What's New
DaVinci Resolve 18.5 introduces dozens of new tools including 4 new AI tools, over 100 feature upgrades and major updates to the Cut page. Editors can now transcribe audio within clips to search for media based on narrative content, or quickly generate subtitles for timelines with the automatic speech to text feature. DaVinci Neural Engine AI can analyze and automatically sort audio clips based on classification, and on the Fairlight page audio tracks can now be grouped for faster mix automation and editing. Colorists can use the new Relight FX to add virtual lighting to a scene. VFX artists can collaborate more easily with support for USD files and work faster with the multi-merge tool.
Cloud
Collaboration
Blackmagic Cloud
DaVinci Resolve 18 supports Blackmagic Cloud, so you can host your project libraries on the DaVinci Resolve Project Server in the cloud. Share projects and work collaboratively with editors, colorists, VFX artists and audio engineers on the same project at the same time, anywhere in the world!
Blackmagic Proxy Generator
The new Blackmagic Proxy Generator App automatically creates and manages proxies from camera originals. Create a watch folder and new media is automatically converted into H.264, H.265 or ProRes proxies to accelerate editing workflows. You can extract proxies into a separate folder for offline work!
Simplified Proxy Workflow
Switch between camera original footage and proxies in a single click. With Blackmagic Proxy Generated proxies, DaVinci Resolve knows where in the file tree to find them, instantly linking to the camera originals in the media pool. Edit with proxies, then relink to camera originals to grade!
Intelligent Media Management
DaVinci Resolve 18 adds intelligent media location management, so that when you are collaborating you can quickly link media to your unique file paths. Now you don’t need to manually relink or search for assets when you work remotely. So you have more time for creativity and less time on file admin!
Shared Project Libraries
The collaboration update also provides major performance enhancements if you are using a secure private network! Get immediate updates of editorial and color changes when collaborating on a remotely hosted project library. Now creative decisions can be made in real time based on the latest changes.
Remote Monitoring to Desktop, iPad or iPhone
You can now initiate remote monitoring using just a Blackmagic ID and a session code. Just enable remote monitoring in DaVinci Resolve and share your code, without having to deal with IP addresses and port forwarding. You can stream to multiple computers, iPads or even iPhones all at the same time.
Color
Per Timeline Color Management
DaVinci Resolve color management can now be configured on a timeline level. Any existing custom timelines are automatically initialized to color management settings from the project. This allows the setting of independent timeline and output color spaces per timeline for projects with mixed media.
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After Relight
Resolve FX Relight
The new Relight FX lets you add virtual light sources into a scene to creatively adjust environmental lighting, fill dark shadows or change the mood. Light sources can be directional to cast a broad light, a point source, or a spotlight and be adjusted for surface softness and specularity control.
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After Object Masking
Intuitive Object Mask
Located in the magic mask palette, the new object mask is able to recognize and track the movement of thousands of unique objects. The DaVinci Neural Engine intuitively isolates animals, vehicles, people and food, plus countless other elements for advanced secondary grading and effects application.
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After Depth Map
Automatic Depth Map
The new depth map effect lets you instantly generate a 3D depth matte of a scene to quickly grade the foreground separately from the background, and vice versa. You can bring attention to action in the foreground, help interview subjects stand out, or add atmosphere in the background of a scene!
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After Surface Tracking
Track Moving Warped Surfaces
Apply graphics to surfaces that warp or change perspective in dramatic ways, like t-shirts, flags, or even the side of a face. The surface tracker’s customizable mesh follows the motion of a textured surface. Apply graphics, composite tattoos, or even cover up logos with this powerful tracking tool!
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After Resolve Beauty
Updated Resolve FX Beauty
Ultra beauty gives you advanced control over a subject when performing corrective beauty work. Developed with professional colorists, the ultra beauty tool helps to address general imperfections by smoothing skin and then recovering detail to produce natural and complimentary results to the subject.
Cut and Edit
Upload Directly to TikTok
Content creators can now upload videos directly to TikTok. Simply sign in to your TikTok account in the preferences, and use either the render preset in the Deliver page or the quick export dialog. A new option for vertical aspect ratio output makes creating content for social media even easier.
Ripple Button
The Cut page has a new ripple button which enables and disables rippled edits. Previously edits were always rippled, now by disabling the ripple button the duration of the edit will be preserved so you can create gaps in the timeline. You can hold the option key to disable ripple for that edit only.
Speech to Text Editing
The transcribe feature automatically transcribes video and audio clips! You can search for specific terms or jump to the section of a clip where a word appears. Instead of listening to entire scenes or interviews, quickly locate the topic you need and add it to your timeline saving countless hours.
A/V Split Audio and Video Edits
On the Cut page, drag the lower part of a clip to separately adjust the audio track, allowing the dialogue to be heard before or continue after the video clip is seen. Editors can creatively focus visual attention on the scene using audio to add interest, drama and even tension to dialogue scenes.
Vertical Resolution for Social Media
If you are creating content for social media such as TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube shorts, Snapchat and more, there is now a selection of square and vertical resolutions which can be chosen directly in project settings. Using this selection makes it much faster to setup your timeline to produce vertical or square resolution videos.
Timeline Locking within Bins
Collaboration with other editors at the same time is now even easier with the new timeline locking operation. This automatic operation prevents two users selecting the same timeline by locking it to the first user without the need to lock the whole timeline bin. Multiple editors can now work on different timelines in the same bin at the same time.
AI Based Voice Isolation
The AI based voice isolation track FX let’s you remove loud, undesirable sounds from voice recordings. Isolating dialog from background sounds in a recording, you can eliminate everything else from moderate noise to aircraft and explosions leaving only the voice. Voice isolation is perfect for interviews and dialogue recordings from noisy locations.
Built-in Dialogue Leveler
The dialogue leveler track FX in the inspector processes and smoothes dialogue recordings without the need for tedious level adjustments on clip gain or automation curves. Controls include real time scrolling waveform display, focus presets and three process options which allow you to easily achieve natural sounding results.
Fusion
Universal Scene Descriptor
Fusion now supports Universal Scene Descriptor files for easier collaboration between VFX artists. USD data such as geometry, lighting, cameras, materials and animation can be imported. Fusion’s new USD tools let you manipulate, re-light and render files using Hydra-based renderers such as Storm.
Fusion Multi-Layer Tool
The new multi-merge tool lets you merge numerous media sources into a single multi layer stack, so it’s easier to create composites by merging clips, stills or graphics using layers. Each layer has its own controls, so you can still change individual properties like position, size and apply modes.
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GPU Accelerated Paint
In DaVinci Resolve 18, GPU acceleration allows paint brush strokes to be generated and displayed in real time, for a more intuitive approach when performing cover up work or graphic design. Instant visual feedback allows you to assess your work and make corrections in any stroke style or shape.
Text and Shape Acceleration
Text, text+ and shape templates have improved speed and playback performance in DaVinci Resolve 18. New memory management and data handling means that Fusion templates are up to 200% faster. You can see accelerated results in the viewer and put together motion graphic compositions faster than ever!
Fairlight
Fairlight Edit and Mix Groups
Combine related audio tracks or mixer channels into groups, enabling shared mix automation or editing operations. When creating groups, you can determine the parameters they will share. Groups can be nested, or temporarily suspended to quickly switch focus to smaller groups or individual tracks.
AI Audio Classification
The DaVinci Neural Engine can classify audio clips based on their content, making editing choices faster when reviewing unfamiliar materials. After analysis, audio clips appear in collections bins for dialogue, music and effects with detailed sub categories such as explosions, water or insects.
Vector Keyframing for Automation Curves
Fairlight track automation curves can be modified with keyframes just like the clip gain line. Option click to add keyframes or draw them with the pencil tool, then graphically edit, trim and nudge keyframes with standard tools. A tooltip shows keyframe value changes, while vector automation allows ultra smooth level changes.
Grid Editing to Timecode or Musical Tempo
Fairlight’s grid mode lets you position clips on a grid for precise timing. Enable snap to grid for exact alignment as you drag, trim or nudge clips to timecode or the beat of a song. Use the grid menu to customize the grid line visibility, snapping, time scale and resolution ranging from 1 second to 1/4 frame, 1 bar to 1/16 note.
Fix Bus
FlexBus
Convert Legacy Projects to FlexBus
FlexBus is Fairlight’s flexible audio busing and routing system designed for managing high track counts, extensive plug-in processing, perfect synchronization and multiple project deliverables. Now you can effortlessly convert legacy fixed bus Fairlight projects to FlexBus with a single click.
Automatic Binaural Rendering
The Dolby Atmos deliverable toolset has been expanded to support rendering of a binaural output from a complex Dolby Atmos mix. Now a Dolby 7.1.4 mix can be rendered to playback in a pair of headphones while maintaining the immersive sound experience from just two audio channels.
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Decomposition of Nested Timelines
New options in the decompose menu enhance collaboration allowing editors to compile their work to a single timeline. Nested timelines can now be decomposed with all track data including FX and automation. Assignments will connect using new busses, existing paths or new tracks can be left unpatched.
Innovative Space View 3D Display
DaVinci Resolve supports the latest industry standard audio formats natively, including immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos, Auro 3D, MPEG-H, NHK 22.2, and SMPTE. The space view scope displays a real time view of every object and its relationship to the room and other objects in 3D space.
Next Generation
Engineering
DaVinci Resolve 18 features some of the most cutting edge technology in the industry today. The DaVinci Neural Engine is an advanced machine learning system powering many of the software’s most powerful tools, and it is fully supported in Apple M1 Mac models including M1 Ultra. Inclusion of the latest version of Dolby Vision means that users can view HDR on supported monitors, including on laptops. The future proof DaVinci Wide Gamut and Intermediate log grading environment allow you to work on media from any source. You can deliver to every projection and monitoring standard in use today. Plus DaVinci Resolve is the only software that you can use to edit and grade 8K footage in real time!
DaVinci Neural Engine Acceleration
The advanced machine learning algorithms of the DaVinci Neural Engine are supported on Apple’s M1 and M1 Pro models. This gives you up to 300% speed improvement in dozens of tools that rely on accurate automated analysis of motion and content such as Smart Reframe, SpeedWarp or SuperScale.
SDR
HDR
Laptop HDR Monitoring
Increased Dolby Vision support now includes the latest version of Dolby Vision, which offers HDR viewing on Apple displays that feature high dynamic range options. This includes XDR displays and even the latest laptops, which means you can review, grade and deliver HDR footage from anywhere!
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After Fast Noise
Atmospheric Simulation
Quickly generate randomized noise data to replicate different types of atmosphere and particle like effects. Use the presets to generate smoke and mist effects. Advanced parameters let you create a distinct appearance or movement in the noise. You can even warp images using the displacement map!
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After Edge Detection
Edge Detection
Improved edge strength and filter controls in the edge detect effect produce more natural results than ever. The gamma control allows for cleaner edges and a smoother rolloff. The half edge setting displays either the light or dark side of the edge, allowing for unique sharpening and halo effects.
DaVinci Wide Gamut Color Space
DaVinci wide gamut and intermediate are timeline color space and gamma standards that provide a universal internal working color space. It’s larger than what cameras can capture, even larger than BT.2020, ARRI wide gamut and ACES AP1. You’ll never lose image quality, no matter where it comes from!
8K Real Time Color Correction
Only DaVinci Resolve supports 8K digital negative debayering editing and grading in real time! Working directly on RAW footage when compositing and grading ensures the most accurate results, to avoid limited resolutions, compression artifacts and banding that might impact your creative decisions!
M1 Ultra Performance
Support for the new Apple M1 Ultra means faster playback than ever before, including 30x faster playback on multicam 8K timelines. Collaborative workflows and wider support of RAW formats means feature film productions are increasingly adopting faster turnarounds using original camera media.
Technology
and Creativity
DaVinci Resolve provides some of the most intelligent AI and advanced feature algorithms available in post production! These tools produce quick, accurate results that will elevate the visual quality of your project while saving you hours of time. The magic mask needs only a single stroke to locate and track people, features, and objects. Smart reframe repurposes footage to dramatically different aspect ratios by recognizing the action in a scene and panning within it. Tools like object removal and the patch replacer allow you to remove unwanted equipment from a scene with the click of a few buttons. Plus the tracker has been the industry leader for over 20 years.
AI Tools
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After Person Mask
Person Mask
The magic mask palette uses the DaVinci Neural Engine to detect people, tracking their movement in a shot. This person mask produces clean traveling mattes for secondary grades or effects. You can make characters stand out in an under lit shot, or invert the person mask and stylize the background.
Upscale with Regular NLE
Upscale with DaVinci Resolve
SuperScale
This unique upscaling algorithm creates new pixels when increasing the resolution of an image. The newly generated data has more detail in upscaled images than standard resizing controls. Ideal for scaling archival footage into modern resolutions, or upscaling HD footage to match a 4K or 8K project.
Smart Reframe for Social Media
Now you can use 16:9 HD or Ultra HD and quickly create square or vertical versions for posting to Instagram and other apps! The DaVinci Neural Engine automatically identifies action and repositions the image inside a new frame so you don’t have to do it manually. You can even fine tune the results!
Stylize with Open FX Library
The Open FX library features over a dozen stylize effects that can artistically modify the content of the image. Ranging from the creative, like pencil sketch, halation and abstraction, to the practical like blanking fill, these effects analyze the content of a shot to produce striking imagery.
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After Refinement
Face Refinement
The sophisticated face refinement filter uses facial feature recognition to automatically detect and track faces! Use its many parameters for general beauty work, like skin smoothing, for correcting unflattering color casts, and for retouching individual features like eyes, lips and cheeks.
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After Dead Pixel Fixer
Dead Pixel Fixer
Dead pixels in a camera sensor will often appear as static white dots and could affect hundreds of shots before they are noticed! Click on the white dots in the viewer, and the dead pixel fixer will use the surrounding pixel data to cover them up, rescuing your footage and preventing reshoots!
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Object Removal
The perfect tool for covering up moving objects in an otherwise static shot, object removal analyzes a scene and uses the background information to paint out unwanted data. Create a Power Window on a new node, track the unwanted object, and link to the effect node. Watch it vanish before your eyes!
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Patch Replacer
Sample an area of your scene to quickly cover up unwanted elements, like boom mics or even blemishes on a face. The patch replacer has a fantastic auto grading feature that will seamlessly blend the covered area with the surrounding color data, even when there is movement or changes in the light.
Tools for Content Creators
Upload Directly to YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter
Link your social media accounts to DaVinci Resolve in order to upload videos directly to YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter as you export. Compression settings have been developed based on each site’s best recommendations, meaning your videos will be optimized for visual quality and playback speed.
Import ATEM Mini Projects
Live production projects from ATEM Mini ISO models can be opened as a timeline. The sync bin with multiview lets you fine tune edits from the original live production or even replace shots. You can use the ISO recordings from ATEM or relink to Blackmagic RAW camera files for finishing in Ultra HD!
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After Noise Reduction
Advanced Noise Reduction
Two powerful tools restore noisy digital footage, even if captured in low light. The GPU accelerated temporal noise reduction algorithm removes noise while intelligently retaining areas of high detail. While the spatial noise tool analyzes the remaining noise pattern to lift it from the image.
Optical Flow Speed Change
The advanced retiming algorithm analyzes a scene’s content, building new frames so you can slow down and extend the action in a sequence without repairing or blending frames into each other. Every frame created with optical flow is sharp, and intelligently constructed from existing visual data.
Mix 2,000 Tracks in Realtime!
Fairlight Audio Core is a low latency, next generation audio engine that intelligently manages workloads by using all CPU cores. That means sound elements can be split into as many tracks as needed. You get up to 2,000 tracks, each with real time EQ, dynamics and 6 plug-ins, all on a single system!
Track and Follow Objects
The tracker palette lets you effortlessly follow objects and people to apply secondary grading or effects. When a window is placed on a subject, the tracker can follow its contents in 3D space, resulting in a quick and accurate mask. You can easily emphasize vital elements of a scene!
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Color Warper for Refined Grading
The mesh based warping tool lets you adjust two color parameters at once. You can adjust both hue and saturation or chroma and luma. Adjustments are made by dragging control points, with smooth falloff for clean, natural looking adjustments. It’s a new way to transform color in your images!
Hardware and Software Integration
Streamline your workflow with editing keyboards, grading panels and audio consoles designed to work with DaVinci Resolve software. Faster than just software, dedicated features are placed directly at your fingertips. Adjust multiple parameters simultaneously on the same panels used in Hollywood!
