I was wondering why almost half of my 1TB SSD has been already eaten up. I found the culprit. What could possibly take up so much space? I record with my phone... I never record more than two minutes and the footage it's never that complete when it comes to editing.. Can it be my export settings? Or what exactly is it?

Ok. Right off the bat. Not in any one’s league here but I respect the knowledge. So don’t beat me up for asking a dumb question. I just shot some footage on an iPhone (just needed some quick shots for a friend so it on an insta 360 is really easy). Well when I dropped it into davinci to just do some quick cuts it looked very flat compared to what I saw on the iPhone. After working with my ChatGPT I learned about HDR vs SDR editing. I’ve only edited in SDR and have rendered in SDR on R3D raw. But using HDR was really easy and looked a lot different. I then tried it on my R3D and it did some amazing stuff. So why don’t I see much edited and rendered in HDR (I’m probably screwing up the correct terms, but basically using Rec.2100 HLG). ChatGPT suggested giving a client rendered versions of both. Just so you know by client I’m talking weddings not commercial work. Any thoughts on pros and cons of hdr vs sdr would be appreciated

I am very new to video editing , used capcut before but only for cuts and trims , I am trying da vinci resolve learning it as I have purchased an editing pack but frankly no idea how editing pack helps with da vinci resolve , cant find any related videos , could someone please point me to the right resources. My niche is education ,channel is just getting started, mostly do talking head video . Just need captions and basic b roll or basic motion graphics .

Hey editors,

On long gaming edits and highlight projects, footage logging is always the most tedious bottleneck. Spending hours manually watching raw clips just to drop markers where the action happens drains creative energy before the actual edit even begins.

I recently built a custom post-production logging pipeline that analyzes the match footage and builds an organized DaVinci Resolve project automatically:

Attached a screenshot showing how the timeline and Edit Index look after processing a batch of raw clips. It allows me to jump straight into pacing, audio syncing, and color grading without scrubbing.

Curious how other editors here handle footage culling and logging on high-volume gameplay dumps? If anyone is currently sitting on a massive clip backlog and wants to test having their clips culled like this, feel free to DM me!

Disclaimer

This content describes a method for running a local large language model (LLM) on a Mac Studio in conjunction with DaVinci Resolve Studio version 21.1 or later. It is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute a guarantee of suitability, performance, or fitness for any particular purpose. Nothing herein should be construed as a recommendation to purchase any specific hardware, including an M5 Ultra Mac Studio or any other model.

The author assumes no responsibility or liability for any decisions made based on this information, including any purchase of hardware, or for any resulting costs, performance shortfalls, or other consequences. Users are solely responsible for independently evaluating their own requirements and determining the adequacy of any hardware or software configuration for their intended use.

First off, it is important to call out a few specifics of my scripting and the use of Qwen3.8-27B through Inco AI's Splash engine.

• Resolve 21.1’s MCP server is Studio-only and is configured inside the app (File > Setup AI Assistants), officially for Claude, Claude Code, and ChatGPT Codex.
• It does not register as an MCP server in Claude Desktop / Cursor / Resolve.
• It does not replace Resolve’s Neural Engine (Magic Mask, IntelliTrack, Super Scale).
• Qwen3.8-27B (even Xhigh) is strong for its size but still trails the best cloud frontier models on complex reasoning, long-horizon planning, and nuanced creative judgment.
• For very intricate editorial decisions or highly creative transform sequences, you may still want to fall back to a frontier model occasionally.
• Native Resolve 21.1 MCP is more limited; the community server helps but is still a third-party layer that can break with Resolve updates.

NOTE: Because of the times you may find that you need more complex edits than Qwen3.8-27B can provide, I made sure to make the startup script a hybrid script. You can indicate with the flag of "cloud" if/when you wish to use a Claude subscription for editing.

Background and research

I recently purchased and received an M5 Ultra Mac Studio (base model: 96 GB unified memory, 30 CPU / 64 GPU cores, 1 TB SSD). My previous M1 Max with 64 GB was no longer keeping up with my workload, so I decided the new M5 Ultra base model should provide the performance I need for roughly as long as the M1 Max had served me.

With the additional performance—and the launch of native AI MCP support in DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 (currently 21.1.1)—I began experimenting with local models. I know I could subscribe to a cloud Claude account (which others have tested) and require less local memory, but I have sufficient RAM to run a local model and reduce reliance on an internet connection.

After research, I determined that the Qwen3.8-27B model (4-bit MLX quantization) fits comfortably in the system’s RAM while leaving enough headroom for DaVinci Resolve Studio to run well. Larger models are possible but would constrain Resolve’s available memory or require a higher-RAM configuration. For example, a 128 GB M5 Max would not provide enough headroom for both a larger model such as Qwen3.8-Flash-Next and Resolve, and jumping to a higher-RAM Ultra configuration exceeded my comfort level for operational spend.

Several inference engines are available. After evaluating options, Inco AI’s Splash engine appears to be the best match for my purposes. It has improved significantly during development and is currently at version 1.3.2 (at the time of my posting).

• Blog: https://lmstudio.ai/blog/splash-engine
• GitHub: https://github.com/incoai/splash

I perform a large number of Dynamic Zoom and Ken Burns-style pan transforms. Community MCP servers currently offer stronger support for these operations than the native Resolve MCP, so I am using one of them.

The two most useful community options at present are:

• samuelgursky/davinci-resolve-mcp — most popular; strong compound tools and good transform + keyframe support
• lordhoell/davinci-resolve-mcp — very complete (440+ tools), excellent Fusion and keyframe coverage

I chose the Samuel Gursky MCP. While Qwen3.8-27B can be used with Hermes and other MCP-aware setups, I selected Claude Code CLI. This should align most closely with existing tutorials that use cloud Claude for similar workflows.

Below is the installation script I developed with the assistance of generative AI, along with a companion launch script.

NOTE: In order to greatly improve TTFT, I've the SSD cache is set for 32GB and made it persistent (reloads the cache in the even of a system restart). Make sure to factor this in your space requirements.

Install Script

This version installs:

1. Splash 1.3.2 + Qwen3.8-27B (Xhigh)
2. Claude Code CLI
3. The recommended community Resolve MCP server (samuelgursky)
4. Configures Claude Code to use both the local Splash model and the community Resolve MCP

Save as `~/setup-splash-resolve.sh` and run:

#!/bin/bash
set -e

echo "=== Full setup: Splash 1.3.2 + Claude Code CLI + Community Resolve MCP ==="
echo "Optimized for 96 GB M5 Ultra + Dynamic Zoom / Ken Burns work"
echo

# --------------------------------------------------
# 1. Splash 1.3.2
# --------------------------------------------------
echo "→ Installing/upgrading Splash..."
brew update
brew install incoai/tap/splash || brew upgrade incoai/tap/splash
splash --version
echo

# --------------------------------------------------
# 2. Claude Code CLI
# --------------------------------------------------
echo "→ Installing Claude Code CLI..."
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

if command -v claude >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  echo "  Already installed: $(claude --version 2>/dev/null || echo present)"
else
  echo "  Running official native installer..."
  curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
fi

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

if ! command -v claude >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  echo "ERROR: Claude Code not found after install."
  echo "Try: brew install --cask claude-code"
  exit 1
fi
echo "  Claude Code ready: $(claude --version)"
echo

# --------------------------------------------------
# 3. Community DaVinci Resolve MCP (for transforms/keyframes)
# --------------------------------------------------
echo "→ Installing community DaVinci Resolve MCP server..."
echo "  (samuelgursky/davinci-resolve-mcp – best for transforms & keyframes)"

# Requires Node.js for the npx installer
if ! command -v node >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  echo "  Node.js not found – installing via Homebrew..."
  brew install node
fi

# Run the official setup (installs + configures for Claude Code)
npx -y davinci-resolve-mcp setup

echo "  Community Resolve MCP installed and registered with Claude Code."
echo

# --------------------------------------------------
# 4. Model + cache settings
# --------------------------------------------------
MODEL="mlx-community/Qwen3.8-27B-4bit"
CACHE_DIR="$HOME/Library/Caches/Splash/prefix-cache"
mkdir -p "$CACHE_DIR"

# --------------------------------------------------
# 5. Launch Splash with full performance features
# --------------------------------------------------
echo "→ Starting Splash (SSD KV cache + persistence, Xhigh)..."
pkill -f "splash serve" 2>/dev/null || true
sleep 1

nohup splash serve \
  --model "$MODEL" \
  --max-cache-disk 32G \
  --persistent-cache \
  --cache-dir "$CACHE_DIR" \
  --state-format bf16 \
  --idle-release off \
  --port 8000 \
  > ~/splash-server.log 2>&1 &

echo "  Splash started. Log: ~/splash-server.log"

# Wait for readiness
echo "  Waiting for server..."
for i in {1..60}; do
  if curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8000/v1/models >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    echo "  ✓ Splash ready on http://127.0.0.1:8000"
    break
  fi
  sleep 2
done
echo

# --------------------------------------------------
# 6. Point Claude Code at local Splash
# --------------------------------------------------
echo "→ Configuring Claude Code to use local Splash..."

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="http://127.0.0.1:8000"
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="splash"
export OPENAI_BASE_URL="http://127.0.0.1:8000/v1"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="splash"

if ! grep -q "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL.*8000" ~/.zshrc 2>/dev/null; then
  cat >> ~/.zshrc << 'EOF'

# Local Splash (Qwen3.8-27B) for Claude Code
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="http://127.0.0.1:8000"
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="splash"
export OPENAI_BASE_URL="http://127.0.0.1:8000/v1"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="splash"
EOF
  echo "  Added environment variables to ~/.zshrc"
fi

echo
echo "=== Setup complete ==="
echo
echo "IMPORTANT – before using Resolve MCP:"
echo "1. Open DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1"
echo "2. Preferences → General → set 'External scripting using' to Local"
echo "3. (Optional) File → Setup AI Assistants for the native MCP as well"
echo
echo "Then open a NEW terminal and run:"
echo "splash claude"
echo
echo "You can now ask Claude Code to perform dynamic zooms, Ken Burns pans,"
echo "keyframed transforms, media organization, renders, and related tasks."
echo
echo "To stop Splash:  pkill -f 'splash serve'"
echo "Logs: ~/splash-server.log"

After running the script

1. Open DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1.
2. Go to Preferences → General and set External scripting using to Local.
3. Run the launch script I have outlined below, note the use of the flag "cloud" if you wish to use your Claude cloud subscription.
4. You should see the community Resolve MCP tools available.

Launch Script

This optional script will launch splash, open DaVinci Resolve Studio and then launch Claude Code CLI. If you use the optional flag "cloud", it will instead use the Claude cloud subscription.

Save as ~/start-resolve-ai.sh.

#!/bin/bash
# start-resolve-ai.sh
# Hybrid launcher for DaVinci Resolve + local AI (default) or cloud Claude
#
# Usage:
#   ~/start-resolve-ai.sh          → Local Splash + Qwen3.8-27B
#   ~/start-resolve-ai.sh cloud    → Real Claude (cloud)

set -e

MODE=${1:-local}          # default = local
MODEL="mlx-community/Qwen3.8-27B-4bit"
CACHE_DIR="$HOME/Library/Caches/Splash/prefix-cache"
PORT=8000
LOG="$HOME/splash-server.log"

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"

echo "=== DaVinci Resolve AI Launcher ==="
echo

# --------------------------------------------------
# CLOUD MODE
# --------------------------------------------------
if [ "$MODE" = "cloud" ]; then
  echo "Mode: CLOUD (real Claude)"
  echo

  # Clear any local overrides so Claude Code uses the real Anthropic endpoint
  unset ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL
  unset ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
  unset OPENAI_BASE_URL
  unset OPENAI_API_KEY

  echo "→ Opening DaVinci Resolve..."
  open -a "DaVinci Resolve" 2>/dev/null || open -a "DaVinci Resolve Studio" 2>/dev/null || {
    echo "⚠ Could not find DaVinci Resolve. Open it manually."
  }
  sleep 2

  echo "✓ Using official Anthropic Claude"
  echo "  (Make sure you are logged in or have an API key configured)"
  echo
  echo "Launching Claude Code..."
  echo "------------------------------------------------"
  exec claude
fi

# --------------------------------------------------
# LOCAL MODE (default)
# --------------------------------------------------
echo "Mode: LOCAL (Splash + Qwen3.8-27B Xhigh)"
echo

# 1. Start Splash if needed
if curl -s "http://127.0.0.1:$PORT/v1/models" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  echo "✓ Splash is already running on port $PORT"
else
  echo "→ Starting Splash server..."
  mkdir -p "$CACHE_DIR"

  pkill -f "splash serve" 2>/dev/null || true
  sleep 1

  nohup splash serve \
    --model "$MODEL" \
    --max-cache-disk 32G \
    --persistent-cache \
    --cache-dir "$CACHE_DIR" \
    --state-format bf16 \
    --idle-release off \
    --port $PORT \
    > "$LOG" 2>&1 &

  echo "  Waiting for Splash to become ready..."
  for i in {1..45}; do
    if curl -s "http://127.0.0.1:$PORT/v1/models" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
      echo "✓ Splash is ready"
      break
    fi
    sleep 1
    if [ $i -eq 45 ]; then
      echo "⚠ Splash did not become ready in time."
      echo "  Check the log: $LOG"
      exit 1
    fi
  done
fi

# 2. Open DaVinci Resolve
echo "→ Opening DaVinci Resolve..."
open -a "DaVinci Resolve" 2>/dev/null || open -a "DaVinci Resolve Studio" 2>/dev/null || {
  echo "⚠ Could not find DaVinci Resolve. Please open it manually."
}
sleep 3

# 3. Launch Claude Code via Splash helper
echo
echo "✓ Local stack ready"
echo "  • Splash → http://127.0.0.1:$PORT"
echo "  • Model  → Qwen3.8-27B (Xhigh)"
echo "  • Cache  → Persistent SSD"
echo
echo "Launching Claude Code (splash claude)..."
echo "------------------------------------------------"
echo

exec splash claude

Make it executable:

Bash

chmod +x ~/start-resolve-ai.sh

How to use it

Optional Stop Script

Save it as ~/stop-resolve-ai.sh and make it executable:

Bash

chmod +x ~/stop-resolve-ai.sh

Stop Script

Bash

#!/bin/bash
# stop-resolve-ai.sh
# Cleanly shut down the Splash server

echo "=== Stopping Local AI stack ==="

if pgrep -f "splash serve" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  echo "→ Stopping Splash server..."
  pkill -f "splash serve"
  sleep 1

  # Force kill if it didn't exit cleanly
  if pgrep -f "splash serve" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    echo "  Process still running – forcing shutdown..."
    pkill -9 -f "splash serve"
    sleep 1
  fi

  if pgrep -f "splash serve" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    echo "⚠ Splash could not be stopped. Check manually with: pgrep -fl splash"
  else
    echo "✓ Splash has been stopped"
  fi
else
  echo "✓ Splash is not currently running"
fi

echo "Done."

Usage

Bash

~/stop-resolve-ai.sh

This will cleanly terminate the Splash server. It does not close DaVinci Resolve or Claude Code — those stay open so you can finish any work.

Happy to answer questions or share any follow-up results once I’ve put more hours on the setup.

If you encounter any errors with my scripts, please let me know so that I can correct those. I've copied and pasted, but it's possible I may have some errors.

So ive been using DaVinci Resolve 21.0.4 and up until 1 week ago the program run fine and didnt have any issues, but 2 days ago it decided to stop opening, this are my specs:
CPU: AMD K19
GPU: 8176MB ATI AMD Radeon RX 7600 (ASUStek Computer Inc)
RAM:15GB

I have tried EVERYTHING, ive updated, ive re-installed (multiple times), changed graphic settings of the program to high performance, set it to run as administrator and compatibility mode, i just cant figure out what the hell is wrong, am i gonna have to do a wipe of windows?
please people of reddit help me.

I cant get a screenshot of any errors cuz it wont even open

I have tried woth custom text too but there is only frame timecode and not frame number

collection of images of my nodes that vaguely take the shape of guns

Hey, I've got a question about how you combine 2D animation with 3D backgrounds, especially during fight scenes with moving cameras.

Do you normally animate the characters roughly in 2D first, then match the 3D environment and camera to those drawings? Or do you block out the scene using 3D character rigs and camera movements first, then use that as reference for the 2D animation?

I'm working on something similar in Blender and Clip Studio Paint and I'm struggling to figure out which approach works best, especially for keeping characters in the right perspective and position as the camera moves.

I'm a filmmaker. While doing a rough cut, I assembled different episodes in different timelines and then assembled them into one. I use DaVinci 21
In total, there are 5. They are the same in settings; the footage is from different shooting days, intertwined.
And here is where the catch happens - 4/5 render wonderfully. I disabled all the effects, and it renders 20 mins in 5. Wonderful.
But at a point when it moves to the last timeline, it all halts. Rendering drops to 1 or 0.5 frames per second. Once again, it has the same settings; the material is from different shooting days, but every shot from this timeline produces this slowdown, and I don't know what to do.

It doesn't change even if I lower the settings to the absolute bare minimum; the result is still the same.
Help please!

Hello there,

I have a few videos of an event recorded over multiple small clips through out the day. So one video is at 6am another is 9 am and so on.

Is there a way I can extract the date and time and show onscreen using a text+.

I want to show the time at the start of some clips for a few seconds.

I want to show the exact time of recording on screen.

The clips have been recorded using an android phone.

The clips have meta data such as date/time take etc.

How can this be done?

Thanks

Hi all,

I have the Studio 21 Version, and I do mainly short-form videos for YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook Reels as a hobbiest.

One of the main points I get headache about is, what export settings should i use?

I capture my screen in OBS in 2k and do Python Tutorials.

Now I build some export settings up after some research.

But I wonder if I have to build my own export settings or if I can trust the DaVinci export settings?

Do you use them? Do you trust them, or do you prefer your personal export settings?

Please feel free to share if so.

Is there an Input Color Space available to select for D-Log M footage taken on the DJI Osmo Action 6? I want to select a proper one for an export intended to be in HDR on YouTube (Output color space is Rec.2020 | Rec.2100 ST2084).

I found a bunch of guides online, but they are all for footage that is intended to be in Rec. 709.

*Resolve 21.1 build 17 (Its been happening since Resolve 19) Updates haven't fixed it for me...

Read the bullet points in order and ask any questions...

• Having an issue with Dynamic Zoom.
• Dynamic Zoom itself still works.
• When I click the Dynamic Zoom overlay, I can't adjust the frame normally.
• The frame gets stuck and only stays in certain positions.
• It won't move freely/reposition the way it used to.
• Included a screenshot showing the issue.
• Marked the areas where the frame gets stuck.
• Wondering if anyone else has experienced this or knows a fix.

• At start up of Davinci, the Dynamic Zoom works fine at first.
• After I make changes to the clip and then come back, the Dynamic Zoom adjustability which are the green and red bug out and don't let me mess with them anymore
• I can only toggle Dynamic Zoom on or off.

Thanks

Hello everyone,

Im trying to edit a photo using Photo Mode but when I try to import a media that I took with my device (iPhone 13 Pro, Raw Photo) the thumbnail is red saying Media Offline. Any other format like JPEG works just fine…

The software version is 21.1.1 build 10, im using windows 11 with a snapdragon x plus laptop 16gb ram

https://reddit.com/link/1x9ykuo/video/hzvz62wipfwh1/player

How would I replicate this in Davinci Resolve?

Hi all!
I have couple of youth soccer teams I record with XbotGo Falcon (4k/30fps).
On the post edit I add intro page and I purchased Sports Pack from videoeditorstudio.com.
I used my older laptop that is pretty basic (Win 11, Ryzen 5, 14GB RAM, 2048MB ATI Radeon Graphics) noting to brag about at all so I wasn't expecting anything lightning fast.
DaVinci Resolve FREE 21.1

With all the effects I add (score bug that runs the entire 1 hour clip as well as player card pop ups when the goal is scored) the rendering ran 5-6 hours.
I chose MP4 format, H.265, Auto Encoder and put Constant Bitrate 30000 to reduce the size.
I do have Render Cache on Smart as well.

To try to get things better going forward, I purchased a Mini PC pro
Win 11, Intel I9 Ultra, 31GM RAM, Intel Arc 140T
I also did 30 day cloud rental for DaVinci Resolve Studio to see if that makes a difference with hardware acceleration.

The rendering format I kept the same.

Well, the rendering still takes 5-6 hours so my question is am I doing something wrong or is that just what I should expect with 3 different timelines being rendered:
Video 1 - regular video clip
Video 2 - Score Bug that runs the whole length of the clip
Video 3 - 5 second effect clip when the goal is scored

Thanks for the tips/tricks/advice!!!

Very new user, I have created a blank project ready to start learning the software, I have saved the project to a folder on my mac, when I go into the folder, I don't see any saved project file?

What am I missing?