DaVinci Resolve

Run scripts from: Workspace > Scripts, CLI (python3 my_script.py), or Workspace > Console.

Step 2: Project & Media Pool

# Project management
pm = resolve.GetProjectManager()
pm.CreateProject("New Project")
project = pm.GetCurrentProject()
project.SetSetting("timelineResolutionWidth", "3840")
project.SetSetting("timelineResolutionHeight", "2160")
project.SetSetting("timelineFrameRate", "24")

# Media Pool — create bins and import
mediaPool = project.GetMediaPool()
rootFolder = mediaPool.GetRootFolder()
dailies_bin = mediaPool.AddSubFolder(rootFolder, "Dailies")
mediaPool.SetCurrentFolder(dailies_bin)
clips = mediaPool.ImportMedia([
    "/path/to/footage/scene01_take01.mov",
    "/path/to/footage/scene01_take02.mov",
])

# Set clip metadata
clip = clips[0]
clip.SetClipProperty("Comments", "Best take")
clip.SetClipColor("Green")

Step 3: Timeline Operations

# Create and populate timelines
timeline = mediaPool.CreateEmptyTimeline("Assembly Edit v1")
mediaPool.AppendToTimeline([clips[0], clips[1]])

# Append subclip with in/out points
mediaPool.AppendToTimeline([{
    "mediaPoolItem": clips[0],
    "startFrame": 0,
    "endFrame": 120,  # First 5 seconds at 24fps
}])

# Inspect timeline
items = timeline.GetItemListInTrack("video", 1)
for item in items:
    print(f"  Frame {item.GetStart()}-{item.GetEnd()}: {item.GetName()}")

# Markers
timeline.AddMarker(1000, "Blue", "Review Point", "Check color here", 1, "reviewTag")
markers = timeline.GetMarkers()

Step 4: Color Grading Automation

resolve.OpenPage("color")
items = timeline.GetItemListInTrack("video", 1)

for item in items:
    item.SetLUT(1, "/path/to/luts/FilmLook.cube")
    item.SetCDL({
        "NodeIndex": 1,
        "Slope": [1.1, 1.0, 0.95],
        "Offset": [0.0, 0.0, 0.02],
        "Power": [1.0, 1.0, 1.05],
        "Saturation": 1.1,
    })

# Copy grade from one clip to all others
source_item = items[0]
for item in items[1:]:
    timeline.ApplyGradeFromTimelineClip(item, source_item)

Step 5: Render Queue & Batch Export

project.SetRenderSettings({
    "SelectAllFrames": True,
    "TargetDir": "/path/to/renders/",
    "CustomName": "MyProject_v1",
    "FormatWidth": 3840,
    "FormatHeight": 2160,
    "FrameRate": 24,
    "ExportVideo": True,
    "ExportAudio": True,
})
project.LoadRenderPreset("YouTube 4K")
project.AddRenderJob()

# Batch: add all timelines to render queue
for i in range(1, project.GetTimelineCount() + 1):
    tl = project.GetTimelineByIndex(i)
    project.SetCurrentTimeline(tl)
    project.SetRenderSettings({"TargetDir": f"/renders/{tl.GetName()}/"})
    project.AddRenderJob()

project.StartRendering()

# Monitor progress
import time
while project.IsRenderingInProgress():
    for job in project.GetRenderJobList():
        status = project.GetRenderJobStatus(job["JobId"])
        print(f"  {job['TimelineName']}: {status.get('CompletionPercentage', 0)}%")
    time.sleep(5)

Step 6: Fusion Scripting & Integration

# Add Fusion text overlay to a clip
resolve.OpenPage("fusion")
item = timeline.GetItemListInTrack("video", 1)[0]
fusion_comp = item.GetFusionCompByIndex(1)

text_node = fusion_comp.AddTool("TextPlus", -32768, -32768)
text_node.StyledText = "Episode 1"
text_node.Font = "Arial"
text_node.Size = 0.08
text_node.Center = {"x": 0.5, "y": 0.9}

Timeline import/export:

mediaPool.ImportTimelineFromFile("/path/to/edit.edl", {
    "timelineName": "Imported Edit",
    "importSourceClips": True,
    "sourceClipsPath": "/path/to/media/",
})
timeline.Export("/path/to/export/timeline.fcpxml", resolve.EXPORT_FCPXML)
# Formats: EXPORT_EDL, EXPORT_AAF, EXPORT_DRT, EXPORT_FCPXML

Examples

Example 1: Batch render all projects in a database folder as ProRes 422 HQ

User prompt: "Write a Python script that loops through every project in the current Resolve database folder, renders each timeline as ProRes 422 HQ to /mnt/renders/<project>/<timeline>/, and prints a summary when done."

The agent will write a script that calls GetProjectListInCurrentFolder(), iterates through each project with LoadProject(), loops over timelines with GetTimelineByIndex(), applies render settings with LoadRenderPreset("ProRes 422 HQ") and a target directory based on project and timeline names, adds render jobs, calls StartRendering(), polls IsRenderingInProgress() in a loop, and prints completion stats.

Example 2: Apply a LUT and color grade to all clips on the first video track

User prompt: "I have a FilmLook.cube LUT at /home/editor/luts/FilmLook.cube. Write a Resolve script that applies this LUT to node 1 of every clip on video track 1, then bumps saturation to 1.15 and adds a slight warm offset."

The agent will create a Python script that switches to the Color page with resolve.OpenPage("color"), gets all items from video track 1, applies the LUT via item.SetLUT(1, "/home/editor/luts/FilmLook.cube"), then calls item.SetCDL() with saturation set to 1.15 and a warm offset of [0.01, 0.005, 0.0] on each clip.

Guidelines

• DaVinci Resolve must be running for the scripting API to work; scripts connect to the active instance and cannot launch Resolve headlessly
• Always call pm.SaveProject() after making changes to avoid losing work if Resolve or the script crashes
• The Resolve scripting module path varies by OS; set sys.path correctly or use the RESOLVE_SCRIPT_API environment variable
• Use project.GetRenderJobStatus() in a polling loop with time.sleep() to monitor renders rather than blocking indefinitely
• Fusion scripting coordinates use normalized values (0.0 to 1.0) for position, not pixel values, so Center = {"x": 0.5, "y": 0.9} means horizontally centered and near the bottom