DaVinci Resolve Lite 8.2 Beta2 (free CC app)

robwood wrote on 2/2/2012, 6:15 PM
DaVinci Resolve is a stand-alone CC application (not a plug-in) that retails for $1000, but most everything you'll ever need for CC is available in the Lite version... which is FREE!. Because I haven't seen much mention of it here I've included some links to get people up-to-speed.






DaVinci Resolve Lite (download site)
Go here to get a copy of the software, manual, install/config guide (you'll have a form to fill out to get the program)
DaVinci Resolve Lite (Support Center)



Getting Started
Once you've configured DaVinci to your needs, it's easy enough to adjust the app to your workflow, but for first-timers... those first few moments after install are pretty confusing (log-in, password, 5 pages of preferences, config files need to be loaded, creating master session for each project, etc). Convenienty, Class On Demand has released a FREE training guide which should help first-timers with Resolve...


Getting Started with DaVinci Resolve Lite
Bob Sliga gives his overview of Resolve; his talking-head shots are... interesting. It's a short series with a bunch of the "tutorials" being product-placement. But the 5-10 tutorials that DO focus on Resolve are helpful; and it's FREE! so...



Other Workshops, Tutorials, Lessons




this is a four-part Workshop by Patrick Inhofer; skip to 3m40s to begin (unless u speak french)





Warren Eagles has 10 or 20 short tutorials on YouTube; there are a number of YouTube overviews other than Warren's, so check around.



These one's aren't free:

fxphd fastforward: Resolve Fundamentals
If you're willing to spend some money, I'd recommend the "FXPHD: Resolve Fundamentals course" which I have bought and is great.

Resolve 8 Tutorial & Training
Patrick Inhofer also has a series on Resolve (still being completed). It costs about twice as much as the Resolve series and I haven't seen it, so can't speak to it's quality; but you can check out Patrick on the DaVinci Resolve Workshop links listed above... from what I saw there it seemed he'd also be good.



(anyway, hope this sparks someone's interest... the lack of formatting bugged me so i rebuilt it)

Comments

farss wrote on 2/2/2012, 10:33 PM
I've been watching the development of this with interest so thanks for that, last time I checked the free version was only available for the Mac platform.

Bob.
NickHope wrote on 2/2/2012, 10:40 PM
I tried to install it the other day but it didn't like a number of things on my old system and wouldn't install.
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 2/3/2012, 4:06 AM
After a bit of fidgeting, I have to say, it's not a bad tool, have you tried importing the Vegas EDL into it, and seeing if that was able to import? Bob, it is working with windows on my machine, it's a beta on the window's side, but it's working along.

Dave
robwood wrote on 2/3/2012, 1:25 PM
I tried to install it the other day but it didn't like a number of things on my old system and wouldn't install. - Nick

you know that beta3 version just came out? you may wanna try it... i couldn't get beta1 to run on mine; had to wait til beta2.
musicvid10 wrote on 2/3/2012, 4:01 PM
Doesn't install on Vista 32. Not yet ready for prime time.
Jay Gladwell wrote on 2/4/2012, 6:35 AM

Deleted

farss wrote on 2/4/2012, 7:34 AM
"Doesn't install on Vista 32. Not yet ready for prime time."

The software has a pretty specific list of hardware and software requirements to run. I doubt you'll ever get it to install on just anything.

I haven't even bothered to download the trial as yet. Watching the presentations I see it as a tool targetted at professional grading requirements where multiple projects are being run through the suite, possibly by different colorists.
I've only been on the edge of one project that went through the whole offline>online>grade process and I can see this iteration of Resolve being very attractive, the guy had two large control surfaces already and handles mutiple projects in parrallel as well as doing dailies.

I think for most of us here Resolve is going to be overkill. There's a lot of overhead involved in this kind of system. Where it might be attractive is for those wanting to do a rough grade before sending it off for the full treatment elsewhere. The fliggin problem is getting an EDL or XML version of a project out of Vegas, sigh, pipped at the post again :(

Bob.
RRA wrote on 2/4/2012, 7:49 AM
Hi,

I have cancelled installation because it demands to install components, which I'm not sure about possible conflict with Vegas or plugins :

- nVida CUDA Toolkit,
- postgre SQL
- Visual C++ 2011
- Quick Time (have installed).

Does anybody know is it safe whether not ?

Second question : in description I have found, that there is 3D motion tracker implemented also in Lite version - is it true ? can anybody make assesment about productivity of this tool ?

Best regards,
RRA wrote on 2/4/2012, 9:50 AM
Hi,

One additional question : full version of DaVinci Resolve has very deep integration with hardware - I mean about controllers. Probably it's possible to map some function from BM hardware controller to user customizable keyboard (I have for example Bella customized for Vegas : Bella allows me to create my own setup which will be automatically recognized during starting of specyfic application).

Does anybody has such experience ? Is it possible in DaVinci ?

Best regards,
megabit wrote on 2/4/2012, 11:06 AM
I have cancelled installation because it demands to install components, which I'm not sure about possible conflict with Vegas or plugins :

As I didn't consider any of the above dangerous to my system stability, I went on and installed the thing. However, Resolve Lite fails to launch (it displays the splash screen, but doesn't make it to the GUI). Which rises the question:

- is the thing even supposed to work on a system w/o BM hardware, in the first place?

Piotr

AMD TR 2990WX CPU | MSI X399 CARBON AC | 64GB RAM@XMP2933  | 2x RTX 2080Ti GPU | 4x 3TB WD Black RAID0 media drive | 3x 1TB NVMe RAID0 cache drive | SSD SATA system drive | AX1600i PSU | Decklink 12G Extreme | Samsung UHD reference monitor (calibrated)

robwood wrote on 2/4/2012, 8:13 PM
"Resolve Lite fails to launch (it displays the splash screen, but doesn't make it to the GUI)." - megabit

1) i had the same thing happen to me with beta v1... when i installed v2 it worked for me... yesterday, v3 beta was uploaded; that's the most recent so far.
2) i had no problems with Vegas since installing the things Resolve Lite wanted.
3) and no you don't need BM hardware to run the software.


"Won''t install on Vista 32. Not yet ready for prime time." - musicvid

i thought that was pretty funny.
Duncan H wrote on 2/4/2012, 11:00 PM
Thanks Rob.

I had a quick look at some of the tutorials and videos, thanks, looks very impressive.

As a standalone app could you please explain possible workflow using Vegas (as opposed to Final Cut Pro with XML import/export, which from videos looks quite straightforward to switch back & forwards with no generational loss). I'm a bit slow when it comes to computing matters, so (for instance), I assume CC in Resolve would be the final step - having completed all transitions, Video FX etc within Vegas. How might one then move this file (export as MXF?) and then import into Resolve and do final render from Resolve to end output - e.g 'mpg4 etc ?? Any guidance would be appreciated.

Duncan
RRA wrote on 2/5/2012, 8:44 AM
Hi,

I have spent few hours with DaVinci - it's very interesting, especially mates and tracking them. CC with all effects (like vignetes) runs very fast. Compositing also possible (but there is no tool like LightWrap - just basic compositing modes).

I'm only dissapointed, that it can't read many files (also some MOVs and no AVIs) - I have been expecting, that it will be able to import the same files as Media Express (capture tools from Black Magic), but it can't. Probably this restrictions are connected with Beta version - but from other side, can't predict, that it will be able to read AVCHD files - Media Express can't do this.

Nodes based editing : had been discussing it in some provious storyline about "how to organize effects in parallel mode" - IMHO the most powerfull tool.

Also can't send Viewer to second monitor (probably in order to achieve that, I should reconnect second monitor from nVidia to Intensity PRO - don't like this, because Vegas setup is the most important) - it would be very valuable to work with full screen Viewer and change parameters via keyboard - now I have to switch between Color TAB and Viewer TAB - difficult to asses changes in this mode.

Best regards,
robwood wrote on 2/5/2012, 10:08 PM
"I have been expecting, that it will be able to import the same files as Media Express" - RRA

a Looks builder app by Magic Bullet, New Blue or Boris would probably be a better choice than DaVinci, maybe... Resolve has been around since mid 90's but not low-budget til last year.
robwood wrote on 2/5/2012, 10:24 PM
"...could you please explain possible workflow using Vegas." -Duncan

sure, but there isn't a lot of flow to it.. and it's more work than just using CC1/CC2/Curves/Levels in Vegas.

0) get the edit how you like it
1) render TIFF image-sequence (or whatever format ur comfortable CC'ing in) of e-n-t-i-r-e project
2) load Resolve, load sequence, create session
3) run scene detect app, tweak as needed (single track timeline - cuts only)
4) CC each shot (not as painful as it sounds: save looks as presets, apply as needed), export new image-sequence and save/export XML to TIFF folder*
5) load Vegas, import new image-sequence and render to whatever deliverable desired.

* for use by other NLE's... sometimes i use Premiere (which