foreground.
Choosing a Color Mode
Double-tap the light surface to open Light Controls, then choose a mode under Color Mode:
- CCT: Fine-tune white light with Temperature, Tint, and Intensity.
- HSB: Shape any color with Hue, Saturation, and Brightness.
HSB is the starting mode unless you choose to preserve another mode for the next launch. Each mode keeps its own color adjustments while the app is open. When you switch modes, the current brightness or intensity carries over so the light does not jump in strength.
Using Light Controls
Double-tap the light surface to open Light Controls. The sheet shows the three sliders for the active color mode, and each slider previews its available range using the current settings. Swipe upward on the sheet to reveal more options.
The sheet also contains gesture customization, the gesture guide, Brightness Response, Brightness Curve, Preserve Settings, Color Accuracy guidance, feedback actions, version information, and open-source acknowledgments.
Adjusting the Light
The default gestures depend on the active color mode:
| Gesture | HSB | CCT |
|---|---|---|
| One-finger vertical swipe | Brightness | Intensity |
| One-finger horizontal swipe | Saturation | Temperature |
| Two-finger vertical swipe | Hue | Tint |
Dragging up increases Brightness or Intensity, dragging forward in the interface’s reading direction increases Saturation or Temperature, and dragging down increases Hue or Tint. Double-tap anywhere on the surface to open Light Controls.
A temporary readout shows the value while you adjust an axis and disappears when the gesture ends. The gesture guide shows the bindings for the active mode.
Fine-Tuning White Light
Choose CCT in Light Controls. Move Temperature toward a lower kelvin value for warmer white light or a higher value for cooler white light. Use Tint to shift the result between green and magenta, then set Intensity to control its strength. Temperature ranges from 2,000 K to 10,000 K; Tint is shown as a Duv value.
Using HSB Controls
Choose HSB in Light Controls. Hue selects the color, Saturation controls how vivid it is, and Brightness sets the light’s strength. Reduce Saturation for a more neutral result or raise it for a stronger accent color.
Customizing Gestures
Open Light Controls and select Customize Gestures. The screen shows the active color mode and lets you configure each of its axes independently.
For each axis, select a one- or two-finger vertical or horizontal gesture, or select None to leave it without a gesture. Each gesture can control only one axis. If you choose a gesture that is already assigned, iSoftBox identifies the axis that will become unbound and asks you to confirm the replacement.
After assigning a gesture, choose the direction that increases its value. Vertical gestures can increase Up or Down. Horizontal gestures can increase Forward or Backward, which follow the interface language’s reading direction, or Right or Left, which stay fixed on the screen.
Select Restore Default Gestures to restore the defaults for the current color mode. Other color modes are not changed. To see the current bindings at any time, open Light Controls and select Show Gesture Guide.
Preserving Settings
Open Light Controls and find Preserve Settings. The two switches work independently:
- Color Mode restores the last selected mode at the next launch.
- Color Adjustments restores the last values for each mode at the next launch.
Both switches are off by default. If you preserve only Color Adjustments, iSoftBox still opens in HSB but restores its saved HSB values; your saved CCT values are available when you switch modes. If you preserve only Color Mode, the app reopens in that mode with its starting values. Turn on both to restore the selected mode and its adjustments.
Locking The Light
Long-press the bottom-right corner of the display, then release inside that corner to lock the light. The closed lock confirms that gestures are disabled. Repeat the same action to unlock it.
Lock the light after setting its color and brightness when a subject, film carrier, hand, or piece of equipment may touch the screen. A locked light also prevents Light Controls from opening so that the sheet cannot change the display brightness during a shot.
Choosing a Brightness Curve
Open Light Controls and select Brightness Curve. The preview shows how the selected curve responds across the brightness range. This setting applies to Brightness in HSB and Intensity in CCT.
- Perceptual: The default curve, based on the sRGB response, allows finer adjustment at low levels.
- Linear: Maps the displayed value directly to linear-light intensity.
Try both with the same color if you want a different feel when adjusting the light. The curve is saved for future launches.
Choosing a Brightness Response
Open Light Controls and find Brightness Response. Three options are available:
- Automatic: Uses the display’s reported capabilities to select a response. This is the recommended starting point.
- Color Only: Produces brightness through the displayed color while keeping the system backlight at maximum. This is intended for emissive displays such as OLED.
- Color And Backlight: Divides brightness between the displayed color and the system backlight. This helps backlit displays such as LCD reach lower output levels.
If the result looks unexpectedly bright or dim, compare Color Only and Color And Backlight using neutral white at low brightness, where the difference is easiest to see.
Preparing the Display for More Consistent Color
Open Color Accuracy in Light Controls for the in-app guidance. In the device’s Settings, consider turning off True Tone and Night Shift under Display & Brightness. Under Accessibility → Display & Text Size, turn off Color Filters, Reduce White Point, and Auto-Brightness when they would alter the light during a session.
These steps can make the displayed output more consistent, but the result still depends on the device, its display, and the surrounding conditions. Check the light with your own camera and workflow before a critical shoot.
Product And Macro Lighting
Place one or more devices around a small subject using mini tripods or studio arms. A neutral screen can act as a key or fill light, while a saturated color can provide an accent or rim light. Adjust distance and angle to control intensity, reflections, and shadow softness.
Secure every device before positioning a subject, and lock each light after the setup is ready.
Film Digitizing
Choose CCT and set the screen to a neutral-looking white, then place the device face up beneath a film carrier. The carrier should hold the film flat, parallel to the display, and slightly separated from the screen surface. Mount a camera above the film with the sensor plane parallel to the carrier.
Work in a dark environment, exclude stray light, use manual exposure and focus, and lock iSoftBox before placing or adjusting the carrier. Check the captured image for visible display pixels, reflections, uneven illumination, or clipping before digitizing the full strip.
Astrophotography Flat Frames
Keep the camera attached to the telescope in the same optical configuration used for the light frames. Point the telescope toward the zenith, choose CCT and set iSoftBox to a neutral-looking white, then place the device securely over the upward-facing aperture with its screen facing down toward the camera.
Adjust brightness and exposure until the flat frame falls within the target range recommended by your capture and calibration workflow. Confirm that the entire aperture is evenly covered without gaps or stray light, and do not change focus, camera orientation, filters, or other relevant optical components before capturing the flats.
Light Painting
Set the camera on a stable tripod in a dark environment and choose a long exposure. Select HSB to shape a color in iSoftBox, lock the light, and move the illuminated screen through the composition while the shutter is open. Vary the path, speed, angle, and distance to create different shapes and intensities.
Keep the working area clear, know your route before the exposure begins, and watch for terrain, equipment, and other trip hazards.
Accessibility
Every adjustment available through a gesture is also available through Light Controls. These standard controls support VoiceOver and Switch Control. The gesture guide provides a visual reminder of the current bindings.
Troubleshooting
Light Controls will not open: The light may be locked. Long-press the bottom-right corner and release inside it to unlock the surface, then double-tap again.
The output is too bright or does not become dim enough: Open Light Controls and compare the brightness response options using neutral white at low brightness.
The color mode or adjustments reset after reopening the app: Open Light Controls and enable the corresponding switch under Preserve Settings.
The color changes unexpectedly during a session: Review Color Accuracy in Light Controls and check the device’s display settings.
The gesture guide is no longer visible: Double-tap to open Light Controls, then select Show Gesture Guide.
The previous system brightness was not restored: Bring iSoftBox to the foreground, then leave it normally so it can perform the restoration. Relaunching the app also allows it to recover a brightness value left by an interrupted session.
A gesture adjusts the wrong property or moves in the wrong direction: Open Light Controls and select Customize Gestures to inspect the current assignment and increase direction, or show the gesture guide for a reminder.