Tue Jun 24, 2025 10:41 am
Output sizing comes before input sizing. "Timeline resolution" is not set in stone and it is independent if one wishes it to be from output sizing. Timeline resolution should be perhaps called working resolution because its more of a reference how to handle clips than final deliverable or something set in stone. I frequently change timeline resolution as I work., but I keep my output resolution usually steady.
Which is the final resolution for export as manual has covered. By default output sizing is mirroring so called format or what you think of as timeline resolution. So there is no difference. If you want to make differnt output from working resolution for differnt deliverable, you can. This is all covered in details in the manual.
If you know what you are doing, its no a problem at all. You can get very complex and flexible and come out the other end to tell the tail and that is the beauty of how resolve handles resolution. On the other hand, if you think there is one checkbox that does it all for you and you can't outsource your efforts to that one checkbox. Prepare to be frustrated. Its not how it works.
Output Scaling
Match timeline settings: Turned on by default, so that these settings mirror the Timeline Resolution, Image Scaling, and Input Image Scaling settings described above. Turning this checkbox off lets you choose different settings for monitoring, outputting to tape, or rendering, using the other settings in this group.
- Output resolution: Lets you choose an alternate resolution.
- Mismatched resolution files: Lets you choose an alternate way of handling mismatched resolution files given the alternate resolution you’ve chosen. These options work identically to those of the “Input Image Scaling” group.
- Super Scale: Sets a very processor-intensive and high quality upscaling algorithm that actually creates new pixels for the resized image. The possible values are: None, 2x, 2x Enhanced, 3x, 4x, and Auto.
For more information on Super Scale, see Chapter 11, “Image Sizing and Resolution Independence.”
"DaVinci Resolve is a resolution-independent application. This means that, whatever the resolution of your source media, it can be output at whatever other resolution you like, and just about every size-dependent effect in your project, text, windows of grades, edit and input clip scaling, and other effects will scale appropriately to match the new output resolution.
This also means that you can freely mix clips of any resolution, fitting 4K, HD, and SD clips into the same timeline, with each scaling to fit the project resolution as necessary.
Your project’s resolution can be changed at any time, allowing you to work at one resolution, and then output at another resolution. This also makes it easy to output multiple versions of a program at different resolutions, for example, outputting 4K, HD, and SD sized versions of the same timeline.
Additionally, most controls that let you transform clips, either to push into a clip for creative intent, or to pan and scan media of one format to fit better into a different output format, are smart enough to always refer back to the source resolution when combining resizing operations to shrink, then enlarge an image for various reasons as you work in the Cut, Edit, Fusion, and Color pages.
This chapter covers the relationship among the different sizing and transform controls found in DaVinci Resolve, showing how they work together to intelligently manage the sizing of clips and effects as you work."
Timeline Resolution
The timeline resolution is one of the most fundamental settings of your project, defining its frame size. It’s found in the Master Settings panel of the Project Settings, where you can choose a predefined resolution from the “Timeline resolution” drop-down menu, or you can type a custom resolution into the X and Y fields below.
Mixing Clip Resolutions
Media used in a project does not have to match the timeline resolution. In fact, it’s extremely common to mix multiple resolutions within the same timeline. Clips that don’t match the current resolution will be automatically resized according to the currently selected Image Scaling setting (described below).
Changing the Timeline Resolution
As mentioned earlier, you can change the timeline resolution whenever you like. When you do so, each Edit page transform, Fusion clip effects output, Color page Power Window, Input and Output Sizing adjustment, tracking path, spatial keyframing value, as well as any other other resolution- dependent Resolve FX effect or transform operation in DaVinci Resolve is automatically and accurately scaled to fit the new resolution.
You Can Use Separate Timelines to Output Different Resolutions
Beginning in DaVinci Resolve 16, you have the option of creating separate timelines with individual Format (including Input Scaling), Monitoring, and Output Sizing settings for situations where you need to set up multiple timelines to create multiple deliverables with different resolutions, pixel aspect ratios, frame rates, monitoring options, or output scaling options than the overall project, including “Mismatched Resolution Files” settings.
For more information, see Chapter 34, “Creating and Working with Timelines.”
You Don’t Need Separate Timelines to Output Different Resolutions
Because of the way DaVinci Resolve works, it’s not necessary to create separate timelines when all you need is to output the same timeline at multiple resolutions. Instead, you can focus on mastering a single timeline, which you can output to as many other resolutions as you need.
For example, with only a single timeline in a project set to 4096x2160 (4K DCI) resolution, you can easily output UHD, HD, center-cut SD, and center-cut Instagram sized deliverables in any format you need by simply changing the Resolution drop-down setting in the Deliver page Render Settings before you create a job to render. DaVinci Resolve takes care of the rest.
....the rest you can read on your own. Its all in the manual. It allows for a lot of flexibility in workflows which are very powerful way to leverage what resolve offers, but if you don't know what you are doing, you will get into trouble very quick. I often say that people should read manual often to understand how things work and blackamgic should put more effort in education so they meet halfway.
