Possible to cut/edit in BMP (beats per minute)?

Hi guys,
I am just starting out with DaVinci Resolve I plan on going through some of the great tutorials on youtube in the coming days. I want use DR to make a music video and I would find it immensely helpful, if it is possible to set a certain BMP on the time bar (don't know if this is the correct terminology), 165 BMP in the case of this song, to make it easier cut in time. Is this possible in DaVinci Resolve? If not I'll probably do my editing in Reaper and the color grading in DaVinci.

Cheer
Ketil

I'm not aware of an automatic way, but you can tap the 'M' key to the beat of the music to drop markers. To me that certainly sounds better than trying to edit a quality video in Reaper.

Okay thanks, that's a good idea. I think I'll try Reaper for this video, since I know it pretty well and the video is very simple in nature. Reaper also seems better at handle different frame rates with less hassle. But I probably will need to switch to DaVinci at some point and it's good to have this tip in the bag.

Just do it by ear. It will ultimately be faster and more "musical" if you will.

I would suggest cutting in the form of 1,2,3 cut....1,2,3,cut is not the way to go.

Use your eyes, your ears, and your own style while you are cutting.

Thanks, I ended up using Reaper, but I've just finished watching a tutorial on Resolve and it definitely looks neat, so I'll be doing all my editing in that from now on. Of course I use my ears to cut with, but it was very helpful to be able to divide the track in BPM and it would be a very welcome and neat feature, which would probably also be fairly simple to implement in a future DaVinci update.

Thanks, I ended up using Reaper, but I've just finished watching a tutorial on Resolve and it definitely looks neat, so I'll be doing all my editing in that from now on. Of course I use my ears to cut with, but it was very helpful to be able to divide the track in BPM and it would be a very welcome and neat feature, which would probably also be fairly simple to implement in a future DaVinci update.

+1

This is most wanted function for the sound producers and music makers who want to edit video in DR with bpm grid! It's terrible, that in 2018 there is only vegas pro has that function. You can not use your ears when the task is to edit with 8,16,32, and 8,16,32 triplets. I mean duration of music notes. Or when I want to put video clips on every secondth, or every thirdth quarter of every bar, or exactly between them. This is very musthave feature for music videos. For me it's the mystery of the century why top NLEs don't have it yet. Hope it will appear some day. Reaper DAW is the example how the modern application must look like. I mean maximum opportunity to optimize everything for yourself.

However the DR 15 is great, thanks for it!
P.S. Sorry for my English it is not my native language.

Music production uses BPM, film and video production do not, and often cannot, as projects can only be frame accurate, whereas audio can be edited down to the sample level.

The reason that this isn't available (probably) is because editing is an art. Always cutting exactly on the beat is boring and no editor I've ever met does it apart from the occasional time where it adds something to the proceedings. For example in trailers. But in most music pieces there are so many layers of music that you can cut to, BPM isn't the only factor. You could cut on every trumpet blast, every bass drum or whatever. Just like a conductor doesn't accentuate every beat of an orchestra, but indicates the intention of a musical piece, it's not up to the editor to cut to every beat. At least, that's how I see it.

The reason that this isn't available (probably) is because editing is an art. Always cutting exactly on the beat is boring and no editor I've ever met does it apart from the occasional time where it adds something to the proceedings. For example in trailers. But in most music pieces there are so many layers of music that you can cut to, BPM isn't the only factor. You could cut on every trumpet blast, every bass drum or whatever. Just like a conductor doesn't accentuate every beat of an orchestra, but indicates the intention of a musical piece, it's not up to the editor to cut to every beat. At least, that's how I see it.

You could make the exact same argument for music production. However every DAW has bar lines matched to a BPM. Because it's useful. Especially when moving sections around (like 16 bars or whatever). And, although i'm a newbie, i could imagine for certain styles of very fast and rhythmic editing to music, being able to "quantize" edits according to bars and beats might be creatively interesting and useful. For example, setting a "hot-spot" in a video clip as the point at which it should snap to a particular bar or beat. (these are all ideas coming from music production which is my day-job).

AFAIK, you can't turn bar lines off in most DAWs. Which is strange as not everyone wants to make music according to a grid!

You can edit very precise only if you match the BPM to your projects' fps so you will have an integer (whole number) of frames per beat (FPB).

In a 24fps non drop frame project a matching list of BPMs would be:
240 BPM with 6 FPB
180 BPM with 8 FPB
160 BPM with 9 FPB
144 BPM with 10 FPB
120 BPM with 12 FPB
96 BPM with 15 FPB
90 BPM with 16 FPB
80 BPM with 18 FPB
72 BPM with 20 FPB
60 BPM with 24 FPB
48 BPM with 30 FPB
45 BPM with 32 FPB
40 BPM with 36 FPB
36 BPM with 40 FPB
32 BPM with 45 FPB

In a 25fps project you would have fewer options:
250 BPM with 6 FPB
150 BPM with 10 FPB
125 BPM with 12 FPB
100 BPM with 15 FPB
75 BPM with 20 FPB
60 BPM with 25 FPB
50 BPM with 30 FPB
30 BPM with 50 FPB

And in a 30fps non drop frame project:
225 BPM with 8 FPB
200 BPM with 9 FPB
180 BPM with 10 FPB
150 BPM with 12 FPB
120 BPM with 15 FPB
100 BPM with 18 FPB
90 BPM with 20 FPB
75 BPM with 24 FPB
72 BPM with 25 FPB
60 BPM with 30 FPB
50 BPM with 36 FPB
45 BPM with 40 FPB
40 BPM with 45 FPB
36 BPM with 50 FPB

Hi,
I created a solution to place a beat marker passed on the BPM wanted. It's a python script (I just started to learn Python scripting for Resolve yesterday... so maybe it's not perfect).

I use DVR 16.2 free with MacOS Mojave.

#!/usr/bin/ python

# Beat Marker Python Script
# Made for Resolve V16.2 free
# Copyright 2020 Guillaume Hullin

### CONFIGUARATION VARIABLES
# FPS of your timeline
fps = 29.97
# Beats per minutes
bpm = 112
# How many beats per time
time= 4
# Offset the beat by the number of frame
offset = 0.0
# On which audio track is your sound and which item number is your item
track = 2
item = 1

### END CONFIGURATION

import sys

sys.path.append("/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Developer/Scripting/Modules")
import DaVinciResolveScript as dvr_script

try:
resolve = dvr_script.scriptapp("Resolve")
pm = resolve.GetProjectManager()
proj = pm.GetCurrentProject()
tl = proj.GetCurrentTimeline()
mp = proj.GetMediaPool()
rootfolder = mp.GetRootFolder()
rootclips = rootfolder.GetClips()
ms = resolve.GetMediaStorage()
folder = mp.GetCurrentFolder()
clips = folder.GetClips()

except:
print("Open the script file and copy/paste in DVR Console ")
sys.exit()

# Get the item of the audio track
tli = tl.GetItemsInTrack("audio", track)
tli = tli[item]

max = tli.GetDuration()

# Calculate where should be placed the beat marker (return the frameNbr)
def calcBeatFrame(beatNbr):
global offset
return (((60.0/bpm)*fps)*beatNbr)+offset

tli.DeleteMarkersByColor('Red')
tli.DeleteMarkersByColor('Yellow')

beat = 0.0
x = 0

while beat < max:
x += 1
beat = calcBeatFrame(x)

if x % time:
tli.AddMarker(beat, 'Yellow', 'Beat Nbr{}'.format(x) , '', 1.0)
else:
tli.AddMarker(beat, 'Red', 'Beat Nbr{}'.format(x) , '', 1.0)

print 'Beat Nbr{} created at {} frame'.format(x,beat)

print
print 'End of script'

To use it:
1- copy the code into a text file
2- change the configuration variable to your preference
3- open Workspace>Console in DVR Edit Tab
4- Select Py2 as interpreter
5- Paste the modified code and hit Enter

It will make for a 4/4 tempo it will make 3 yellow marker and 1 red marker.

Hope it helps some people

Hi,
I created a solution to place a beat marker passed on the BPM wanted. It's a python script (I just started to learn Python scripting for Resolve yesterday... so maybe it's not perfect).

I use DVR 16.2 free with MacOS Mojave.

#!/usr/bin/ python

# Beat Marker Python Script
# Made for Resolve V16.2 free
# Copyright 2020 Guillaume Hullin

### CONFIGUARATION VARIABLES
# FPS of your timeline
fps = 29.97
# Beats per minutes
bpm = 112
# How many beats per time
time= 4
# Offset the beat by the number of frame
offset = 0.0
# On which audio track is your sound and which item number is your item
track = 2
item = 1

### END CONFIGURATION

import sys

sys.path.append("/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Developer/Scripting/Modules")
import DaVinciResolveScript as dvr_script

try:
resolve = dvr_script.scriptapp("Resolve")
pm = resolve.GetProjectManager()
proj = pm.GetCurrentProject()
tl = proj.GetCurrentTimeline()
mp = proj.GetMediaPool()
rootfolder = mp.GetRootFolder()
rootclips = rootfolder.GetClips()
ms = resolve.GetMediaStorage()
folder = mp.GetCurrentFolder()
clips = folder.GetClips()

except:
print("Open the script file and copy/paste in DVR Console ")
sys.exit()

# Get the item of the audio track
tli = tl.GetItemsInTrack("audio", track)
tli = tli[item]

max = tli.GetDuration()

# Calculate where should be placed the beat marker (return the frameNbr)
def calcBeatFrame(beatNbr):
global offset
return (((60.0/bpm)*fps)*beatNbr)+offset

tli.DeleteMarkersByColor('Red')
tli.DeleteMarkersByColor('Yellow')

beat = 0.0
x = 0

while beat < max:
x += 1
beat = calcBeatFrame(x)

if x % time:
tli.AddMarker(beat, 'Yellow', 'Beat Nbr{}'.format(x) , '', 1.0)
else:
tli.AddMarker(beat, 'Red', 'Beat Nbr{}'.format(x) , '', 1.0)

print 'Beat Nbr{} created at {} frame'.format(x,beat)

print
print 'End of script'

To use it:
1- copy the code into a text file
2- change the configuration variable to your preference
3- open Workspace>Console in DVR Edit Tab
4- Select Py2 as interpreter
5- Paste the modified code and hit Enter

It will make for a 4/4 tempo it will make 3 yellow marker and 1 red marker.

Hope it helps some people

Maybe the code that doesn't work with the newer version, but I'm getting an error message.


Can you help me out?

Hi,
I created a solution to place a beat marker passed on the BPM wanted. It's a python script (I just started to learn Python scripting for Resolve yesterday... so maybe it's not perfect).

I use DVR 16.2 free with MacOS Mojave.

#!/usr/bin/ python

# Beat Marker Python Script
# Made for Resolve V16.2 free
# Copyright 2020 Guillaume Hullin

### CONFIGUARATION VARIABLES
# FPS of your timeline
fps = 29.97
# Beats per minutes
bpm = 112
# How many beats per time
time= 4
# Offset the beat by the number of frame
offset = 0.0
# On which audio track is your sound and which item number is your item
track = 2
item = 1

### END CONFIGURATION

import sys

sys.path.append("/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Developer/Scripting/Modules")
import DaVinciResolveScript as dvr_script

try:
resolve = dvr_script.scriptapp("Resolve")
pm = resolve.GetProjectManager()
proj = pm.GetCurrentProject()
tl = proj.GetCurrentTimeline()
mp = proj.GetMediaPool()
rootfolder = mp.GetRootFolder()
rootclips = rootfolder.GetClips()
ms = resolve.GetMediaStorage()
folder = mp.GetCurrentFolder()
clips = folder.GetClips()

except:
print("Open the script file and copy/paste in DVR Console ")
sys.exit()

# Get the item of the audio track
tli = tl.GetItemsInTrack("audio", track)
tli = tli[item]

max = tli.GetDuration()

# Calculate where should be placed the beat marker (return the frameNbr)
def calcBeatFrame(beatNbr):
global offset
return (((60.0/bpm)*fps)*beatNbr)+offset

tli.DeleteMarkersByColor('Red')
tli.DeleteMarkersByColor('Yellow')

beat = 0.0
x = 0

while beat < max:
x += 1
beat = calcBeatFrame(x)

if x % time:
tli.AddMarker(beat, 'Yellow', 'Beat Nbr{}'.format(x) , '', 1.0)
else:
tli.AddMarker(beat, 'Red', 'Beat Nbr{}'.format(x) , '', 1.0)

print 'Beat Nbr{} created at {} frame'.format(x,beat)

print
print 'End of script'

To use it:
1- copy the code into a text file
2- change the configuration variable to your preference
3- open Workspace>Console in DVR Edit Tab
4- Select Py2 as interpreter
5- Paste the modified code and hit Enter

It will make for a 4/4 tempo it will make 3 yellow marker and 1 red marker.

Hope it helps some people

Maybe the code that doesn't work with the newer version, but I'm getting an error message.


Can you help me out?

Thanks for the data, basically it seemed that the copy paste of the code was a problem and skipped all the indentation.
I uploaded the script my GitHub so you can pick it up there.

https://github.com/GuillaumeHullin/davi ... 0Marker.py

Thanks!

Sorry that I'm bothering you so much, but I'm now getting a different error when I run it.
I says that it can't import 'DavinciResolveScript'. Can you help me out?

Davinci Studio 17.2 build 11
Windows 10
Python 2.7.8 amd64

I get the same error...

If you are running on Windows you need to update

Code: Select all

sys.path.append("/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Developer/Scripting/Modules")


I run on MacOS so I can't be sure but try:

Code: Select all

sys.path.append("C:\ProgramData\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Developer\Scripting\Modules")


Hi GuillaumeH!

Thank you !

"If you are running on Windows you need to update"

How / where to put in the code ?

I’m talking about updating the code I wrote on line 24. Replace the path which is written for MacOS and put the path for windows.

Okay, after updating line 24 ... I got this error ...

Think I'm trying with my Mac mini instead!

If you use a Mac then I guess it should work like that... but note that I'm running DVR 16 and MacOS Mojave... I don't know if that matter much.

With my Mac Mini M1, it seems to work ! Thank you !

Sure.
If it works with Big Sure and Mojave... should be good for every mac user

Have tested a little bit with Windows ... now it seems to work!

Is the path I wrote earlier for Windows correct? or you used something else?

Is the path I wrote earlier for Windows correct? Yes, that's your script !

Ok thanks, I updated my GitHub repo to add some readme and the path for Windows.

https://github.com/GuillaumeHullin/davi ... ve-scripts

Nice, This worked in V17.2.1 on my Windows machine.

After some trial and error (I'm a newbie to scripts) I eventually figured I had to remove the Hashtag before the sys.path in your script.

I'll paste what worked below. Thanks so much for the great script!

Code: Select all

#!/usr/bin/ python

# Beat Marker Python Script
# Made for Resolve V16.2 free
# Copyright 2020 Guillaume Hullin, www.youtube.com/GuillaumeHullin

### CONFIGUARATION VARIABLES
# FPS of your timeline
fps = 25
# Beats per minutes
bpm = 130
# How many beats per time
time= 4
# Offset the beat by the number of frame
offset = 20.0
# On which audio track is your sound and which item number is your item
track = 1
item = 1

### END CONFIGURATION

import sys

sys.path.append("C:\ProgramData\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Developer\Scripting\Modules")

import DaVinciResolveScript as dvr_script

try:
    resolve = dvr_script.scriptapp("Resolve")
    pm = resolve.GetProjectManager()
    proj = pm.GetCurrentProject()
    tl = proj.GetCurrentTimeline()
    mp = proj.GetMediaPool()
    rootfolder = mp.GetRootFolder()
    rootclips = rootfolder.GetClips()
    ms = resolve.GetMediaStorage()
    folder = mp.GetCurrentFolder()
    clips = folder.GetClips()

except:
    print("Open the script file and copy/paste in DVR Console :)")
    sys.exit()

# Get the item of the audio track
tli = tl.GetItemsInTrack("audio", track)
tli = tli[item]

max = tli.GetDuration()

# Calculate where should be placed the beat marker (return the frameNbr)
def calcBeatFrame(beatNbr):
    global offset
    return (((60.0/bpm)*fps)*beatNbr)+offset

tli.DeleteMarkersByColor('Red')
tli.DeleteMarkersByColor('Yellow')

beat = 0.0
x = 0

while beat < max:
    x += 1
    beat = calcBeatFrame(x)

    if x % time:
        tli.AddMarker(beat, 'Yellow', 'Beat Nbr{}'.format(x) , '', 1.0)
    else:
        tli.AddMarker(beat, 'Red', 'Beat Nbr{}'.format(x) , '', 1.0)

    print 'Beat Nbr{} created at {} frame'.format(x,beat)

print
print 'End of script'

Ok thanks, I updated my GitHub repo to add some readme and the path for Windows.
https://github.com/GuillaumeHullin/davi ... ve-scripts

Nice, This worked in V17.2.1 on my Windows machine.

After some trial and error (I'm a newbie to scripts) I eventually figured I had to remove the Hashtag before the sys.path in your script. That's all I had to do and it worked. see below path for windows.

Code: Select all

sys.path.append("C:\ProgramData\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Developer\Scripting\Modules")

I'll paste what worked below. Thanks so much for the great script!

Code: Select all

#!/usr/bin/ python

# Beat Marker Python Script
# Made for Resolve V16.2 free
# Copyright 2020 Guillaume Hullin, www.youtube.com/GuillaumeHullin

### CONFIGUARATION VARIABLES
# FPS of your timeline
fps = 25
# Beats per minutes
bpm = 130
# How many beats per time
time= 4
# Offset the beat by the number of frame
offset = 20.0
# On which audio track is your sound and which item number is your item
track = 1
item = 1

### END CONFIGURATION

import sys

sys.path.append("C:\ProgramData\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Developer\Scripting\Modules")

import DaVinciResolveScript as dvr_script

try:
    resolve = dvr_script.scriptapp("Resolve")
    pm = resolve.GetProjectManager()
    proj = pm.GetCurrentProject()
    tl = proj.GetCurrentTimeline()
    mp = proj.GetMediaPool()
    rootfolder = mp.GetRootFolder()
    rootclips = rootfolder.GetClips()
    ms = resolve.GetMediaStorage()
    folder = mp.GetCurrentFolder()
    clips = folder.GetClips()

except:
    print("Open the script file and copy/paste in DVR Console :)")
    sys.exit()

# Get the item of the audio track
tli = tl.GetItemsInTrack("audio", track)
tli = tli[item]

max = tli.GetDuration()

# Calculate where should be placed the beat marker (return the frameNbr)
def calcBeatFrame(beatNbr):
    global offset
    return (((60.0/bpm)*fps)*beatNbr)+offset

tli.DeleteMarkersByColor('Red')
tli.DeleteMarkersByColor('Yellow')

beat = 0.0
x = 0

while beat < max:
    x += 1
    beat = calcBeatFrame(x)

    if x % time:
        tli.AddMarker(beat, 'Yellow', 'Beat Nbr{}'.format(x) , '', 1.0)
    else:
        tli.AddMarker(beat, 'Red', 'Beat Nbr{}'.format(x) , '', 1.0)

    print 'Beat Nbr{} created at {} frame'.format(x,beat)

print
print 'End of script'

Made a script that is very convenient also to detect BPM and Offset when placing a few audio clip or timeline markers.
The time format of Length and Offset is the same as it's used in Resolve. Hence, it's very easy to handle. With BPM you can do simple Math A*B+C, A/B-C, A*B etc. to get quick matching results.

Colored Markers can be placed onto the TimeLine or onto the audio clip.

You might like to download the lua file here: (it's only tested on an MAC M1)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WuPfr2 ... share_link

[Shrinivas Ramani]

Please take a look at Fairlight's grid mode and musical tempo.

Would be great, if it's available on the edit page as well. But you are right, I think one of the best explanations for its use in Fairlight is the following tutorial:

An update of the BeatMarker lua script and more infos at:
https://www.steakunderwater.com/wesuckl ... 277#p43277

This video may be of interest.

Be careful with his explanations, this is correct: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=73101&p=911219#p911219

Made an update, where you can move the Playhead beat and sub beat wise in the Cut, Edit and Fairlight Page by assigned keyboard shortcuts:
https://www.steakunderwater.com/wesuckl ... 321#p43321

Made an update, where you can move the Playhead beat and sub beat wise in the Cut, Edit and Fairlight Page by assigned keyboard shortcuts:
https://www.steakunderwater.com/wesuckl ... 321#p43321

It takes some time to place several Markers on the audio track or timeline when running a repetition. An interesting speed-up occurs when two different scripts start at the same time. For example, markers to track1 with the first script and to track2 with the second. The marker build-up is not displayed at the UI until the faster script finishes.

But the overall time to finish both is several times faster than expected.

Would be great to be able to suspend the UI adaptation to speed things up. Has somebody an idea how this can be done?

Be interested? This Macro used in the Generator section might run on the free version of Davinci Resolve:
https://www.steakunderwater.com/wesuckl ... 938#p48938