Help with Color Management

Hi,

I am having issues setting up color management in Resolve (version 18.6). I tried to use ACEScct, but I get absolutely wacky results from it (screenshots below). The same is true of DaVinci YRGB Managed, even with "automatic color management" checked. I've tried just about every permutation of settings with ACEScct and YRGB Color Managed, and it may change a little, but it still looks like thermal vision footage or something.

I have followed step-by-step instructions from the Resolve Colorist Guide and numerous tutorials and articles online, and I do not understand what is happening. The only way the footage looks even close to correct is via the regular non-color-managed YRGB.

For reference, I am using footage shot on a BMPCC4K in BRAW Q3.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

ACES settings

Screenshot 2024-03-19 at 2.03.59 AM.png (42.28 KiB) Viewed 1086 times

ACES result

Screenshot 2024-03-19 at 2.05.09 AM.png (921.97 KiB) Viewed 1086 times

DaVinci YRGB Color Managed results

Screenshot 2024-03-19 at 2.05.46 AM.png (959.14 KiB) Viewed 1086 times

Try this.

Rec 709 RCM.png (23.29 KiB) Viewed 1036 times

Your sample looks like footage which has been "normalized" twice.

Do you have any LUTs applied to either the timeline or the clips? When you say "close to correct" with Davinci YRGB do you mean the clips look like log or they look more or less normal (as in rec. 709?)?

No offense, but those screen shots look like what that mean alien POV was like when it invaded earth. It is not in any way recognizable as an image humans can see IMO. Did you do that on purpose ? Are you trying to show us some other wavelengths beyond human eye can see ?

I don't get the point of this thread. If you can't shoot a simple picture and put it into resolve and it looks somewhat normal why ask us to try and figure out what your crazy screenshots represent ??? You can shoot braw or prores on your camera so do what you have to do in order to get real.

geez... what a stupid thread.

It seems that maybe you have LUT applied in your RAW settings, which is likely the same one you applied in camera when shooting.

I assume that the LUT is transforming colorspace from Log to Rec.709 with some look applied.
Then it get brought into Resolve and you flipped ON the Color Management which also trying to transform the color from Log to Rec.709, now you have two guys trying to perform the same job, resulting in a double transforms you saw on the image.

This can easily be fixed on the Camera RAW tab in Color page or in the Project settings.

Your sample looks like footage which has been "normalized" twice.

Do you have any LUTs applied to either the timeline or the clips? When you say "close to correct" with Davinci YRGB do you mean the clips look like log or they look more or less normal (as in rec. 709?)?

Nope, nothing at all on them. They look like log in regular YRGB without any CST nodes or anything applied.

No offense, but those screen shots look like what that mean alien POV was like when it invaded earth. It is not in any way recognizable as an image humans can see IMO. Did you do that on purpose ? Are you trying to show us some other wavelengths beyond human eye can see ?

I don't get the point of this thread. If you can't shoot a simple picture and put it into resolve and it looks somewhat normal why ask us to try and figure out what your crazy screenshots represent ??? You can shoot braw or prores on your camera so do what you have to do in order to get real.

geez... what a stupid thread.

What is the point of this comment? Is the entire forum this hateful? I'm trying to figure out why I cannot use YRGB Color Managed or ACES like everyone else seems to without it looking like this. That seems to be a 100% legitimate use of this forum. Like yes, they look crazy, that's the ENTIRE POINT.

Try this.

Rec 709 RCM.png

Tried that already. It changed it slightly but just another variation of this weird look.

geez... what a stupid thread.

that depends on the people replying..


Anyway, as john said, it looks indeed a little bit like it has been normalized twice. Are you sure it is shot in blackmagic design film color space?

a good starting point for us to help would be to turn off all color space transformations, then show us how it looks. the quickest way might be to set the color science to davinci YRGB, and turn off all effects by toggling the disable/enable button: (blue arrows)

screenshot.jpg (501.06 KiB) Viewed 930 times

or in the edit page press shift+d

a good starting point for us to help would be to turn off all color space transformations, then show us how it looks. the quickest way might be to set the color science to davinci YRGB, and turn off all effects by toggling the disable/enable button

Sorry my replies don't show up immediately because they need to be approved I guess.

Here is what it looks like in DaVinci YRGB with and without the effects toggled (no difference).

And yes, I am sure it is shot in BM Film (gen 5 with the most recent firmware)

Screenshot 2024-03-19 at 6.53.16 PM.png (41.56 KiB) Viewed 886 times

Screenshot 2024-03-19 at 6.53.45 PM.png (843.29 KiB) Viewed 886 times

Screenshot 2024-03-19 at 6.53.51 PM.png (848.2 KiB) Viewed 886 times

Again, sorry for these replies being delayed.

So I made an entirely new project and just pulled a few clips in. YRGB Managed and ACES now appear as they should.

I don't have any nodes or LUTs applied to the clips in the project that's messed up. What could be doing this? Is there a way to reset everything without having to create a completely new project?

[Peter Chamberlain]

Are you trying to get a HDR render out?
If not, try DaVinci YRGB color managed and do not select HDR.
Select SDR Rec 709 for your output color space.

How does that look?
If bad, please export the .drp and post here so someone can take a look for other strange settings.

Tried that already. It changed it slightly but just another variation of this weird look.

OK.

If you did shoot film, then you've got something wrong elsewhere in the chain. We just need to find it.

Make sure Project Settings>Color Management>Lookup Tables has No LUT selected for the first three, and Use Video... for the next two.

wasn't a "hateful" post on my part. Thanks for finally uploading images that look sorta like they were made on earth. Good luck figuring out the basics of using your camera and an editor.

Are you trying to get a HDR render out?
If not, try DaVinci YRGB color managed and do not select HDR.
Select SDR Rec 709 for your output color space.

How does that look?
If bad, please export the .drp and post here so someone can take a look for other strange settings.

Not trying HDR, it looks like that with SDR Rec709 selected.

Forum is telling me that the extension .drp is not allowed.

wasn't a "hateful" post on my part. Thanks for finally uploading images that look sorta like they were made on earth. Good luck figuring out the basics of using your camera and an editor.

Please go away and don't be such an ******* to people

If you did shoot film, then you've got something wrong elsewhere in the chain. We just need to find it.

Make sure Project Settings>Color Management>Lookup Tables has No LUT selected for the first three, and Use Video... for the next two.

Tried that, did nothing except minor changes but still wacky.

Like I said, if I make an entirely new project, it works fine. I don't understand where something is wrong in this project.

OK. Thank you for being so honest. Before I go I'll give you some advice about asking for help in the forum. Give people every bit of information you have about what camera you are using, what settings are on the camera, what codec etc.... this lets people know what the source is.
Then tell people what computer you are using, the make, brand, specs ( cpu, memory, drives etc.). That lets people know whether you have the required equipment to use Resolve. Then let people know what version of Resolve you are using.
Lastly, describe your problem as you did even with distorted image, BUT say whether the clip(s) play correctly in any other program ( like VLC or whatever )... This gives people a chance to get into asking you about your settings for your project ( like HDR or color space, and so on ). The way it is now you seem stuck on fixing the original problem instead of just moving on with a new project that apparently works pretty well.... with some level adjustments ( lift gamma gain levels ) that new image will probably look pretty good.
Anyway, good luck as I said and goodbye.

OK. Thank you for being so honest. Before I go I'll give you some advice about asking for help in the forum. Give people every bit of information you have about what camera you are using, what settings are on the camera, what codec etc.... this lets people know what the source is.
Then tell people what computer you are using, the make, brand, specs ( cpu, memory, drives etc.). That lets people know whether you have the required equipment to use Resolve. Then let people know what version of Resolve you are using.
Lastly, describe your problem as you did even with distorted image, BUT say whether the clip(s) play correctly in any other program ( like VLC or whatever )... This gives people a chance to get into asking you about your settings for your project ( like HDR or color space, and so on ). The way it is now you seem stuck on fixing the original problem instead of just moving on with a new project that apparently works pretty well.... with some level adjustments ( lift gamma gain levels ) that new image will probably look pretty good.
Anyway, good luck as I said and goodbye.

You could have literally started with this instead of your snarky nonsense. I did say what camera I used, what settings were used, what version of Resolve I use, etc. in my initial post. Perhaps you didn't read that before you jumped straight into unhelpful comments saying that my post had no point.

And yes, I would like to know why the original project is the way it is. It seems entirely reasonable to want to understand where a problem is.

Are you adding any CST nodes?

Are you adding any CST nodes?

No, there are no nodes at all on these. No LUTs either. This is just the clip and how it appears when changing from YRGB to YRGB Color Managed or ACES. Only regular YRGB appears normal (like log footage).

In color grade tab, if you right-click a clip “bypass color management” what happens? I really don’t recall the exact name. If it shows raw footage, try adding cst nodes in and out.

I don't understand where something is wrong in this project.

Yeah, there's something in there making it weird.

If it's not a problem, just go ahead and use the new project.

OK. Thank you for being so honest. Before I go I'll give you some advice about asking for help in the forum. Give people every bit of information you have about what camera you are using, what settings are on the camera, what codec etc.... this lets people know what the source is.
Then tell people what computer you are using, the make, brand, specs ( cpu, memory, drives etc.). That lets people know whether you have the required equipment to use Resolve. Then let people know what version of Resolve you are using.
Lastly, describe your problem as you did even with distorted image, BUT say whether the clip(s) play correctly in any other program ( like VLC or whatever )... This gives people a chance to get into asking you about your settings for your project ( like HDR or color space, and so on ). The way it is now you seem stuck on fixing the original problem instead of just moving on with a new project that apparently works pretty well.... with some level adjustments ( lift gamma gain levels ) that new image will probably look pretty good.
Anyway, good luck as I said and goodbye.

Every one of your replies had an offensive vibe to it and starting them with 'no offense, but' doesn't excuse you. Instead of 'giving him some advice' you should reflect on yourself.

OK. Thank you. I am reflecting on myself and becoming a better person thanks to your advice.
God bless you

GUY WITH GUN.jpg (319.92 KiB) Viewed 587 times

I put the still image into a resolve timeline and adjusted levels a little bit in lift gamma gain, and it looks really pretty. Good going !

Going back to the original project, what looks off to me in your project settings is 'Process node LUTs in ACES AP0 linear', which usually should be 'AP1 ACEScc'

If you have any LUT in your chain, either input LUT, in the color grade, timeline grade or even in the project settings, this might be the source of the problem.

On the other hand that wouldn't really explain, why it's messed up in RCM as well.

Do you work with render cache? If yes, try deleting the cache of this selected clip and let it cache again, or simply disable the cache for a moment.

Do you work with proxies or optimized media? If yes, try disabling those for a moment

I don't understand where something is wrong in this project.

Yeah, there's something in there making it weird.

If it's not a problem, just go ahead and use the new project.

Yeah that's what I ended up doing, it's fine now. Will forever be a mystery what was wrong haha.

GUY WITH GUN.jpg

I put the still image into a resolve timeline and adjusted levels a little bit in lift gamma gain, and it looks really pretty. Good going !

Thank you! And I appreciate you reflecting on your tone and initial approach. I've done it before, it happens.

The footage will grade really well (I know how to shoot haha, I'm just newish to Resolve - former Premiere user). Actually it has been grading very well over the past few days.

Best wishes.

Going back to the original project, what looks off to me in your project settings is 'Process node LUTs in ACES AP0 linear', which usually should be 'AP1 ACEScc'

If you have any LUT in your chain, either input LUT, in the color grade, timeline grade or even in the project settings, this might be the source of the problem.

On the other hand that wouldn't really explain, why it's messed up in RCM as well.

Do you work with render cache? If yes, try deleting the cache of this selected clip and let it cache again, or simply disable the cache for a moment.

Do you work with proxies or optimized media? If yes, try disabling those for a moment

Thanks for the suggestions but I just ditched that project and made a new one since that had been tainted SOMEHOW. And no, AP1 ACEScc didn't matter, no LUTs... could have tried deleting the cache but it's fine now. Thank you!