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Using Resolve FX and Open FX Alpha for Track Compositing
DaVinci Resolve allows the direct use of the alpha channel from Resolve FX and Open FX plugins for compositing on the Timeline. If an effect creates transparency in the image, a “Use alpha” checkbox appears at the bottom of the effects parameters in the Effects tab of the Inspector. Checking this box immediately applies the alpha channel to the selected clip, compositing it over any background elements that appear in lower tracks. If more than one alpha-modifying effect is applied to a single clip, the alpha channels are mixed together.
The Use Alpha checkbox at the bottom of the Effects tab in the Inspector
Transform and Cropping in the Video Inspector
DaVinci Resolve is a resolution-independent application. This means that, whatever the resolution of your source media, it can be output at whatever other resolution you like. This also means that you can freely mix clips of any resolution, fitting 4K, HD, and SD clips into the same timeline, and scaling each to fit the project resolution as necessary.
Your project’s resolution can be changed at any time, allowing you to work at one resolution, and then output at another resolution. This also makes it easy to output multiple versions of a program at different resolutions, for example, outputting both HD and 4K sized versions of the same program.
DaVinci Resolve has a powerful toolset for making geometric transforms, using advanced algorithms for optical-quality sizing operations. Within the Edit page, each clip has a set of transform parameters, principally for use in storing sizing data imported from AAF or XML when you turn on the “Use sizing information” checkbox. This has the advantage of keeping these imported Edit Transform settings separate from the Input Sizing parameters found on the Color page, which are typically used by the colorist to make pan and scan adjustments of various kinds.
Of course, you can also use these controls to create your own adjustments while working in the Timeline, zooming into clips, repositioning them to improve the composition, and so on. While there is some overlap between these parameters and those in the sizing palette of the Color page, they’re both separate sets of parameters, so you can keep each set of adjustments separate.
When the time comes to output your program, the final resolution of each clip is calculated taking into account the original resolution of the source media, the timeline resolution, image scaling settings, Edit page transforms, and Color page transforms, so that the final resolution correctly uses the cleanest geometric transformation based on the maximum resolution available to each source clip.