Blackmagic Design Releases DaVinci Resolve 8.1

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Sun, 10/30/2011 - 20:00 -- Nick Dager

Blackmagic Design has announced that DaVinci Resolve 8.1 is now available. The update is available to all DaVinci Resolve customers free of charge and can be downloaded from the Blackmagic Design web site.

 The new Resolve 8.1 software update includes support for Apple Final Cut Pro X XML round trip new layer node composite effects ACES colorspace support compatibility with Avid AAF for round trip with Avid Media Composer Final Cut Pro 7 clip size and position support new copy commands for grades upgraded EDL features support for UltraStudio 3D for Thunderbolt and compatibility with the 2011 MacBook Pro 15-inch computer.

With this new update DaVinci Resolve can now import and export Final Cut Pro X timelines using the new Final Cut Pro rich XML file format. When working in Final Cut Pro X customers will get full timeline round trip where projects can be moved between Final Cut Pro X and DaVinci Resolve retaining the multi track timeline with frame accurate cuts dissolves and even speed changes. DaVinci Resolve will also use rich XML from Final Cut Pro X to link to original camera footage. DaVinci Resolve supports full media management for Final Cut Pro X projects including additional source clip folders and alternate image source when conforming edits in Resolve. Because DaVinci Resolve supports grading of high resolution and bit depth files edits can be exported out of Final Cut Pro for finishing in the highest quality. An alternative workflow is to use DaVinci Resolve 8.1 to manage extremely high-resolution raw image formats such as Red Arri CinemaDNG and DNxHD and then to grade and render to ProRes or uncompressed media for Final Cut Pro X.

DaVinci Resolve 8.1 now includes new layer node composite effects which offer colorists even greater creative grading with add subtract difference multiply screen overlay darker and lighten effects. Colorists will be able to use these new composite effects to create extremely complex and intricate grades with limitless power.
 DaVinci Resolve 8.1 now includes ACES color space support. ACES and IIF is a new color space and file format promoted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences technology committee to provide a universal and open image interchange and processing format. The ACES IIF file format is fully supported and includes a variety of IDTs and ODTs as well as support for 3D shaper LUTs. DaVinci Resolve 8.1 allows colorists to work in this format seamlessly and even the free of charge DaVinci Resolve Lite includes ACES colorspace so upcoming videographers will have access to the latest Hollywood technology.

 To improve compatibility with customers using Avid Media Composer DaVinci Resolve 8.1 now includes improved support for Avid AAF import/export for roundtrip editing to Resolve and back to Avid Media Composer. This new AAF support includes effects such as dip to color edge and center wipe with border clock and venetian blind wipe and also cross oval and diamond iris wipe overlay composite and more. Also includes support for Avid sizing with pan tilt zoom and rotate.

 Additional support is included for Final Cut Pro 7 round trip with clip by clip selectable import of image sizing data now possible. Import sizing and position data for all or selected clips is available to allow renders using the extremely high quality DaVinci Resolve image resizing engine.

New cut copy and paste operations for editing and node metadata including dynamics have been added to DaVinci Resolve 8.1 allowing much easier and dramatically faster editing of clips in the timeline and copying grades between nodes. DaVinci Resolve 8.1 also includes new conform features including the abilities to export missing clips EDL and import new EDL to a track. This simplifies finding and replacing missing clips in long form projects and is great for changing VFX shots. This DaVinci Resolve update is now even faster to use with an exciting new 'hover over node' grading status display to reveal lists of changed grades within the node.

DaVinci Resolve 8.1 increases support for hardware including full compatibility with the Apple Early 2011 MacBook Pro 15-inch with 1680x1050 display as well as the new UltraStudio 3D for Thunderbolt technology based computers. Support for UltraStudio 3D allows video monitoring and deck I/O from the latest iMac and MacBook Pro computers that support Thunderbolt technology.

 Other new features included in DaVinci Resolve 8.1 includes support for clip by clip scaled or unscaled data range color space conversions support for clip by clip color space selection in case a source clip has been incorrectly encoded renders now support video or data levels and support for HDR source icons in the timeline thumbnail for Red HDRx clips.

DaVinci Resolve 8.1 is available now as a free download for all current DaVinci Resolve customers.

 Blackmagic Design www.blackmagic-design.com