Davinci resolve

DaVinci Resolve MCP

Drives the davinci-resolve MCP server: 334 tools — 316 live across 18 domains (project/timeline/media/color/Fusion/Fairlight/AI/render/transcription) that drive a running Resolve, plus 18 offline tools that read/write Resolve's own files (.drp/.drt/.drx) and a local SQLite store with no Resolve running — plus 3 resolve:// resources and an editing_strategy prompt.

Not installed? If the mcp__davinci-resolve__* tools aren't exposed, see INSTALL.md at the repo root. Everything below assumes a configured server.

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Using the tools

Every tool returns a plain string; failures come back as "Error: ...", never exceptions. Read the returned string and react — never assume success.

Preconditions: Resolve running with a project open, and Preferences → General → "External scripting using" = Local. Error: Could not connect to DaVinci Resolve means one of these is missing — fix it, don't retry blindly. Scripting is a Studio feature; on the free edition, Studio-only tools (Magic Mask, Smart Reframe, Stabilize, AI subtitles, Voice Isolation) return a "requires Resolve Studio" string — expected, not a bug.

Loop: orient → act → verify

1. Orient first. get_project_info, get_current_page, get_current_timeline_info, get_timeline_items — or read resolve://project/info, resolve://timeline/current, resolve://mediapool/structure. Use screenshot as your eyes: before a visual change, after it, when the user describes something visual, and when debugging.
2. Switch page with open_page when needed (color grading, fusion comps, deliver rendering).
3. Act with the most specific tool (not the execute_resolve_code escape hatch — see Safety).
4. Verify by re-reading state or a screenshot, and relay the tool's own result string.

Item-locator convention. Every timeline-item tool addresses a clip by three args: track_type (video/audio/subtitle) + 1-based track_index + 0-based item_index. Fusion tools add a 1-based comp_index.

Quick index: TASK → tools

Full recipe for each is in reference/cookbook.md.

Task	Tools	Recipe
Reframe / transform (pan, zoom, rotate, flip)	set_transform, reset_transform, smart_reframe (Studio)	cookbook → Reframe
Crop / dynamic zoom / retime	set_cropping, set_dynamic_zoom, set_retime_and_scaling, set_composite	cookbook → Crop
Keyframe a move	add_transform_keyframe, get_transform_keyframes, delete_transform_keyframe	cookbook → Keyframe
Apply an effect (ResolveFX/OFX)	enumerate_ofx, get_resolvefx_registry, discover_regid, apply_ofx_to_clip	cookbook → Apply an effect
Apply a template	enumerate_templates, insert_template_by_name, append_template_with_placement	cookbook → template
Build / edit a title	fusion_add_tool, set_title_text, insert_title, insert_fusion_title	cookbook → title
Fusion comp node work	add_fusion_comp, fusion_add_tool, fusion_set_input, fusion_connect_input	fusion-tools.md
Transition at a cut	add_default_transition_at_cut (live), place_transition (offline .drt/.drp)	cookbook → Transition
Grade a clip	open_page('color'), get_node_graph, set_cdl, set_lut, apply_grade_from_drx	cookbook → Grade
Render / deliver	set_render_format_and_codec, set_render_settings, add_render_job, start_rendering, get_render_job_status	cookbook → Render
Subtitles / transcription	create_subtitles_from_audio (Studio), transcribe_and_add_subtitles, export_srt	cookbook → Subtitles
Markers	add_marker, add_item_marker, add_clip_marker	cookbook → Markers
Inspect the timeline	get_current_timeline_info, get_timeline_items, screenshot	the orient loop above

References, loaded on demand (don't inline them):

• reference/cookbook.md — task recipes, the primary how-to. Start here for any "how do I…" task.
• reference/fusion-tools.md — Fusion node tools and Inspector input tables (address nodes/inputs by name).
• reference/tool-catalog.md — the exact 334-tool list (live + offline) with one-line descriptions, grouped by module. Open it for a precise tool name/param.
• reference/operating-notes.md — gotchas for the newer / less-obvious surface: Neural-Engine extras that return False (not an error), gallery stills needing the panel visible, color-managed-only input color space, the no-transition- object hybrid, the ofx. prefix + MediaOut1 splice, BezierSpline-first keyframing, read-only node graphs, Studio-18.5-gated cloud projects, quit_resolve terminating the app, and never live-walking a Fusion comp's full graph (it hangs Resolve — read template controls offline via get_template_controls, set by key). Skim it before driving those tools.

Safety & judgement

• execute_resolve_code runs arbitrary Python in Resolve (namespace: resolve, project, mediaPool, timeline, mediaStorage; print() or set result). Use only for API with no dedicated tool; keep snippets small; show the user non-trivial code first.
• Confirm before destructive / hard-to-undo actions: delete_project, delete_clips, delete_folders, delete_track, close_project (unsaved work), replace_clip, and anything that overwrites files (export_*, render TargetDir). Resolve scripting has no universal undo.
• Rendering is real work: after add_render_job + start_rendering, poll get_render_job_status; stop_rendering cancels.
• Colours are fixed vocabularies — a rejected colour returns the valid list (marker/flag colours differ from clip colours).
• Don't fabricate results. Relay Error: / "no active timeline" strings and fix the precondition instead of pretending success.

Offline tools (operate on Resolve FILES + a local SQLite store — no Resolve needed)

These 18 action-dispatch tools each take an action param + typed args and work with no running Resolve (cloud or local). They read/write Resolve's own files and a local DB. Grade/file WRITE actions return "verified": false — structurally valid but not yet calibrated against a live Resolve panel, so tell the user that before they rely on a written .drx/.drp.

• Files: drx (color grades — inspect/decode/export-CDL/attach-LUT/write), drt (timelines — parse/author/validate/inject/extract), drp (projects — read/author/edit), offline_fusion (comps).
• Project intelligence: project_read (lint / clip queries), project_db (index + relayout_node_graphs — tidy node layout, grade bytes preserved), conform (relink QC + lineage), color_trace (carry grades across a re-conform), editorial (changelist / integrity), media_ingest (scan → manifest).
• Grade/QC compute: via drx actions and the grading cores (CDL ops, white-balance, skin-match, broadcast-legal/gamut qc), deliverable (compliance QC), offline_ref.
• Orchestration: pipeline (DB-as-truth: YAML/JSON spec → SQLite → staged runs with gates + provenance + intent-vs-actual drift), provenance (audit / episode report), capabilities (what's available + dep status + verified/unverified state). Full names/actions: reference/tool-catalog.md.

Quick recipes

• Subtitles from audio: active timeline → create_subtitles_from_audio (Studio) or local transcribe_and_add_subtitles / export_srt then import as a subtitle track.
• Vertical (9:16) reframe: smart_reframe (Studio) or set_transform (zoom_x/zoom_y/pan) on the item.
• Grade a clip: open_page('color') → get_node_graph → set_cdl/set_lut → grab_still.
• Render H.264: set_render_format_and_codec (format mp4, codec H.264) → set_render_settings (TargetDir, CustomName) → add_render_job → start_rendering → poll get_render_job_status.
• "What's on the timeline?": get_current_timeline_info + get_timeline_items + screenshot.