Keep consistency across your notes – for both you and your organization.
Create Template
Templates can be created in any of the 3 editors, but for complex templates, you will want to use the Advanced editor.
Templates are created from the content in the editor.
Click “Save as Template” within the menu once you are done creating the template.
KEYBOARD SHORTCUT Press ALT+C to save current content in the editor as a template.
IMAGE LIMIT Currently, a note can only have up to 10MB of images embedded.
For "Scene Photos" like the example above, reduce the number of images if they are larger in size.
Add Existing Template
The Quick Menu within the editor allows for quick access to add an existing template.
KEYBOARD SHORTCUT Press ALT+T to open "Insert Template" dialog.
Select the template you want to insert either from the “Team” or “My” template section.
- TEAM Templates
Shared by all users within your organization account. - MY Templates
Your personal templates that only you can see.
The “Insert Template” dialog will show a preview of the template once you click on the template name.
Once you select a template, it will be added to the existing note in the editor.
You can then edit the template as needed before saving.
ADD TEMPLATE - EXISTING CONTENT IN EDITOR Template content will be added to the end of the current note in the editor. This allows you to combine templates as needed within a single note.
Edit Template
If you want to edit a template, follow these steps:
- Select & Insert the Template
- Edit the Template in the editor
- Save as a New Template (ALT+C)
- Delete the old version of the Template
Template Dialog Info & Options
Move “MY” Template to “TEAM” Template section allows you to share your templates with the rest of your team.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
A Person entity can be added as a specialized note.
When added, the entity will also show up in the “Entities” section available on the main side menu.
To add an entity, go to:
“Add Specialized Note > Person Entity” option.
Select the type of Entity you want to add…
Upload one or more images of the person.
This can include a picture of the person (if legally allowed) or pictures of their ID.
EXAMPLE If you look at the following edited entity, you can see that the author of the note was not aware of the scar on Edward's right arm until later in the day at 1719 hrs.
When you edit an entity, Forensic Notes will create a new note to document the changes you made.
ONLY OWNER CAN EDIT Documenting how and when information is obtained about a person is essential to ensure full disclosure. For this reason, only the owner of an Entity can make changes to the original record in the notebook where it was created.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
Forensic Notes makes it easy to add your current location and weather.
From the “Add Specialized Note” option, click on “Location & Weather”.
When you add your location to your notes, it will include the following:
- Latitude / longitude coordinates
- Satellite view (approx. 75-meter / 246 feet radius)
- Map view (approx. 2 kilometer / 1.2 mile radius)
ACCURACY Desktop/Laptop location is based on your IP address, which is generally not as accurate as your mobile device with a GPS.
VERIFY BEFORE ADDING TO NOTES Like all GPS features, the accuracy can fluctuate depending on the current location (building, underground garage, etc.) and weather. Always verify that that location is accurate before saving it to your notes.
Manage software assets, including:
- License Type
- Purchase Date
- Annual Support Fee
- Licensing Cost
- Dongle information
Manage software dongles.
Contact sections include:
- External Contacts
- Internal Contacts
IMPORTANT - SEE CMS SECTION BELOW Internal & External Contacts will operate differently depending on your Case Management System (CMS) configuration. (Private Industry vs. Law Enforcement)
External Contacts
Internal Contacts
IMPORTANT - CMS Configuration
The Case Management System (CMS) configuration will determine how each section of contacts is used.
Private Industry CMS
Internal Contacts:
Will not be used in the CMS and can be used as a contact list for all internal employees within your organization.
External Contacts:
Will match the organizations and contacts used within the CMS.
Law Enforcement CMS
External Contacts:
Will not be used in the CMS and can be used as a contact list for all external organizations your organization works with.
Internal Contacts:
Will be used as options for the “Requesting” and Lead” Investigators.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
The Entity section lists all “Person” records added to notes using the
This allows you to see all entities entered into the application and find the note where it was entered.
If you click on “View Entity in Notebook”. The application will load the notebook and scroll to the note.
View Entity in Notebook
If you click on “View Entity in Notebook”, the app will open the notebook and scroll to the latest version of the entity. The note will also be highlighted with a yellow border allowing you to find the information you need.
Edit Entity
When you “Edit” an entity, the original information remains while a new note is created that will include any of the changes made.
This allows you to know what information you knew at the time of the note while still allowing the entity to be updated.
EXAMPLE If you look at the following edited entity, you can see that the author of the note was not aware of the scar on Edward's right arm until later in the day at 1719 hrs.
If you return to the Entities page, Edward’s record will be updated to include the latest information.
ONLY OWNER CAN EDIT Documenting how and when information is obtained about a person is essential to ensure full disclosure. For this reason, only the owner of an Entity can make changes to the original record in the notebook where it was created.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
Keep notes and exhibits organized in one place.
CMS Settings & Options
Forensic Notes Case Management System (CMS) is designed to help keep your investigations organized.
The CMS can be set up for either:
- Private Industry
- Law Enforcement
Depending on the above selection, the structure of your CMS will be as follows:
Private Industry:
- Client
- File
- Section
- Work Request
- Exhibit
- Exhibit Details
Law Enforcement Agency:
- Project
- Incident #
- Department
- Work Request
- Exhibit
- Exhibit Details
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
Notebooks that have been created by other team members will be displayed in the Team Notebooks section.
LIMITED ACCESS Only visible to users with the proper access rights.
IMPORTANT It is NOT possible to edit a team members notebook or add notes.
PRO TIP An electronic notebook is no different than a physical notebook. You would never add a note to a team member's physical notebook. Looking to keep notebooks organized by investigation among various team members?
Check out our Case Management System (CMS)
Additional Information
- Open Notebook (view notes entered)
- Info (basic notebook information)
- Download Notebook
ACTIONS LOGGED Any action taken on a notebook is logged within the Audit Logs.
Our goal is to provide transparency, accountability, and trust in the information you enter.
Our Full-Disclosure package provides the essential information the courts need. This includes all versions of notes, original attachments and metadata to show when it was recorded.
If you want to review your notebook or note, you can download the PDF Only version. But if disclosing your evidence to the courts, you will want to provide the Full-Disclosure package.
Common FAQ's
What is the format of a Forensic Note or Notebook?
Forensic Notes and Notebooks are in PDF format so they are readable on any device capable of viewing PDF documents.
Each Forensic Note and Notebook is also:
- Embedded with a digital Timestamp issued by an Independent and Trusted Timestamping Authority (TSA).
- Digitally Signed
- Entered into our Private Blockchain
Both can be downloaded within a password-protected ZIP archive to help ensure the security of your private information.
Should I use the same password for downloading my Forensic Notes as my login credentials?
The simple answer is: NO!
You should always keep your login credentials safe & secure using a complex password and never use it for other sites or downloads within Forensic Notes.
How do I extract the files from the downloaded ZIP file?
Mac Users
Opening & Viewing ZIP Files
Forensic Notebooks & Notes are typically downloaded in a password protected ZIP file. Unfortunately, Mac O/S does not natively open password protected ZIP files.
The error provided by the Mac O/S can be vague making it seem like the download was corrupted.
The solution is to use 3rd party software. For a FREE option, we suggest Keka.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
Our goal is to provide transparency, accountability, and trust in the information you enter.
As a result, the ability to delete notes and notebooks is restricted unless a specific request is made. This helps to protect against allegations from an opposing party that you deleted information from the system.
To hide this note from your view, you can “Mark Notebook as Deleted”.
If you need to recover this notebook in the future, please contact support.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
Notebooks that you have created will be displayed in the My Notebooks section and have the option to quickly add notes and attachments.
Quick Add
Add notes and attachments (pictures, videos, files) to your notebook without opening the notebook.
Note - Quick Add
Full function editor allowing you to add formatted notes or use templates (ALT+T).
Attachment - Quick Add
You can drag/drop images, browse your hard-drive or take a picture or video without needing to load the notebook.
This feature allows you to quickly add notes when in a hurry.
Attachments will upload and automatically be added to the notebook selected.
Now if you go into your notebook, you will see the attachments you added with the Quick Add feature.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
Notebooks that you have created will be displayed in the My Notebooks section.
Additional Information
- Quick Add – Notes & Attachments
- Open Notebook (view notes entered)
- Info (basic notebook information)
- Download Notebook
- Rename Notebook
- Mark Notebook as Deleted
ACTIONS LOGGED Any action taken on a notebook is logged within the Audit Logs.
Home section will be developed to include:
- Quick links to active cases
- Calendars showing events bookmarked in notes
Future Development To be completed in the near future.
ADMIN’s have the ability to manage all team members in the “Team Management” section.
This includes the ability to Disable Users.
DISABLED USERS ADMIN's will continue to have FULL ACCESS to disabled users' notes and entries.
No information is deleted when a user is disabled.
Disabled users can be Enabled at any time.
No information is deleted when a user is disabled.
Disabled users can be Enabled at any time.
The user’s access will be instantly disabled.
The menu for the user will change to only include “Enable User”.
The menu for the user will change to only include “Enable User”.
And the user will be ‘greyed’ out in the main list of users.
DISABLED USERS ADMIN's will continue to have FULL ACCESS to disabled users' notes and entries.
No information is deleted when a user is disabled.
Disabled users can be Enabled at any time.
No information is deleted when a user is disabled.
Disabled users can be Enabled at any time.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
ADMIN’s have the ability to manage all team members in the “Team Management” section.
This includes the ability to reset passwords.
Enter the new cellphone number associated to the user…
The users’ cell phone number will be changed to the number entered.
You should now notify the user that their MFA # has changed.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
ADMIN’s have the ability to manage all team members in the “Team Management” section.
This includes the ability to reset passwords.
Confirm that you want to reset the users password…
The users’ password will be reset.
A new temporary password will be sent to the user via Text Message. They will need to use this password the next time they log in to Forensic Notes.
When they log in, they will be required to change their password to a more secure password.
Also, the user will receive an email advising them of the password reset.
This not only notifies the user, but also allows them to verify that the phone number is correct.
All ADMIN users will also be notified of the Password Reset for security purposes.
Password Security At no time is the password every made available to any ADMIN's within the system. The new temporary password is only visible to the user via text message.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
Profile settings page is available to all users.
Forensic Notes is upgraded on a regular basis to fix bugs and bring you new and exciting features.
When logged into your account, the app will display the following dialog when a new version is available.
Click “OK” to install the latest version.
Advised To Upgrade by Support
If you have been advised to upgrade your app by support, please do the following to force your app to get the latest version.
- Open main menu in app
- Click on “Get Latest Version”
The app will refresh the page.
At this point, the new app has not installed, but simply put in a request to our server to download the latest version.
Do nothing!
The app will download, but only install once no user activity is detected. This can take a minute or two depending on your internet connection.
If a new version is available, you will see the upgrade dialog discussed above.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
A team member can either be:
- ADMIN
- Regular
ADMIN Member
Full account access to:
- Add/remove team members
- Change access rights
- Reset passwords
- Change MFA phone #’s
- View all notebooks
- View audit logs
Regular Member
Only able to view their own notebooks.
NOTE Forensic Notes is currently developing additional access right levels. If you need more control, please contact us to discuss.
Change User Access Rights
Once you decide to change the Access Rights of a team member, you will confirm your decision.
To reverse this action and change an ADMIN user to a Regular team member, follow the same steps, except now, select “Change to Regular User”.
IMPORTANT You will be unable to change your own Access Rights to avoid locking yourself out of the application. You must have a different ADMIN user downgrade your Access Rights if required.
NEED HELP? Email [email protected] if you have any questions.