New training materials on the Blackmagic Design web site.

Tons of it, and all free and pretty good: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/produc ... e/training
Our students use it all the time. The tests offered for certification are not too easy

I've been recommending people go through Casey Farris' 2 hour crash course then the full 4 hour beginner course he released recently. He does a WAY better job of familiarizing people with the overall program than the BMD courses do, and is better at helping people understand the concepts on how things work. In fact, the BMD courses are more easily understood after running through those 2 videos. Especially since he provides the footage for people to work on in both courses.

Although the BMD courses are in depth , well . . . .
As someone who's written tutorials, and done training on complex tech topics (Including software), they are not designed very well for a beginner to the software, and yes, that includes the beginner course.

Thanks for the heads-up, Sam.
For those looking for it: his name is Casey Faris (with a single 'r').

I finished up my first project in DaVinci Resolve and I had time to go back to look at the training offered on the website. I'm making my way through the Beginners Guide and I am just blown away by the quality of this training module. I now know what all those buttons are on the tool ribbon above the timeline. The editing techniques taught in the module would have made my project go much smoother.

I think most people are learning DR the way I did, as you go in your own project, but if I am asked how to do it I'd say go through as many of these training modules as you can FIRST, then do your project.

I've just finished following along with the Davinci Resolve 17 Color AdvancedColor video by Daria, and as a trainer myself in other fields, I have to say that Daria has given us a masterclass in instructional video. Just the right pace, just the right topics and a very pleasant voice. Perfect.

I had started this color training, which was the hardest to pick up overall. I think I will try again when I am able. If I ever get a Micro control panel, I think it will work out better. But I need to wait till 19 comes out of beta also so no rush. So far, you can't complain about any of the instructors.

I still need to finish the Fusion and Fairlight, but I'm not in a hurry. It is just a side hobby that keeps my brain juices moving.

Tons of it, and all free and pretty good: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/produc ... e/training
Our students use it all the time. The tests offered for certification are not too easy

Do individual exam lead to different certifications or do you have to do all 4 tutorials and take 1 big exam for the certification?

Also, how do you qualify the certification test as “not too easy”?

Each has its own certification.

"Not too easy" relates to my experiences with reasonably intelligent university students

Hello everyone,

Thanks to all for the time devoted to this forum.

I don't mean to be pressing on anyone, but I have this question in mind : is it worth it for me to go through the training material for version 18 or better wait for the training material adapted to Resolve 19 ?

Thanks for your answers and have a great day.

Mathieu

I'm working on the Resolve Editor's Guide. I'm on page 442 doing the Export exercises, I'm on the Export to Pro Tools part. It says to go ahead and export the video as a reference point for the Pro Tools editor. The step I'm on says "Click the Video tab. Change the Format to QuickTime, and then ensure that the codec is H.264, and the resolution is 1280 x 720 HD 720P (the resolution of this timeline)."

I change Format: to "QuickTime" and the Codec: drop down only has two options "DNxHD" and "DNxHR" so there is no "H.264" and the 1280 x 720 HD 720P is also not an option in the Type: drop down.


Did I do something wrong to not get these options? or is this an issue with the Editor's Guide being for Resolve17 and I'm using 19?

If you know a work around, or what I did wrong/or haven't toggled, please share.


Thanks

Just found these, cool! Look forward to going through them.

Having some issues with Prores 4444 on the Mac Studio running M1. So great to have a forum like this were everyone is so engaged and willing to help. Thanks again!

I really want to see an official BlackMagic training video demonstrating the specific features that are improved using a Snapdragon Elite X device. I’m sure BlackMagic has plenty of those devices in their offices.

Such a video would help users like me — who want to use a laptop/tablet —decide if I should buy a Snapdragon to speed up my DaVinci editing — or stick with Intel.

Thank you!
Rowby


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Having some issues with Prores 4444 on the Mac Studio running M1. So great to have a forum like this were everyone is so engaged and willing to help. Thanks again!

Which ones? Better open your own thread to get more views.

As a beginner with Davinci these guides are really useful. Thank You!

When will we see updated training materials for version 19? I know that it takes a lot of time to put these things together so I appreciate all the time and energy, and for making them free too!

I've uploaded the Resolve manual to Google's NotebookLM (https://notebooklm.google.com/) and it has proven very useful in answering questions about Resolve and how to do things in it. I tried creating a sharing link of my notebook but seems like it's kinda restrictive in what it will let non-owners of the notebook do in it so I recommend creating your Notebooks and uploading any material you would like to reference when working on your Resolve projects, if you like. I'd love to hear about your experiences with it.

Hope eBooks for the new version will be around soon.

Great!! Thank you

@Kamal
Thank you for the heads up. I have made my own NotebookLM for the manual and I'm impressed!
Yes, AI can really be helpful.

@Kamal

I want to thank you as well.

I'm currently learning DR, and I'm at the sort of "experienced beginner" stage, this is saving me hours of searching through multiple pdf's.

I also used it to set up a number of notebooks for other topics I use regularly both at home and at work, such as the electrical regs for the UK.....

Great tip

I just started the Beginner's Guide and had a problem on page 21, step 3: Select the new empty TIMELINES bin and choose File > New Timeline or press Command-N (macOS). The New Timeline option is greyed out when I choose File > New Timeline. Nothing happens when I press Command-N) on my Mac. I tried right-clicking on the TIMELINES bin and selected Create New Timeline using Selected Bin... and nothing happened. I have the latest version of DaVinci Resolve, 19.1.3 BUILD 7. I am running Mac OS Sequoia 15.2. I looked at file permissions of Age of Airplanes.drp and I have read&write permission.

Ok, figured out the problem. I needed to be in the Edit Page

I've uploaded the Resolve manual to Google's NotebookLM (https://notebooklm.google.com/)

This works indeed very well. Thanks for sharing your tip!!!

it even helps me doing a Dutch request on the manual and get a Dutch reply back!!

The Beginner's Guide to DaVinci Resolve 19 PDF and certification exam are now available:
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/produc ... ing/#books

Chris, Simon, Nahuel and the rest of the team put in a tremendous amount of work creating the course and the exam, so thank you so much to them!

Enjoy!

I've uploaded the Resolve manual to Google's NotebookLM (https://notebooklm.google.com/) and it has proven very useful in answering questions about Resolve and how to do things in it.

I'm rather ashamed that I didn't figure this out myself!

Thanks for the kickstart, Kamal.

Peace and out.
Dan

I've uploaded the Resolve manual to Google's NotebookLM (https://notebooklm.google.com/).

I've done the same thing and uploaded various other Resolve-related manuals too. I'm still undecided whether it is more useful than just directly asking the chatbots, either Gemini or one of the others. They are already very good and sometimes can answer questions that NotebookLM cannot. After all, they are trained on a much larger set of data.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/training#books

Thank you, Peter, and everyone at Blackmagic Design for DaVinci Resolve, Fusion, these videos, and everything you make and do! You're all epic, and so are your products! Thank you also for keeping the software updates free! It helps immensely, especially for those (like myself) who have a low income or a tight budget.

God bless you!


Roger

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/training#books

Hello Peter,

Sorry, but this is off-topic. The zip file for the windows x86 version of the Davinci Resolve Studio public beta 2 has the public beta 1 software in it.

[Dwaine Maggart]

Are you referring to the Resolve 20 beta 2 Windows x86 Studio version?

And the fact that the unzipped file is called "Install Resolve 20.0b.exe", unlike the free version file which is called "DaVinci_Resolve_20.0b2_Windows.exe"?

The "Install Resolve 20.0b.exe" file in the beta 2 zip really does install beta 2. When you run the installer, it will show build 27 as the version, and that's the beta 2 build.

Are you referring to the Resolve 20 beta 2 Windows x86 Studio version?

And the fact that the unzipped file is called "Install Resolve 20.0b.exe", unlike the free version file which is called "DaVinci_Resolve_20.0b2_Windows.exe"?

The "Install Resolve 20.0b.exe" file in the beta 2 zip really does install beta 2. When you run the installer, it will show build 27 as the version, and that's the beta 2 build.

Thank you Dwaine for the clarification. What had happened was that I had mistakenly installed the free version initially. After trying to install the studio version I got the prompt that a newer version was already installed and that I had to uninstall that one first.

[Dwaine Maggart]

That will indeed happen (on Windows only).

If you install the free version of Resolve 19.1.4, and then want to install the Studio version of 19.1.4, you WILL need to uninstall the free version first.

On Windows, the only Resolve you can install without uninstalling first, is a NEWER version of Resolve.

Same versions of free and Studio, or older versions cannot be installed without uninstalling the current version first.

This is not an issue on Mac and Linux.

I've uploaded the Resolve manual to Google's NotebookLM (https://notebooklm.google.com/).

I've done the same thing and uploaded various other Resolve-related manuals too. I'm still undecided whether it is more useful than just directly asking the chatbots, either Gemini or one of the others. They are already very good and sometimes can answer questions that NotebookLM cannot. After all, they are trained on a much larger set of data.

For what it’s worth, I have created a notebook with DaVinci Resolve sources on NotebookLM and it has been working quite well for the prompts I have given it… mostly asking questions on how to do certain things in cookbook style responses.

Here’s for example: I submitted this prompt: ”In a cookbook style, how do I use the magic masks effectively?” The following is its response. Of course the formatting on Notebook LM is prettier than the cut and paste version placed here.


The Colorist's Secret Recipe: Mastering Magic Masks in DaVinci Resolve
Welcome to your kitchen of color grading, where today we're unlocking the power of Magic Masks to isolate and enhance specific elements in your footage! This technique, fueled by the DaVinci Neural Engine, allows you to create dynamic masks with surprising ease. Let's get cooking!
What is a Magic Mask?
Imagine having a tool that can automatically detect and track objects or people in your video, generating a mask that follows their every move. That's the magic of the Magic Mask! It goes beyond simple color or luminance keying, understanding shapes and motion through complex environments.
Ingredients:
* DaVinci Resolve 18 or newer [depending on the version of Magic Mask]. Note that some features, like AI Magic Mask v2, may require DaVinci Resolve Studio.
* Footage containing the object or person you wish to isolate.
Preparation (Steps to Create a Magic Mask):
1. Select Your Clip and Navigate to the Color Page: Open your timeline and go to the Color page. Select the clip you want to work on.
2. Create a New Node: It's good practice to create a new node specifically for your mask. Right-click on an existing node and choose "Add Serial" or press Option-S (macOS) / Alt-S (Windows). Label this node appropriately, like "Mask" or "Track".
3. Open the Magic Mask Palette: In the central palettes, locate and open the Magic Mask palette.
4. Choose Your Mode [Original Magic Mask]:
* For general objects, you would typically use Object Mask mode. Use long strokes that cover a good area of the object's surface in the viewer.
* To isolate a person's full figure, select Person Mask and then the Person option. Short strokes on the person are usually better for tracking.
* To mask specific body parts or clothing, choose Person Mask and then the Features option. Select the desired feature (e.g., Hair, Face, Clothing) from the pop-up menu.
5. Make Your Selection [AI Magic Mask v2]: If you are using the newer AI Magic Mask v2 (DaVinci Resolve 20 Studio), strokes are no longer necessary. Simply click on the object or person you want to isolate in the viewer. Use positive (blue) clicks to identify what to include and subtractive (red) clicks to exclude unwanted areas.
6. Review the Initial Mask: Click Toggle Mask Overlay in the upper-right corner of the Magic Mask palette to see the initial mask analysis. The masked area will typically be highlighted in red. For AI Magic Mask v2, a red onionskin overlay will show the isolated area.
7. Track the Mask:
* In the Magic Mask toolbar, click Track Forward and/or Track Reverse to analyze the motion of your selected object or person throughout the clip. A successful track will be indicated by a blue line in the Stroke/Click timeline.
* For more complex tracks or if a stroke/click drifts, you might need to adjust its position manually on specific frames and re-track. In the original Magic Mask, you could choose to Track Selected Stroke Only. In AI Magic Mask v2, all clicks are tracked simultaneously.
8. Refine Your Mask: Use the controls in the Adjustment Controls and Matte Finesse sections of the Magic Mask palette to improve the mask:
* Quality (Original Magic Mask): Choose between Faster (for quick, less precise masks) and Better (for more accurate results, but more processing intensive). AI Magic Mask v2 has a single quality setting.
* Smart Refine (Original Magic Mask): Expand or contract the mask based on image analysis.
* Radius: Uniformly expand or contract the mask.
* Blur Radius: Soften the edges of the mask.
* Consistency (Original Magic Mask): Reduce mask jitter, especially in areas with rapid movement or fine details like hair. Requires the click to have a duration of at least a few frames.
* Paint Tool (AI Magic Mask v2): Use the Plus and Minus Paint tools to manually add or subtract areas from the mask on a frame-by-frame basis for quick touch-ups. Adjust the Paint Brush Size as needed.
9. Invert the Mask (If Necessary): If you want to affect everything except your selected object or person, click Invert Mask in the Magic Mask toolbar.
10. Hide Overlays: Once satisfied, click Toggle Mask Overlay again to remove the red highlight. You can also hide the blue stroke/click lines by changing the onscreen controls in the viewer to Off.
Serving Suggestions (Using Your Magic Mask):
* Secondary Color Correction: Now that you have a mask, you can apply targeted color adjustments to the isolated area or the background. Use the primary grading palettes, curves, or other secondary grading tools on the node with the Magic Mask active. For example, brighten a subject's face, change the color of a car, desaturate the surroundings of a person, or adjust skin tones.
* Creative Effects: Apply ResolveFX or OpenFX specifically to the masked area. For instance, add a blur to the background to create a shallow depth of field effect (though this specific technique isn't detailed in the sources, it's a common application).
* Combining with Windows: For more precise selections, you can combine Magic Masks with Power Windows to exclude unwanted areas from the mask.
* Sky Replacement: Use the Magic Mask to isolate a sky and then replace it using other tools and nodes.
Tips for Success (Chef's Notes):
* Start with a Clean Plate: A well-balanced primary grade can help the Magic Mask identify objects more accurately.
* Optimal Tracking Angle: For facial tracking, a forward-facing angle often yields better results than a profile.
* Addressing Difficult Tracks: For challenging shots, you can isolate individual strokes/clicks for tracking, track frame by frame, and use subtractive strokes/clicks to refine the mask.
* Magic Mask is for Grading, Not Compositing: While powerful, remember that the Magic Mask is primarily a color grading tool. For complex compositing tasks, Fusion offers more specialized tools.
* Experiment and Iterate: Don't be afraid to try different modes, strokes/clicks, and refinement settings to achieve the desired result. If the initial mask isn't perfect, refine it!
* Check Your Work: Play through your footage to ensure the mask accurately follows the intended subject throughout the shot.
By following this recipe, you'll be well on your way to effectively using Magic Masks in DaVinci Resolve, adding a touch of color magic to your projects! Happy grading!

Wow! I just uploaded the DaVinci-Resolve-19_Beginners-Guide.pdf book to NotebookLM just to see what it can/would do. This is a fantastic resource!

Wow! I just uploaded the DaVinci-Resolve-19_Beginners-Guide.pdf book to NotebookLM just to see what it can/would do. This is a fantastic resource!

For the generative AI to be effective you’ll need to provide more materials like training guides, user manual, other external resources, etc. Also, if the results are verifiable you’ll want to save it so it can be put back to the LM for it to learn as new sources.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/training#books

Good morning, Peter,

Thank you for these updated training videos!


Roger

Wow! I just uploaded the DaVinci-Resolve-19_Beginners-Guide.pdf book to NotebookLM just to see what it can/would do. This is a fantastic resource!

WOW! It was exactly what I needed since I became an editor. It’s really impressive, unbelievable! It solved and eliminated one of my black holes of wasting time searching for answers in that beautiful, monstrous, and glorious 4k-page manual of Davinci Resolve!

Thanks, man! You save my life here.

Just downloaded the Beginner's Guide.

It is a great looking alternative to the 4000+ page manual

Just a quick tip that might help someone out — I’ve found it really effective to combine Magic Mask with a Power Window to limit the mask’s influence to a specific region of the frame (for example, just the upper half).
This has been especially useful in shots where the subject overlaps with other moving elements or when Magic Mask starts to bleed outside the intended area. By constraining the node with a window, you get an extra layer of control, and it really helps keep things tidy without having to do frame-by-frame cleanup.
Would love to hear if anyone else is doing something similar — or has better strategies for dealing with messy masks on complex shots.

So here’s another tip. I took all the Resolve training guides and the user manual and added them to my Google NoteBook LM, creating its own notebook. Now when I am looking to learn or understand a feature I can just use natural language query to prompt the AI to provide me with the results. Since it only references all the source materials I gave it, the response are essentially focused on DR. When I have the time, I will expand it with other related external resources to enhance its training capabilities.

For example, using the tip about combining Magic Mask with Power Window from Custis above post, I asked it if it will give me better results. This is what it responded:

IMG_1320.png (492.57 KiB) Viewed 75 times

Note that I just asked it in plain English and it was only referencing the sources I gave it.

Then I gave it instructions in plain English again to give me a step by step instructions on how to replace a white light to red light and to make it more complex, that the light is at a distance and the camera is moving. This next two screenshots are the results of my inquiry. I’m just showing the first and last part to the results because I can’t post more than 3 images but you get the point.

IMG_1321.png (527.28 KiB) Viewed 75 times

IMG_1322.png (515.67 KiB) Viewed 75 times

It’s AI so you should at least understand what it is suggesting because it’s not always correct. How it responds depends on how well you train it, the sources you provided, and that you can verify its correctness. So far, it’s done a decent job on things that I am new to or to get me started or grounded on how to do something I want.