Resolve Studio from Color-grader to Editor in non-Studio ...

I’m the filmmaker and color-grader in a small webseries operation. My producer now shares editing responsibilities.... because time. We produce a short each week. And generally we’re ahead of it by a week or two. This week bc of Resolve we are not feeling the ease we have worked up to, and are counting days again.

We just made the transition to the Resolve workflow because of the recent Braw update. The file sizes and quality are fantastic. We still spent hours syncing files in dropbox while I did the color-grades from my Studio version of Resolve, and I created a screenshot walkthrough for him to export the braw files through Resolve to Prores so he can use Final Cut X to edit and roundtrip back to me, or simply export if time is short (which is now unfortunately the case).

The problem is: he could not open my .drp project files. We spent another few hours late this evening back and forth on the phone. I pulled out my laptop (which I luckily had with me) at the bar I was at with friends (not my favorite look). I took off all the de-noising IR cut digital filtering color nodes I put on the several timelines I’d organized and prepped for our workflow (bc BMPCCK has a lot of IR noise, and I’m still waiting on a lens filter) ... still no dice.

So... I’m left to do the ProRes conversion over night (14hrs btw). And for us to organize a hard drive hand off.

It’s been a less than ideal first week of transitioning to a Resolve workflow. I desperately searched for a way to even simply convert my workflow to a “non-Studio” compliant project file in Resolve. There doesn’t appear to be one. Why not?

Blackmagic.... please fix this.

What’s the use of the Studio version of Resolve if it can’t communicate with the non-Studio version? At least for burgeoning filmmakers who you are obviously targeting with the BMPCC4K.

I can’t be the only one with this gripe...




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[Peter Chamberlain]

Are you both on the exact same version number?

So you are complaining about a production worlflow issue that does not comply with your free giveway version of the software.
Right......
Get it over with, support this great tools and your workflow and (have your producer) shell out a meager 300 bucks for an extra copy rather then loosing a lot of time , energy and surely money on trying to push an elephant into a keyhole.

Hi Peter. Yes we were. That was my first question and checkin when he received the error message on import. It was an unspecific for these feature “upgrade here” error message. And he wasn’t allowed to open any version of the project only a weblink to the product page. Seeing as he’s not ready to invest because he’s completely new to the software, I’ve exported all files from my end on an external so that we can get cracking.


Hi Glenn, technically no, not free. I have owned three Blackmagic cameras over the years, and I was under the impression the Resolve software is being marketed as part of the value of the camera. I imagine compatibility in your own program is a valid concern for a company that is otherwise beautifully workflow oriented. I welcome you to send your support my way if you think money will help. But I would still put in my complaint, as I want to think more highly of the Blackmagic Design team and their intentions and efforts. And til it’s solved maybe some others new to Resolve like me will read this and stay away from the issue in whatever way they choose. Thanks for your input.



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zero issues handing over between identical versions... i also have a client who has the free version, they open my DRP's without problems

i render Pp roundtrip at source rez, and open in a fresh Resolve project to check the outout, send that over to them for finishing

Thanks Dermot. Where you using any “studio only” features? I’m trying to understand if simply having used the noise reduction in my nodes caused a problem, even after deleting those nodes. Or maybe it’s a different feature being used I’m unaware of? Do you use the program without regard to the feature limits, or do you keep away from certain features in these situations?

I’ll double check about version numbers. But it appears unlikely that this is the issue. Because he downloaded yesterday, and I’ve been up to date bc of Braw.




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[Rohit Gupta]

There are some ways in which you make the project not open-able by the free version, for example if you set the resolution to higher than limits of free version (4K UHD), use Stereo 3D features, higher than 60p project, etc. We try where possible to let you open and use with a watermark.

My guess would be the standard 4K UHD limit of the free version, but must agree that if any of these features does not open the project a descriptive errors should tell you what limit you hit. But as o.p. never explained / showed the actual error other then does not open, i dont know if that was or was not the case.
If its not, it a good feature for the next release.

p.s. Its not common btw to not load in lower level versions. Programs like houdini and nuke also have things like that , where you project file generated in a more expensive version can not be opened in lower versions.

[quote="sjaehnert"]

So... I’m left to do the ProRes conversion over night (14hrs btw). And for us to organize a hard drive hand off./quote]

Why transfer you can edit prores on the window resolve and export to h264.

Ricardo Marty

Thank you Rohit and Glenn,

I wasn't aware that the 4K resolution was a limiting factor.... Is it possible that was the only issue as we're working with footage from the new BMPCC4K? This would have helped enormously to know in the "error" dialogue. Sorry Glenn, I'll ask for a screenshot from my editor of this error to add here.

We were going to scale down the resolution for the Final Cut edit roundtrip, so it wouldn't have been a problem for us..... I'll adjust the settings in the project/timeline, and see if we can open the .drp later when we have a moment to test it again.

Ricardo, I'm not sure what you mean? Editor is working in FCPX (no BRAW support). And because we've spent more days on this than we'd like, we're not round-tripping. I exported my color work burned into the ProRes so that he can edit and just deliver the final cut.

I wasn't aware that the 4K resolution was a limiting factor.... Is it possible that was the only issue as we're working with footage from the new BMPCC4K? .

Very well possible. But keep in mind (which guess you already know) that you still can then not use studio features like NR etc as you editor will not be able to render this out.
But if you can live without these and work with the resolution limit , you should be able to work with it in your current workflow.

Would be great btw in the future if we could render into BRAW
With these filesize to quality ratios that would be amazing.

p.s. Sorry for the tone in my first reply. Had a bad morning and guess it came out
Just ignore me when i am in that state

Thank you Glenn, it’s all good. Buying another copy is actually the conversation I wanted to engage in with this workflow. I was hoping to demystify the Resolve editing and color-grading process for my creative partner with this project.

In an ideal world he would be able to open the project and “see” all the features he’s missing out on and we would make use of the limits and work around them til he felt comfortable investing. In any case, I’d hope to have the ability to go back and re-export the files at the highest quality level at my end when we had the time.

But for now, I can’t push the issue too hard as I was the reason he invested in FCPX only half a year ago. It adds up in a small operation. But who knows, we’re making strides. My hope is that a scenario where we have an office space with a shared project database is around the corner. Blackmagic Design makes it seem like an achievable goal- for that I am grateful and ok with a little bit of frustration at the adoptive stage.


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A shared worklfow with resolve is amazing. I am setup like that as well.
Thats were Resolve really outshines anything else. Central DB and storage and off you go . While your editor is editing , you can be grading and he sees updated graded clips when you move onwards and visa versa.
Inbuild messenger to tell the editor to hurry up

Haha, thanks Glenn. I’m super jealous. Can’t wait for the day


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For those of you who were curious about the error message here is the screenshot....

All the project files in the background were failed imports and don’t open. But in what looks like a bug, Resolve still adds the projects. Even though they don’t open.


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Hi.

Reading this thread I wonder, if the Resolve licence coming with the BMPCC4K, do not allow you to use it on two different Computers?

Regards Carsten.

Thanks Carsten, I’ll have to look into that!


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Well, not being able to import a STUDIO version project (paid; either w/camera purchase or outright) into the FREE version is expected. BUT, I would think import WITHOUT any STUDIO ONLY fx/nodes would be a solution for import...just my 2¢


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I wasn't aware that the 4K resolution was a limiting factor.... Is it possible that was the only issue as we're working with footage from the new BMPCC4K? This would have helped enormously to know in the "error" dialogue.

Blackmagic has an excellent document that outlines the differences between the free and Studio versions of Resolve:

https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/ ... arison.pdf

I think if you're going to seriously collaborate with somebody else outside your office, you have to take care that their setup is as close as possible to what you're using. There's all kinds of potentials for problems and delays, like Gallery & Cache paths, relinking files, memory limitations, GPU limitations, and so on. Given near-identical systems, it can work extremely well, but (to me) that would include investing in Resolve Studio on both sides. Even for YouTube videos, there are some seriously important features found only in Studio.