Resolve Feature Requests

[Hugh Scully]

I thought that that and noise reduction were on the studio version. Damn. I have a shot to try that on right now. Of course. It's in tracker! Thanks again!

 

[Marc Wielage]

Yeah, that worked great, thanks. I agree with you that Blackmagic Design should charge for the lite version, or make it more like a trial, just to keep the development efforts flush. I don't know how they do it.

Judging by the size of their NAB booths, they're doing extremely well financially, and I think they sell an awful lot of those little adapter boxes, video cards, and now switchers and cameras and so on. I suspect that Resolve is only a break-even part of their business, but I have no way of knowing the inside details. I think CEO Grant Petty likes being in this business and has a genuine love for the legacy of daVinci (and daVinci Resolve), and that's a huge part of why he bought the company 8 years ago and why they put so many resources into it.

I gotta say, you don't see Baselight, Lustre, Mistika, Nucoda or Pablo coming out with new major software versions every 6-12 months, year after year. Particularly for a free upgrade. (And those are fine programs as well that perform very well... but cost as much as 50 times more than Resolve.)

 

[Peter Moretti]

I couldn't agree more with you Marc. Coming from the Avid world, I remember when a new version of Media Composer came out and there were literally fifteen new features. Around that same time Resolve came out with *150* new editing features alone.

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

Editing:

Fast practical and intuitive moving and navigation through sequence with:

a) hand tool to grab a timeline and move left and right, up and down
b) zooming in the sequence (timeline horizontal scaling) where the frikking cursor is (playhead/cursor zoom priority toggle if needed)
c) track vertical scaling

Hand tool functionality
- works only when shortcut key is pressed, without the need to turn it of/switch the tool thousand times a day

Zoom tool functionality (horizontal scale)
- zooms in the sequence via mouse wheel where the frikking cursor is and only when shortcut key is pressed, without the need to switch tool thousand times a day or zoom + move timeline fiddling. When zoom shortcut key is not pressed mouse wheel automatically switches to user defined function
- quick zoom 100% inside segments/ between markers (shortcut key + left click)
- quick zoom to 100% timeline (shortcut key + right click)

Track vertical scaling functionality
- shortcut key + mouse wheel + same principles as above
- quick minimize/back to default hight for all audio tracks ( shortcut key + right click)*
- quick minimize/back to default height for all video tracks (shortcut key + left click)*

* - user defined default track height in master settings

Implementing this UI logic saves editor's focus and time.
Rough numbers for time on only a few feature examples, general timeline perception and navigation and overal efficiency excluded:

0.2-0.4 sec just per toggling tools x thousand(s) per day
= about 5-10 mins per day x 240 days
= about 1200-2400 mins
= 20-40 hrs
= 2.5-5 working days per year of editor's life wasted or spared by NLE UI basic tools logic alone.

5 years based on NLE choice in power editing workflow = 12-25 days of life.
Gone/saved.

In conservative numbers on just a few examples. Food for thought.
Why some folks sign petitions while corporate fans throw tantrums.



Btw I checked the request list and I'd suggest taking feature 8 and throwing it in the trash.

Or to New Cupertino, eager to "enhance" the workflow with less-"intimidating" tools for everyone, designed to replace own thought process. Allowing more intellectual potential left for other more important, useful, fun and fulfilling things in life then actually colour grading in a colour grading app. Like checking Facebank every 5 mins for example. Or this new hilarious video or 8 ways how to loose weight rapidly.

Last suggestion may appear as dismissive but in reality it's only tough love.


Hats off for the thread and initiative to improve things.

...

 

[Marc Wielage]

0.2-0.4 sec just per toggling tools x thousand(s) per day
= about 5-10 mins per day x 240 days
= about 1200-2400 mins
= 20-40 hrs
= 2.5-5 working days per year of editor's life wasted or spared by NLE UI basic tools logic alone.

5 years based on NLE choice in power editing workflow = 12-25 days of life.
Gone/saved.

When I find I'm doing the same repetitive task over and over again, I generally do one of three things:

1) I check to see if there's a keyboard shortcut I'm overlooking

2) I use a 3rd party macro program to store the mouse clicks and key commands to accomplish the task (preferably with a macro keypad)

3) I check the manual to see if there might be another completely different way to accomplish the task that I don't know about.

It's clear to me that BMD is serious about being in the editing software business, since they're training people and they've published a textbook on the subject, so I would expect to see continued changes and improvement in editing features & performance.

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

When I find I'm doing the same repetitive task over and over again, I generally do one of three things:

1) I check to see if there's a keyboard shortcut I'm overlooking

2) I use a 3rd party macro program to store the mouse clicks and key commands to accomplish the task (preferably with a macro keypad)

3) I check the manual to see if there might be another completely different way to accomplish the task that I don't know about.

It's clear to me that BMD is serious about being in the editing software business, since they're training people and they've published a textbook on the subject, so I would expect to see continued changes and improvement in editing features & performance.

I have high hopes for Resolve.

As with everything, there is always room for improvement and many times just a simple tools logic adaptation can make a huge difference. I mentioned just a few examples. I'd prefer not having to use another NLE if I can stay in Resolve, but editing workflow is stil not practical enough and needs optimization for the platform to reach full potential.

Many things related to efficiency, practicality and intuitivity are less subjective and it is not uncommmon for the software developers to require time for the optimal UI approach, which necessitates feedback and its consideration.

 

[Peter Moretti]

Hi Hrvoje,

I went through your list and made some comments. Please feel free to respond.


Editing:

Fast practical and intuitive moving and navigation through sequence with:

a) hand tool to grab a timeline and move left and right, up and down

The jog control right of the speaker icon kind of does the horizontal movement.


b) zooming in the sequence (timeline horizontal scaling) where the frikking cursor is (playhead/cursor zoom priority toggle if needed)

Doesn't Ctrl + and Ctrl - do this?


c) track vertical scaling

Doesn't dragging between the track borders on the left do this?


Hand tool functionality
- works only when shortcut key is pressed, without the need to turn it of/switch the tool thousand times a day

Not sure what you mean by this?


Zoom tool functionality (horizontal scale)
- zooms in the sequence via mouse wheel where the frikking cursor is and only when shortcut key is pressed, without the need to switch tool thousand times a day or zoom + move timeline fiddling. When zoom shortcut key is not pressed mouse wheel automatically switches to user defined function

Doesn't Ctrl + and Ctrl - do this?


- quick zoom 100% inside segments/ between markers (shortcut key + left click)

Don't know of a way to do this.


- quick zoom to 100% timeline (shortcut key + right click)

Doesn't Shift Z do this?


Track vertical scaling functionality
- shortcut key + mouse wheel + same principles as above
- quick minimize/back to default hight for all audio tracks ( shortcut key + right click)*
- quick minimize/back to default height for all video tracks (shortcut key + left click)*

* - user defined default track height in master settings

Don't believe there is current functionality to do any of these.

 

[Peter Chamberlain]

As always guys, thanks for feedback.

Try
Option key and mouse scroll also zooms the timeline.
Centre click on timeline background to drag left and right.

 

[Peter Moretti]

Command to Move to the Previous or Next Visible Section of the Timeline

Command to Move to the Previous or Next Visible Section of the Timeline

Thanks so much for all of the work you guys are doing!!!

BTW, is there a keyboard shortcut or menu command to move to the previous or next visible section of the timeline? Sort of like Page Up and Page Down commands for the timeline.

For example, the screen only displays a one minute section of a five minute long timeline, and I'm currently viewing section 2 min through 3 min. Pressing "Page Up" would move the section of the timeline displayed on the screen to 1 min through 2 min. And pressing "Page Dn" would move the section of the timeline displayed on the screen to 3 min through 4 min.

Thanks again!!

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

Hi Hrvoje,

I went through your list and made some comments. Please feel free to respond.


Editing:

Fast practical and intuitive moving and navigation through sequence with:

a) hand tool to grab a timeline and move left and right, up and down

The jog control right of the speaker icon kind of does the horizontal movement.

That moves the playhead, not the timeline as a canvas.

b) zooming in the sequence (timeline horizontal scaling) where the frikking cursor is (playhead/cursor zoom priority toggle if needed)

Doesn't Ctrl + and Ctrl - do this?

CTRL +/- does the same thing as ALT + mouse wheel. And zooms around the playhead.

Which means that every time I want to zoom into the timeline I either have to position the playhead first where I want to make changes or zoom then move then zoom then move. Which is a) counter intuitive, b) impractical, c) time wasting.
& A + B + C = frustrating.

Plus the keyboard route to those used to faster editing with a mouse reduces mouse workflow speed and potential by necessitating to take the hand off the rodent and waste time unnecessarily with tons of additional clicking for what can be achieved with a single mouse scroll.

c) track vertical scaling

Doesn't dragging between the track borders on the left do this?

That necessitates going over to that portion of the UI, aiming at that specific part of track header and fiddling and wasting time and focus unnecessarily. For something which can be avoided with one function's logic optimization.

Hand tool functionality
- works only when shortcut key is pressed, without the need to turn it of/switch the tool thousand times a day

Not sure what you mean by this?

Open Photoshop, Affinity, Illustrator, or many other apps with same hand tool logic and press space while you are working with any chosen tool. And move the canvas.

NLE Timeline is a canvas for the editor.

It is not a linear tape any more.

The whole point of non linear editing is in a ability to access, move and manipulate it and navigate through it with limitations of linearity removed.

New Cupertino for example didn't get the memo and went with automated PA serving you to scratch your own back while tying your own hands.

Zoom tool functionality (horizontal scale)
- zooms in the sequence via mouse wheel where the frikking cursor is and only when shortcut key is pressed, without the need to switch tool thousand times a day or zoom + move timeline fiddling. When zoom shortcut key is not pressed mouse wheel automatically switches to user defined function

Doesn't Ctrl + and Ctrl - do this?

No.

- quick zoom to 100% timeline (shortcut key + right click)

Doesn't Shift Z do this?

Yup. My omission.

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

As always guys, thanks for feedback.

Try
Option key and mouse scroll also zooms the timeline.
Centre click on timeline background to drag left and right.

Thank you for your consideration and help Peter.

I tried this from the very start of editing in Resolve with center click on few rodents with a clickable wheel and it didn't work. After your suggestion I tried remapping the middle click function to other mouse button I currently use for zoom.

This helps a lot with timeline functionality so I'm glad it is already taken care of and this was omission on my account, but for zoom playhead focal point is still a limitation and zoom logic is confusing. It zooms to fill the window regardless of playhead which moves across the screen and messes with timeline perception, then when the timeline fills the window playhead stays put and timeline zooms around it. Simple cursor priority for zoom (or option to toggle it in settings) would help. I'm also missing the ability to mouse select the timeline area to zoom and can't find it anywhere.

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

Few more suggestions for editing:



1) Timeline view options:

- Apply to all sequences
- Set as default


2) Organization - timeline

By default when one opens an edited timeline there is a huge unused grey area above the used video track and audio tracks are buried. Shift Z currently scales horizontal to 100% but half of the vertical timeline real estate remains unused with empty space while audio is still buried down there.


3) Organization - Media Pool in Edit viewport

- Option for full width timeline with Media Pool in upper corner > increased perception of the timeline with direct access to material. Fitting 2 monitors + Media pool in the upper part of UI with full width timeline on the lower part is very useful, visually clear and minimally distracting.

Logic:

Upper GUI part, (viewing space) from left to right, with intuitive consecutive order analogous to reading:
Source material => Media trimming monitor => Edited sequence monitor
( media => particular outcome => general outcome)

Lower GUI part : timeline (working space)



4) Timeline - header

- Track header on/off or minimize, configure which options are visible > clears the working space per project/edit requirements

Icon for header settings fits nicely on the far left in the same space as tool icons.



5) Timeline - folding tracks

Same logic as compound clip but more practical approach. Fewer menus and clicks and tracks stay untouched for keeping the track order. Keeping track order and logic throughout the project is important because it saves mental resources for timeline navigation and media organization and reduces variables for mistakes. Selected objects in a folded track behave in editing as one element.

Compound clip may be more useful with larger sequences and fewer changes, folding tracks for more complex projects with more changes and where track logic is a priority, and also with tons of multichannel audio.

Shortcut + Mouse click > fold /unfold

 

[Peter Moretti]

Setting to use "Smart" Defaults for New Timeline Using Selected Clips

Setting to use "Smart" Defaults for New Timeline Using Selected Clips

It would be nice if there were an option with the command New Timeline Using Selected Clips to base the suggested number of video and audio tracks on the structure of the suggested clips.

For example, if the selected clips have 1 video track and four tracks of audio, then the suggestions for the new timeline would be 1 video track and four audio tracks.

 

[Peter Moretti]

Optimized Media Metadata Fields for Actual Resolution and Codec

Optimized Media Metadata Fields for Actual Resolution and Codec

When Resolve creates Optimized Media, it would be nice to have (in addition to Optimized Media Resolution) Optimized Media Actual Resolution and Optimized Media Codec metadata fields added to the source clip.

So for example, if I create half resolution DNxSQ Optimized Media for a UHD source clip the following three metadata fields would be added to source clip:

1. Optimized Media Resolution: Half

2. Optimized Media Actual Resolution: 1080P

3. Optimized Media Codec: DNxHR SQ

 

[Peter Moretti]

Have Multiple Open at the Same Time

Have Multiple Open at the Same Time

Currently in Resolve you can see the contents of only one bin at a time. This is a SEVERE limitation. In the Avid world it is common to see many bins open at the same time. Many Avid users set up their displays to have one monitor dedicated solely for displaying many open bins all at the same time.

For Resolve to become a serious editing platform, it needs to have the ability to display at the same time the contents of multiple bins.

 

[Peter Moretti]

Do Not Have Main Viewer on Media Page Always Revert Back to Source

Do Not Have Main Viewer on Media Page Always Revert Back to Source

On the Media Page in Resolve, the main viewer always reverts back to Source.

So if the viewer is set to Audio Track and a new media file is selected, the main viewer on the Media Page will change its view from Audio Track to Source. There is no way to stop this behavior. The main viewer should stay on whatever view option is chosen and not change it.

Why is this a problem? Well, it's a real pain when checking the synced sound of video files. You need to see all of the waveform for both camera and synced sound, and the only way to see all the waveforms is to change the view to Audio Track.

But every time a new video file is chosen to check the sound sync, the main viewer changes its view to Source. So the view has to be manually changed back to Audio Track. With the amount of people shoot nowadays, this gets very tedious when checking hundreds of files.

 

[Marc Wielage]

Currently in Resolve you can see the contents of only one bin at a time. This is a SEVERE limitation. In the Avid world it is common to see many bins open at the same time. Many Avid users set up their displays to have one monitor dedicated solely for displaying many open bins all at the same time. For Resolve to become a serious editing platform, it needs to have the ability to display at the same time the contents of multiple bins.

I agree, that would be a good feature to have.