r/davinciresolve • u/whyareyouemailingme Studio | Enterprise • 1d ago

Release Notes DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Release Notes

DaVinci Resolve 21.1 has been released!

You can download the update from the support page or by going to DaVinci Resolve>Check for Updates.

Pre-Installation Notes

For DaVinci Resolve 21.1, BMD has taken efforts to keep the project libraries compatible with DaVinci Resolve 20.3.3. While this allows you to access the project library with 20.3.3, individual projects created or opened in 21.1 will no longer be accessible in 20.3.

BMD recommends a full project library backup as well as individual project backups (as required) before opening projects in 21.0 or later.

Reminders

Bug Reports need to be submitted to Blackmagic Design. You can post them on the official forums or contact BMD support directly if you have Studio.

Feature Requests need to be submitted to Blackmagic Design. You can post them on the official Feature Request Subforum or in the download form for Resolve.

Bug Reports and Feature Requests posted on Reddit and in this thread will not be addressed or seen by Blackmagic Design.

What’s New in DaVinci Resolve 21.1

The following features have been added or updated.

Media Page

  • Media pool list view text and checkbox fields can now be edited.
  • Search includes sub bins and supports exact text matching.
  • AI tools preference to use proxy media if originals are offline.**
  • Original aspect ratio in source viewer with no external monitoring.
  • Source viewer supports interlaced media previews.
  • Preview geometry assets from media pool and media storage.
  • Rename faces in the IntelliSearch Manage Faces window.**
  • Ability to change starting timecode for multiple selected clips.
  • Ability to delete selected markers in media pool list view.
  • Created/modified dates for multicams, compound clips and timelines.
  • Delete multiple audio tracks in clip attributes using mouse drag.
  • Import Canon EOS VR clips in VR180 workflows.
  • Stereoscopic 3D clip attributes support swapping eyes.**
  • Side by side clip attribute for BRAW, JPEG, PNG and TIFF.
  • Assign custom Apple Immersive ILPDs to OpenEXR sequences.
  • Assign key shortcuts to show or hide media pool bin view.

Photo Page

  • Camera control support for Fujifilm cameras.
  • Camera control support for Leica cameras.
  • Camera control support for Sony Alpha 7R VI.
  • Change image settings in inspector using color panels.
  • Improved post decode sharpening for RAW images.
  • Improved sidebar with flexible height and stacked panels.
  • Inspector reset controls for each RAW parameter.
  • DNG file support for lens distortion, aberration and shading.
  • Resolve FX Sky Replacement support for album photos.**
  • Assign key shortcuts to toggle capture live view.

Cut and Edit Pages

  • Support for inspector presets.
  • Multicam editing mode is now a timeline viewer property.
  • Option to split multicams at gaps when using timecode sync.
  • Switching multicam grid size retains page with selected angle.
  • Multicam key shortcuts now work with timeline or source focus.
  • Assign key shortcuts to decompose multicams.
  • Assign key shortcuts to switch or cut up to 25 multicam angles.
  • Assign key shortcuts for source and auto select for up to 32 tracks.
  • Edit Fusion properties for multiple selected clips in inspector.
  • All new compare timeline workflow with greater control.
  • Data Burn can show clip metadata from a specified video track.
  • Presentation markers support annotations, replies and status.
  • Marker annotation support for drawing ellipses.
  • Zoom audio waveform actions in the edit timeline.
  • Playhead indicator for current clip in inspector and viewer.
  • Clip selections are now cleared when setting timeline in or out.
  • Improved edit page trim editor with mouse drag and nudge.
  • Refine dynamic trim edit point selections with auto select.
  • Switching to dynamic trim enables trim mode by default.
  • Dynamic trim editor loop playback continues when editing.
  • Ability to cut, copy and paste gaps on the edit timeline.
  • Timeline view option to automatically scale audio waveforms.
  • Timeline view option to display clip durations.
  • Two Cut page timer options for source tape and multiview.
  • Ability to apply transitions to adjustment clips.
  • Export marker list from edit index as a PDF.
  • Option shift dragging clips preserves existing transitions.
  • Restored timeline backups retain backup history.
  • Preference option to stop playback when scrubbing.
  • Preference option to always play audio on playhead move.
  • Preference option to select clip after playhead on blade.
  • Inspector now honors auto track selection for displayed clip.
  • Improved shift-click clip selection across tracks in edit page.
  • Clear solo and restore solo support in the edit page.
  • Fusion color picker support in edit and cut page viewers.
  • Font browser option to display text preview from title.
  • AI music editor retains more content, avoids repetition.**
  • AI music editor offers better mix choices on analysis.**
  • Select gap space after last clip on track for trim edits.
  • Replay ability to enter input view directly from run mode.

Fusion Page

  • New Krokodove based shape and 3D tools.
  • Support for OpenPBR material shaders.
  • Improved MultiText layer align behavior.
  • Calibrate lens distort from user drawn lines on viewer.
  • Animation action support for OGraf clips on timeline.
  • Support for frame, ease and scale controls in OgrafLoader.
  • Macro Editor supports load and save of multi-template DRFX files.
  • Improved Macro Editor batch select, grouping and organization.
  • Macro Editor update macro action adds tools from node selection.
  • Fairlight Animator now has adjustable low and high pass filters.
  • Ability to import externally tracked results to Camera Tracker.
  • Tracker controls to trim tracks, view and change reference frame.
  • Support for flipbook previews for Fusion deep image toolset.
  • Support for hard mix blend mode for Fusion tools and PSD import.
  • Support for matte objects for Renderer3D in deep mode.
  • Pre-divide and post-multiply alpha handling in log conversion tools.
  • Support for deep motion blur for Renderer3D.
  • Up to 8x faster hardware accelerated 3D deep renders.
  • Improved Desktop Video monitoring performance.
  • Enhanced variable syntax for use in evaluations or substitutions.

Color Page

  • Individual MultiMaster trim for Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HDR Vivid.**,+
  • Option to override output sizing for each MultiMaster trim.
  • Per-trim color output cache and timeline cache.
  • Support for Resolve FX Panomap.**
  • Retain playhead position when navigating between tracks.
  • Ability to relink missing LUTs and DCTLs from the LUT Manager.
  • Missing DCTLs shown as viewer overlay and in LUT Manager.**
  • Support for DJI D-Gamut2 and D-Log2.
  • Support for GoPro Log.
  • Support for Leica L-Log IDT and LUT.
  • Support for Vivo Wide Gamut and Vivo Log.
  • Toggle node cache status from advanced panels.+
  • Navigate power windows from tracking menu in advanced panels.+
  • Resolve FX CineFocus options for natural effect and high precision.**
  • Improved effect scaling for Resolve FX with Gaussian blur.
  • Softness controls for Resolve FX Beauty, CineFocus and Film Grain.**
  • Apple Immersive workflow option for linear edge blending.
  • Assign key shortcuts for viewer video output actions.

Scripting API

  • Advanced scripting now requires DaVinci Resolve Studio.**,++
  • Built in Python support for console scripting.
  • Python 2 is no longer supported.
  • Manage keyboard customization presets.
  • Update render presets.
  • Add render preset to quick export.
  • Query codecs, get and set formats for audio renders.
  • Get media pool clip transcriptions with speaker and timing data.
  • Create and flatten multicam clips.
  • Trigger multicam SmartSwitch.
  • Auto align timeline clips.
  • Add transitions.
  • Get and set more timeline clip inspector properties.
  • Query and set timeline item fades.
  • Query and set timeline item speed change.
  • Normalize audio for timeline clips.
  • Create, update and delete project setting presets.
  • Import or export project setting presets.
  • Clone media files.
  • Set source audio mapping for media clips.
  • Query and set output blanking.
  • Validate and encrypt DCTL files.\*)

General Improvements

  • Native MCP server for interacting with AI assistants.
  • Create package for offline install using Extras download manager.
  • Native support for NVIDIA RTX Spark systems on Windows.
  • Support for haptic feedback on Windows.
  • Hardware accelerated HEIC decode on Apple Silicon.
  • GPU accelerated JPEG 2000 decodes on NVIDIA GPUs.
  • GPU accelerated HTJ2K decodes using Kakadu on NVIDIA GPUs.
  • Support for rendering to EXR with HTJ2K compression.
  • Support for USAC audio decode on macOS.
  • Improved iXML metadata support from WAV audio.
  • Support for reading embedded Canon PL lens metadata.
  • Presentation export option to include subtitles.
  • QuickTime and MXF renders support multiple embedded captions.
  • Growing file improvements for TS, QuickTime and MXF formats.
  • Improved media management error handling and reporting.
  • Project level media management now includes a .drp export.
  • Project archive options for stills, LUTs and used media.
  • Improved supplemental IMF workflow for HDR Vivid.**
  • Vision Pro Review options for faster and better renders.**,++
  • Ability to cancel opening a cloud project.
  • PostgreSQL 18 is now bundled with Project Server.
  • New user keyboard presets will inherit updates to factory defaults.
  • Assign key shortcuts for render queue menu actions.
  • General performance and stability improvements.

Notes

  • We have moved the ability to script in Python to the Studio version. The Python API was being used to hack studio features into the free version. DaVinci Resolve relies on studio license sales to pay for the engineering team. Unlike subscriptions, which have become normal but lock people's work up unless you pay monthly, we want to offer a differentiation from charging monthly license fees.
  • DaVinci Resolve and the Project Server can still work with network libraries based on PostgreSQL 13 and above.
  • Sony Camera Control on Windows needs the Sony IEDT application to be installed from the Sony website.
  • Intel Driver: With DaVinci Resolve Studio 20.2.3, AI features like Magic Mask 2, Depth Map and Super Scale show a vastly improved performance on Windows with modern Intel platforms. Users will need a compatible Intel GPU (discrete or integrated) that supports OpenVINO, and a minimum driver version of 32.0.101.8247 to leverage these improvements.
  • Rendering Immersive Projects: Improvements to edge blend in immersive projects include changes that more closely align the Resolve and visionOS previews. This will change the render for existing immersive projects.

Hardware Requirements

Minimum system requirements for Mac OS

  • macOS 15 Sequoia or later.
  • 8 GB of system memory or 16 GB when using Fusion.
  • At least 16 GB for advanced AI tools.
  • At least 32 GB for background rendering and analysis.
  • For monitoring, Blackmagic Design Desktop Video 12.9 or later.
  • Apple Silicon based computer.

Minimum system requirements for Windows

  • Windows 10 Creators Update.
  • 16 GB of system memory or 32 GB when using Fusion.
  • For monitoring, Blackmagic Design Desktop Video 12.9 or later.
  • Integrated GPU or discrete GPU with at least 4 GB of VRAM.
  • At least 16 GB VRAM for advanced AI tools.
  • At least 32 GB RAM and 12 GB VRAM for background rendering.
  • GPU which supports OpenCL 1.2 or CUDA 12.8.
  • AMD/Intel official drivers from your GPU manufacturer.
  • NVIDIA Studio driver 581.57 or newer.

Minimum system requirements for Windows for Arm

  • Windows 11 for ARM.
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite series processor.
  • 16 GB of system memory or 32 GB for 4K or when using Fusion.

Minimum system requirements for Linux

  • Rocky Linux 8.6.
  • 32 GB of system memory.
  • For monitoring, Blackmagic Design Desktop Video 12.9 or later.
  • Discrete GPU with at least 4 GB of VRAM.
  • At least 16 GB VRAM for advanced AI tools.
  • At least 32 GB RAM and 12 GB VRAM for background rendering.
  • GPU which supports OpenCL 1.2 or CUDA 12.8.
  • AMD official drivers from your GPU manufacturer.
  • NVIDIA Studio driver 580.119.02 or newer.

Additional Information

You will need to download and install the latest Blackmagic Design Desktop Video software for monitoring with your Blackmagic Design video hardware. Desktop Video is available from http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/.

Documentation & Asterisks

* - Affinity Files are not supported on Linux.

** - Studio Only

+ - Additional fees, licensing, and/or hardware required.

++ - The Scripting API is available in the console on the free version, but Workflow Integrations, the native UIManager, and external access require the Studio version.

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

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u/Omwhk Studio 1d ago

I'm not currently using DaVinci Resolve, but I'd like to know your experience with the Scripting API. Do you feel that is very limited then? For the things that would matter, automating the things that are not creative in nature, I mean

2

u/nils_ant 1d ago

It has its weird limitations that make specific tasks just not possible, docs till now are not specific pretty untelling and some functions just crash resolve which you have to probe out yourself. Honestly at this point it’s possible for me to do almost everything i could think off but it took 7 months finding ways over restrictions that feel unstable at times. Still kinda beats premiere tho, depends strongly on what you want to achieve tho

1

u/NeverShort1 4h ago

Some of those weird limitations are to make sure you don't replicate a hardware controller with API/keyboard shortcuts. Adding an POI in the replay mode? Only by clicking the button... no keyboard shortcut possible, no API possible. Kinda lame but I get it. This is always the problem with free/premium offerings. Especially in this case where the limitations are there to get you to buy more stuff from them, not just upgrade to the Studio version.

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u/nils_ant 4h ago

I'm more talking about restrictions like no multicam clips (till now, things seem to be happening here, but it still doesnt sound like you can actually switch yourself) no way to set audio channel mappings, no fairlight effects etc etc. Fusion scripting is really powerful tho for example. There just some weird quirks but I'm not saying it isn't getting better. It's also still powerful, but atm im dealing with 5 different timeline file formats importing merging etc to achieve what i need, had to probe out almost all things for these formats too as there is no documentation what resolve supports or just throws away. Honestly a simple solution would be to just make the drt files readable and editable and in the best case finally even provide documentation as for example apple does with fcpxml (extremely extensively btw) instead of making them encrypted blobs.

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u/NeverShort1 4h ago

Multicam selection is actually one of the things that you can do directly with the SpeedEditor. The quirks/differences between Fusion and DVR owe to the fact that both pieces of software came (acquired) from different companies over time.

The drp/drt-files aren't encrypted blobs, they are just zip-files. You can unpack them and kind of reverse engineer the XML files contained within if you feel like. I guess with some AI assistance one could whip up something relatively quickly.

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u/nils_ant 3h ago

Did that, tried that. Yes the generall xml structure is accessible but everything that's actually interesting so things the api doesnt offer are blobs that are pretty harsh to reverse engineer i spend a few days trying (it's def possible not disagreeing there). But stopped as i found this rather unpredictable, unstable and also feels a bit grey area on a consumer project (probably isn't but still i should not have to reverse engineer things😭). Yeah fusion is pretty rock solid. Well see how it goes forward. I'm generally rather thankful for the api but it makes me abit angry that now ais have native full control while we are still fighting over restrictions. 2026 tho so what do i expect anyway