DaVinci Resolve

Overview

Automate DaVinci Resolve — the professional NLE with built-in color grading, Fusion VFX, and Fairlight audio. This skill covers the Resolve Scripting API (Python and Lua) for programmatic control of projects, timelines, media pools, color grades, render jobs, and Fusion compositions. Build batch workflows, automate repetitive edits, manage render queues, and integrate Resolve into production pipelines.

Instructions

Step 1: Scripting API Setup

DaVinci Resolve exposes a Python/Lua API when running. Scripts connect to the running instance.

# Module paths vary by OS:
# macOS: /Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Developer/Scripting/Modules/
# Linux: /opt/resolve/Developer/Scripting/Modules/
# Windows: %PROGRAMDATA%/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Support/Developer/Scripting/Modules/

import sys
sys.path.append("/opt/resolve/Developer/Scripting/Modules/")
import DaVinciResolveScript as dvr

resolve = dvr.scriptapp("Resolve")
projectManager = resolve.GetProjectManager()
project = projectManager.GetCurrentProject()
mediaPool = project.GetMediaPool()
timeline = project.GetCurrentTimeline()

Run scripts from: Workspace > Scripts, CLI (python3 my_script.py), or Workspace > Console.

Step 2: Project & Media Pool

# Project management
pm = resolve.GetProjectManager()
pm.CreateProject("New Project")
project = pm.GetCurrentProject()
project.SetSetting("timelineResolutionWidth", "3840")
project.SetSetting("timelineResolutionHeight", "2160")
project.SetSetting("timelineFrameRate", "24")

# Media Pool — create bins and import
mediaPool = project.GetMediaPool()
rootFolder = mediaPool.GetRootFolder()
dailies_bin = mediaPool.AddSubFolder(rootFolder, "Dailies")
mediaPool.SetCurrentFolder(dailies_bin)
clips = mediaPool.ImportMedia([
    "/path/to/footage/scene01_take01.mov",
    "/path/to/footage/scene01_take02.mov",
])

# Set clip metadata
clip = clips[0]
clip.SetClipProperty("Comments", "Best take")
clip.SetClipColor("Green")

Step 3: Timeline Operations

# Create and populate timelines
timeline = mediaPool.CreateEmptyTimeline("Assembly Edit v1")
mediaPool.AppendToTimeline([clips[0], clips[1]])

# Append subclip with in/out points
mediaPool.AppendToTimeline([{
    "mediaPoolItem": clips[0],
    "startFrame": 0,
    "endFrame": 120,  # First 5 seconds at 24fps
}])

# Inspect timeline
items = timeline.GetItemListInTrack("video", 1)
for item in items:
    print(f"  Frame {item.GetStart()}-{item.GetEnd()}: {item.GetName()}")

# Markers
timeline.AddMarker(1000, "Blue", "Review Point", "Check color here", 1, "reviewTag")
markers = timeline.GetMarkers()

Step 4: Color Grading Automation

resolve.OpenPage("color")
items = timeline.GetItemListInTrack("video", 1)

for item in items:
    item.SetLUT(1, "/path/to/luts/FilmLook.cube")
    item.SetCDL({
        "NodeIndex": 1,
        "Slope": [1.1, 1.0, 0.95],
        "Offset": [0.0, 0.0, 0.02],
        "Power": [1.0, 1.0, 1.05],
        "Saturation": 1.1,
    })

# Copy grade from one clip to all others
source_item = items[0]
for item in items[1:]:
    timeline.ApplyGradeFromTimelineClip(item, source_item)

Step 5: Render Queue & Batch Export

project.SetRenderSettings({
    "SelectAllFrames": True,
    "TargetDir": "/path/to/renders/",
    "CustomName": "MyProject_v1",
    "FormatWidth": 3840,
    "FormatHeight": 2160,
    "FrameRate": 24,
    "ExportVideo": True,
    "ExportAudio": True,
})
project.LoadRenderPreset("YouTube 4K")
project.AddRenderJob()

# Batch: add all timelines to render queue
for i in range(1, project.GetTimelineCount() + 1):
    tl = project.GetTimelineByIndex(i)
    project.SetCurrentTimeline(tl)
    project.SetRenderSettings({"TargetDir": f"/renders/{tl.GetName()}/"})
    project.AddRenderJob()

project.StartRendering()

# Monitor progress
import time
while project.IsRenderingInProgress():
    for job in project.GetRenderJobList():
        status = project.GetRenderJobStatus(job["JobId"])
        print(f"  {job['TimelineName']}: {status.get('CompletionPercentage', 0)}%")
    time.sleep(5)

Step 6: Fusion Scripting & Integration

# Add Fusion text overlay to a clip
resolve.OpenPage("fusion")
item = timeline.GetItemListInTrack("video", 1)[0]
fusion_comp = item.GetFusionCompByIndex(1)

text_node = fusion_comp.AddTool("TextPlus", -32768, -32768)
text_node.StyledText = "Episode 1"
text_node.Font = "Arial"
text_node.Size = 0.08
text_node.Center = {"x": 0.5, "y": 0.9}

Timeline import/export:

mediaPool.ImportTimelineFromFile("/path/to/edit.edl", {
    "timelineName": "Imported Edit",
    "importSourceClips": True,
    "sourceClipsPath": "/path/to/media/",
})
timeline.Export("/path/to/export/timeline.fcpxml", resolve.EXPORT_FCPXML)
# Formats: EXPORT_EDL, EXPORT_AAF, EXPORT_DRT, EXPORT_FCPXML

Examples

Example 1: Batch render all projects in a database folder as ProRes 422 HQ

User prompt: "Write a Python script that loops through every project in the current Resolve database folder, renders each timeline as ProRes 422 HQ to /mnt/renders/<project>/<timeline>/, and prints a summary when done."

The agent will write a script that calls GetProjectListInCurrentFolder(), iterates through each project with LoadProject(), loops over timelines with GetTimelineByIndex(), applies render settings with LoadRenderPreset("ProRes 422 HQ") and a target directory based on project and timeline names, adds render jobs, calls StartRendering(), polls IsRenderingInProgress() in a loop, and prints completion stats.

Example 2: Apply a LUT and color grade to all clips on the first video track

User prompt: "I have a FilmLook.cube LUT at /home/editor/luts/FilmLook.cube. Write a Resolve script that applies this LUT to node 1 of every clip on video track 1, then bumps saturation to 1.15 and adds a slight warm offset."

The agent will create a Python script that switches to the Color page with resolve.OpenPage("color"), gets all items from video track 1, applies the LUT via item.SetLUT(1, "/home/editor/luts/FilmLook.cube"), then calls item.SetCDL() with saturation set to 1.15 and a warm offset of [0.01, 0.005, 0.0] on each clip.

Guidelines

• DaVinci Resolve must be running for the scripting API to work; scripts connect to the active instance and cannot launch Resolve headlessly
• Always call pm.SaveProject() after making changes to avoid losing work if Resolve or the script crashes
• The Resolve scripting module path varies by OS; set sys.path correctly or use the RESOLVE_SCRIPT_API environment variable
• Use project.GetRenderJobStatus() in a polling loop with time.sleep() to monitor renders rather than blocking indefinitely
• Fusion scripting coordinates use normalized values (0.0 to 1.0) for position, not pixel values, so Center = {"x": 0.5, "y": 0.9} means horizontally centered and near the bottom