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This is a good way of prepping the titles and effects of projects that you want to finish in
DaVinci Resolve. If you create self-contained media files for all title clips and effects, then these
elements will import cleanly and easily, and you can export a complete, texted version of your
program out of DaVinci Resolve.
Additionally, if a composited clip is using unsupported effects (for example, a filtered still image
with animated position that’s superimposed using the Overlay composite mode and set to 70%
opacity), an ideal way to prep this clip for XML export to DaVinci Resolve is to set the composite
mode to Normal, set Opacity to 100%, and then export the resulting clip as a self-contained
QuickTime movie. Reimport the result, edit it back into the Timeline to replace the original
superimposed clip, and then set its composite mode to Overlay and its Opacity to 70% to match
the original settings. Now the unsupported effects are “baked” into the clip, but the effects that
DaVinci Resolve does support are still live, and can be readjusted in context while grading.
Verifying Imported Timelines
Using Offline References
DaVinci Resolve has a specific interface for comparing two versions of a program. This
eliminates the need to edit a rendered version of a timeline as a superimposed clip within your
timeline and provides many other features to aid this comparison without cluttering
your timeline.
By setting the Source Viewer in the Edit page to Offline mode, you can compare an Offline
Reference Clip or Timeline to a currently open timeline, with both playheads ganged together,
either side by side, or as a split screen, a box wipe, or difference operation, all of which will be
visible via your video output device. As you play the Timeline, the Offline Reference Clip or
timeline plays as well, making it easy to spot differences between the two.
IMPORTANT: You need to make sure that the media you’ve imported or are using as
an Offline Reference Clip has a valid timecode track with a start time that matches the
timecode of the Timeline you’re comparing to, otherwise there will be an offset
between the Timeline and offline reference that will make a comparison difficult to
impossible. Small offsets can be corrected via an offset field in the Source Viewer
while in offline mode, but large offsets will be impractical to correct.
Why Set Up An Offline Comparison?
However you set up an offline reference, this is a convenient way of comparing two versions of
a program. There are several reasons for comparing an Offline Reference Clip to a timeline:
Verifying the clip order: If you’re unsure whether or not you’ve properly resolved reel
conflicts or other problems that occurred while you were conforming a timeline, you
can compare each edit to the offline version of the program to spot problems and
identify the proper media that should correspond to any clip.
Recreating effects: If there are offline effects, such as temporary grades made in the
NLE, or pan and scan transforms that you want to check, the Offline reference mode
lets you split-screen your current grade against the Offline Reference Clip in the
Color page.
Chapter – 46 Preparing Timelines for Import and Comparison 891