In part 2 of our blog series on the new features in DaVinci Resolve 18 from Blackmagic Design, let’s focus on editing and color, where this application has always been highly regarded for being both intuitive and relatively easy. For editing, no need to panic, as the familiar timeline layout and features are all still there. What’s new is subtitles, reverse transitions, simultaneous angles, and chapter markers.
Editing
Enhanced Subtitles
Expanded subtitle support now includes TTML and XML timed texts, as well as embedded MXF/IMF subtitles, so now you can view and import subtitles from media storage, create regions to support multiple simultaneous captions per track, and (when indicating different speakers) set individual presets and text positions.
Reverse Transitions
With the effects library’s shape, iris and wipe transitions, DaVinci Resolve now features checkboxes which allow you to reverse the transition’s direction. More options mean more room for creativity.
Simultaneous Multicam Angles
Inside the multicam viewer, a new 5x5 option enables up to 25 different angles simultaneously in a single multicam clip. Purpose-built for large scale multicam projects, this feature simplifies viewing, cutting, and switching between more angles, so you’re no longer moving between pages for different angles.
YouTube and QuickTime Chapter Markers
Of course, you want viewers to watch your video in its entirety, but we’re all guilty of jumping to a particular section or scene we deem most relevant. To make this easier for viewers, all you have to do is add and rename markers to your timeline to automatically create chapter markers from one set of colored timeline markers when sending to QuickTime formats or uploading directly to YouTube.
Color
Always outstanding and immensely popular for color correction, DaVinci Resolve 18 has introduced some terrific new capabilities: intuitive object mask, an automatic depth map, the ability to track moving warp surfaces, and an updated version of Resolve Beauty FX.
Intuitive Object Mask
Inside the magic mask palette, you’ll find the new object mask which can now recognize and track the movement of thousands of unique objects. Whether it’s animals, vehicles, people, or more, the DaVinci Neural Engine intuitively isolates these elements, allowing you to do advanced secondary grading and effects applications.
Automatic Depth Map
Now you can you instantly generate a 3D depth matte of a scene in order to grade the foreground separately from the background (or vice versa) with the new depth map effect. Direct viewer attention to foreground action, spotlight your interview subjects, or enhance production value by introducing background atmosphere.
Track Moving Warped Surfaces
From flags and clothing to faces, now you can apply graphics to a surface that may warp or change perspective. The customizable mesh of the surface tracker follows the motion of a textured surface, enabling you to apply graphics and tattoos—or to cover up those logos you don’t have permission to display
Resolve FX Beauty
Be ready for that close up. Developed with professional colorists, ultra beauty gives you advanced control for corrective beauty work, i.e., smoothing skin and removing blemishes while still producing natural, beautiful results.
Speaking of beautiful results, always insist on running DaVinci Resolve on hardware purpose-built for this application. Once you’ve perused our world class DaVinci Resolve solutions, be sure to look for the last blog in this series dropping next week.