The more I work with any software, the more small things I discover that I really like. Here are several in Resolve 20 that you may have overlooked.
NOTE: Yes, Resolve 21 is in beta, but Resolve 20 is still today’s workhorse.
Here are several hidden features you can access with just a mouse click or two.
Split Multi-layer Photoshop Files
On both the Cut and Edit pages, right-click a layered Photoshop file to split each layer into its own track in the timeline.
This is a great way to easily animate layers in a Photoshop graphic.
Red Alert Viewer Background
Nothing is worse than exporting a project only to discover that the background you thought was black is actually transparent.
Click the Timeline Viewer Options icon in the top left corner of the timeline (red arrow), and choose Viewer Background > Alert Red.
The Viewer will instantly display “any transparent part of the frame with the brightest, most saturated red [Blackmagic’s] engineers could devise.” (And who says User Guide writers don’t have a sense of humor?)
Trim with Safe Edit
In the Cut page, when Trim with Safe Mode is checked (enabled), you can trim and extend an edit point as normal until it intersects another clip. When the trim cursor reaches the next clip’s edges, it stops the trim and shows a small timer on the cursor rather than pushing on with the overwrite.
To enable it, click the Timeline Viewer Options icon (red arrow) and check Trim with Safe Edit.
NOTE: However, in the beta version of Resolve 21, the cursor timer seems to have disappeared.
Use J-K-L Trimming on the Cut page
On the Cut page, enable Dynamic Trim Mode (shortcut: W – or choose Trim > Dynamic Trim Mode)
This displays a yellow timeline playhead. Select an edit point in the timeline, then press J, K, or L to trim the position of the edit. This works for both ripple and roll trims.
NOTE: J-K-L trimming has been part of the Edit page for a while.
Compare and Edit Two Timelines at Once on the Edit Page
This is a little tricky, but worth learning.
If you have two, or more, timelines in the same project, you can now compare two timelines simultaneously in the Edit page, one loaded in the Source Viewer and one in the Timeline Viewer. This also simplifies copying clips.
To start, click Timeline Viewer Options (red arrow) and choose Display Stacked Timelines.
Next, open one timeline into the timeline window.
Next, right-click the timeline you want to compare it to in the Media Pool and choose Open in Timeline with Source Viewer.
This opens the second timeline into the Viewer (and timeline) and turns this icon blue (red arrow).
Now, you can instantly switch from timeline 1 to timeline 2 by clicking the timeline icon (red arrow), or typing Q. While the second timeline is read-only, you can still copy clips from timeline 2 to timeline 1, as well as drag from the Source Timeline Viewer into the Timeline Viewer to make an edit.
NOTE: To turn this feature off, type Option + Q. The blue icon indicates when timeline 2 (read-only) is displayed. When this icon is white, timeline 1 is displayed and editable.
SUMMARY
I’m always discovering new tricks and wanted to share these with you.
