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— Show offline reference for non-conformed edits: If there’s missing media in a project that results in an unlinked clip in the Timeline Editor (represented by a red exclamation point overlay on that clip), turning this option on sets DaVinci Resolve to show the corresponding frames of an “offline reference movie,” if one has been assigned to that timeline, instead of black. This can be helpful in emergency situations when you’re missing source media right before a screening or review session; this feature lets you play or output the missing frames using the corresponding media from the offline reference movie, instead of outputting black. For more information on using and assigning Offline Reference Movies, see Chapter 55, “Preparing Timelines for Import and Comparison.”
— Use custom safe area overlays: When turned on, displays Action Area and Title Area fields that let you set a custom percentage for each. The default values are 93% for Action Area and 90% for Title Area.
— Align audio edits to frame boundaries: When turned on, the In and Out points of audio clips always align themselves with whole frame boundaries, just like video clips. When turned off, you can perform subframe audio edits to audio-only clips, or to linked audio when you’ve suspended linked selection.
— Limit media pool audio sync to first timecode match: When two or more audio clips overlap timecode with a video clip, the default behavior is to sync all overlapping audio clips by making as many new tracks as necessary. Checking this box replaces this behavior by having DaVinci Resolve choose what it thinks is the most likely single audio track, and sync just that single audio clip, ignoring the others.
NOTE: Even when Align audio edits to frame boundaries is turned off, if linked selection is on, you’ll be unable to make subframe edits while you’re resizing both the audio and video of linked clips.
NOTE: Even when Align audio edits to frame boundaries is turned off, if linked selection is on, you’ll be unable to make subframe edits while you’re resizing both the audio and video of linked clips.
NOTE: Even when Align audio edits to frame boundaries is turned off, if linked selection is on, you’ll be unable to make subframe edits while you’re resizing both the audio and video of linked clips.
— Import Finder tags as Keywords (Mac only): When turned on, any color tags that are set and defined in Mac OS for a media file will automatically be imported as keyword metadata alongside that media file.
Color
The settings in this panel govern different behaviors in the Color page.
General Settings
Affect a variety of behaviors while working in the Color page.
— Master reset maintains RGB balance: Defines how the DaVinci control panel trackball/ring reset buttons reset primary color adjustments. When this option is turned off (the default), pressing the ALL Reset button returns the primary correction values to their default values. When this checkbox is turned on, then pressing the ALL Reset button (a) resets the YRGB values so that the
overall values are kept and the ratio of YRGB to each other is maintained, and (b) pressing the RGB Reset button sets the three color channels to the average of what they were previously set to.
— Wipe wraps when viewing reference stills: Turning this on (the default) lets stills wrap around the edge of the screen while you’re adjusting the wipe using the mouse, rather than stopping
at the screen’s edge. If you find this behavior awkward when trying to quickly create full-frame comparisons with stills to flip on and off, it can be disabled.
— High-Visibility Power Window Outlines: Turning this on sets Power Window outlines to be drawn as green (for the center shape) and yellow (for the softness shapes), to make these windows easier to see in certain circumstances, instead of the default white and gray.
— Mattes display high contrast black and white: When enabled, the HILITE command, which displays the current key, shows a black and white matte (i.e., high contrast) rather than the standard gray matte. For more information on this setting, and on use of the HILITE command, see Chapter 134, “Secondary Qualifiers.”
— Next scene switches to visible track: When grading a project with multiple tracks, you can use this option to alter the “next scene” command to work better in projects with multi-clip composites. With this option turned off, pressing NEXT SCENE on the DaVinci control panel, or using the Down Arrow keyboard shortcut, moves the playhead to the very next clip in the Thumbnail timeline, regardless of whether it’s in front of or behind another clip. Turning this
option on causes the NEXT SCENE command to move the playhead to the clip in the highest track if the next clip is part of a multi-clip composite with multiple clips stacked over one another.
— Previous or Next node navigates only to correctors: Node navigation only selects corrector nodes and bypasses mixer, splitter and combiner nodes, etc.
— Preserve node numbers when adding nodes: Checking this box increments the node numbering by the order in which they are created, regardless of its position in the node tree. Unchecked reflows the node numbering automatically based on the node’s position in the tree.
— Always perform copy and paste on selected nodes: Bypasses the interface focus-based selection for copying and pasting full grades vs. individual nodes. When checked, DaVinci Resolve will only copy and paste between selected nodes regardless of the interface focus.
— Use Legacy Auto Color: As of DaVinci Resolve 16, the A button in the Color Wheels palette and the Shot Match command available from the Thumbnail Timeline contextual menu both now use advanced algorithms, based on the DaVinci Neural Engine, to provide superior results when
automatically adjusting color balance and contrast. This checkbox lets you set the A button to use the older algorithm instead.
— Use Legacy Shot Match: As of DaVinci Resolve 16, the Shot Match command available from the Thumbnail Timeline contextual menu uses an advanced algorithm, based on the DaVinci Neural Engine, to provide superior results when automatically adjusting color balance and contrast. This checkbox lets you set the Shot Match command to use the older algorithm instead.
— Histogram Background on Grading Tools: This drop-down menu lets you turn the histogram that appears in the background of the Curves palette either Off, On based on the node’s Input (changes made to the curve do not affect the background histogram), or On based on the node’s Output (changes made to the curve do affect the background histogram).
— Automatically cue x frames into timeline clips: This setting affects the operation of the NEXT SCENE and PREV SCENE commands in the Color page. The default cue point when moving from one clip to the next is the first frame of each clip. Entering a value, in frames, in this field sets the default cue point to the specified number of frames after the first frame of each clip you move the playhead to. This can be convenient if the source material has black or camera rollup flashes at the beginning of every clip while you’re trying to grade dailies.
— Neighboring Clips in Split Screen: Lets you choose how many neighboring clips next to the current clips are shown in a grid in the Color page Viewer when you turn on the Neighbor Clips option of the Split-Screen shot comparison control.
— Switching clips: (this setting can also be changed from the Option menu in the Node Editor) When switching clips, DaVinci Resolve can switch to the same or another node in the node graph. The four options below determine which node is selected:
— Selects last adjusted node: The default setting, where each clip in the Timeline retains its own independent node selection that’s remembered whenever you move back to that clip.
— Selects first node: The first node is always selected when you move to another clip.
— Selects last node: The last node is always selected when you move to another clip.
— Selects same node: If the clip you’ve moved to has as many or more nodes as the last clip, the node of the same number will be selected. If the clip you’ve moved to has fewer nodes than the last clip, the next highest node will be selected.
— Color picker: Changes the way that colors are selected when using the Secondary color correction controls. DaVinci Resolve is the normal and modern mode, however some colorists who are familiar with the legacy 2K prefer the DaVinci 2K mode.
Ripple Mode
This setting determines the behavior of the Ripple command that’s initiated when using the RIPPLE VALUE button on the DaVinci Advanced control panel.
— Target clips are set to: The Ripple mode that’s used when you select a Ripple command in the Color page, either using the RIPPLE button on the Advanced Panel, or selected from the
Color menu. For more information on using this function, see Chapter 139, “Grade Management.”
— 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 the Master Gain level in the current clip is changed to 0.75 of its range, each clip you ripple will have a Master Gain level 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 Master Gain level of 1.00 and is changed to 0.90 units, then the Master Gain level of each clip you ripple will have a relative reduction of 10% relative to its previous value.
— Unit values 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 Master Gain 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.
Printer Light Step Calibration
For film projects, when you have tight integration with a film lab, it is possible to adjust the printer light calibration sets to match the lab you are using. You should work with your lab technician to set up the Lab Aim settings, the Steps adjustments, which is an incremental value, and the Density Increment adjustment, which is the amount of correction applied within each step. Usually, the Step and Density values will be identical, but this will be up to your lab and your preference.