To Delete a Preset:
1. Click an item in the Presets list to select it.
2. Click Delete.
3. When the Confirm Delete dialog appears, click Yes.
Master Project Settings
This panel is project specific, and lets you set up and adjust the most essential properties of a clip,
including the timeline format, video monitoring method, and conform options. In many workflows,
you’ll want to adjust these settings before getting started with your project.
Timeline Format
This group of settings affects the geometry and image processing of the current project.
>>Set timeline resolution to: A pop-up menu that lets you choose a frame resolution preset
to use for image processing while grading. DaVinci Resolve is resolution independent, so
you can change the resolution at any time and all windows, tracks, sizing changes, and
keyframe data will be automatically recalculated to fit the new size. For example, you can
work on a 4K project while monitoring at HD resolutions if your room is only set up with
an HD monitor, and then render the finished project at 4K resolution for final delivery.
Alternately, you can downsize an HD project to an SD resolution to create another set of
deliverables. For more information on Resolve’s resolution independence, see Chapter 6,
“2D Transforms.”
>>Frame size: Lets you set resolutions not found in the “Set timeline resolution to” pop-up
menu.
>>Pixel aspect ratio is: Used to select PAR settings for image formats that don’t use the default
square pixel format. You can apply a 16:9 anamorphic PAR, a 4:3 PAR for SD projects, or a
Cinemascope ratio.
>>Playback framerate: Usually based on the frame rate of the external display connected
to your video interface and the “Timecode calculated at” setting. For example, a 50Hz
monitor requires a 25 fps playback frame rate for synchronous display without dropped
frames. If you want to see the playback at a slower rate, type the frame rate in this field
and DaVinci Resolve will make the appropriate calculations to drop or repeat frames as
necessary to match it. This can be useful for seeing how clips look in slow motion.
Important: Playback framerate is not the frame rate used for conforming media and defining
the project’s time base.
>>Image processing is: The only option is 32-bit floating point, which is how all image data is
processed within DaVinci Resolve’s image processing pipeline

>>Color science is: There are two options. The default is the legendary and unique DaVinci
YRGB color science. Alternately, you can choose the newer DaVinci ACES color science,
available for facilities requiring an ACES workflow. For more information about ACES, see
Chapter 4, “Before You Conform.”
>>Enable video field processing: Interlaced media is supported throughout DaVinci Resolve.
A checkbox in the Master Project Settings, “Enable video field processing,” forces Resolve
to process all operations using fields. A corresponding checkbox in the Format settings
of the Deliver page, “Field rendering,” lets you enable and disable field rendering when
setting up file-based output.
Whether or not it’s necessary to turn field processing on depends on what kinds of
corrections you’re applying to your clips. If you’re applying any filtering or sizing operations
such as blur, sharpen, pan, tilt, zoom, or rotate, then you should turn on field processing. On
the other hand, if you’re only applying adjustments to color and contrast, it’s not necessary
to turn on field processing, and in fact leaving it off may shorten your rendering time
somewhat.
Video Monitoring
The settings available in this group control the signal that’s output by the video output interface
that’s connected to your workstation, and lets you specify what standard of signal is output, and via
which signal path.
By default, the frame size and frame rate match those in the Timeline format and Conform options.
However, if necessary you can change these settings to match those of the external display you’re
using to monitor your work. For example, if you’re working with 2K files for 2K output, but you’re color
correcting using a high definition monitor set to 1080 resolution, you can select the appropriate HD
standard for that monitor without changing the Timeline Resolution settings.
>>Video monitoring format is: Lets you choose a video standard combination of frame size
and frame rate to be output via your connected video output interface.
>>Video connection operates as: Lets you choose the signal standard to output from your
connected video output interface to the video monitor. Make sure to choose a standard
that’s supported by both your video interface, and your monitor. The options are:
>>YUV 4:2:2 SDI: Typical for monitoring Rec. 709 video for broadcast.
>>RGB 4:4:4 Dual Link: A signal path for monitoring RGB image data to monitors that
support 4:4:4 chroma sampling via dual SDI connections.
>>RGB 4:4:4 Single Link 3 Gb/s: A signal path for monitoring RGB image data to monitors
that support 4:4:4 chroma sampling via a single 3Gb/s SDI connection.
>>XYZ 4:4:4 Dual Link: Only available on Linux systems. Allows monitoring 2K 4:4:4
chroma sampled video in the XYZ color space on supported displays and projectors

>>Colorspace: This setting only affects the data levels being output via the video interface
that connects the Resolve workstation to your external display. It has no effect on the data
that’s processed internally by Resolve, or on the files written when you render in the Deliver
page. It is imperative that the option you choose in Resolve matches the data range to
which your external display is set. Otherwise, the video signal will appear to be incorrect,
even though the internal data is being processed accurately by DaVinci Resolve. There are
two options:
>>Video Levels: This is the correct option to use when using a broadcast display set to
the Rec. 709 video standard.
>>Data Levels: If your monitor or projector is capable of displaying “full range” video
signals, and you wish to monitor the full 10-bit data range (0- 1023) while you work,
then this is the correct option to use.
For more information about data levels in DaVinci Resolve, see Chapter 4, “Before You
Conform.”
>>Video bit depth: Choose the bit depth that corresponds to the capability of your display.
You can choose between 8-bit and 10-bit. Monitoring in 10-bit is more processor intensive,
but preferable to avoid the appearance of banding that may not in fact be in the image
data being processed by Resolve. Linux systems are capable of outputting at 12-bit, for
monitoring with a projector capable of 12-bit HD-SDI input.
>>Video output sync source: This setting lets you select between internal and external bi-level
or tri-level synchronization, which is used with some video interfaces, but not required by
all. This setting is particularly useful for legacy Linux systems using two NVIDIA SDI cards
for Stereoscopic 3D grading as they both must have the same physical input sync, as the
3D processor and display device.
>>If monitoring is scaled use: Defaults to basic, and is only enabled to smooth the edges
of video being viewed on a projector with very large screens. These settings minimize
high frequency artifacts that may be seen. This may also be noticeable if you have a 2K
or HD project but are monitoring on an SD monitor. The other options, Bilinear, Bicubic,
and Bspline will have different effects on the monitored image depending on your display
device, so you may need to test each one to verify which is best for your room.
>>Add 3:2 pulldown: When outputting 23.98 or 24 fps media to an external display that can
only sync to 29.97, 59.94, or 60 fps signals, this option lets you output with a 3:2 pulldown
pattern inserted into the signal.
>>Enable dual SDI 3D monitoring: All DaVinci Resolve systems can generate a side-by-side
display that can be sent to a Stereoscopic monitor via the HD-SDI output of a DeckLink HD
Extreme card. When dual SDI 3D monitoring is enabled, each eye is output separately at
full resolution on either the DeckLink HD Extreme 3D, or via NVIDIA dual SDI monitoring
outputs. In this mode, split-screen wipes and cursors will not be visible on the grading
monitor, nor will you be able to view image resizing

Image Scaling
The Image Scaling panel contains settings that determine how and when clips are resized for
various reasons.
Image Scaling
The first group of settings lets you choose the mathematical method used to resize clips:
>>Uses sharper filter: Usually provides the best quality in projects using clips that must be
scaled up to fill a larger frame size, or scaled down to HD resolutions.
>>Uses smoother filter: May provide higher quality for projects using clips that must be scaled
down to fit an SD resolution frame size.
>>Uses Bilinear filter: A lower quality setting that is less processor intensive. Useful for
previewing your work on a low-performance computer before rendering, when you can
switch to one of the higher quality options.
>>Override input scaling: Checking this box lets you choose an Input Sizing preset to apply
to the project.
>>Override output scaling: Checking this box lets you choose an Output Sizing preset to
apply to the project.
A second group of settings lets you choose how to handle edge anti-aliasing for source blanking.
>>Auto: Adds anti-aliasing when any of the Sizing controls are used to transform the image.
Otherwise, anti-aliasing is disabled.
>>On: Forces anti-aliasing on at all times.
>>Off: Disables anti-aliasing

Proxy Image Scaling
The proxy mode can be enabled by choosing View > Proxy On The Fly (Command-P), or on the
DaVinci control surface by pressing the PROXY ON/OFF button on the T-Bar panel. Proxies are
useful when a complex color correction is created and the system begins to run a little slower than
real time. When this occurs, turning on proxy mode improves real-time performance by temporarily
lowering the resolution of the clips being processed. Alternatively, you can cache the clip to gain
real-time performance again.
>>Use real time proxies: A checkbox that turns on-the-fly proxy mode on and off.
>>Automatically scale to: The resolution at which proxies are generated. By default, this is
one-half of the current system resolution. If anyone asks about the quality of grading with
proxies, keep in mind that on-the-fly proxies in DaVinci Resolve are made using the same
optical-quality resizing engine that is used for all other image transforms, and that this
proxy mode has been used to generate film out media for blockbuster films.
Note: There are actually two types of proxies. Traditional pre-generated proxies are managed from
the Media page, and are often used for 4K projects where the system hardware in use only permits
real-time 2K performance. The proxy settings in this section have been referred to as OFP (On-the-
Fly Proxies) and are generated in real time as needed, with no rendering or caching necessary.
Deck Capture and Playback
All settings in this panel let you define the functionality of capture and playout to tape using device
controlled VTRs connected to your Resolve workstation via the connected video capture and
output interface. For more information on deck capture, see Chapter 3, “Tape Ingest.” For more
information on video output to tape, see Chapter 8, “Tape Output.”
Capture and Playout
These settings affect both capture and playback when using the tape ingest options of the Media
page, or the tape output options of the Deliver page.
>>Video capture and playback: You can choose the video format (frame size and frame rate)
with which to output to tape from this pop-up menu. HD timelines can be downconverted
to SD, and SD timelines can be upconverted to HD using the format conversion of your
DeckLink card.
>>Enable stereo video: A checkbox that enables the Blackmagic Design DeckLink HD Extreme
3D+ to ingest and output muxed stereoscopic video when used with supported VTRs, such
as HDCAM SR decks with 4:2:2 x 2 mode. (When muxed stereoscopic signals are ingested,
each eye is separated into individual left eye and right eye image files.)

Editing and Ripple
The parameters in this group affect keyboard shortcuts and editorial default values.
>>Keyboard: Lets you choose which set of keyboard shortcuts to use. You can choose the
default DaVinci Grading set, or among sets that mimic popular NLEs.
>>Standard transition duration: Defines the duration of transitions that you add to an edit
point in Resolve. The default value is 1 second.
Color
This panel lets you set the default grade rippling behavior, and the default transition for dynamic
keyframes.
>>Target clips are set to: The Ripple mode that’s used when you press the RIPPLE VALUE
button on the DaVinci control surface. For more information on using this function, see
Chapter 7, “Copying and Managing Grades.”

Deck Capture and Playback
All settings in this panel let you define the functionality of capture and playout to tape using device
controlled VTRs connected to your Resolve workstation via the connected video capture and
output interface. For more information on deck capture, see Chapter 3, “Tape Ingest.” For more
information on video output to tape, see Chapter 8, “Tape Output.”
Capture and Playout
These settings affect both capture and playback when using the tape ingest options of the Media
page, or the tape output options of the Deliver page.
>>Video capture and playback: You can choose the video format (frame size and frame rate)
with which to output to tape from this pop-up menu. HD timelines can be downconverted
to SD, and SD timelines can be upconverted to HD using the format conversion of your
DeckLink card.
>>Enable stereo video: A checkbox that enables the Blackmagic Design DeckLink HD Extreme
3D+ to ingest and output muxed stereoscopic video when used with supported VTRs, such
as HDCAM SR decks with 4:2:2 x 2 mode. (When muxed stereoscopic signals are ingested,
each eye is separated into individual left eye and right eye image files.)

>>Exact values changed: Changes made to the current clip are rippled to the specified
clips using the exact parameters that were changed. For example, if Lift in the current
clip is changed to 0.75 of its range, each clip you ripple will have a Master Gain setting
of 0.75. Only parameters you adjust are rippled.
>>Percent value changed: Changes made to the current clip are rippled to the specified
clips by the percentage of change you made to the altered parameters. For example, if
the current clip has a Lift level of 1.00 and is changed to 0.90 units, then the Lift setting
of each clip you ripple will have a relative reduction of 10% relative to its previous value.
>>Unit value changed: Changes made to the current clip are rippled to the specified
clips by the same delta of change, using whichever units make sense for the affected
parameter. For example, if the current clip had a Lift of 0.80 and you increased it to
0.90, each rippled scene’s master gain level increases by 0.10.
>>All values are copied: The current clip’s grade is rippled to the specified clips in its
entirety. No comparison is made with the original clip’s parameters, and all memory
parameters are rippled.
>>Dynamics Profile: Defines the transition from one dynamic keyframe to the next. By
default this transition is linear, with the “Dynamic profile start” and “Dynamic profile end”
parameters set to 1. However, if you need to alter the acceleration of the interpolation
of values from one dynamic keyframe to the next, then you can change that keyframe’s
Dissolve Type

Look Up Tables (LUTs)
The pop-up menus in the Timeline Lookup Tables panel include a series of factory preset LUTs
that were installed with Resolve, along with any LUTs that have been generated by Resolve, or that
you’ve imported into the proper directory for your operating system.
>>On OS X: Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/LUT/
>>On Windows: C:\ProgramData\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\LUT
>>On Linux: /home/resolve/LUT
If you add a LUT to one of these directories after Resolve has been opened, you can click the
Update Lists button to refresh the contents of the pop-up menus.
Resolve uses both 1D and 3D LUTs. 3D LUTs that are created by DaVinci Resolve are in the .cube
format, configured as 33x33x33 cubes with 32-bit floating point processing. DaVinci Resolve can
also read and use LUTs in the Cinespace and Shaperlut formats.

Timeline Lookup Tables
This group of controls lets you add LUTs to the Resolve image processing pipeline that affect every
timeline in the entire project all at once. These LUTs can be used for a wide variety of functions,
such as to trim timeline grades, apply Log to Linear conversions, and simulate film output. Different
options let you insert image processing to different stages of the pipeline as seen in the following
diagram:

Keep in mind that since you can apply both 1D and 3D LUTs simultaneously, 1D LUTs at each step
are always applied before 3D LUTs.
>>1D/3D Input Lookup Table: Two pop-up menus let you add 1D and/or 3D LUTs that process
the current timeline before every other image processing operation in Resolve.
>>1D/3D Output Lookup Table: Two pop-up menus let you add 1D and/or 3D LUTs that
process the current timeline after the operations applied in the Color page, but before the
temporarily applied Display LUT.
>>1D/3D Display Lookup Table: Two pop-up menus let you add 1D and/or 3D LUTs that
process the current timeline after every other image processing operation in Resolve.
However, Display LUTs are only temporarily applied for purposes of monitoring; they’re
never applied to rendered media, or to the signal that is output to tape using the controls
in the Deliver page. Display LUTs are particularly valuable for applying a film print emulation
LUT in a log workflow, or for applying a monitor calibration LUT if you’re outputting to a
single display and you don’t have dedicated outboard calibration hardware.
Here’s an example. It’s common, when grading for film output using a LOG workflow, that
you’ll use the Display LUT pop-up menu to apply a film emulation LUT that simulates the
image as it will be output from the film recorder, taking into account the film lab and print
stock used, in order to make sure that the image you’re grading will appear as close as
possible to what the eventual release print will look like in the cinema

>>Input Device Transform: When Color Science is set to ACES, this pop-up menu lets you
choose which IDT to use for the dominant media format in DaVinci Resolve.
>>Output Device Transform: When Color Science is set to ACES, this pop-up menu lets you
choose an ODT with which to transform the image data for monitoring on your calibrated
display, and when exporting a timeline in the Deliver page.
For more information on ACES workflows using these settings, see Chapter 4, “Before You
Conform.”
>>Apply LUTs to Waveform Display: Ordinarily, you don’t want the Display LUT’s temporary
alteration to the monitored signal to affect Resolve’s internal software video scopes, since
these are providing an accurate analysis of the actual levels of the video data. However, if
you wish to have the Display LUT’s transformation applied to the internal video scopes, you
can turn this checkbox on.
>>Update Lists button: Refreshes the LUT pop-up menus if you’ve added new LUTs to your
system since Resolve has been opened.

Generate Soft Clip LUT
Similar to the Soft Clip mode of the Curves, a Soft Clip LUT lets you create an image processing
LUT that applies a timeline-wide “knee” to any clipping that occurs at the upper or lower extremes
of the image. Soft clipping in this context is used to quickly ease off any unpleasantly harsh loss of
detail occurring as a result of blowing out the highlights or crushing the shadows too aggressively.
To be effective, a Soft Clip LUT should be ideally applied using the 3D Output Lookup Table popup
menu in the Look Up Tables panel, so it’s the last operation in the image processing pipeline.
>>Generate as a: Lets you choose whether you create a soft-clip LUT as a 1D or 3D LUT.
1D LUTs are more accurate for this operation, using 1023 data points, as opposed to the
33x33x33 cube of the 3D LUT.
>>Generates LUT based on: Defaults to “No LUT selected,” which generates a soft clip
LUT using only the settings within this panel. Choosing another LUT from the list lets you
concatenate the calculations you specify in this panel with the selected LUT, thus outputting
a single LUT that applies both sets of calculations all at once.
>>Scaled to clipping range: Enables the Maximum and Minimum settings below to work.
>>Set to x for maximum 10-bit video level: Sets the maximum value that will be output. All
image data above this value will be clipped.
>>Upper Clipping softness: Sets the threshold, as a percentage below the clipping point,
at which highlights in the image data begin to compress before hard clipping. At 0, no
soft clipping occurs. As you raise this value, more of the clipped highlight values are
compressed, rather then clipped, resulting in softer, more pleasant “glowing” highlights