Where are project files stored?

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John Whiteway

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Where are project files stored?

PostWed Dec 14, 2016 1:40 am

Hi.

I'm familiar with Final Cut where when saving a project file you have the option and can see where it is stored (I, like most I suspect, created a "Project Files" folder). I can't seem to see a similar option in Resolve 12.5. And after I save a project I've been unable to find where it is located on my drive.

Any way I can create and specify a folder for project files? Any idea where I should look for the ones I've already created?

Thanks.

John
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John Whiteway

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostSun Jul 16, 2017 9:07 pm

Still wondering.

I think I see now how one can store back-up Resolve's version of project files, but unless I know where the original ones are kept I can't really decide what hard drive to use. Don't want to end up putting them on the same drive that Resolve is using - would defeat the purpose.

Thanks.

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Peter Chamberlain

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostSun Jul 16, 2017 9:11 pm

Resolve uses a database for projects and they are generally stored on the system drive. You can export a project to any other drive or set up your default database storage to be where you like. There are details in the manual.
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John Whiteway

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostMon Jul 17, 2017 2:05 am

Thanks Peter.

I suspected they are stored on the main drive along with the Resolve program, but wanted some confirmation. Have found the pages in the manual (p. 1162)that discuss Disk Data base as well as a few articles on line.

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Scott Heysen

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostMon Jul 17, 2017 3:08 pm

Hi John,
because you mentioned FCP, I have to assume that you are running a Mac.
Try looking here:
Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Resolve Disk Database/Resolve Projects/Users/guest/Projects
If that is not exactly where it is, at least you should be close depending on who you are as a Resolve User (Guest, Admin, John etc).
The other assumption is that you are not using the Apple Store version of Resolve.
An investing trick is that you can place your original Projects folder in your iCloud folder and create a Symlink of your Projects folder and place it where your Projects folder should be, you can have access to your projects on any Mac that has Resolve, and has access to your iCloud (and a well placed Symlink). If you don't know what a Symlink is, I'd suggest forgetting about this tip as I don't want to feel responsible if you end up not getting it to work.
The above trick also does come at a slight cost. Due to the way iCloud shares out its files, you can end up with multiples of the same project, but the duplicates appear as empty folders, not projects. So occasionally you have to go through the iCloud folder structure and delete the 6kb (or 0kb) folders for a clean working space. Obviously if you have the full Studio version you don't have to do this and you can have the same project being worked on at the same time etc, so that is the best way, but for the free version its a cheap slightly messy way of having access to you projects from multiple machines. YMMV.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostSat Jul 13, 2019 1:03 am

Just venting, but this program is awesome but at the same time not very intuitive and user friendly. I see everywhere, on all sorts of forums responses with "well do this its on page 859 of the manual". I'm very advanced at many of the key Adobe software and do 3D animation and have a good grasp on Cinema 4D. I feel it's a failure of DaVinci Resolve to not be more user friendly. Most applications you can hover over a tool and a label will eventually pop-up. Cinema 4D is awesome because you can basically right-click and select 'help' on almost anything and it will take you to that place in their manual. And their manual is AMAZING. Rant done. I know this is an old program where it's building new on top of old constantly, but I feel more could be done to be more user friendly.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostThu Oct 10, 2019 8:17 pm

kkamin wrote:Just venting, but this program is awesome but at the same time not very intuitive and user friendly. I see everywhere, on all sorts of forums responses with "well do this its on page 859 of the manual". I'm very advanced at many of the key Adobe software and do 3D animation and have a good grasp on Cinema 4D. I feel it's a failure of DaVinci Resolve to not be more user friendly. Most applications you can hover over a tool and a label will eventually pop-up. Cinema 4D is awesome because you can basically right-click and select 'help' on almost anything and it will take you to that place in their manual. And their manual is AMAZING. Rant done. I know this is an old program where it's building new on top of old constantly, but I feel more could be done to be more user friendly.


Great. So I’m not alone. I’m not particularly “advanced” in one NLE or another, but I do find it a little tiresome trying to figure out where things go and how to access/move them...specifically project files. I only use a MacBook Pro and I don’t want a bunch of large files hanging out on my drive.
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philjam79

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostTue Jan 21, 2020 7:15 am

You can right / alt click on a project on the home page and exopt a file from there.
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Daniel Heim

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostThu Oct 08, 2020 6:22 pm

I'm at a loss.
Where is the project that I was just working on... located?
How do I find it?
I'm right now with the guy above. This tool is simultaneously amazing and yet so... odd... in unexpected ways.
I thought that the *.db file was the one I needed to keep track of but even when I point Resolve right at it... it wants something else... and I'm just clueless. I don't even know the right questions to ask.
Have you purposefully designed a tool that requires reading a 1000 page manual before I can even locate my projects? No. Right?
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Jim Simon

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostThu Oct 08, 2020 6:27 pm

Shift you're thinking a bit, Dan.

Open the program, and then open the project. You'll see it in the Project Manager.
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Daniel Heim

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostThu Oct 08, 2020 9:57 pm

Copy
And thanks for the clarity.
So there's no way to open the project from within the program without having to restart?
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roger.magnusson

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostFri Oct 09, 2020 12:14 am

You can open the Project Manager from anywhere in Resolve. It's in the File menu (shortcut: Shift+1). There's also an icon for it (the house icon) in the bottom page navigation if you have that enabled.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostFri Oct 09, 2020 10:48 am

Hi,


This is a fairly tedious issue. I don't see why we can't choose our project save path?!
However, after a bit of effort, I've managed to figure it out:

Follow this path in the file manager:
C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Roaming\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Resolve Disk Database\Resolve Projects\Users\guest\Projects

Make sure:
1. You have the correct drive selected. This is the drive in which you have Davinci installed. For me, it's the C drive.

2. You have the correct user selected. You should change where it says 'NAME' above to the user in which you have Davinci installed. For me this is 'Nancy'.

3. You may need to change the Davinci user also. For me, the path follows 'guest', but if you encounter any issues, follow the path below (as per the first two instructions):

C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Roaming\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Resolve Disk Database\Resolve Projects\Users\

and select the correct user from there.


Hope this helps!

Note: This is what worked for me on Windows, I'm unsure if it works on Apple devices.
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Jim Simon

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostFri Oct 09, 2020 3:16 pm

nancychamberlain wrote:I don't see why we can't choose our project save path?!


Because projects are saved into a Database, not as individual files on the hard drive.

But you can define where new databases are stored. And you can export projects out of the database and choose where to store them as well.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostFri Oct 09, 2020 9:06 pm

What I have done is Create a folder on my "video" HDD for a project.
Then create a Resolve Database in that folder.
Then put all my media in folders under that folder.
This gives me a self contained database/project
This seem to be the closest I can get to replicating FCPX libraries.
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Dwaine Maggart

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostFri Oct 09, 2020 10:25 pm

That's fine. Just don't put a database on an ExFAT formatted partition.

And we don't recommend putting databases on removeable drives.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostSat Oct 10, 2020 9:32 am

Dwaine Maggart wrote:That's fine. Just don't put a database on an ExFAT formatted partition.

And we don't recommend putting databases on removeable drives.


ALL the partitions are NTFS. I have three M2 Nvme slots in my laptop I am using a 1TB M2 for projects/databases and archiving to a RAID6 NAS.

I assume using the configuration I have described above I can drop the complete database/projects/media folders off to a NAS for archiving and copy them back again if I need to do more work on them. Basically like FCPX libraries.

We have LOTS of small jobs we do that need to be done separately and then archived with all the media, used and unused. The news projects have a turnaround of less than 4 hours. However we may need to access them again later particularly the unused clips.

Also some things like conferences where you have over 4 days 30 separate projects (ie 30 separate speakers) + promo videos and over views that will share media. Again all the media used and unused need archiving. A week or two after the event it then needs archiving.

The FCPX system of Libraries, events and projects all in one Library file (actually one folder structure) that can be archived to an external drive and then brought back (with all links in tact) as one block with all media works very well for us and I am trying to find a similar way of working with Resolve.

NOTE most of the conferences and a lot of the other events are uploaded directly to the clients YouTube or Vimeo accounts. Thus we upload to about 12 different YT accounts and half a dozen Vimeo accounts.
It would be VERY useful to be able to have have profiles for all these accounts that can be selected at processing time on the delivery page. FCPX does this.
As you can imagine with 30 conference videos we will stack them up in batches to upload over night to YT/Vimeo (as unlisted). Having just one YouTube and one Vimeo account set up in Resolve is life having a hand held fire extinguisher in a forest fire. Most people we know on YT have multiple accounts.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostSat Oct 10, 2020 3:10 pm

Copy the full media cards to the NAS as a first step.

Copy the full media cards to your working drive as a second step.

Use a single database for all projects. You can organize by folders.

At the end of a project, export out the .drp to the same folder on the NAS as the media.

You've now got everything you need on the NAS to rebuild that project on any machine.

Every so often, Backup the Database to a secondary location. (I like Dropbox for this.)
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostTue Nov 24, 2020 7:32 am

C:\ProgramData\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Resolve Disk Database\Resolve Projects\Users\guest\Projects
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostTue Dec 01, 2020 5:20 pm

Jim Simon wrote:Use a single database for all projects. You can organize by folders.

I would never do this.
Far safer to have safer databases.

Besides some of my jobs have 2 TB of clips. You would run out of disk space after a couple of these.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Dec 02, 2020 8:56 am

What's wrong with creating a single database and putting all the media on NAS drive, mapping the NAS drive to the same letter on all workstations and just connecting from them to the disk database on NAS. So database and media would have the same path on all the workstations.
I do this all the time, but I'm the sole user so the only problem are potential saving issues to the same project at the same time from multiple workstations.

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Dec 02, 2020 9:31 am

[quote="Mario Kalogjera"]What's wrong with creating a single database and putting all the media on NAS drive, mapping the NAS drive to the same letter on all workstations and just connecting from them to the disk database on NAS. So database and media would have the same path on all the workstations.
I do this all the time, but I'm the sole user so the only problem are potential saving issues to the same project at the same time from multiple workstations./quote]

As a single user like you I work on one database per job (which may have several projects) on the local computer. Where I have 6TB on two drives using RAID0 for speed. When the job is finished it gets exported to the NAS for storage. After time they end up on External drives for archiving.

Also should there be any problems, corrupted database, clips or anything else it only affects one job. IF there is a problem with your one database you have lost ALL the jobs.

Also what I do is for each job create a folder, then create the database in it. Then add al the clips to folders i the job folder. Thus it is self contained.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Dec 02, 2020 3:54 pm

jamedia wrote:
Jim Simon wrote:Use a single database for all projects. You can organize by folders.

I would never do this.

There's nothing wrong with more than one database. I do that as well, making one for each client.

My recommendation was for this particular OP's situation.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Dec 02, 2020 4:15 pm

jamedia wrote:Also should there be any problems, corrupted database, clips or anything else it only affects one job. IF there is a problem with your one database you have lost ALL the jobs.


Best practices are yours to decide, but this isn't necessarily true. The database structure is open; projects are retrievable from any working (and potentially non-working) database. As long as those individual project files are uncorrupted, they can be copied and pasted into any other working database.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Dec 02, 2020 4:17 pm

jamedia wrote:IF there is a problem with your one database you have lost ALL the jobs.

That why Database backups and project exports are recommended practice. ;)
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Dec 30, 2020 2:10 pm

Hi, there,

I'm also fairly new, converting from Premiere Pro primarily and trying to wrap my head around the differences.

Basically : I made a power bin for opening/end titles and credits filled with logos etc that I use on many videos and everything has unlinked. To save me having to recreate the fusion titles (that took me a fair bit of YouTube to make) I'd like to know if anyone can help me track down where items saved to a power bin are default stored on a Mac?
I've found my projects folder in Movies, DaVinci Resolve, Database, Resolve Projects, users, guest, projects... but I can't see where my power bin files might be saved in order to relink them??

As an extra bit of info, I was using the latest Resolve 16 and decided to try the 17 beta when they all unlinked, I then went back to 16 hoping they'd be there but they have all unlinked so I might as well try continuing with 17 beta and figuring out the relink. Any help appreciated!

Dave
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Jan 27, 2021 2:09 am

What is the purpose of using a database for the projects?
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roger.magnusson

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Jan 27, 2021 3:30 pm

Several reasons I guess. Legacy is probably part of it. But a big one; A database allows selective locking of parts of the data, this is useful for collaboration scenarios when more than one person needs to work in the same project at the same time.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostSat May 29, 2021 10:17 pm

It took me a couple of hours to figure this out. So if anyone else finds their way to this thread and you want to save individual projects to their own folder, here are the basics.

1. Create a folder for the Resolve db. It needs to be empty.
E.g. D:\Projects\myResolveProjectFolder

2. When Resolve is launched it will open in the Project manager. If Resolve is open to a different page, click the home icon in the lower right to open the Project Manager.

3. Bottom Left/New Database. Choose 'Disk'. Browse for folder. Name the db - no caps, spaces nor special charcters (underscore works). Choose the folder from step 1 as the 'Location'. Create. Resolve will create a "Resolve Projects" folder at this location and store new projects there.

Here's an example:
Create a DB folder: D:\Projects\myResolveProjectFolder\
Set as location for new Resolve DB
Resolve will create D:\Projects\myResolveProjectFolder\Resolve Projects

Create a project called 'Junk'. Resolve puts in:
D:\Projects\myResolveProjectFolder\Resolve Projects\Resolve Projects\Users\guest\Projects\junk\Project.db

Each new project in the DB will get its own folder and "Project.db".

To "move" an existing project, you need to export a file and reimport:
RMB on the project in the Project Manager and choose export to create '.drp'. It doesn't matter where it goes, though you'll want to delete it when done. In PM, switch to the new DB, RMB in main panel and import. Files will be copied to db.
If file links are lost, rmb on the file or selected files in the Media Pool and relink. There are a variety of relinking options.
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Adam Janz

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostThu Jun 10, 2021 3:57 pm

This definitely is odd behavior for an NLE. You cannot even directly open a .drp export with Resolve. That behavior makes no sense from a user standpoint. Projects need to be stored in a local folder and backed up regularly with associated media, not stored in some obscure folder on the OS drive where they can be lost if the OS drive fails. Also, the inability to change project framerate after importing media is another very unusual limitation. Hopefully these issues can be corrected in time.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostThu Jun 10, 2021 4:46 pm

I very much like the FCPX method where everything is in one place. It is all automatically referenced of the Library's root directory. This means if you move a FCPX Library between computers *everything* is there and linked up automatically. I have dozens of libraries that when I have finished with them I can copy off to archive and know that when ever I reload them (to the same computer or a different one) ALL the project resources will be there: both the used and unused clips, audio. other media etc.
However FCPX was designed for a very different market.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostFri Jul 02, 2021 12:33 am

I have successfully recovered the entire contents from my damaged mac's main hard drive. From info elsewhere in this thread, I looked in Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Resolve Disk Database, but that folder is empty. On my new computer, that path continues to the project files. Is there somewhere else my several years of project files could be? Or do they self-destruct when copying is attempted?
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Dwaine Maggart

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostFri Jul 02, 2021 3:41 pm

Starting in Resolve 16, this location is no longer the default Local Database location:

Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Resolve Disk Database

If you had a Resolve version earlier than 16 installed, then the above location would be where the database is located, and that location would continue to be used, even after installing 16 or 17.

For new Resolve 16 and higher installs, the default Local Database location is:

Macintosh HD/Users/XXXX/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Resolve Disk Database

Where XXXX is the Mac User name.

Note that this is a hidden folder, so you need to use the Finder Go - Go to Folder menu to get to it, or make hidden files/folders visible.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostMon Oct 10, 2022 7:46 pm

I'm trying out Resolve and there's so much to love about it... I've been working with Premiere for 20 years and I know it inside out, so you can imagine how many annoying things I have to deal with.

Especially when editing feature films and shows... Colorists work in Resolve, so it would be easier for me to not have to use xml from Premiere which always breaks something.

But not being able to save a project file and not being able to change framerates is just an absolute dealbreaker for me. It's the most basic functionality and it's non-negotiable.

I sometimes work on 7-8 projects at the same time and I need to be able to share specific versions of projects at a moment's notice. Having to deal with this database nonsense would be impossible.

Is there at least a way to treat "databases" as projects and load a "database" as if loading a project? Just to be able to keep it tidy and to have actual control over where your files are?

And one more question, how would that work on multiple computers? I have a workstation PC, a PC connected to the TV where I edit with a director for example, and a laptop PC. Would I be able to keep the "database" project files on an external SSD and move between computers to work on it? If it requires fiddling with the program every time I need to open a project, I'll take that as a no...
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Dwaine Maggart

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostMon Oct 10, 2022 9:56 pm

Because someone posted a message to this thread this morning and then that message went away, I'm posting this, so I can make my "View my posts" updates all clear.

So to make this a useful post, I'll add the Windows locations for project files.

Starting in Resolve 16, this location is no longer the default Local Database location:

C:\ProgramData\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Resolve Disk Database

If you had a Resolve version earlier than 16 installed, then the above location would be where the database is located, and that location would continue to be used, even after installing 16 or 17.

For new Resolve 16 and higher installs, the default Local Database location is:

C:\Users\XXXX\AppData\Roaming\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Resolve Disk Database

Where XXXX is the Windows User name.

And in Resolve 18, we no longer call project databases...databases. We now call them Project Libraries. You'll likely catch me using the terms interchangeably for quite some time. Old habits die hard...
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Michel Rabe

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostMon Oct 10, 2022 10:17 pm

Good first step to rename it but I'd love to see a full redesign. The whole database/project library structure is pretty unintuitive for many users and I don't see the benefits (which are what exactly?) outweigh the confusion around it.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostMon Oct 10, 2022 10:48 pm

Hey Dwaine,

I posted it and then edited it, but I guess the edit wasn't approved... I dunno. I'm new here :)

So, I've been using Premiere for 20 years, but desperately want to leave it because of performance issues and bugs.
I've been having to export xmls for post companies to grade in Resolve, so it would be great if I could switch to Resolve and make it easier on those kinds of projects.

I'm liking most of the Resolve UI and features, but this database/library business is a dealbreaker if I understand it correctly.

So Resolve takes all my projects, locks them down into some convoluted folder on the system drive and I can't choose where to save my projects? What happens when I need to easily access different snapshots of the same project and quickly switch between them or copy over stuff from one to the other? Looks like the only option to even have snapshots is to clutter the library with multiple versions of the same project? What happens if I want to switch between my 3 PCs while editing the same project? I can't just have my files where I want them (on an external SSD) and open them where I want to?

It's baffling... I just hope there's something I'm missing here...
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostMon Oct 10, 2022 11:41 pm

Michel Rabe wrote:Good first step to rename it but I'd love to see a full redesign. The whole database/project library structure is pretty unintuitive for many users and I don't see the benefits (which are what exactly?) outweigh the confusion around it.


+1

and +1 for a like button


What would be good is a short guide on the databases and projects and how they work. NO I don’t need to be referred to that appalling behemoth of a manual. That doesn't do the job. Neither do the training resources that are longer than war and peace. It needs to be something short 5 or so pages written by a Technical Author who has never used the software before.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostTue Oct 11, 2022 8:48 am

Well, don't hold your breath. It's been 7 weeks and they still couldn't correct ONE line of their official 'Supported Formats and Codecs' list when a user had to point them towards an error.

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=166300
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jamedia

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostTue Oct 11, 2022 9:09 am

Michel Rabe wrote:Well, don't hold your breath. It's been 7 weeks and they still couldn't correct ONE line of their official 'Supported Formats and Codecs' list when a user had to point them towards an error.

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=166300


This is one of the mjor problems with BMD.

We looked into BMD and have been stung on so many minor things that we won't invest any serious money in BMD until things improve around documentation, support and road maps.
Last edited by jamedia on Tue Oct 11, 2022 11:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostTue Oct 11, 2022 9:12 am

Lukalumen wrote:So Resolve takes all my projects, locks them down into some convoluted folder on the system drive and I can't choose where to save my projects?
You'll no doubt be aware of the traditional means of saving a project by pressing Cmd S (Mac) / Ctrl S (Win)... well Cmd E / Ctrl E in Resolve will similarly result in a portable project file you can save wherever you like, share between systems etc.
Lukalumen wrote:What happens when I need to easily access different snapshots of the same project and quickly switch between them or copy over stuff from one to the other?
You can easily access them from the in-app Project Manager window and switch between them by enabling Dynamic Project Switching.
Lukalumen wrote:Looks like the only option to even have snapshots is to clutter the library with multiple versions of the same project?
How is 'cluttering' your library with multiple project versions any different than 'cluttering' your project directory with project snapshots?
Lukalumen wrote:What happens if I want to switch between my 3 PCs while editing the same project?
If you are not taking advantage of Resolve's long standing Project Server or new Cloud Library functionality then just take your (Ctrl E) project file to your other PC and double click it to open in Resolve.
Lukalumen wrote:I can't just have my files where I want them (on an external SSD) and open them where I want to?
Sure you can. As above, just save the project externally.

Bottom line, you're certainly not the first and likely not the last new user to seemingly struggle with the project library concept and stamp their feet in anger at the inhumanity of adapting to it. Time heals tho. You might even come to appreciate it.

That said, if there was enough demand (or will to do it on their part), BMD could simply provide an option that hides (a local empty disk database) 'Library' for users who rail against it; double clicking a project file would load the file into the database and open in the UI (exactly as it already does except the 'database' bit wouldn't be displayed to the user), saving the project would export it, closing the app would flush the database. So everything would function exactly as it already does, but users who prefer it don't have to have to suffer the indignity of seeing whats happening in the background.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostTue Oct 11, 2022 9:47 am

Andy Mees wrote:Bottom line, you're certainly not the first and likely not the last new user to seemingly struggle with the project library concept and stamp their feet in anger at the inhumanity of adapting to it. Time heals tho. You might even come to appreciate it.

That said, if there was enough demand (or will to do it on their part), BMD could simply provide an option that hides (a local empty disk database) 'Library' for users who rail against it; double clicking a project file would load the file into the database and open in the UI (exactly as it already does except the 'database' bit wouldn't be displayed to the user), saving the project would export it, closing the app would flush the database. So everything would function exactly as it already does, but users who prefer it don't have to have to suffer the indignity of seeing whats happening in the background.


So, where's the benefit of Resolve's databases/project libraries anyways?

Other professional apps do fine without dictating their unwieldy structure, that needs research first, upon users. It feels like a relict from the 2000's. I noticed some users here jump to it's defense and I'd like to know why.

Making it technically logical (kind of as of now) might make it comprehensible for half the users, making it simple and intuitive makes it easy for everyone.

I keep feeling I'm missing the primal benefit, but then again, no-one could explain it to me until now.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostTue Oct 11, 2022 10:49 am

I can't speak for your workflows Michael, but in a multiuser environment, I like having access to projects in centralised and networked libraries, so I can access them collaboratively from any workstation. Personally I have no issues working with it as such in a solo / siloed environment either... for me there's no express drawback to it. All my working projects are stored in and accesible from convenient libraries, unless or until I decide to purge them from those libraries. Whilst working I enjoy the benefits of that easy centralised access, and also obviously the usual live save and automatic backups together with manual saves (Exports) as needed, so I've zero issues with losing work and/or handing off project files to others etc etc. What can I say? I simply don't struggle with it. All is well.

But as noted above, I'd think BMD 'could' just hide the database from users who want absolutely no part of it. It would obviously be no skin off my nose, it wouldn't stop me from carrying on as is. There are a tonne of things I'd rather the developers to devote their time to tho, but I dare say thats a universal constant... everybody wants their personal bugbears to get attended to first. ;)
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Michel Rabe

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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostTue Oct 11, 2022 11:29 am

But I can have access to centralized and networked libraries with other professional apps in a multiuser environment too, just that one gets to use their own folder structures, which is more convenient especially when using a multitude of apps, too.

Well, they're not gonna change it anytime soon and it's not that big of a deal tbh - but it's certainly not the way to go for future users. It's not a submarine. If it wants to be a modern creator's tool, it should get rid of unintuitive relicts like that.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Oct 12, 2022 3:26 am

I don't even think it's a relic... I've never seen such a baffling decision on any software for creators ever. Project file should be a project file, not a par of some library you have no control of.

All this "exporting" and "sharing a library" are just workarounds for a problem. There should be no problem in the first place.

Andy Mees wrote:You'll no doubt be aware of the traditional means of saving a project by pressing Cmd S (Mac) / Ctrl S (Win)... well Cmd E / Ctrl E in Resolve will similarly result in a portable project file you can save wherever you like, share between systems etc.


Ok great. This is where it should have started and ended. Everything else is what I have problem with.

Andy Mees wrote:You can easily access them from the in-app Project Manager window and switch between them by enabling Dynamic Project Switching.


I don't want to use the Project Manager or Dynamic Project Switching. I just want to have my projects saved where I want.

Andy Mees wrote:How is 'cluttering' your library with multiple project versions any different than 'cluttering' your project directory with project snapshots?


The "library" will contain all of my current projects and their snapshots, so that could be a clutter of hundreds of files that are not where I keep the rest of my projects, they're "somewhere" i a database on the system disk.

Andy Mees wrote:If you are not taking advantage of Resolve's long standing Project Server or new Cloud Library functionality then just take your (Ctrl E) project file to your other PC and double click it to open in Resolve.


I don't want to need to "export" or "import" my projects and I don't want to keep them on a server or in the cloud. I want to keep them organized with the rest of my project assets.


Bottom line, this software is for someone else, not for me. I'll have to keep dealing with Premiere. Unfortunately.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Oct 12, 2022 5:32 am

Michel Rabe wrote:Well, they're not gonna change it anytime soon and it's not that big of a deal tbh - but it's certainly not the way to go for future users. It's not a submarine. If it wants to be a modern creator's tool, it should get rid of unintuitive relicts like that.


Michael,

This IS a modern tool, not a relic from the past. There are people who have trouble adapting to using a database rather than a flat file system, but that doesn't make it a relic. No other NLE that I have used has a database, and do not know of one that does. Databases are much more reliable than flat files, and usually faster as well. It is relatively easy to corrupt flat files where databases actively guard against corruption, particularly in situations where power is lost etc. It is similar in many respects to the difference between raster and vector graphics, and if you try to edit a raster graphic like a vector graphic you will quickly run into trouble.

The Resolve database does NOT contain any video files at all. It contains the editing instructions to build the timeline using the source files. This makes it easier to use proxy files etc as well as sharing the project amongst multiple users, including virtual users in render servers.

It is definitely not a relic from the past.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Oct 12, 2022 8:53 am

Darryl wrote:Databases are much more reliable than flat files, and usually faster as well. It is relatively easy to corrupt flat files where databases actively guard against corruption, particularly in situations where power is lost etc.


Thanks Darryl, I'll have to take your word for it since that's the first time I hear that argument and it's hard to validate for me (I do remember Premiere and others crash much more often than Resolve when I still used it but there were never any corrupted files).
I'm all for this system if it has such significant benefits.

But make it more user friendly (because it's not, even if you get along fine).

The fact that this thread has 150k views should be evidence enough that it's not a user friendly implementation.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Oct 12, 2022 9:04 am

Databases like PostgreSQL used in Resolve (when not using a disk-based database) are all about solving concurrency issues in multi user environments. In simplified terms developers can isolate or lock databases/tables/rows temporarily to prevent concurrency issues.

Of course, if you don't use any collaboration features this might seem like overkill. But either way it's a stable and time-tested way of storing and using data.

Using something like PostgreSQL gives you world class performance and data safety for free. All the maintenance tasks like backups are part of the system, meaning BMD doesn't have to reinvent the wheel.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Oct 12, 2022 9:53 am

roger.magnusson wrote:this might seem like overkill.

roger.magnusson wrote:BMD doesn't have to reinvent the wheel.


Thx Roger for explaining the benefits. I guess majority and especially the new generation of users don't take advantage of multiuser environment.

"Stable and time-tested ways" are great but should not prevent you from designing it in a way that's an easy access for any user. Avid is a sinking ship because they were stubborn for too long.

Resolve is one of the finest pieces of software ever, but again, 150K views for this thread should be evidence enough that there is a lot to improve here.
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Re: Where are project files stored?

PostWed Oct 12, 2022 10:09 am

Michel Rabe wrote:Resolve is one of the finest pieces of software ever, but again, 150K views for this thread should be evidence enough that there is a lot to improve here.


+1

This question, and related ones often come up. It IS a problem and the manual is not much help.

Whilst the BMD set up caters for one, now very small user group, it does nto cater for the majority. A case of happmered by their own success. You only have to look at the stats. I beleive that there are 2 million Resolve users the same ans FCPX (though all of FCPX users have paid for it) but most of them are in the "Youtube" and related markets rather than the Traditional Resolve "Hollywood" market.

Looking at the history of BMD and Resolve this huge shift in the userbase has only happened inthe last few years so it will take a while for the BMD culture to shift a bit. Though you can see from the things like the ATEM Mini and Cloud systems BMD do seem to be chasing the smaller production teams not the big studios. This is a reality the long time "hollywood" users of Resolve will have to live with.
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