Can someone explain why databases in 2024

It seems not only archaic but a huge pain we are still having to still import databases, remember their names, and god forbid you get client drive without them telling you the database name. Or exporting projects to give to clients and having to give them a road map of database instruction, etc...

Why can't we just save a project file, FFS. After years of using this program, I thought surely by now we would have this capability in 2024.

Is there any hope of just making our life easier for the future?

EDIT: I guess what I'm asking is why there isn't a Database file we can just click on or resolve can just find. It's just indexing

One correction: you don’t need to know the database name when attaching to a database. You can use any name that’s not already used for one of your attached databases.

Why don't you and your clients export and import .drp files (aka projects), and keep your database untouched?
Don't expect BM to drop databases any time soon, their high-end clients need them in larger facilities.

Passing around .drp's is a reasonable thing to do BUT - your database does not remain untouched. Rather, each time you open, say, myproj.drp a new myproj is created in the database. If you're passing drp's back and forth the database gets cluttered fast and needs to be cleaned by hand.

So the workflow would be:

• import myproj.drp
• edit
• export new myproj.drp - probably overwriting the old one
• delete myproj from database

OK, not untouched in that sense, but moving databases themselves around can be a much more unpleasant experience.
BM would probably suggest to use a cloud based workflow, but that doesn't seem to work in all countries.

I still prefer moving the databases around. But not sure that’s the right answer for the OP anyway.

I still prefer moving the databases around. But not sure that’s the right answer for the OP anyway.

Databases are not supposed to be moved around. There's no guarantee they will work the same across different systems, the proper way is to either replicate the DB or export and import the needed data only.

Copying is like creating multiverses in a Marvel movie. You seemingly have the same data but there are differences.

Is the project management really that difficult. If you don't need a project on computer A, delete it with shift-backspace form the homescreen. Or move it to archived or something folder. Moving a database moves all the projects, even the ones you may not want to move.

Why can't we just save a project file

Exporting/importing project files (.drp) from the Project Manager is no great burden, I think.

In most NLEs one can open from and save to a project file.
In Resolve one can't do this. Instead one can import and export a project file. But opening is only done from the database.

The analogous workflow in, say, FCP or Premiere, would be to not use project files, instead importing and exporting XML files representing the project.

What's the difference? If you're using the import/export workflow in Resolve it's very easy to open Resolve and accidentally work on the old project rather than importing the new one. When saving in Resolve it's easy to save and close but forget to export the project file and then send the old project file off to your collaborator. There are just more steps to get right. For people new to Resolve it's an easy thing to mess up. Other than the extra steps and possibility of messing up it's just fine.

Why can't we just save a project file, FFS. After years of using this program, I thought surely by now we would have this capability in 2024.

I save individual Resolve project files every single day, and I've done it for decades (going back to daVinci 2K). I keep them in a "Color" folder on the source drive for all our projects. That way, I can see at a glance how many days (or weeks) I've spent on a specific project. (In fairness to BMD, I can count the number of times I've had to use any of these backup files on the fingers of both hands, going back to 2010 -- maybe 6 or 7 times. And the crashes or session problems were due to bad hardware, a crashed drive, or a real mistake I did (like accidentally deleting a piece of a timeline and not realizing it for several hours).

I suggest you try to adopt more of a "Zen" attitude in not fighting the software so much. Instead of trying to force it to work the way you want, try to adapt your own working style to the way Resolve works. You'll get a lot more done that way. (What's the line? Better to bend like a willow in a storm than break like a tree limb.)

Suggestions on the "Resolve Suggestions" forum are fine, but bear in mind there are millions of Resolve users in the world who have used the software a thousand times more than you have. If BMD changes the program just for you, then they'll have a million complaints from the people who've already adapted and understand how Resolve works now.

I agree with Marc that if one wants to get work done one must adapt to what exists. I also think it’s just fine to discuss ways things might be better. With the understanding that BMD listens but doesn’t really interact so we don’t get to find out if they agree with any of our ideas until they appear in some release. Which is a fairly rare happening. Not unheard of but rare.