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You can select multiple XML, AAF, FCP XML, or EDL timelines (or any combination thereof) at the same time using the Timeline Import dialog. The selected timelines will import sequentially, pausing after each time the OK button is pressed, allowing you to adjust separate Import Settings for each timeline.
This description covers the different ways that EDLs can be used in DaVinci Resolve.
EDL Export of a Project and Its Media
When using EDL workflows, it’s important to make sure that every clip in your edited sequence, and every source media file it’s linked to, has an appropriate reel number/reel name, and true timecode written into that file. When conforming EDLs, DaVinci Resolve requires reel names and accurate timecode to successfully conform the imported EDL timeline to media in the Media Pool.
To export an EDL that can be easily conformed by DaVinci Resolve, each NLE has particular settings that you should use. The primary supported format is CMX 3600, although DaVinci Resolve also supports the DEDL format exported by both Smoke and Flame. Also, most editing applications let you choose which video and audio tracks you want to export, and how to handle the start timecode for the selected sequence of clips you’re exporting. In general, it’s a good idea to make sure that the exported start timecode matches that of your sequence timeline.
There are other details, however, that vary by application. For example, when exporting an EDL from Media Composer using Tools > List Tool, you need to make sure that the Active Setting is set to Default EDL, and that the Output Format is set to CMX_3600. When exporting an EDL from Premiere Pro, you have the option of enabling Use Source File Name and Include Transitions. When exporting an EDL from the legacy Final Cut Pro 7, you need to make sure you set Reel Conflicts to Generic Edits, and turn on the File Names checkbox. Most applications provide other settings that are optional, including EDL notes of various kinds, but for a cleaner, easier to read EDL, you can turn these off if you like.
Conforming EDLs to Individual Media Files
The advantage of working with discrete media files is that they are the “purest” version of the media, without any effects (such as dissolves or superimpositions) “baked” into the visuals that might create complications when you’re grading.
1 Before you import any media, make sure that the “Timeline frame rate” pop-up menu in the Master Settings panel of the Project Settings is set to a frame rate that matches your project and media. Otherwise, the EDL’s timecode will be misinterpreted.
2 Open the Media page, use the Media Storage browser to locate the media you want to add to the project, and add it to the Media Pool by right-clicking the enclosing directory and choosing one of the following commands:
— Add Folder into Media Pool: Adds all compatible media files within that folder to the Media Pool. Subfolders are not traversed.
— Add Folder and SubFolders into Media Pool: Adds all compatible media files from that folder, and all subfolders within that folder, to the Media Pool.
— Add Folder Based on EDLs into Media Pool: Prompts you to choose an EDL. Only media referenced by that EDL is imported, and only the selected folder is searched for that media.
TIP: The “Add Folder...Based on EDLs” commands are useful for efficiently adding just the media you need to the Media Pool in instances where there might be many terabytes of unmanaged source media, most of which is unused.
TIP: The “Add Folder...Based on EDLs” commands are useful for efficiently adding just the media you need to the Media Pool in instances where there might be many terabytes of unmanaged source media, most of which is unused.
TIP: The “Add Folder...Based on EDLs” commands are useful for efficiently adding just the media you need to the Media Pool in instances where there might be many terabytes of unmanaged source media, most of which is unused.
— Add Folder and SubFolders Based on EDLs into Media Pool: Prompts you to choose an EDL. Only media referenced by that EDL is imported, and the selected folder and all subfolders are searched for that media.
3 Do one of the following:
— From any page, choose File > Import Timeline (Shift-Command-I).
— Open the Edit page, right-click anywhere in the Media Pool, and choose Timelines > Import > AAF/EDL/XML/DRT/ADL/OTIO.
A window appears prompting you to “Select a file to import.”
4 Navigate to the EDL file you want to use, select it, and click Open. The Load EDL window appears.
5 Choose the options that are applicable to your particular project. All greyed out options are not editable, either because they’re not applicable, or are not defined by the Project Settings that are currently applied. The options you can set include:
— Source File: The file you selected in the previous step.
— Timeline name: The name of the Timeline you’re about to create. This defaults to the name of the EDL file you selected, but you can change this if you like, for example, to add the import date if this is a new version of the edit.
— Automatically set project settings checkbox: Turn this option on if you want to overwrite the frame size setting in the Master Project Settings panel of the Project Settings. You cannot overwrite the Timeline frame rate when importing an EDL.
— Set timeline resolution to: Two fields let you specify the width and height of the frame size you want to work at in DaVinci Resolve. This defaults to your Project settings, but can be overridden by turning on the “Automatically set project settings” checkbox.
— EDL framerate: Choose the frame rate of the sequence that you exported as an EDL. You can use this option to convert the EDL frame rate from 30 to 24 frames per second if you set the Timeline frame rate to 24 fps and if the EDL frame rate is set to 30 fps; this is useful when an offline edit is done at 30 fps with media using 3:2 pulldown. Note that 25 fps to 24 fps conversion is not supported.
— Use drop frame timecode checkbox: Only enabled if the EDL frame rate pop-up menu is set to 30 fps. Turn this on if your EDL uses drop-frame timecode.
6 When you’re finished choosing options, click OK.
The EDL is imported, a new timeline appears highlighted in the Media Pool, and its corresponding sequence of clips appears in the Timeline Editor if you’re in the Edit page. Clips that could not
be linked to a corresponding file in the Media Pool appear with a red thumbnail to indicate that they’re unconformed.