What's new in DaVinci Resolve 18

Exploring the features of the newest DaVinci Resolve 18 Beta release

Date
Author
Filip Milovanovic
Post-production expert,
ELEMENTS
Category
Workflow

Blackmagic Design recently released the beta version of DaVinci Resolve 18, and as we have come to expect from Resolve updates there have been tons of interesting and useful features added to every corner of this powerful do-it-all NLE. Here is a list of the new features as well as a more detailed look into some of the more interesting ones.

Did you know that Blackmagic released DaVinci Resolve 18 Reference Manual with more than 4000 pages? We have published it together with a list of quick links to individual chapters – check it out here!

Cloud Projects

One of the most interesting new features is the ability to use Blackmagic Cloud to host shared project libraries, a concept similar to that of Team projects in the Adobe world. Just like with Premiere Pro, multiple people can work on the same timeline, see the changes to the timeline and accept them if they want.

Currently, this feature comes with a cost of $5 per library per month when using Blackmagic Cloud services to host the libraries. Storing libraries in a private cloud, however, is free of charge. This is not possible when using Adobe Team projects.

Proxy Generator

An all new application called Blackmagic Proxy Generator has been added to allow for easier and more intuitive proxy workflows. This hotfolder-based transcoder can be used to create H.264, H.265 or Apple ProRes proxies, which helps to speed-up work with “heavy” footage. As with Adobe Premiere Pro, users can switch between the original footage and the lightweight proxies with a single click. This means that users, whether located in the company or off premises, can edit with proxies, then use a single click to relink the timeline to camera originals for color grading or exporting.

There is one more approach to this task that is even more efficient however. Our Media Library is a Media Asset Management platform that displays the footage on your storage in an intuitive browser-based platform that allows for easy collaboration, footage sharing and asset management. In order to be able to display just about any professional codec in a web-browser, the Media Library quickly creates proxy files in the desired quality. What does that have to do with DaVinci Resolve? Well, Media Library users can reuse these existing proxies for editing through a single click in the ELEMENTS Resolve Panel. This feature is extremely easy to use, saves time and allows for a one-click proxy workflow for on-premise or remote users.

New Color Features

The Magic Mask feature, added in Resolve 17, is a great example of the innovative work that goes into DaVinci Resolve. Now, in Resolve 18, an all-new Object Mask has been added to the Magic Mask palette. According to Blackmagic, it is able to recognize and track the movement of thousands of unique objects and isolate animals, vehicles, people and food, plus countless other elements for advanced secondary grading and effects application.

The Depth Map effect of Resolve 18 lets users instantly generate a 3D depth matte of a scene to quickly grade the foreground separately from the background, and vice versa. Users can bring attention to action in the foreground, help interview subjects stand out, or add atmosphere in the background of a scene. This is a feature that just about every colorist will be excited to try and use.

Resolve 18 allows you to apply graphics to surfaces that warp or change perspective in dramatic ways, like t-shirts, flags, or even the side of a face with the surface tracker. The customizable mesh follows the motion of a textured surface. Apply graphics, composite tattoos, or even cover up logos with this powerful tracking tool.

The new Ultra Beauty tool has been added to help with corrective beauty work. Address general imperfections by smoothing skin and then recovering detail to produce natural and complimentary results to the subject.

The Blackmagic Design press release for DaVinci Resolve 18 lists the following features:

  • Support for Blackmagic Cloud to host and manage cloud-based project libraries.
  • New Blackmagic Proxy Generator App automatically creates and manages proxies.
  • Ability to choose between working with proxies or camera original files.
  • Support for intelligent path mapping to relink files automatically.
  • Improved project library performance for private server.
  • New object mask recognizes and tracks movement of thousands of objects automatically.
  • New depth map generates 3D depth matte of a scene in DaVinci Resolve Studio.
  • New surface tracker for tracking warped surfaces in DaVinci Resolve Studio.
  • Refined ultra-beauty tool in Resolve FX beauty for advanced corrective work.
  • Expanded subtitle support for TTML and XML timed texts, and embedded MXF/IMF.
  • Support for reversing shape, iris and wipe transitions in the edit page.
  • New 5×5 multicam enables viewing of up to 25 simultaneous different angles.
  • Faster GPU accelerated paint tool with smoother strokes.
  • Support for live previews when using the Text+ color picker.
  • Ability to convert historical fixed bus projects to FlexBus in project settings.
  • Improved Dolby Atmos immersive mixing, including Binaural monitoring.
  • Decomposition of nested timelines with all track data including FX and automation.
  • Innovative space view scope in Fairlight shows position and relationship in 3D space.

See the full Resolve 18 press release.

Struggling with the performance in DaVinci Resolve? Read this blog about 5 ways to achieve better playback performance.

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