Send layers to color page from Standalone Fusion

Hello,

In Davinci Resolve, there is a feature that allows you to send layers of a fusion comp to the color page via a MediaOut node. I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to do that in standalone fusion through the VFX Connect clip? Let's say I have a subject on a green screen that I've masked out and plopped into a different scene. I want to be able to color grade them separately from the other layers using the Color page (because the coloring tools in Fusion are not nearly as intuitive or helpful).

Is there a feature that will allow me to do this? If not, has anyone found a decent workflow for making this process less painful? As of right now, I've resorted to trying to balance the layers with each other using the limited coloring tools in Fusion, and then grading the rendered comp back in Resolve, but this requires a certain amount of guessing and checking, and a whole lot of wasted render time. Because of this, I find myself less eager to use the Standalone program, as the compatibility between the different tabs in Resolve make it so much more desirable.

You could export mattes from fusion studio and use them in the color page. You could for example, use saver node to export just the alpha in any number of appropriate formats, as image sequance. Load it in resolve and drag and drop the mattes into color page.

I don't use VFX Connect clip very often, so I can't recall does it preserve your fusion set up, if it does you can use media out 2, 3, 4 etc from fusion page to send mats to color page. If not, you can use the saver method.

That being said, in my experience, its worth using tools in fusion for matching your subject to the background, far more dynamic and easier than in color page. And than finish the color grade in color page, once you have matched the overall tone and color of your subject and background.

Case in point, here are two tests I've done to illustrate this process. I don't think I could not do this, not so dynamically in the color page. But once you have good match, finishing in color page is best combination of tools. Which is how I have finished these shots.

Color Match Test In Fusion Resolve

Yet Another Automatic Color Matching Test In Fusion Resolve

If not, has anyone found a decent workflow for making this process less painful?

Hey
First of all, I answer here because I can totally understand you POV, and actually frequently experience* it.

So as you may have understood, VFX Connect - *which I use more and more because of this very topic - is to be used the reverse way, so the most "decent workflow" is to start the project in Resolve, even if it's just putting the clips onto an empty TL with nothing else done there at this point, and then only launch the VFX Connect : you'll be in Fusion Studio as you would anyway, but when whatever done there is finished, you would find it back in Color (in the Edit TL first, therefore in Color next).

Honnestly, it was a tough to think about what would need this WF before considering not to start in Fu standalone, and many times I forgot and ended up with finishing/grading in Color a ProRes exported from Fusion Studio, when it could be done with no useless extra steps... But it quickly becomes a interesting challenging game, and I'd say also generates another way of thinking your WF and works on some clips...

tl;dr : start in Resolve and do a VFX Connect in the first place

That being said, in my experience, its worth using tools in fusion for matching your subject to the background, far more dynamic and easier than in color page.

I see! Thank you so much for your feedback, those shots look great. I had no idea there was an "auto color match" feature in Fusion, that might be a gamechanger for me. I'll certainly try that in my next project!

tl;dr : start in Resolve and do a VFX Connect in the first place

Sorry, I should have clarified! That is what I currently do, starting with the VFX connect clip in Resolve then working with it in Fusion. My problem is generally that once you render the comp and go back to Fusion, you can't really color grade the different layers of the comp, only the final result.

tl;dr : start in Resolve and do a VFX Connect in the first place

Sorry, I should have clarified! That is what I currently do, starting with the VFX connect clip in Resolve then working with it in Fusion. My problem is generally that once you render the comp and go back to Fusion, you can't really color grade the different layers of the comp, only the final result.

I think only Color Correct in Fusion is kind of adjust color on layers. In Color page actually kind of use alpha channel to adjust color on one layer in my mind. So my suggestion is Mediaout Alpha Channels of different parts in fusion then back to color page play with them.

My problem is generally that once you render the comp and go back to Fusion, you can't really color grade the different layers of the comp, only the final result.

So my suggestion is Mediaout Alpha Channels of different parts in fusion then back to color page play with them

Ok I understand now...
So cat99_0, you can't add a MediaOut node in Fusion Studio as you could in ReFusion : you can only add a Saver node to sort of do the same, but the purpose of finding the matte back in Resolve by the VFX Connect way is defeated then.
So what you can do to mimic it (spoiler : there are extra step(s) unfortunately and this is likely what you didn't want), go the VFX Connect way, do your stuff, and add ExternalMatteSaver nodes after each mattes in your flow...
Then - and this is bothering* here - back in Color you will have to import them in the node flows as External Mattes, and use a key mixer gathering them just before the Output.

*but you must go and find them on the HD, it's not automatically there in the Color node flow by just right-click > Add Source, as it would if you made these mattes in the Fusion tab and added MediaOut nodes after each ones.
However I think it's the closest way to do it from Fusion Studio if you want to grade mattes separately in Color.
Edit : 1/ EMS node is available in Reactor 2/ you may want to add mattes in the same EMS node by clicking "+" in its parameters

Aha, you are right! I will use fusion page to avoid the problem probably in reality even I like VFX connect work flow ...