Expression Description: A Simpleexpression Using The Sine and Time Functions

An empty field will appear below the parameter, and a yellow indicator will appear to the left.
The
current value of the parameter will be entered into the number field. Using Simple Expressions, you
can enter a mathematical formula that drives the value of a parameter or even links two different
parameters. This helps when you want to create an animation that is too difficult or impossible to set
up with keyframing. For instance, to create a pulsating object, you can use the sine and time functions
on a Size parameter. Dividing the time function can slow down the pulsing while multiplying it can
increase the rate.
A SimpleExpression using the sine and time functions
Inside the SimpleExpression text box, you can enter one-line scripts in Lua with some Fusion-specific
shorthand. Some examples of Simple Expressions and their syntax include:
Expression Description
time This returns the current frame number.
Merge1.Blend This returns the value of another input, Blend, from

another node, Merge1.
Merge1:GetValue(“Blend”, time-5) This returns the value from another input, but sampled
at a different frame, in this case five frames before the
current one.
sin(time/20)/2+.5 This returns a sine wave between 0 and 1.
iif(Merge1.Blend == 0, 0, 1) This returns 0 if the Blend value is 0, and returns 1 if

it is not. The iff() function is a shorthand conditional
statement, if-then-else.
iif(Input.Metadata.ColorSpaceID == This returns 0 if the image connected to the current

“sRGB”, 0, 1) node’s Input is tagged with the sRGB colorspace.
When no other node name is supplied, the expression
assumes the Input is coming from the current node. It
is equivalent to self.Input. The Input in most, but not
all, Fusion nodes is the main image input shown in
the Node Editor as an orange triangle. Images have
members that you can read, such as Depth, Width,
Metadata, and so on.
Point(Text1.Center.X, Text1. Unlike the previous examples, this returns a Point, not
Center.Y-.1) a Number. Point inputs use two members, X and Y. In
this example, the Point returned is 1/10 of the image
height below the Text1’s Center. This can be useful for
making unidirectional parameter links, like offsetting
one Text from another.
Text1.Center - Point(0,.1) This is similar to the previous expression.

This SimpleExpression returns Text instead of a
Number or Point.
Chapter 72 Using Modifiers, Expressions, and Custom Controls 1269

Expression Description
Text(“Colorspace: “..(Merge1. The string inside the quotes is concatenated with the
Background.Metadata.ColorSpaceID) metadata string, perhaps returning:
Colorspace: sRGB
Text(“Rendered “..os.date(“%b %d, This returns a much larger Text, perhaps

%Y”).. “ at “..os.date(“%H:%M”)..”\n something like:
on the computer “..os.
Rendered Nov 12, 2019 at 15:43 on
getenv(“COMPUTERNAME”).. “ running
the computer Rn309 running Windows_
“..os. getenv(“OS”)..”\n from the
NT from the comp \\SRVR\Proj\Am109\
comp “..ToUNC(comp.Filename))
SlateGenerator_A01.comp
os.date(“%H:%M”) The OS library can pull various information about the

computer. In the previous example, os.date gets the
date and time in hours:minutes.
“..os.getenv(“COMPUTERNAME”).. “ Any environment variable can be read by os.getenv,

running “..os. in this case the computer name and the operating
system.
”\n from the comp “..ToUNC(comp. To get a new line in the Text, \n is used. Various
Filename) attributes from the comp can be accessed with the
comp variable, like the filename, expressed as a
UNC path.
TIP: When working with long SimpleExpressions, it may be helpful to drag the Inspector panel
out to make it wider or to copy/paste from a text editor or the Console.
After setting an expression that generates animation, you can open the Spline Editor to view the
values plotted out over time. This is a good way to check how your SimpleExpression evaluates
over time.
A sine wave in the Spline Editor, generated by the expression used for Text1: Size
For more information about writing Simple Expressions, see the Fusion Studio Scripting Guide, and the
official Lua documentation.

Pick Whipping to Create an Expression
With a SimpleExpression field open, a + button is displayed on the left side. Dragging the + button
onto another control, or “pick whipping,” links the two parameters, similar to the Connect To menu.
However, unlike a Connect To parameter link, the pick whip allows you to modify the connection by
further editing the expression.
Pick whipping to connect one

parameter to another quickly
SimpleExpressions can also be created and edited within the Spline Editor. Right-click on the
parameter in the Spline Editor and select Set Expression from the contextual menu. The
SimpleExpression will be plotted in the Spline Editor, allowing you to see the result over time.
Removing SimpleExpressions
To remove a SimpleExpression, right-click the name of the parameter, and choose Remove Expression
from the contextual menu.
Customizing User Controls

Each tool’s parameters are organized in a logical order in the Inspector. The most used controls are
closer to the top, and the more subtle refinement controls are lower in the list. Sometimes, though, you
may want to add, hide, or change the controls. You often need to do this for SimpleExpressions and
macros, but you may also do this for usability and aesthetic reasons for favorites and presets.
Custom controls can be added or edited via the Edit Control dialog, which you access by right-clicking
over the node’s name in the Inspector and choosing Edit Controls from the menu.
Choose Edit Controls to create

and customize parameters
In the Edit Control dialog, you use the ID menu to select an existing parameter or create a new one.
You can name the control and define whether it is a text field, number field, or a point using the Type
attributes list.

Edit Control dialog
You use the page list to assign the new control to one of the tabs in the Inspector. There are also
settings to determine the defaults and ranges, and whether it has an onscreen preview control. The
Input Ctrl box contains settings specific to the selected Type, and the View Ctrl attributes box contains
a list of onscreen preview controls to be displayed, if any.
All changes made using the Edit Controls dialog get stored in the current tool instance, so they can be
copied/ pasted to other nodes in the comp. However, to keep these changes for other comps, you
must save the node settings, and add them to the Bins in Fusion Studio or to your favorites.
As an example, we’ll customize the controls for a DirectionalBlur:
The Inspector for a default direction blur
Let’s say we wanted a more interactive way of controlling a linear blur in the viewer, rather than
using the Length and Angle sliders in the Inspector. Using a SimpleExpression, we’ll control the
length and angle parameters with the Center parameter’s onscreen control in the viewer. The
SimpleExpression would look something like this:
For Length:
sqrt(((Center.X-.5)*(self.Input.XScale))^2+((Center.Y-.5)*(self.Input.
YScale)*(self.Input.Height/self.Input.Width))^2)
For Angle:
atan2(.5-Center.Y , .5-Center.X) * 180 / pi

DirectionalBlur controlled by the Center’s position.
This admittedly somewhat advanced function does the job fine. Dragging the onscreen control adjusts
the angle and length for the directional blur. However, now the names of the parameters are
confusing. The Center parameter doesn’t function as the center anymore. It is the direction and length
of the blur. It should be named “Blur Vector” instead. You no longer need to edit the Length and Angle
controls, so they should be hidden away, and since this is only for a linear blur, we don’t need the Type
menu to include Radial or Zoom. We only need to choose between Linear and Centered. These
changes can easily be made in the Edit Controls dialog.
To change the Inspector parameters for the example above:

1 In the Edit Control dialog, select the Center from the ID list.
2 A dialog will appear asking if you would like to Replace, Hide, or Change ID. We’ll choose Replace.
3 Change the Name to Blur Vector.
4 Set the Type to Point.
5 Select Controls in the Page list. (Controls is the first tab in the Inspector, normally.)
6 Click OK.
DirectionalBlur Center parameter name changed to Blur Vector.
The new Blur Vector parameter now appears in the Inspector. The internal ID of the control is still
Center, so our SimpleExpressions did not change.
To hide the Length and Angle parameters in the Inspector:

1 In the Edit Control dialog, select the Length from the ID list.
2 Select Controls from the Page list.
3 In the input Ctrl list, select Node.

4 Click OK.
5 In the Edit Control dialog, select the Angle from the ID list.
6 In the input Ctrl list, select Node.
7 Click OK.
Finally, to remove Radial and Zoom options from the Type menu:
1 In the Edit Control dialog, select the Type from the ID list.
2 Select Controls from the Page list.
3 Select Radial from the Items list and click Del to remove it.
4 Select Zoom from the Items list and click Del to remove it.
5 Click OK.
The Type menu now includes only two options.

If you want to replace the Type menu with a new checkbox control, you can do that by creating a new
control and a very short expression.
To create a new control:

1 In the Edit Control dialog, enter Center Blur in the Name field.
2 Select the New Control from the ID list.
3 Set the Type to Number, and set the Page to Controls.
4 Set the Input Ctrl to CheckboxControl.
5 Click OK.
To make this new checkbox affect the original Type menu, you’ll need to add a SimpleExpression to
the Type:
iif(TypeNew==0, 0, 2)
The “iif” operator is known as a conditional expression in Lua script. It evaluates something based on a
condition being true or false.
FusionScript
Scripting is an essential means of increasing productivity. Scripts can create new capabilities or
automate repetitive tasks, especially those specific to your projects and workflows. Inside Fusion,
scripts can rearrange nodes in a comp, manage caches, and generate multiple output files for delivery.
They can connect Fusion with other apps to log artist time, send emails, or update webpages
and databases.
FusionScript is the blanket term for the scripting environment in Fusion. It includes support for Lua as
well as Python 2 and 3 for some contexts. FusionScript also includes libraries to make certain common
tasks easier to do with Lua and Python within Fusion.
You can run interactive scripts in various situations. Common scripts include:
– Utility Scripts, using the Fusion application context, are found under the File > Scripts menu.
– Comp Scripts, using the composition context, are found under the Script menu or entered
into the Console.

– Tool Scripts, using the tool context, are found in the Tool’s context menu > Scripts.
Other script types are available as well, such as Startup Scripts, Scriptlibs, Bin Scripts, Event Suites,
Hotkey Scripts, Intool Scripts, and SimpleExpressions. Fusion Studio allows external and command-
line scripting as well and network rendering Job and Render node scripting.
FusionScript also forms the basis for Fuses and ViewShaders, which are special scripting-based
plug-ins for tools and viewers that can be used in both Fusion and Fusion Studio.
For more information about scripting, see the Fusion Scripting Documentation, accessible from the
Documentation submenu of the Help menu.

Chapter 73
Bins
This chapter covers the bin system in Fusion Studio. Bins allow for the storage and
organization of clips, compositions, tool settings, and macros, similar to the Media
Pool and Effects Library in DaVinci Resolve. It includes a built-in Studio Player for
creating a playlist of multiple shots and their versions. Bins can be used in a server
configuration for organizing shots and collaborating with other team members across
the studio.
Contents
Bins Overview 1277
Bins Interface 1277
Viewing and Sorting Bins 1278
Organizing Bins 1279
Adding and Using Content 1281
File Type Details 1282
Using Content from Bins 1282
Jog and Shuttle 1283
Stamp Files 1283
Using the Studio Player 1284
Playing a Single Clip 1284
Creating a Reel 1285
Connecting Bins Over a Network 1292
Adding a Remote Bin Entry 1293
Accessing Remote Bins 1293
Permissions 1293
Studio Player and Bin Server 1293
Chapter 73 Bins 1276

Bins Overview
Bins are folders that provide an easy way of accessing commonly used tools, settings, macros,
compositions, and footage. They can keep all your custom content and resources close at hand, so
you can use them without searching through your hard drives. Bins can also be shared over a network
to improve a collaborative workflow with other Fusion artists.
Bins are only available in Fusion Studio.
The Bins window
Bins Interface
The Bins window is separated into two panels. The sidebar on the left is a list of the bins, while the
Content panel on the right displays the selected bin’s contents.
To open the Bins window, do one of the following:

– Choose File > Bins from the menu bar.
– Press Command-B.
The Bins sidebar

TIP: When opening the Bins window on macOS, the window may open behind the current
Fusion Studio window. Check in the dock for the Bins window icon or move the Fusion Studio
window to locate the Bins window if you are working on a single monitor.
The sidebar organizes content into bins, or folders, using a hierarchical list view. These folders can be
organized however they suit your workflow, but standard folders are provided for Clips, Compositions,
Favorites, Projects, Reels, Settings, Templates, and Tools. The Tools category is a duplicate of all the
tools found in the Effects library. The Tools bin is a parent folder, and parent folders contain subfolders
that hold the content. For instance, Blurs is a subfolder of the Tools parent folder. Parent folders can be
identified by the disclosure arrow to the left of their name.
When you select a folder from the sidebar, the contents of the folder are displayed in the Contents
panel as thumbnail icons.
The Bins icon view
Viewing and Sorting Bins

A contextual menu is used to access most of a bin’s features. You show the contextual menu by
right-clicking in an empty area in the Contents panel. Right-clicking on an item will show the same
menu with additional options for renaming, playing, or deleting the item.
Icon or List View

One use of the contextual menu is to switch between viewing the contents as thumbnail icons or
as a list.
To view a bin’s contents in List view:

1 Right-click in an empty area of the Contents panel.
2 From the contextual menu, choose View > Details.
Each bin in the sidebar can be set to List view or Icon view independently of each other. So while you
may have some bins you want to see as a list, others may be easier to view as icons.

The Bins List view
Sort Order in List View

Clicking on the heading of a column in List view will sort the list in ascending order, and clicking it
again will reverse the sort order.
Icon Size in Icon View

The icons can be adjusted to small, medium, large, or huge by clicking the Size button in the bottom
toolbar or right-clicking in an empty area of the Contents panel to bring up the contextual menu and
choosing a size from the Icon Size submenu.
Use the Size button to select

the icon size in the bin
Organizing Bins
Once you begin adding your own categories and content, you can have hundreds of items that need
to be organized. To keep all of your elements accessible, you’ll want to use some basic organization,
just like keeping files and documents organized on your computer.
To create a new folder in the sidebar:

1 In the sidebar, select the parent folder under which the new folder will be listed.
2 Right-click in an empty area of the Contents panel.
3 From the contextual menu, choose New > New Folder.
4 Enter a name for the new folder, and then click OK on the dialog.

The New Folder menu
You can also click the New Folder icon in the toolbar.
To rename a bin folder:

1 Right-click on the folder icon in the Contents panel.
2 Choose Rename from the contextual menu or press F2 on the keyboard.
To move a folder into or out of a parent folder:

1 Select the parent folder that contains the folder you want to move.
2 In the Contents panel, drag the folder into the sidebar where you want it moved.
Drag a folder from the Contents panel to move it in the sidebar.
When you drag a folder onto another folder in the sidebar, you create a hierarchical subfolder.
Dragging it to the Library parent folder at the top of the sidebar will add it to the top level of the
Bins window.
To remove a folder from the bins:

1 Select the folder in the Contents panel.
2 Press Command-Delete (Backspace on Windows and Linux).
TIP: You cannot undo removing a folder from the Bins window.

Adding and Using Content
You can add and use different types of content with bins. Fusion Studio compositions, tools, saved tool
settings, macros, tool groups, and any file format that is supported in Fusion can be added to bins and
then used in compositions at a later time.
To add an item to a bin:

1 Select a bin in the sidebar where you want to add the content.
2 Right-click in the Contents panel.
3 Choose New > … from the contextual menu.
4 Select the media, settings, macros, or comps in the file browser, and then click Open.
Add Item in the contextual menu
To remove an item from the bins:

1 Select the folder in the Contents panel.
2 Right-click on the item and choose Delete from the contextual menu or press Command-Delete.
The Delete function in the contextual menu
TIP: Unsupported files like PDFs can also be saved in the bin, and the application that
supports it will launch when you double-click the file. It’s a useful location for scripts
and notes.
If you have an operating system file browser window open, you can drag files directly into a bin as
well. When adding an item to the bins, the files are not copied. A link is created between the content
and the bins, but the files remain in their original location.

File Type Details
Some types of content have additional methods of being added to bins. Some additional methods are
because of the file type and some are because of where they are located.
Projects and Media

In addition to using the New… contextual menu as explained earlier, Fusion Studio project files with the
extension “.comp” and media can also be added to bins by dragging them to the Contents panel from
a file browser.
Tool Settings
If you want to add a node with custom settings to a bin, first save the node as a setting by right-clicking
over it in the Node Editor and choosing Settings > Save As. Once the setting is saved, you can add it
to a bin by dragging it from a File Browser into the Bins window.
Image Sequences and Stills

Image sequences are automatically identified on disk and loaded as clips rather than stills, so it is not
necessary to select more than one frame from an image sequence when dragging it into a bin.
To ignore the image sequence and import only a single frame, hold Shift when you drag the frame into
a bin. This can be useful when trying to import a single still image from a series of still shots with a
DSLR. The numbers maybe sequential, but you just need one still image from the series.
Using Content from Bins

Once you have content in your bins, you’ll want to add them to a composition. In general, you can
either drag the content directly into the Node Editor or double-click it to add it; however, each type of
content behaves a little differently when added to the Node Editor.
Media
Dragging media into the Node Editor from a bin window creates a new Loader that points to the media
on disk. Still files or photos are automatically set to loop.
Compositions
To add a composition, you must right-click and choose Open. Dragging a comp item onto an open
composition will have no effect. When a composition is added, it is opened in a new window. It is not
added to the existing composition.
Tools, Tool Settings, and Macros

When you add tools from the Tools categories to a composition, the methods you use and results you
get are similar to adding tools using the toolbar buttons or the Effects Library. Dragging a tool allows
you to place it anywhere in the Node Editor, unconnected, or, if you drag it over a connection line,
inserted between two existing tools. Double-clicking a tool in the bin will insert it after the Active tool
in the Node Editor. Dragging a tool from a bin into a viewer will insert that tool after the currently
viewed tool.
Settings and macros work a bit differently than tools. They can only be added to the Node Editor by
dragging and droping. Dragging a setting or macro allows you to place it in the Node Editor,
unconnected, or, if you drag it over a connection line, inserted between two existing tools.

Jog and Shuttle
You can scrub clips in Icon view in the bin using one of two modes. Jog mode is the default mode. It
moves the clip forward and backward as long as you are dragging the mouse. Once the mouse stops,
the clip pauses.
You can choose Shuttle mode by right-clicking over the clip’s thumbnail in the bin and choosing Scrub
Mode > Shuttle.
Jog and Shuttle contextual menu
Shuttle mode begins playing the clip forward or backward once you press the right mouse button and
drag either left or right. The clip continues to play until the mouse button is released or you reach the
end of the clip.
Stamp Files
Stamp files are low-resolution, local proxies of clips, which are used for playback of clips stored on a
network server, or for very large clips.
To create a stamp file for a clip:

1 Right-click on the clip in the bin.
2 Choose Create Stamp from the contextual menu.
The Status bar at the top of the Bins window shows the progress of the stamp creation. Since the
stamp creation is a background process, you can queue other stamps and can continue working with
the composition.

Using the Studio Player
The Studio Player is a timeline-based playback interface built into the Bins window. It allows you to
play and organize versions of compositions, make notes, and collaborate on shots and projects. The
resolution-independent player uses any format that Fusion Studio can ingest, like EXR, ProRes, BMD
RAW, QuickTime, and others. Clips use a RAM cache for playback, so even large formats can loop
playback as long as there is available memory. Clips can contain audio and are output to a video
monitor using Blackmagic Design Decklink or UltraStudio devices, allowing you to screen dailies and
review shots. You can add annotation notes to the project, and setting up a Bin Server allows multiple
artists to access the Studio Player.
Here are some Studio Player highlights:

– Clips can be played as single events, looped, or using a ping-pong playback, with a definable
loop range.
– Clip metadata can be viewed, with live update during scrub/play.
– The Timeline interface can create a playlist for reviewing multiple clips.
– Per-shot color adjustment controls allow for consistent display of clips from different formats.
– Annotation notes can be typed on each clip and version, as well as the entire project.
– Audio Scratch track can be enabled for each clip during playback.
– Clip versions are stored in the same project to allow for quick access to previous work and for
comparison of progress.
– Guide overlays can be customized to show monitor/title safety and show crops to
various output formats.
– Blackmagic Design UltraStudio and DeckLink playback devices are supported for reviewing clips
on video monitors and projectors.
– The fully collaborative workflow automatically synchronizes reel changes, annotations, and color
adjustments across multiple workstations, allowing multiple artists or supervisors to access the
same projects simultaneously.
– Remote sync allows multiple Studio Players to follow the master. Actions performed on the master,
such as playback and scrubbing, will also be executed on the slaves, allowing the reel to be
reviewed across multiple workstations or sites.
– Studios can automate tasks using the Fusion scripting engine to control the Studio Player.
Playing a Single Clip

Clips created from image sequences, MOV files, and some RAW formats can be previewed using the
Studio Player without having to first add the clip to a node tree.
To play a clip in the Studio Player, do one of the following:

– Double-click a clip in a bin to open the Studio Player.
– Select the clip and click the Play button at the bottom of the bin window.

The Studio Player includes a large viewer, a Timeline, and a toolbar along the bottom.
Once you have the clip open in the Studio Player, you can click the Play button in the toolbar at the
bottom of the window.
Scrubbing the Timeline

You can quickly preview the clip by scrubbing through it rather than playing it.
To scrub a clip in Studio Player:

1 In the Timeline, drag the playhead to the area you want to scrub over.
2 Use the Left and Right Arrow keys to move one frame forward or backward.
Closing the Studio Player

After you have finished previewing in the Studio Player, you can return to the Bins to switch to a new
clip or continue working in Fusion.
To close the current clip in the Studio Player and return to the bins:
– Click the three-dot Options menu in the lower-left corner and choose Close.
Creating a Reel
A reel is a playlist or clip list that is viewed either as storyboard thumbnails or a timeline. In the bin, you
create a new reel item to hold and play back multiple clips. The thumbnail for a reel appears with a
multi-image border around it, making it easer to identify in the Bin window.

To create a reel in the current bin:
– Right-click in an empty area of the bin and choose New > Reel
– Click the Reel button along the bottom toolbar.
Use the New Reel button to create

a reel in the current bin.
Once created and named, the reel appears in the current bin.
Double-clicking the reel opens the Studio Player interface along the bottom of the Bin window. An
empty Studio Player appears in the top half of the window.
To add a clip to a reel:

1 Click the three-dot Options menu in the lower-left corner and choose Show Bins.
2 Drag a clip from one of the bins to the empty reel in the lower half of the window.
The toolbar across the bottom of the interface has various controls for setting a loop, showing and
adjusting color, playback transport controls, collaboration sync, guide overlays, and frame number and
playback speed in fps.
The toolbar along the bottom of the Studio Player includes controls to customize playback
Toolbar buttons
– Set Loop In/Out: Sets the start and end frame for playing a section of the Timeline in a loop.
– Shot: Sets the loop for the entire clip.
– Reset: Disables the loop mode.
– M: Shows Metadata of the image.
– RGB and alpha: Toggles between displaying the color and alpha of the clip.
– Brightness Gamma: Adjusts the brightness and gamma of the viewer and is applied to all clips.
Individual clip color controls can also be applied using another menu.
– Video: Outputs the image to Blackmagic Design DeckLink and UltraStudio devices.
– Transport controls: Used to play forward, backward, fast forward, and fast backward, as well as go
to the start and end of a clip.
– Sync: A three-way toggle allowing the Studio Player to be controlled or to control another player
over a network. The Off setting disables this functionality.
– Guide buttons: These three buttons control the visibility of three customizable guide settings.
Inserting Shots
Clips or comps from the bin can be dragged to the storyboard area of the reel to add and
organize a playlist.

You can insert a shot between existing clips by positioning
the new clip in between existing items in the reel.
To play the clips in a reel:

1 Click the three-dot Options menu in the lower-left corner and choose Show Player.
2 Position the playhead where you want to begin playing and click the Play button.
Creating Versions
Alternatively, you can add a version to an existing clip by dragging the new item on top.
Versions of a shot will appear as stacked icons in the storyboard reel. The number of stacks in the
icon indicate the number of versions included with that clip. In the example below, the first shot
has two versions, the second shot has four versions, and the last clip has only one version.

Version Menu
You can choose which version to view by right-clicking over the clip in the storyboard and selecting it
from the Version > Select menu.
The Version menu also includes options to move or rearrange the order of the clip versions as well
as remove a version, thereby deleting it from the stack.
Shot Menu
The per-clip Shot menu includes functions to Rename the shot, Remove the shot, Trim the clip’s In and
Out points, add notes, adjust the color, and add an audio soundtrack.
– Rename: Allows you to change the name of the shot.

– Remove: Deletes the entire shot and all the versions from the project reel.
– Trim: Opens the Trim dialog to adjust the clip In point and Out point on the Timeline.
– Notes: Opens the Notes window to the right of the interface, allowing you to add a note to the
specific shot.
– Color: Opens the Color Adjustments panel to perform Lift, Gamma, Gain, Brightness, and Contrast
adjustments to clips.
– Audio: Allows you to attach an audio file to a clip in the Reel.

When notes are added, they are time and date stamped as well as name stamped.
The naming is from the bin login name and computer name.
Selecting Color from the Shot menu allows you to make tonal adjustments per clip using Color
Decision List (CDL) style controls.
The Audio menu option can import an audio .wav file

that will play back along with the selected clip.
Options Menu
The three-dot Options menu in the lower left of the interface displays the menu that can be used to
switch between viewer and the bin in the top half of the window. It is also used to clear the memory
used in playback by selecting Purge Cache.
The Options menu includes options

to switch the top half of the window
between the viewer or bin contents.
Selecting Reel > Notes opens the Notes dialog to add annotations text to the entire reel project.
The Reel > Export option saves the reel to disk as an ASCII readable format so it can be used
elsewhere or archived.

The Reel submenu opens an area for
production notes on the entire reel.
The View menu is used when you want to switch between the reel storyboard layout and a
Timeline layout.
Guides
You can assign customizable guide overlays to three Guide buttons along the bottom of the Studio
Player. Fusion includes four guides to choose from, but you can add your own using the XML Guide
format and style information provided at the end of this chapter. You assign a customizable guide to
one of the three Guide buttons by right-clicking over a button and selecting a guide from the list. To
display the guide, click the assigned button.
Three toolbar Guide buttons enable

guide overlays in the viewer.
Guides can be customized and placed in the the Guides folder:

– On macOS: Macintosh HD/Users/username/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/
Fusion/Guides/
– On Windows: C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Blackmagic Design\Fusion\Guides.
– On Linux: home/username/.fusion/BlackmagicDesign/Fusion/Guides.
Guides are a simple XML formatted text document saved with the .guide extension, as defined below.
This makes it easy to create and share guides.
Custom Guide Format

The guides are files that have drawing instructions a bit like code, like this:
Guide
{
Name = “10 Pixels”,
Elements =
{
HLine { Y1=”10T” },
HLine { Y1=”10B” },
VLine { X1=”10L” },
VLine { X1=”10R” },
},
}

Or an example of safe area:
Guide
{
Name = “Safe Frame”,
Elements =
{
HLine { Y1=”10%”, Pattern = 0xF0F0 },
HLine { Y1=”90%”, Pattern = 0xF0F0 },
HLine { Y1=”95%” },
HLine { Y1=”5%” },
VLine { X1=”10%”, Pattern = 0xF0F0 },
VLine { X1=”90%”, Pattern = 0xF0F0 },
VLine { X1=”95%” },
VLine { X1=”5%” },
HLine { Y1=”50%”, Pattern = 0xF0F0, Color = { R =
1.0, G = 0.75, B = 0.05, A=1.0 } },
VLine { X1=”50%”, Pattern = 0xF0F0, Color = { R =
1.0, G = 0.75, B = 0.05, A=1.0 } },
},
}
Guide Styles
The style of a guide is defined by a set of properties that appear in the format shown below:
<HLine Y1=“33%” Pattern=“C0C0” Color=“FFFFFFFF”/>
– HLine: Draws a horizontal line and requires a Y-value, which is measured from the top of the
screen. The Y-value can be given either in percent (%) or in absolute pixels (px).
– Vline: Draws a vertical line and requires an X-value, which is measured from the left of the screen.
The X-value can be given either in percent (%) or in absolute pixels (px).
– Pattern: The Pattern value is made up of four hex values and determines the visual appearance of
the line.
Examples for such patterns include:
>>FFFF draws a solid line ________________
>>EEEE a dashed line -------------------
>>ECEC dash-dot line -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
>>ECCC dash-dot-dot -..-..-..-..-..-..-..
>>AAAA dotted line ………………
– Color: The Color value is composed of four groups of two hex values each. The first three groups
define the RGB colors; the last group defines the transparency. For instance, the hex value for
pure red would be #FF000000, and pure lime green would be #00FF0000
– Rectangle: Draws a rectangle, which can be empty or filled, and supports the same pattern and
color settings described above.

It requires two X- and two Y-values to define the extent <Rectangle Pattern=“F0F0” X1=“10%”
Y1=“10%” X2=“90%” Y2=“90%”>.
– FillMode: Applies to rectangles only and defines whether the inside or the outside of the
rectangle should be filled with a color. Leave this value out to have just a bounding rectangle
without any fill.
>>FillMode = (“None”|”Inside”|”Outside”)
– FillColor: Applies to rectangles only and defines the color of the filled area specified by FillMode.
>>FillColor=“FF000020”
Connecting Bins Over a Network

You can share bins among computers running Fusion on the network so that multiple visual effects
artists can share assets, presets, and even entire compositions. These shared bins are called remote
bins, and everyone can share one or more remote bin in a studio.
To connect to a remote system and display its bins:

1 Choose Fusion Studio > Preferences.
2 In the Preferences dialog, select Global > Bins > Servers in the list.
The bin servers Preferences panel
This panel shows a list of the available bin servers, with buttons below for entries to be added to or
deleted from the list.

Adding a Remote Bin Entry
If you want to add another Remote bin to the list of available Remote bins, you can click the Add button
in the bin servers Preferences panel. The text controls below the button will become enabled for
editing. In the Server field, type the system name or IP address where the bin is hosted.
Add the IP address where the bin server is hosted.
Then add a User name and Password if one is needed to access the server.
The Library field lets you name the bins. So if you want to create a bin for individual projects, you
would name it in the Library field, and each project would gets its own bin.
The Application field allows larger studios to specify some other program to serve out the
bin requests.
Once you’ve finished setting up the bin server information and clicked Save in the Preferences
window, you can open the Bins window to test your bin server. Opening the Bins window is the first
time your connection to the server will be tested. If it cannot connect, the bin server will still be listed,
with access denied or unavailable marked next to the name on the bins sidebar.
There is no practical limit to the number of bins that can be accessed.
Accessing Remote Bins

Bin servers behave just like a local bins. Any bin added in the preferences show in the Bins sidebar as
another top-level item. The available bins are shown by name with a status and, if required, a
password. Bins unavailable to you are marked as (unavailable).
Permissions
Unlike other directories on a server, your access to bins on a network is stored in the bin document.
The bins themselves contain all the users and passwords in plain text, making it easy for someone to
administer the bins.
Studio Player and Bin Server

Reel projects can be shared by multiple artists across the studio via the bin server system, reviewing
and adding versions and notes, all independently at the same time. With the Sync function, multiple
people can collaborate together with synced playback and scrubbing.
The Sync button is a three-way toggle

button: Off, Slave, and Master

When the Sync function is On, the transport controls can be set to control the playback or follow the
master controller.
Master enables controlling other

slave players on the network
The local transport controls can be disabled,

causing playback to follow the master

Chapter 74
Fusion Connect
This chapter goes into detail on how to use the Fusion Connect AVX2 plug-in
with an Avid Media Composer editing system. The Fusion Connect AVX plug-in
is only available with Fusion Studio.
Contents
Fusion Connect Overview 1296 Create New Version 1299
System Requirements 1296 Version 1299
The Effects Palette 1296 About RAW Images 1299
The Layer Input Dialog 1297 About Color Depth 1300
Applying Fusion Connect Manual vs. Auto-Render 1300

to a Transition Point 1297
Fusion/Avid Project Relationship 1302
Export Clips 1297
Rendering with Fusion 1302
Edit Effect 1298
Directory Structure of
Browse for Location 1298 Fusion Connect Media 1303
Auto Render in Fusion 1299 Advanced Project Paths 1304
Red on Missing Frames 1299 Configuring Paths on macOS 1304
Compress Exported Frames 1299 Configuring Paths on Windows 1305
Edit Effect Also Launches Fusion 1299 Fields and Variables 1305
Versioning 1299 Environment Variables 1305
Chapter 74 Fusion Connect 1295

Fusion Connect Overview
Fusion Connect is an AVX2 plug-in for Avid Media Composer. It allows editors to create a conduit
between the Timeline in Avid editing products and Fusion Studio. Fusion Connect exports clips from
the Avid Timeline as image sequences and assembles Fusion compositions that allow you to work
your magic on the content.
Fusion can be started automatically by the plug-in if Fusion is installed on the same system, or it can
be used on remote computers to modify the composition.
System Requirements
Fusion Connect has the following requirements:
– Supported Avid products: Media Composer 8.x
– Supported product: Fusion Studio 8.1 or later
– Installation: Two files will be installed in your Media Composer:
– Fusion Connect.avx
– BlackmagicFusionConnect.lua
– Avid’s default directory: \Avid\AVX2_Plug-ins
The Effects Palette

After launching Media Composer, Fusion Connect is located in the Blackmagic Effects Palette
category. As with any segment or transition effect in the Effects Palette, you can apply the Fusion
Connect AVX2 plug-in to any clip. This includes filler*, edit transition point, or video track layers on the
Avid Timeline.
Avid Media Composer Effects palette showing the

Blackmagic category and Fusion Connect AVX plug-in.

The Layer Input Dialog
When you apply the Fusion Connect AVX plug-in to a clip or a layer in the Timeline, you are presented
with an AVX Optional Inputs dialog box.
The Fusion Connect AVX plug-in can access multiple

layers from the Media Composer Timeline.
Once the layer count is selected, Fusion Connect will be applied to the Timeline.
– Select the layer count equal to the number of video track layers you want to ingest into Fusion.
– Filler can be used as a layer.
– Fusion Connect will allow a maximum of eight layers.
Applying Fusion Connect

to a Transition Point
If you apply Fusion Connect to a transition point, no dialog box will display, and the
AVX plug-in will simply be applied to the Timeline transition point.
A Fusion Connect AVX plug-in applied

as a transition to a cut in the Timeline
You can use the Avid dialog boxes or smart tools to adjust the length and offset of
the transition to Start, Center, End, or Custom.
Export Clips
By pressing the Export Clips button in the Effects Editor, Fusion Connect exports all the associated
clips as image sequences, to provide access to them in Fusion. Any previously exported existing
images are overwritten, ensuring that all media needed by Fusion is accessible. Performing an export
is desired if you want to use Fusion on a different computer than the one with Media Composer installed.
When using Fusion on the same computer as Media Composer, there is no need to export the clips
explicitly by checking the Export Clips checkbox. Without this option enabled, Fusion Connect saves
the source frames each time images are displayed, scrubbed, or played back from the Timeline.
Depending on your Media Composer Timeline settings, these interactively exported images might be

half-resolution based on Avid proxy settings. When scrubbing around the Timeline, only a few
frames—namely, those that are fully displayed during scrubbing—might be written to disk.
TIP: Set your Timeline Video Quality button to Full Quality (green) and 10-bit color bit depth. If
the Timeline resolution is set to Draft Quality (green/yellow) or Best Performance (yellow),
Fusion receives subsampled, lower-resolution images.
Fusion Connect AVX plug-in controls in the Effects Editor
Edit Effect
After exporting the clips, the Edit Effect button performs three subsequent functions:
– Creates a Fusion composition, with Loaders, Savers, and Merges (for layers), or a Dissolve
(for transitions). This function is only performed the first time a comp is created when the
Fusion Connect AVX2 plug-in is applied.
– Launches Fusion (if installed on the machine), if it is not already launched.
– Opens the Fusion comp associated with created effects.
Browse for Location

The Fusion Connect media folders are created on the drive where the associated Avid media resides,
defaulting to the root level of that drive. However, you can choose a new location for the Fusion
Connect media.
To choose another location to store and access the media:

1 In the Media Composer Effects Editor, click the Browse for Location button.
2 In the File Browser, change the location and create additional folders if desired.
The path settings field in the Effects Editor updates to show the current location. If you apply Fusion
Connect to another clip in the Timeline, the last location is remembered.

Auto Render in Fusion
The Auto Render button is a toggle that allows you to automatically render your Fusion comp from
within Avid. Please note that this method of rendering has limitations and can be significantly slower
than rendering directly in Fusion. It is mostly used for batch rendering on the Avid Timeline. Auto Render
also exports the necessary media without having to manually execute the Export Clips function first.
Red on Missing Frames

The Red on Missing Frames button is a toggle used to display red images within the Avid Timeline
viewer (Timeline monitor) if no rendered frames from Fusion Studio can be found, or if the rendered
frames are not of a high enough resolution. When disabled, the original untouched frames will be
shown instead of the red frame.
Compress Exported Frames

When enabled, this button creates Fusion RAW files with compression for, both exported and
rendered frames. This creates smaller file sizes, saving disk space. As with any other compression
algorithm, the compression adds time to the write process of the file sequence.
Edit Effect Also Launches Fusion

When enabled, this button opens Fusion Studio when the Edit Effect button is clicked, allowing for a
more direct Avid/Fusion workflow. When disabled, this button will not launch Fusion Studio when the
Edit Effect button is clicked, but a Fusion .comp file is created. This is useful when working with Fusion
Studio on a separate computer than the one running the Media Composer software.
Versioning
Creating visual effects is almost always an iterative process. You’ll often need to create revisions after
your first pass at the effect. Built into Fusion Connect is a versioning feature that lets you create
multiple revisions of an effect and switch between them from within Media Composer.
Create New Version

This checkbox creates a copy of the current comp without affecting the original.
Any changes that are rendered in the copy will be written to a new folder and become another version
of the rendered result played on the Avid Timeline. Previous versions of the comp and their rendered
results are accessible using the Version slider.
Version
This slider selects which version of the comp is used in the Media Composer Timeline. It can be used
to interactively switch from one version to the other in order to compare the results.
About RAW Images

Fusion Connect creates a Fusion RAW file image sequence for intermediate folders between Avid
Media Composer and Fusion Studio, in order to preserve all the image information. This allows the
images to reside on disk and not take up space in RAM. The benefits of using Fusion RAW include:
– The ability to continue the editing process while an effect is rendering
– The ability to take advantage of network rendering
– The ability to retime footage
– The ability to run Fusion Studio remotely

About Color Depth
Fusion Connect derives its images directly from the RGB data within Avid Media files. This allows the
images to be codec agnostic. All RAW files from Avid that begin as 8- or 10-bit images are remapped
to 16-bit float in Fusion. Rendered results from Fusion are processed in 16-bit float to maintain the full
color fidelity supported by Media Composer.
Manual vs. Auto-Render

While Auto-Render is the easier workflow, the manual approach offers faster renderings in Fusion and
more control over the performance and memory usage on your system.
– In the manual workflow, Fusion Studio is not required to be installed on the Avid system itself but
can reside on any other computer.
– For Auto-Render, Fusion Studio must be installed on the local computer.
The following diagram shows typical workflows for manual and automatic renders.
Manual Workflow Auto-Render Workflow
1 Add Connection effect 1 Add Connection effect
Ensure thatAuto-Render is ticked.
2 Click Export Clip
Creates Fusion RAW files at the given location on the

media drive. These files are not deleted automatically,
and manual cleanup of old files will be rquired to
avoid running out of disk space.
3 Click Edit Effect 2 Click Edit Effect
Create a comp file when first clicked, but will not Creates Fusion RAW files as Export Clip would do.
overwrite this file when clicked again. Attempts to Also creates a comp file when first clicked, but will
launch Fusion and load the comp. If Fusion is not not overwrite this file when clicked again. Launches
installed locally, the comp can be accessed manually Fusion and loads the comp.
from a different machine via the network.
4 Edit comp in Fusion 3 Edit comp in Fusion
Work your magic here. Work your magic here.
5 Save comp in Fusion 4 Save comp in Fusion
This step is important! This step is important!

Do not forget to save the comp. Do not forget to save the comp.
6 Render comp in Fusion
You can continue working in Avid while Fusion renders.

Your Timeline will update automatically with any frame
that is succesfully rendered.
5 Render clip in Avid
In this case, both the Fusion comp and the Avid clip
will be rendered simultaneously. If a full-size rendered
7 Render clip in Avid
frame is not found, the full size/depth source frames
are exported automatically for that time. Fusion is then
Optional step, but recommended.
instructed to start rendering from that point.
The resulting frame is loaded and returned to MC,
and process is repeated for each frame thereafter.
Avid/Fusion layer to comp relationship for auto and manual renders

Once the initial trip from Avid to Fusion is complete, depending on the type of clip to which you
assigned the effect, in Fusion Studio you will be presented with one of the following:
– A Loader node representing a single clip.
– Two or more Loaders connected to Merge nodes representing layers.
– Two Loaders connected to a Dissolve node representing a transition.
In all three node tree layouts outlined above, there will also be a Saver node. The Saver node is
automatically set to render to the directory that is connected back to the Media Composer Timeline
with the correct format. If for some reason the file format or file path are changed in the Saver node,
the Fusion Connect process will not render correctly.
TIP: Due to the design of the AVX2 standard, hidden embedded handles are not supported.
To add handles, prior to exporting to Fusion, increase the length of your clip in the Media
Composer Timeline to include the handle length.
Fusion Node Editor representations of a single clip segment effect in the Media Composer
Timeline (left), a multi-layered composite (center), and the transition (right)
TIP: If segments in the Avid Timeline have different durations, move the longest clip to the top
layer and apply Fusion Connect to that clip. This will ensure all clips are brought into Fusion
without being trimmed to the shortest clip.

Fusion/Avid Project Relationship
The frame rate and image size preferences created in Media Composer are adopted within Fusion’s
frame rate preferences. This allows for consistency in formats for the roundtrip process from Avid to
Fusion and back to Avid. The format settings do not prevent you from using or mixing any other sized
imaging within the composition as Fusion is resolution independent.
Fusion Connect AVX uses frame rate and resolution from the Media Composer Timeline.
Rendering with Fusion

When you perform a render of your comp inside Fusion Studio, the results are rendered to the output
folder created by Fusion Connect during the initial application of the plug-in to the Timeline. Upon
rendering, you immediately see the results of the rendered Fusion comp in the Avid Timeline. Even
while Fusion is rendering, you can continue with the edit process on any clip except for the associated
clip being rendered at the time.

Directory Structure of
Fusion Connect Media
Fusion Connect creates a logical folder structure that is not affiliated with the Avid Media Files folder
but rather the Fusion Connect AVX2 plug-in. Based on data gathered during the AVX application to
the Timeline, a logical folder hierarchy is automatically created based on Avid projects, sequences,
and clips. This structure allows for multiple instances of Fusion Studio to access the media and multiple
instances of the AVX to relate to a single Fusion comp. In a re-edit situation, media is never duplicated
but is overwritten to avoid multiple copies of identical media.
Avid ProjectName
Master directory for the Avid project.

This can be set within user defined directories.
Avid SequenceName
This directory contains the Fusion comp-files

and sub-directories, named after the Avid clip.
Bob_v01.comp
Charlie_v01.comp
Fusion composition(s) named

after the Avid clip(s).
Bob
Directory named after the Avid clip.
Charlie
Directory named after the Avid clip.
Avid
Directory named ‘Avid’, containing

the exported source clip(s).
Charlie_0000.raw
Charlie
Charlie_0000.raw
Charlie_0000.raw
Directory named after the
exported clip. Image sequence named
after the exported clip.
Dave Dave_0000.raw
Dave_0000.raw
Optional directory named after Dave_0000.raw
the exported clip.
Optiona second source clip
for Charlie_v01.comp.
xyz_name
xyz_0000.raw
Optional directory named after xyz_0000.raw
the exported clip. xyz_0000.raw
Any additional source clip

for Charlie_v01 comp.
Fusion
Directory named ‘Fusion’’ containing

the rendered clip.
Charlie_0000.raw
Render_v01
Charlie_0000.raw
Charlie_0000.raw
Directory named ‘Render_’ plus the
version number of the Fusio comp. Rendered images sequence
named after the Avid clip.
Render_v02
Directory named ‘Render_’ plus the

version number of the Fusion comp.

If you apply the effect to a transition, the naming behavior might be somewhat different.
By default, Media Composer refers to the two clips of a transition as “Clip_001” and “Clip_002”. Based
on the naming convention, Fusion Connect will create folders with matching names. If such folders
already exist, because another transition has already used up “Clip_001” and “Clip_002”, the numbers
will be incremented automatically.
Likewise, “_001” will be added incrementally to the group folder name, if a folder of that name already
exists. The corresponding comp file will be named accordingly.
Fusion Connect AVX creates folder structures in the OS to save media and
Fusion compositions. Those names are reflected in the Timeline.
You will notice that the Fusion Connect icon is a green dot (real-time) effect. If your hardware is fast
enough, the results that populate the plug-in will play in real time. However, it’s recommended that you
render the green dot effect, which will force an MXF precompute to be created to guarantee real-
time playback.
Advanced Project Paths

The Fusion Connect AVX2 plug-in controls the pathing of Fusion Connect’s .raw media and Fusion’s .
comp files as well as showing and hiding project and sequence level directories. This is achieved
through environment variables, which are set in the operating system. This gives you the most flexible
control over pathing your media, and as the name depicts, you can change variables (controls) in
various application environments. This is useful for network storage and when Fusion Studio is running
on other systems.
Configuring Paths on macOS

When using Fusion Connect on macOS, the Configure Path Defaults dialog looks like this:
Environment variable path maps on macOS.
Default paths can be configured using variables similarly as on Windows, but for added convenience it
is possible to enter any desired path defaults directly into fields in the dialog, without the need for
using environment variables.

Configuring Paths on Windows
When using Fusion Connect on Windows, the Configure Path Defaults dialog looks like this:
Environment variable path maps on Windows.
Fusion Connect can define the user variables directly in the Fusion Connect plug-in. Click the
Configure Path Defaults button to launch the path defaults dialog editor. In the Options section of the
Fusion Connect AVX2 plug-in, click the triangle to reveal the path details.
Fields and Variables

Variables are the control title defined specifically by the application that is being controlled, while
values are the instructions that tell a variable what to do. The fields and variables that can be used on
macOS and Windows are described in the following table:
Field Variable Environment Variable Description
$PROJECT CONNECT_PROJECT Overrides the current Avid Project name.
Project Name $DRIVE CONNECT_DRIVE Drive or folder for all Connect projects
$SEQUENCE – Name of Avid sequence
$SEQPATH CONNECT_SEQUENCE_PATH Folder for all Connect files in this sequence
Sequence Path $GROUP – Unique name of this Connect instance
$CLIP – Name of exported clip
Clip Path – CONNECT_CLIP_PATH Folder for exported clips from Avid
Out Path – CONNECT_OUT_PATH Folder for rendered results from Fusion
Comp Path – CONNECT_COMP_PATH Location and name of Fusion comp file
Environment Variables
The pathing can be set in the environment variables of the system, so that IT management of the
project paths can be achieved.
Accessing the Environment Variables on Windows

The quickest way to access environment variables is through your Windows control panel by searching
the word “env” without the quotes. You have a choice of editing at a user level or system level.

User Variables
Click on the link that says “Edit environment variables for your account.”
System Variables
Click on the link that says “Edit the system environment variables.”
Accessing the Environment Variables on macOS

To set an environment variable on macOS, you must use the Terminal window. Environment variables
on macOS are added to the .bash_profile directory for the current user.
User Variables
For system-wide operations, place the environment variable in ~/.bash_profile
TIP: System variables control the environment throughout the operating system, no matter
which user is logged in.
User variables always overrule any system variable; therefore, the user variable always wins
if control for a specific function is duplicated in the user and system variable.
System Variables
For system-wide operations, place the environment variable in /etc/profile
Environment Variables and What They Mean

The Fusion Connect AVX plug-in can use environment variables to set different locations for certain
folders or files. Each computer OS has a unique way of entering environment variables, but in every
OS, the variable must be typed exactly as shown.
TIP: If you type directly in Fusion Connect’s Path Editor, you do not have to type the variable,
just the value. You also can make modifications without having to restart the
Media Composer! The only caveat is that in order to remove a variable, you must exit
Media Composer and clear the environment variable in the Windows interface or
macOS Terminal and restart the Media Composer.
Other values you can control derived from your Avid Bin include:
Values Description
$DRIVE This will force the directory to the drive where the Avid media is stored.
This will force a directory based on the Avid project name for which the media was
$PROJECT
digitized/imported or AMA linked.
This will force a directory based on the Avid SEQUENCE name for which the media
$SEQUENCE
was digitized/imported or AMA linked.

Here is an example of how a variable can be set up to support project and sequence names within
your directory.
Environment variable project and sequence name examples on Windows
Here is the same example in the Windows environment variable editor.
Windows environment user variable editor

Chapter 75
Preferences
This chapter covers the various options that are available from the
Fusion Preferences Window.
Contents
Preferences Overview 1309 Script 1333
Categories of Preferences 1310 Spline Editor 1334
Preferences In Depth 1312 Splines 1335
AVI 1314 Timeline 1336
Defaults 1314 Tweaks 1337
Flow 1315 User Interface 1340
Frame Format 1317 Video Monitoring 1341
General 1318 View 1342
GPU 1320 VR Headsets 1343
Layout 1322 Bins/Security 1345
Loader 1323 Bins/Server 1346
Memory 1324 Bins/Settings 1347
Network 1326 EDL Import 1348
Path Maps 1327 Customization 1348
Preview 1331 Shortcuts Customization 1349
QuickTime 1332 Customizing Preferences 1350
Chapter 75 Preferences 1308

Preferences Overview
The Preferences window provides a wide variety of optional settings available for you to configure
Fusion’s behavior to better suit your working environment. These settings are accessed via the
Preferences window. The Preferences window can be opened from a menu at the top of the interface.
In DaVinci Resolve, to open the Fusion Preferences window, do one of the following:
– On macOS, switch to the Fusion page and choose Fusion > Fusion Settings.
– On Windows, switch to the Fusion page and choose Fusion > Fusion Settings.
– On Linux, switch to the Fusion page and choose Fusion > Fusion Settings.
In Fusion Studio, to open the Fusion Preferences window, do one of the following:
– On macOS, choose Fusion Studio > Preferences.
– On Windows, choose File > Preferences.
– On Linux, choose File > Preferences.
The Preferences window includes composition settings
Global and Composition Preferences

The Preferences window is divided into a category sidebar on the left and the settings panel on the
right. In Fusion Studio, there are two levels of preferences: Global and Composition. The Fusion page
in DaVinci Resolve uses just a single Global preference that affects every project, new and existing.
The Global preferences are used to set options specific to Fusion’s overall behavior as well as defaults
for each new composition. The Composition preferences in Fusion Studio can further modify the
currently open composition without affecting the Global preferences or any other composition that is
open but not displayed.

Categories of Preferences
The first entry in the Preferences sidebar is assigned to the Global preferences. Clicking the Global
and Default Settings disclosure arrow reveals the following sections.
Fusion Studio Global and Default settings
3D View
The 3D View preferences offer control over various parameters of the 3D Viewers, including grids,
default ambient light setup, and Stereoscopic views.
AVI (Windows Fusion Studio Only)

The AVI preferences configure the default compression options when creating AVI files from a Saver
node. These settings can be overridden on a case-by-case basis using the Format tab in the Saver’s
Inspector.
Defaults
The Defaults preferences are used to select default behavior for a variety of options, such as
animation, global range, timecode display, and automatic tool merging.
Flow
You use the Flow preferences to set many of the same options found in the Node Editor’s contextual
menu, like settings for Tile picture, the Navigator, and pipe style.
Frame Format
The Frame Format preferences are used to create new frame formats as well as select the default
image height and width when adding new creator tools like Background and Text+. You also set the
frame rate for playback.

General
The General preferences contain options for the general operation, such as auto save, and gamma
settings for color controls.
GPU (Fusion Studio Only)

The GPU preferences include options for selecting specific GPU acceleration methods based on your
computer platform and hardware capabilities. It is also used for enabling caching, and debugging GPU
devices and tools.
Layout (Fusion Studio Only)

You can use the Layout preferences to save the exact layout of Fusion’s windows.
Loader (Fusion Studio Only)

Using the Loader preferences, you can set options for the default Loader’s depth and aspect ratio as
well as define the local and network LoaderCache settings.
Memory (Fusion Studio Only)

Memory management for multi-frame and simultaneous branch rendering is configured in the Memory
preferences.
Network (Fusion Studio Only)

The Network rendering preferences are used to configure options such as selecting a render master,
email notification, and whether the machine can be used as a render slave.
Path Map
Path Map preferences are used to configure virtual file path names used by Loaders and Savers as
well as the folders used by Fusion to locate comps, macros, scripts, tool settings, disk
caches, and more.
Preview (Fusion Studio Only)

The Preview preferences is where you configure the Preview creation and playback options.
QuickTime (macOS Fusion Studio Only)

This section lets you preconfigure the QuickTime codec used for rendering.
Script
The Script preferences include a field for passwords used to execute scripts externally, programs to
use for editing scripts, and the default Python version to use.
Spline Editor
The Spline Editor preferences allow you to set various spline options for Autosnap behavior, handles,
markers, and more.
Splines
Options for the handling and smoothing of animation splines, Tracker path defaults, onion-skinning,
roto assist, and more are found in the Splines preference.
Timeline
The Timeline preferences is where you create and edit Timeline/Spline filters and set default options
for the Keyframes Editor.

Tweaks
The Tweaks preferences handle miscellaneous settings for modifying the behavior when loading
frames over the network and queue/network rendering.
User Interface
These preferences set the appearance of the user interface window and how the Inspector is
displayed.
Video Monitoring (Fusion Studio Only)

The Video Monitoring preferences is where you can configure your Blackmagic video display
hardware for monitoring on an HD, Ultra HD, or DCI 4K display.
View
The View preferences are used to manage settings for viewers, including default control colors,
Z-depth channel viewing ranges, default LUTs, padding for fit, zoom, and more.
VR Headsets
The VR Headsets preferences allow configuration of any connected Virtual Reality headsets, including
how stereo and 3D scenes are viewed.
Bins (Fusion Studio Only)

There are three panels as part of the Bins preferences: a Security panel where you set users and
passwords for serving the local bins; a Servers panel used to select which remote Bin servers are
connected; and a Settings panel for stamp rendering.
Import
The Import settings contain options for EDL Import that affect how flows are built using the data
from an EDL.
Preferences In Depth
Within each category is a deep set of controls for configuring Fusion so that it better fits your working
environment. The preferences contain both software and hardware options that affect all newly
created comps. The following section explains every option located in the preferences categories.
3D View
The 3D View preferences contain settings for various defaults in the 3D Viewers, including grids,
default ambient light setup, and Stereoscopic views.
Grid
The Grid section of the 3D View preferences configures how the grid in 3D Viewers are drawn.
– Grid Antialiasing: Some graphics hardware and drivers do not support antialiased grid
lines, causing them to sort incorrectly in the 3D Viewer. Disabling this checkbox will disable
antialiasing of the grid lines. To turn off the grid completely, right-click in a 3D Viewer and choose
3D Options > Grid.
– Size: Increasing the Size value will increase the number of grid lines drawn. The units used for the
spacing between grid lines are not defined in Fusion. A “unit” is whatever you want it to be.
– Scale: Adjusting the overall scaling factor for the grid is useful, for example, if the area of the grid
appears too small compared to the size of your geometry.

The 3D View preferences
Perspective Views
The Perspective Views section handles the appearance of the perspective view in both a normal and
stereoscopic project.
– Near Plane/Far Plane: These values set the nearest and furthest point any object can get to or
from the camera before it is clipped. The minimum setting is 0.05. Setting Near Plane too low and
Far Plane too far results in loss of depth precision in the viewer.
– Eye Separation/Convergence/Stereo Mode: This group of settings defines the defaults when
stereo is turned on in the 3D Viewer.
Orthographic Views
Similar to the Perspective Views, the Orthographic Views (front, top, right, and left views) section sets
the nearest and furthest point any object can get to or from the viewer before clipping occurs.
Fit to View
The Fit to View section has two value fields that manage how much empty space is left around objects
in the viewer when the F key is pressed.
– Fit Selection: Fit Selection determines the empty space when one or more objects are selected
and the F key is pressed.
– Fit All: Fit All determines the empty space when you press F with no objects selected.
Default Lights
These three settings control the default light setup in the 3D Viewer.
The default ambient light is used when lighting is turned on and you have not added a light to the
scene. The directional light moves with the camera, so if the directional light is set to “upper left,” the
light appears to come from the upper-left side of the image/camera.

AVI
The AVI preference is only available in Fusion Studio on Windows. It configures the default AVI codec
settings when you select AVI as the rendering file format in the Saver node.
– Compressor: This drop-down menu displays the AVI codecs available from your computer. Fusion
tests each codec when the application opens; therefore, some codecs may not be available if the
tests indicate that they are unsuitable for use within Fusion.
– Quality: This slider determines the amount of compression to be used by the codec. Higher values
produce clearer images but larger files. Not all codecs support the Quality setting.
– Key Frame Every X Frames: When checked, the codec creates keyframes at specified intervals.
Keyframes are not compressed in conjunction with previous frames and are, therefore, quicker to
seek within the resulting movie. Not all codecs support the keyframe setting.
– Limit Data Rate To X KB/Second: When checked, the data rates of the rendered file are limited to
the amount specified. Not all codecs support this option. Enter the data rate used to limit the AVI
in kilobytes (kB) per second, if applicable. This control does not affect the file unless the Limit Data
Rate To option is selected.
Defaults
The choices made here are used to determine Fusion’s behavior when new tools are added to the
Node Editor and when parameters are animated.
The Defaults preferences
Default Animate
The Default Animate section is used to change the type of modifier attached to a parameter when the
Animate option is selected from its contextual menu. The default option is Nothing, which uses a
Bézier spline to animate numeric parameters and a path modifier for positional controls.
– Number With and Point With: Drop-down lists are used to select a different modifier for the new
default. For example, change the default type used to animate position by setting the Point with
the drop-down menu to XY Path.
Choices shown in this menu come from installed modifiers that are valid for that type of parameter.
These include third-party plug-in modifiers, as well as native modifiers installed with Fusion.

Auto Tools
The Auto Tools section determines which tools are added automatically for the most common
operations of the Background tools and Merge operations.
– Background: When set to None, a standard Background tool is used; however, the drop-down
menu allows you to choose from a variety of tools including 2D and 3D tools to customize the
operation to your workflow.
– Merge: When set to None, nothing happens. When set to Merge, connecting the outputs of two
tools or dragging multiple clips on the Node Editor uses a standard Merge. Other valid options for
this are Anaglyph, Channel Booleans, and Dissolve.
– Use Merge Only When Connecting Outputs Directly: When this option is active, Merges are not
automatically added when you drag multiple clips from the Finder or Windows Explorer onto the
Flow area.
Global Range
Using the Start and End fields, you can define the Global Start and End frames used when creating
new compositions.
Time Code
You use this option to determine whether new compositions will default to showing SMPTE Time Code
or frames (Feet + Frames) to represent time.
Flow
Many of the same options found in the Node Editor’s contextual menu, like settings for Tile Picture, the
Navigator, and Pipe Style, are found in this category.
The Flow preferences

Force
The Force section can set the default to display pictures in certain tool tiles in the Node Editor rather
than showing plane tiles. The Active checkbox sets pictures for the actively selected tool, the All
checkbox enables pictures for all tiles, and the Source and Mask checkbox enables tile pictures for
just Source and Mask tools.
When All is enabled, the picture shown will either be a thumbnail of the image rendered by the tool if
the tool has rendered, or if the Show Thumbnails option is disabled, the tool’s default icon is used.
Concatenated transforms will also show a default icon.
– Show Modes/Options: Enabling this option will display icons in the tool tile depicting various
states, like Disk Caching or Locked.
– Show Thumbnails: When this checkbox is selected, tool tiles set to show tile pictures will
display the rendered output of the tool. When the checkbox is cleared, the default icon for the tool
is used instead.
Options
The Options section includes several settings that control or aid in the layout and alignment of tools in
the Node Editor.
– Arrange to Grid: This enables a new node tree’s Snap to Grid option to force the tool layout to
align with the grid marks in the flow.
– Arrange to Connected: Tools snap to the vertical or horizontal positions of other tools they are
connected to.
– Auto Arrange: This option enables the Node Editor to shift the position of tools as needed to
make space when inserting new tools or auto-merging layers.
– Show Grid: This enables or disables the display of the Node Editor’s background grid.
– Auto Remove Routers: Pipe Routers or “elbow nodes” in the Node Editor are considered
“orphaned” if the tools connected to either the input or output are deleted. When this option is
enabled, Orphaned Routers are automatically deleted.
– Pipes Always Visible: When enabled, the connection lines between tools are drawn over the top
of the tool tiles.
– Keep Tile Picture Aspect: Enabling this option forces tool tile thumbnail pictures to preserve the
aspect of the original image in the thumbnail.
– Full Tile Render Indicators: Enabling this checkbox causes the entire tile to change color when it
is processing. This can make it easier to identify which tools are processing in a large composition.
The coloring itself will form a progress bar to alert you to how close slower tools are to finishing
their process.
– Show Instance Links: This option is used to select whether Instance tools will show links,
displayed as green lines, between Instance tools.
– Navigator: The Navigator is a small square overview of the entire composition. It is used to quickly
navigate to different parts of a node tree while you are zoomed in. The checkboxes in this section
determine when the Navigator is displayed, if at all.
– On: The Navigator will always be visible.
– Off: The Navigator will always be hidden.
– Auto: The Navigator will only be visible when the Node Editor’s contents exceed the currently
visible Work area.
– Pipe Style: This drop-down menu selects which method is used to draw connections between
tools. The Direct method uses a straight line between tools, and Orthogonal uses horizontal and
vertical lines.

– Build Direction: When auto-building or laying out a node tree, Build Direction controls whether
tools are organized horizontally or vertically.
– Scale: The Scale menu allows you to select the default zoom level of the Node Editor when a new
composition is created.
Pipe Grab Distance

The Pipe Grab Distance slider allows you to choose how close the pointer must be (in pixels) to a
connection line in the node tree when selecting them.
Link Grab Distance

The Link Grab Distance slider allows you to choose how close the pointer must be (in pixels) to a knot
on a node before a connection is made or removed. 0 pixels means you must be directly on the knot,
while a maximum setting of 20 means you can be 20 pixels from a knot and still connect to it.
Group Opacity
This slider controls the opacity of an expanded group’s background in the Node Editor.
Frame Format
Frame Format preferences allow you to select the resolution and frame rate for the nodes that
generate images like Background, fast noise, and Text+. It also sets the color bit depth for final
renders, previews, and interactive updates in the viewer. The color bit depth settings only apply to
Fusion Studio. Rendering in DaVinci Resolve always use 32-bit float.
The Frame Format preferences

Default Format
This drop-down menu is used to select the default resolution for Generator tools from a list of presets.
This is only a default setting; these settings can be overridden using the Resolution settings in a
node’s Inspector.
Use the Edit boxes to change any of the default settings. When creating a new setting, press the New
button and enter a name for the setting in the dialog box that appears and enter the parameters.
Settings
The Settings section defines the format that is selected in the Default Format menu. You can modify an
existing format or create a new one.
– Width/Height: When creating a new format for the menu or modifying an existing menu item, you
specify the Width or Height in pixels of the format using these fields.
– Frame Rate: Enter or view the frames per second played by the format. This sets the default
Frame Rate for previews and final renders from the Saver tool. It also sets the playback for the
comp itself, as well as the frame to time code conversion for tools with temporal inputs.
– Has Fields: When this checkbox is enabled, any Creator or Loader tool added to the Node Editor
will be in Fields process mode.
– Film Size: This field is used to define how many frames are found in one foot of film. The value is
used to calculate the display of time code in Feet + Frames mode.
– Aspect Ratio: These two fields set the pixel aspect ratio of the chosen frame format.
– Guide 1: The four fields for Guide 1 define the left, top, right, and bottom guide positions for
the custom guides in the viewer. To change the position of a guide, enter a value from 0 to 1.
The bottom-left corner is always 0/0, the top-right corner is always 1/1. If the entered value’s
aspect does not conform to the frame format as defined by the Width and Height parameters, an
additional guide is displayed onscreen. The dotted line represents the image aspect centered
about Guide 1’s Center values.
– Guide 2: This setting determines the image aspect ratio in respect to the entire frame format width
and height. Values higher than 1 cause the height to decrease relative to the width. Values smaller
than 1 cause height to increase relative to width.
– New: You use the New button to create a new default setting in the drop-down menu. Once you
click the button, you can name the setting in the dialog box that appears.
– Copy: The Copy button copies the current setting to create a new one for customization.
– Delete: The Delete button will remove the current setting from the default drop-down list.
Color Depth
The three menus in the Color Depth section are used to select the color mode for processing preview
renders, interactive renders, and full (final) renders. Processing images at 8-bit is the lowest color
depth and is rarely sufficient for final work these days but is acceptable for fast previews. 16-bit color
has much higher color fidelity but uses more system resources. 16-bit and 32-bit float per channel uses
even more system resources and is best for digital film and HDR rendered images.
Generally, these options are ignored by the composition unless a Loader or Creator tool’s Color Depth
control is set to Default.
General
The sections contained in the General preferences affect the behavior of the Inspector as well as
some other user interface elements.

The General preferences
Usability
Usability has a number of project, Node Editor, and user interface settings that can make the
application easier to work with, depending on your workflow.
– Auto Clip Browse: When this checkbox is enabled, the File Browser is automatically displayed
when a new Loader or Saver is added to the Node Editor.
– New Comp on Startup: When checked, a new, empty project is created each time Fusion Studio is
launched. This has no effect in DaVinci Resolve’s Fusion page.
– Summarize Load Errors: When loading node trees or “comps” that contain unknown tools (e.g.,
comps that have been created on other computers with plug-ins not installed on the current
machine), the missing tools are summarized in the console rather than a dialog being presented
for every missing tool.
– Save Compressed Comps: This option enables the saving of compressed node trees, rather than
ASCII based text files. Compressed node trees take up less space on disk, although they may take
a moment longer to load. Node trees containing complex spline animation and many paint strokes
can grow into tens of megabytes when this option is disabled. However, compressed comps
cannot be edited with a text editor unless saved again as uncompressed.
– Show Video I/O Splash: This toggles whether the Splash image will be displayed over the video
display hardware. This is only applies to Fusion Studio.
– Use Simplified Copy Names: This option reduces the occurrence of underscores in tool names
when copying.

– Show Render Settings: When this checkbox is selected, the Fusion Render Settings dialog will be
displayed every time a render is started in Fusion Studio. Holding Shift while starting a render will
prevent the display of the dialog for that session, using whatever settings were applied during the
last render. Disabling this option reverses this behavior.
– Mouse Wheel Affects the Window Under the Pointer: Normally the mouse wheel or trackpad
swiping works in the currently active window. With this option enabled, it will work in the window
underneath the cursor, so you don’t have to click into a window first to make it active.
– Frames Start From: This designates the starting frame number for clip times in the Loader and its
Clip list.
– Show Color As: This setting determines the numeric scale used to represent colors. The available
options are Normalized (0 to 1), 8-bit (0 to 255), and 16-bit (0 to 65,535). This does not affect the
actual processing or quality of the image, but it can make the mental math sometimes used to
figure out adjustments a bit easier.
Auto Save
The Auto Save settings only apply to Fusion Studio. To set auto backups for the Fusion page in
DaVinci Resolve, use the DaVinci Resolve Project Load and Save Preferences.
When Auto Save is enabled in Fusion Studio, comps are automatically saved to a backup file at regular
intervals defined by the Delay setting. If a backup file is found when attempting to open the comp, you
are presented with the choice of loading either the backup or the original.
If the backup comp is opened from the location set in the Path Map preference, saving the backup will
overwrite the original file. If the backup file is closed without saving, it is deleted without affecting the
original file.
– Save Before Render: When enabled, the comp is automatically saved before a preview or final
render is started.
– Delay: This preference is used to set the interval between Auto Saves. The interval is set using
mm:ss notation, so entering 10 causes an Auto Save to occur every 10 seconds, whereas entering
10:00 causes an Auto Save every 10 minutes.
Proxy
– Update All, Selective, No Update: The Update mode button is located above the toolbar. You
can use this preference to determine the default mode for all new comps. Selective is the usual
default. It renders only the tools needed to display the images in the Display view. All will render
all tools in the composition, whereas None prevents all rendering.
– Standard and Auto: These sliders designate the default ratio used to create proxies when the
Proxy and Auto Proxy modes are turned on. These settings do not affect the final render quality.
Even though the images are being processed smaller than their original size, the image viewing scales
in the viewers still refer to original resolutions. Additionally, image processing performed in Proxy
Scale mode may differ slightly from full-resolution rendering.
The Proxy and Auto Proxy size ratios may be changed from within the interface itself by right-clicking
on the Prx and APrx buttons above the toolbar and selecting the desired value from the
contextual menu.
GPU
The GPU preference is only available in Fusion Studio. In DaVinci Resolve, you can configure the GPU
processing in Resolve’s Memory and GPU preferences.
In Fusion Studio, the GPU preference is used to specify the GPU acceleration method used for
processing, based on your computer platform and hardware capabilities. It is also used for enabling
caching and debugging GPU devices and tools.

The GPU preferences
Options
The GPU options include radio buttons to select whether the GPU is used when processing and, if so,
which computer framework is used for communicating with the GPU.
– GPU Tools: This preference has three settings: Auto, Disable, and Enable. When set to Disable, no
GPU acceleration is used for tools or third-party plug-ins. Fuses may still require GPU acceleration.
If Enable is selected, GPU acceleration is available for tools and plug-ins, if appropriate
drivers are installed.
– API: The API setting selects the GPU processing method to use.
– Device: The Device setting determines which GPU hardware to use in the case of multiple GPUs.
The Auto setting gives priority to GPU processing; however, if it is unavailable, Fusion uses the
platform default. Currently, both the AMD and CPU options require either the AMD Catalyst 10.10
Accelerated Parallel Processing (APP) technology Edition driver or the ATI Stream SDK 2.1 or later
to be installed. The Select setting allows you to choose the device explicitly.
Debugging
The more advanced preferences located in this section are designed for diagnostics and analyzing
GPU operations.
– Verbose Console Messages: Enabling this option causes information to be shown in the Console.
For example, Startup Logs, Compiler Warnings, and Messages.
– OpenGL Sharing: Enabling this option shares system RAM with onboard GPU RAM to create a
larger, but slower, OpenGL memory pool.
– Clear Cache Files: This option will clear already compiled GPU code and then
recompile the kernels.

Layout
The Layout preferences are only available in Fusion Studio. To save a Layout in DaVinci Resolve’s
Fusion page, use the Workspace > Layout Presets menu. The Layout options are used to control the
layout, size, and position of various windows in Fusion’s interface at startup or when a comp is created.
The Layout preferences
There are a lot of options, but in practice, you simply organize the interface the way you prefer it on
startup and when a new composition is created, then open this Preferences panel and click on the
three buttons to grab the Program Layout, the Document Layout and the Window Settings.
Program Layout
The Program Layout is used to save the overall Fusion interface window and any open floating
windows. Each new composition you open within the lager overall Fusion interface window will adhere
to these preferences.
– Grab Program Layout: Pressing this button stores the application’s overall current position
and size.
– Run Mode: This menu is used to select the application’s default mode at startup.
You choose between a Maximized application window, a Minimized application, or a Normal
application display.
– Use the Following Position and Size: When checked, the values stored when Grab Program
Layout was selected will be used when starting Fusion Studio.
– Create Floating Views: When checked, the position and size of the floating viewers will be saved
when the Grab Program Layout button is used.

Document Layout
The Document Layout is used to save the layout of panels and windows for the current Fusion comp.
– Recall Layout Saved In Composition: When checked, all Document Layout settings in the controls
below will be recalled when a saved composition is loaded.
– Grab Document Layout: Pressing this button stores the entire interface setup, including all the
internal positions and sizes of panels and work areas.
– Window: When multiple windows on the same composition are used, this menu is used to select
the window to which the Window Settings will apply.
Window Settings
Rather than saving entire comp layouts, you can save position and size for individual floating windows
and panels within a comp using the Window Settings.
– Automatically Open This Window: When checked, the selected window will automatically be
opened for new flows.
– Grab Window Layout: Pressing this button stores the size and position of the selected window.
– Run Mode: Select the default run mode for the selected window. You can choose between a
Maximized window, a Minimized window, or a Normal window display.
– Use Grabbed Position and Size: When checked, the selected window will be created using the
stored position and size.
Loader
The Loader preferences are only available in Fusion Studio. Using the Loader preferences, you can set
options for the default Loader’s color depth and aspect ratio as well as define the local and network
cache settings.
The Loader preferences

Defaults
The Defaults section includes two settings to determine how color depth and aspect ratio are handled
for Loaders.
– Loader Depth: The Loader Depth defines how color bit depth is handled when adding a Loader.
Choosing Format means that the correct bit depth is automatically selected, depending on the
file format and the information in the file’s header. Choosing Default sets the bit depth to the value
specified in the Frame Format preferences.
Cache
The Cache preferences allow you to control how disk caching operates in Fusion. You can set how and
where the cache is generated, when the cache is removed, how the cache reacts when source files
are not available, as well as many other cache related options. This is not to be confused with RAM
cache, which is controlled in the Memory preferences.
– Disable All Local Caching: This setting disables local caching.
– Cache Files from Network DiskCaches: If a tool has disk caching enabled, and the disk cache
files are stored remotely on the network, then enabling this option will use a local copy of those
cache files, similarly to the local cache on a networked Loader.
– Enable Local Caching of Loaders: Files will be copied into the LoaderCache path set below or in
the Path Maps preferences.
– Cache Multi-Frame Files: Files like AVI or QuickTime will be copied into the LoaderCache path.
This may take some time if the file is large.
– Don’t Cache Files from Local Disks: Files that do not sit on a network drive will not be copied into
the LoaderCache path. You can disable this option if you have, for example, a fast SSD cache drive
and want to use it for local files as well to speed up file access while working interactively.
– Only Files Smaller Than xxx MB.: Files larger than the value set here will not be copied into the
LoaderCache path.
– Cache Path Separator Character: When Enable Local Caching of Loaders is enabled, you can use
this setting to rebuild the path of the original files in LoaderCache.
For instance, given the default “!” character, the original path X\Project\MyShots\ Shot0815\ will be
translated into X!Project!MyShots!Shot0815! in the LoaderCache path. Other separator characters
may be used, including the “\” character, which will use subdirectories in LoaderCache: X\Project\
MyShots\Shot0815\.
– If Original File Is Missing: This setting provides three options to determine the caching behavior
when the original files can’t be found. The Fail option behaves exactly as the Default Loader in
Fusion. The Loader will not process, which may cause the render to halt. The Load Cache option
loads the cache even though no original file is present.The Delete Cache option clears missing
files from the cache.
– Cache Location: For convenience, this is a copy of the LoaderCache path set in the
Path Maps preferences.
– Explore: This button opens the LoaderCache path in the macOS X Finder window
or a Windows Explorer window.
– Clear All Cache Files: This button deletes all cached files present in the LoaderCache path.
Memory
The Memory preferences are only available in Fusion Studio. To control Fusion’s memory when using
the Fusion page in DaVinci Resolve, open DaVinci Resolve’s Memory and GPU preferences.
Occasionally, it will be necessary to adjust the Memory preferences in order to make the best use of
available memory on the computer. For example, some people prefer a higher cache memory for

faster interactive work, but for final renders the cache memory is often reduced, so there’s more
memory available for simultaneous processing of tools or multiple frames being rendered at once.
The Memory preferences
Caching Limits
The Caching Limits include options for Fusion’s RAM cache operation. Here, you can determine how
much RAM is allocated to the RAM cache for playing back comps in the viewer.
– Limit Caching To: This slider is used to set the percentage of available memory used for the
interactive tool cache. Available memory refers to the amount of memory installed in the computer.
– When the interactive cache reaches the limit defined in this setting, it starts to remove lower
priority frames in the cache to clear space for new frames.
– Automatically Adjust In Low Memory Situations: This checkbox will set the caching to adjust
when memory is low. The console will display any cache purges.
– Leave At Least X MBytes: This setting is used to set the hard limit for memory usage. No matter
what the setting of the Cache Limit, this setting determines the amount of physical memory
available for use by other applications. Normally, this value should not be smaller than 25 MBytes.
Interactive Render
The Interactive Render option allows you to optimize Fusion’s processing based on the amount of
RAM you have installed in your system.
– Simultaneous Branching: When checked, more than one tool will be processed at the same time.
Disable this checkbox if you are running out of memory frequently.

Final Render
These settings apply to memory usage during a rendering session, either preview or final, with no
effect during an interactive session.
– Render Slider: This slider adjusts the number of frames that are rendered at the same time.
– Simultaneous Branching: When checked, more than one branch of a node tree will be
rendered at the same time. If you are running low on memory, turn this off to increase
rendering performance.
Network
The Network preferences are only available in Fusion Studio. These preferences are used to set up
and control network rendering in Fusion Studio. The majority of settings are found in the Render
Manager dialog.
The Network preferences
Submit Network Render Compositions

In these fields, you enter the Master Name and IP address of the computer that will manage all
network renders sent from this machine. If a standalone render master is in use on the network, these
fields may be pre-filled and may not be editable. This is done to prevent multiple unauthorized render
masters from being created by each person in a facility.
To re-enable editing of the master name and IP, create the environment variable FUSION_NO_
MANAGER and set the value to True. Check your operating system user guide for how to create
environment variables.

General
The General preferences are designed with the most used options at the top in the General section.
These options determine in what capacity the system is used during network rendering.
– Make This Machine a Render Master: When enabled, Fusion will accept network render
compositions from other computers and manage the render. It does not necessarily mean that this
computer will be directly involved in the render, but it will submit the job to the render nodes listed
in the Render Manager dialog.
– Allows This Machine to Be Used as a Network Slave: When enabled, this computer can be used
as a Render node and will accept compositions for network rendering. Deselect it to prevent other
people from submitting compositions to render on this computer.
– Render on All Available Machines: Enable this checkbox to ignore groups and priorities
configured in the Render Manager. Compositions submitted from this computer for network
rendering will always be assigned to every available slave.
Email Notification
You can use the Email Notification section to set up who gets notified with status updates regarding
the render jobs and the network.
– Notify Options: These checkboxes cause emails to be sent when certain render events take
place. The available events are Queue Completion, Job Done, and Job Failure.
– Send Email to: Enter the address or addresses to which notifications should be sent. You separate
multiple addresses with a semicolon.
– Override Sender Address: Enter an email address that will be used as the sender address. If this
option is not selected, no sender address is used, which may cause some spam filters to prevent
the message from being delivered to the recipient.
Server Settings
This section covers Clustering and Network Rendering. For more information on these settings and
clustering, see Chapter 64, “Rendering Using Saver Nodes,” in the DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual
or Chapter 4 in the Fusion Reference Manual.
Path Maps
Path Maps are virtual paths used to replace segments of file paths with variables. For example, define
the path ‘movie_x’ as actually being in X\Shows\Movie_X. Using this example, Fusion would
understand the path ‘movie_x\scene_5\ scan.000.cin’ as actually being X:\Shows\ Movie_X\scene_5\
scan.000.cin.
For Fusion Studio, there are two main advantages to virtual path maps instead of actual file paths. One
is that you can easily change the path to media connected to Loaders (for example, when moving a
comp from one drive to another), without needing to make any changes in the composition. The other
advantage is when network rendering, you can bypass the different OS filename conventions.
– Enable Reverse Mapping of Paths Preferences: This checkbox is at the top of the Path Map
settings. When enabled, Fusion uses the built-in path maps for entries in the path’s settings
when applying mapping to existing filenames. The main benefit is for Fusion Studio. Enabling
this checkbox causes Loaders to automatically use paths relative to the location of the saved
composition when they are added to the Node Editor. For more information on using relative paths
for Loaders, see Chapter 104, “IO Nodes,” in the DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual or Chapter 44
in the Fusion Reference Manual.
As with other preferences in Fusion Studio, paths maps are available in both Global and Composition
preferences. Global preferences are applied to all new compositions, while Composition path maps
are only saved with the current composition. Composition path maps will override Global path maps
with the same name.

The Path Map preferences
The Global paths maps are divided into three sections:

– System Path Maps: The operating system determines system path maps, and they define Fusion’s
global locations. You can override specific System path maps using the Defaults or current
Composition Path Map settings. If you change your mind at a later time, you are always able to
return to Fusion’s “factory” defaults using the System path maps. There are several top-level path
maps established in the System Path Map settings.
– AllData: The folder where Fusion saves all shared application data.
– AllDocs: The folder where Fusion saves the public/shared document folder.
– AllLUTs: The nested LUTs path in the Defaults section, where Fusion saves LUTs.
– Fusion: The folder where Fusion Studio app is installed. For example, if you open Fusion from
C:\Program Files\Fusion, then the path Fusion:\Help refers to C:\Program Files\Fusion\Help. If
you instead used a copy of Fusion found in \\post-server\fusion\16, then Fusion:\Help would
expand to \\post-server\fusion\16\Help.
– FusionLibs: The Fusion libraries used for the application.
– Profile: The folder where default Fusion preferences file is saved.
– Profiles: The folder where Fusion individual user preferences are saved.
– Programs: The location of Fusion Studio or DaVinci Resolve.
– SystemFonts: The folder where the OS saves fonts that appear for Text+ and Text 3D nodes.
– Temp: The system’s temporary folder.

– UserData: The folder where Fusion saves all user-specific miscellaneous roaming data.
The individual elements included in the roaming data are listed in the Default Path Maps
section. For Fusion Studio on Windows, this is “C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\”.
On Linux, this will be “$HOME/Blackmagic/Fusion”. On macOS, this is “Users/UserName/
Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/Fusion”.
– UserDocs: The folder where Fusion saves the user’s document folders.
– Default Path Maps: The Defaults are user-editable path maps. They can reference the System
paths, as part of their paths. For instance. the Temp folder is defined in the System path and used
by the Default DiskCache path map to refine the nested location (Temp:DiskCache). Default path
maps can also redirect paths without using the Global System path maps. After you change a
Default, the updated setting can be selected in the Preferences window, and a Reset button at the
bottom of the Preferences window will return the modified setting to the System default.
– AutoSaves: This setting determines the Fusion Comp AutoSave document’s location, set in the
Fusion General preferences.
– Bins: Sets the location of Fusion Studio bins. Since the bins use pointers to the content, the
content is not saved with the bin. Only the metadata and pointers are saved in the bins.
– Brushes: Points Fusion to the folder that contains custom paintbrushes.
– Comps: The folder where Fusion Studio compositions are saved. On macOS or Windows, the
default location is in Users/YourUserName/Documents/Blackmagic Design/Fusion.
– Config: Stores Configuration files used by Fusion Studio during its operation.
– Defaults: Identifies the location of node default settings so they can be restored if overwritten.
– DiskCache: Sets the location for files written to disk when using the Cache to Disk feature. This
location can be overridden in the Cache to Disk window.
– Edit templates: The location where Fusion macros are saved in order to appear as templates in
the DaVinci Resolve Effects Library.
– Filters: Points to a folder containing Convolution filters like sharpen, which can be used for the
Custom Filter node.
– Fonts: The default path map for Fonts points to the operating system fonts folders. Changing
this will change the fonts that are available in the Text+ or Text 3D nodes as well as any Fusion
Title Template. In DaVinci Resolve. This path map does not affect the five additional Edit page
titles (L Lower 3rd, R Lower 3rd, M Lower 3rd, Scroll, and Text.)
– Fuses: Points to a folder containing Fusion Fuses plug-ins.
– FusionTemplates: Location where Fusion macros are saved in order to appear as templates in
Fusion’s Effects Library.
– Guides: Location where custom viewer guide overlays are stored.
– Help: Identifies where Fusion Studio PDF files are located.
– Layouts: Location where Fusion Studio custom window layouts are saved.
– Libraries: Points to a support folder where custom Effects Library items can be stored.
– LoaderCache: The Fusion Studio Loader preferences allow the Loader to cache when
reading from a slow network. This path map point to the local drive location for that cache.
– LuaModules: Location for Lua Scripting modules.
– LUTs:
– Macros: Points to the location for user created macros. The macros saved to this location
appear in the macros category of the Effects Library and in the right-click Edit Macro
contextual menu.

– Plugins: This refers to user specific OpenFX plug-ins that you do not want loaded for all users.
– Previews: Path map used for the older style, file sequence flipbook previews.
– Queues: Location of the Render manager list.
– Scripts: Location of Lua and Python scripts. This path can be further refined into specific scripts
for tools (nodes), comps, and other specific script types.
– Settings: Location where custom Node settings are saved.
– Stamps: Location for preview movies generated in a Fusion Studio bin. This is an outdated path
map since bins now include the Studio Player.
– Templates: Location of the Templates folder. Saving Macros to the Template folder will cause
them to appear in the Effects Library in a Templates category. In Fusion Studio, the Templates
category does not appear until a Macros is saved into the folder.
– Thumbs: Location for clip thumbnails generated in a Fusion Studio bin. This is an outdated path
map since bins include now include the Studio Player.
– UserPaths: Used for locations of studio- or facility-specific tools, like custom plug-ins and
scripts located on a central server.
– User Path Maps: User paths are new paths that you have defined that do not currently exist in the
Defaults settings.
– Comp refers to the folder where the current composition is saved. For instance, saving media
folders within the same folder as your Fusion Studio comp file is a way to use relative file paths
for Loaders instead of actual file paths.
Modifying a System Path Map

To modify an existing System path map, select the path map in the System section. Click the folder
icon at the bottom of the Preferences window, and enter the name of the path map in the From field
below. Enter the value of the path map in the To: field.
Modifying a Default Path Map

To modify an existing Default path map, select the path map in the Default section. Click the folder
icon at the bottom of the Preferences window, and enter the name of the path map in the From field
Creating a User Path Map

To create a path map, click on the New button and enter the name of the path map in the From field
Deleting a Path Map

To delete a user-created path map, select it from the list and click the Delete button. System and
Default path maps cannot be deleted; only user created path maps can be removed from the
Path Maps list.
Nesting Path Maps

When defining your own path map, you can use an existing path map in the new definition.
For example, define a path map called ‘Episode’ that maps to MyDrive\ Projects\Episode1. Then create
new path maps called Renders and Stills that map to Episode\ Renders_v1 and Episode\Stills_v1.

Preview
Preview is only available in Fusion Studio. Previews in DaVinci Resolve use the Scratch Disk setting in
the Media Storage preferences.
In the Preview preferences, you configure the creation and playback options for preview renders.
The Preview preferences
Options
– Render Previews Using Proxy Scaling: When checked, this option scales down the images to the
preview size for the Loader and Creator tools. This causes much faster rendering. If this option is
disabled, frames will be rendered at full size and are then scaled down.
– Skip Frames to Maintain Apparent Framerate: When checked, frames are skipped during
playback of Flipbooks and file sequences to maintain the frame rate setting.
– Show Previews for Active Loaders: This setting determines whether the preview playback
controls are shown below the Inspector when a Loader with a valid file is activated.
– Show Previews for Active Savers: This setting determines whether the preview playback controls
below the Inspector are shown when a Saver with a valid file is activated.
– Display File Sequences On: This setting determines which viewer or external monitor is used for
the interactive and file sequence playbacks as well as for the scrubbing function in the bins.

QuickTime
The QuickTime preferences are only available in Fusion Studio on macOS. These settings configure
the default QuickTime codec settings when you select QuickTime as the rendering file format in the
Saver node.
The QuickTime preferences
– Compressor: This drop-down menu displays the QuickTime codecs available from your computer.
Fusion tests each codec when the program is started; therefore, some codecs may not be
available if the tests indicate that they are unsuitable for use within Fusion.
– Quality: This slider is used to determine the amount of compression to be used by the codec.
Higher values produce clearer images but larger files. Not all codecs support the Quality setting.
– Key Frame Every X Frames: When checked, the codec will create key frames at specified
intervals. Key frames are not compressed in conjunction with previous frames and are, therefore,
quicker to seek within the resulting movie. Not all codecs support the key frame setting.
– Limit Data Rate To X KB/Second: When checked, the data rates of the rendered file will be limited
to the amount specified. Not all codecs support this option. Enter the data rate used to limit the
QuickTime in kilobytes (kB) per second, if applicable. This control will have no effect if the Limit
Data Rate To option is not selected.

Script
The preferences for Scripting include a field for passwords used to execute scripts from the command
line and applications for use when editing scripts.
The Script preferences
Login
There are three login options for running scripts outside of the Fusion application.
– No Login Required to Execute Script: When enabled, scripts executed from the command line, or
scripts that attempt to control remote copies of Fusion, do not need to log in to the workstation in
order to run.
– Specify Custom Login: If a username and password are assigned, Fusion will refuse to process
incoming external script commands (from FusionScript, for example), unless the Script first logs in
to the workstation. This only affects scripts that are executed from the command line, or scripts
that attempt to control remote copies of Fusion. Scripts executed from within the interface do not
need to log in regardless of this setting. For more information, see the Scripting documentation.
– Use Windows Login Validation: When using Fusion on Windows, enabling this option verifies
the user name and password (also known as credentials) with the operating system before running
the script.
Options
– Script Editor: Use this preference to select an external editor for scripts. This preference is used
when selecting Scripts > Edit.
Python Version
– Two options are presented here for selecting the version of Python that you plan on using
for your scripts.

Spline Editor
The Spline Editor preferences allow you to set various spline options for Autosnap behavior, handles,
markers, and more. This only affects splines displayed in the Spline Editor, not splines created in the
viewer using the polygon tool or paths.
The Spine Editor preferences
Spline Editor Options

These settings control the spline behavior in the Spline Editor, as well as the appearance of the
graph area.
– Independent Handles: Enabling this option allows the In or Out direction handle on newly created
key frames to be moved independently without affecting the other. This option is also available via
the Options submenu when right-clicking in the Spline Editor graph.
– Follow Active: The Spline Editor focuses on the currently active tool. This option is also available
via the Options submenu when right-clicking in the Spline Editor graph.
– Show Key Markers: Small colored triangles will be displayed at the top of the Spline Editor
Time Ruler to indicate key frames on active splines. The colors of the triangles match the colors of
the splines. This option is also available via the Show submenu when right-clicking in the Spline
Editor graph.
– Show Tips: Toggles if tooltips are displayed or not. This option is also available via the Show
submenu when right-clicking in the Spline Editor graph.
– Autosnap Points: When moving points in the Spline Editor, these will snap to the fields or frames
or can be moved freely. This option is also available via the Options submenu when right-clicking
in the Spline Editor graph.
– Guides: When moving points in the Spline Editor, these will snap to guides as well. This option is
also available via the Options submenu when right-clicking in the Spline Editor graph.
– Autosnap Guides: When moving or creating guides, these will snap to the fields or frames or can
be moved freely. This option is also available via the Options submenu when right-clicking in the
Spline Editor graph.

– Autoscale: Keeps the Spline Editor scales intact on changing the editable spline content of the
graph. This scale is also available via the Options submenu when right-clicking in the Spline
Editor graph.
– Scroll: Scrolls horizontally and vertically to show all or most of the spline points. This option is also
available via the Scale submenu when right-clicking in the Spline Editor graph.
– Fit: Zooms to fit all points within the spline graph, if necessary. This option is also available via the
Scale submenu when right-clicking in the Spline Editor graph.
LUT View Options

LUT splines are not currently available in the Spline Editor, and therefore these options are not
operational in the current version.
– Independent Handles: Enabling this option allows the In or Out direction handle on newly created
key frames to be moved independently without affecting the other.
– Show Key Markers: Small colored triangles will be displayed at the top of the Spline Editor Time
Ruler to indicate key frames on active splines. The colors of the triangles match the colors of
the splines.
– Show Tips: Toggles whether tooltips are displayed.
Splines
Options for the handling and smoothing of animation splines, tracker path defaults, and rotoscoping
are found in the Splines preferences.
The Splines preferences

– Autosmooth: Automatically smooths out any newly created points or key frames on the splines
selected in this section. You can choose to automatically smooth animation splines, B-Splines,
polyline matte shapes, LUTs, paths, and meshes.
– B-Spline Modifier Degree: This setting determines the degree to which the line segments
influence the resulting curvature when B-Splines are used in animation. Cubic B-Splines determine
a segment through two control points between the anchor points, and Quadratic B-Splines
determine a segment through one control point between the anchor points.
– B-Spline Polyline Degree: This setting is like the one above but applies to B-Splines
used for masks.
– Tracker Path Points Visibility: This setting determines the visibility of the control points on tracker
paths. You can show them, hide them, or show them when your cursor hovers over the path, which
is the default behavior.
– Tracker Path: The default tracker creates Bézier-style spline paths. Two other options in this
setting allow you to choose B-Spline or XY Spline paths.
– Polyline Edit Mode on Done: This setting determines the state of the Polyline tool after you
complete the drawing of a polyline. It can either be set to modify the existing control points on the
spline or modify and add new control points to the spline.
– Onion Skinning: The Onion Skinning settings determine the number of frames displayed while
rotoscoping, allowing you to preview and compare a range of frames. You can also adjust if the
preview frames only from the frame prior to the current frame, after the current frames, or split
between the two.
Timeline
The Timeline preferences is where you create and edit Keyframes Editor/Spline Editor filters and set
default options for the Keyframes Editor.
The Timeline preferences

Filter/Filter to Use
The Filter menu populates the hierarchy area below the menu with that setting. It lets you edit the
filters. The Filter to Use menu selects the default filter setting located in the Keyframes Editor
Options menu.
Settings for Filters

This area is used to create a new filter and define its settings. You start by first clicking the New button
and entering the name of the new Filter. You then select any of the tools that you want the filter to
contain. Only tools that are checked will appear in the Keyframes Editor or Spline Editor when the filter
is selected. You can also create a copy of the filter using the Copy button or remove a filter from the
list by clicking the Delete button.
Timeline Options
The Timeline Options configure which options in the Keyframe Editor are enabled by default. A series
of checkboxes correspond to buttons located in the Timeline, allowing you to determine the states of
those buttons at the time a new comp is created. For more information on the Keyframes Editor
functions, see Chapter 69, “Animating in Fusion’s Keyframes Editor,” in the DaVinci Resolve Reference
Manual or Chapter 9 in the Fusion Reference Manual.
– Autosnap Points: When moving points in the Keyframes Editor, the points will snap to the fields or
to the frames, or they can be moved freely.
– Guides: When moving points in the Keyframes Editor, the point will snap to the guides that are
placed in the Timeline graph.
– Autosnap Guides: When moving or creating guides, the guides will snap to the fields or to the
frames, or they can be moved freely.
– Autoscale: Keeps the Timeline scales intact while changing the editable spline content in the
graph. When set to scroll, the Timeline scrolls horizontally and vertically to show all or most of the
spline points when changing the editable spline content in the graph. When set to Fit, the Timeline
zooms to fit all points within the graph, if necessary.
– Tools Display Mode: This menu controls the default sort order of the tools displayed in the
Keyframes Editor. The default can be changed using the Sort order menu in the upper right of the
Keyframes Editor.
Tweaks
The Tweaks preferences handle a collection of settings for fine-tuning Network rendering in Fusion
Studio and graphics hardware behavior.
Network
The Network section is used to control and monitor the health of communication packets over TCP/IP
when rendering over a network in Fusion Studio.
– Maximum Missed Heartbeats: This setting determines the maximum number of times the network
is checked before terminating the communication with a Render node.
– Heartbeat Interval: This sets the time between network checks.
– Load Composition Timeout: This timeout option determines how long the Render Manger will wait
for a composition to load before moving on to another task.
– Last Slave Restart Timeout: This timeout option determines how long the Render Manager will
wait for a render salve to respond before using another render slave.

The Tweaks preferences
File I/O
The File I/O options are used to control the performance when reading frames or large media files
from both direct and networked attached storage.
– I/O Canceling: This option enables a feature of the operating system that allows queued
operations to be canceled when the function that requested them is stopped. This can improve
the responsiveness, particularly when loading large images over a network.
Enabling this option will specifically affect performance while loading and accessing formats that
perform a large amount of seeking, such as the TIFF format.
This option has not been tested with every hardware and OS configuration, so it is recommended
to enable it only after you have thoroughly tested your hardware and OS configuration using drive
loads from both local disks and network shares.
– Enable Direct Reads: Enabling this checkbox uses a more efficient method when loading a large
chunk of contiguous data into memory by reducing I/O operations. Not every operating system
employs this ability, so it may produce unknown behavior.
– Read Ahead Buffers: This slider determines the number of 64K buffers that are use to read ahead
in a file I/O operation. The more buffers, the more efficient loading frames from disk will be, but the
less responsive it will be to changes that require disk access interactively.
Area Sampling
The Area Sampling options allow you to fine-tune the RAM usage on Render nodes by trading off
speed for lower RAM requirements.
– Automatic Memory Usage: This checkbox determines how area sampling uses available memory.
Area sampling is used for Merges and Transforms. When the checkbox is enabled (default), Fusion
will detect available RAM when processing the tool and determine the appropriate trade-off
between speed and memory.

If less RAM is available, Fusion will use a higher proxy level internally and take longer to render.
The quality of the image is not compromised in any way, just the amount of time it takes to render.
In node trees that deal with images larger than 4K, it may be desirable to override the automatic
scaling and fix the proxy scale manually. This can preserve RAM for future operations.
– Pre-Calc Proxy Level: Deselecting the Automatic Memory will enable the Pre-Calc Proxy Scale
slider. Higher values will use less RAM but take much longer to render.
Open GL
This section controls how Fusion makes use of your graphics card when compositing in 3D with the
Renderer 3D node. Most settings may be left as they are, but since OpenGL hardware varies widely in
capabilities and different driver revisions can sometimes introduce bugs, these tweaks can be useful if
you are experiencing unwanted behavior.
– Disable View LUT Shaders: OpenGL shaders can often dramatically accelerate View LUTs, but
this can occasionally involve small trade-offs in accuracy. This setting will force Fusion to process
LUTs at full accuracy using the CPU instead. Try activating this if View LUTs do not seem to be
giving the desired result.
– Use Float16 Textures: If your graphics hardware supports 16-bit floating-point textures, activating
this option will force int16 and float32 images to be uploaded to the viewer as float16 instead,
which may improve playback performance.
– Texture Depth: Defines in what depth images are uploaded to the viewer.
– Auto: The Auto option (recommended) lets Fusion choose the best balance of performance
and capability.
– int8: Similar to the Use Float16 Textures switch, this option can be used to force images to be
uploaded to the Display View as int8, which can be faster but gives less range for View LUT
correction.
– Native: The Native option uploads images at their native depth, so no conversion is done.
– Image Overlay: The Image Overlay is a viewer control used with Merge and Transform tools
to display a translucent overlay of the transformed image. This can be helpful in visualizing the
transformation when it is outside the image bounds but may reduce performance when selecting
the tool if cache memory is low. There are three settings to choose from: None, Outside, and All.
– None: This setting never displays the translucent overlay or controls, which can reduce the
need for background renders, in some cases resulting in a speed up of the display.
– Outside: This will display only those areas of the control that are outside the bounds of the
image, which can reduce visual confusion.
– All: Displays all overlays of all selected tools.
– Smooth Resize: This setting can disable the viewer’s Smooth Resize behavior when displaying
floating-point images. Some older graphics cards are not capable of filtering floating-point
textures or may be very slow. If Smooth Resize does not work well with float images, try setting
this to flt16 or int.
– Auto Detect Graphics Memory (MB): Having Fusion open alongside other OpenGL programs
like 3D animation software can lead to a shortage of graphics memory. In those cases, you can
manually reduce the amount of memory Fusion is allowed to use on the card. Setting this too low
or too high may cause performance or data loss.
– Use 10-10-10-2 Framebuffer: If your graphics hardware and monitor support 30-bit color (Nvidia
Quadro/AMD Radeon Pro, and some Nvidia GeForce/AMD Radeon), this setting will render
viewers with 10 bits per primary accuracy, instead of 8 bits. Banding is greatly reduced when
displaying 3D renders or images deeper than 8-bit.

User Interface
The User Interface preferences set the appearance of the user interface window and how the
Inspector is displayed.
The User Interface preferences
Appearance
When enabled, the Use Gray Background Interface checkbox will change the color of the background
in Fusion’s panels to a lighter, more neutral shade of gray.
Controls
This group of checkboxes manages how the controls in the Inspector are displayed.
– Auto Control Open: When disabled, only the header of the selected node is displayed in the
Inspector. You must double-click the header to display the parameters. When enabled, the
parameters are automatically displayed when the node is selected.
– Auto Control Hide: When enabled, only the parameters for the currently active tool (red outline)
will be made visible. Otherwise, all tool headers will be visible and displayed based on the Auto
Control Open setting.
– Auto Control Close Tools: When enabled, only the active (red outlined) tool in the Node Editor will
have controls displayed. Any previous active node’s tools will be closed in the Inspector. When
disabled, any number of tools may be opened to display parameters at the same time. This setting
has no effect if the Auto Control Hide checkbox is enabled.
– Auto Control Close Modifiers: When enabled, only one modifier’s parameters will be displayed for
the active node. Any additional modifiers for the active node will show only their header.
– Auto Control Advance: If the Auto Control Advanced checkbox is enabled, the Tab key and
Return/Enter key will cause the keyboard focus to advance to the next edit box within the
Inspector. When disabled, Return/Enter will cause the value entered to be accepted, but the
keyboard focus will remain in the same edit box of the control. The Tab key can still be used to
advance the keyboard focus.

– Show Controls for Selected: When this option is disabled, only the active tool’s parameters are
shown in the Inspector. By default, it is enabled, showing controls for the active tool as well as all
selected tools.
– Combined Color Wheel: When the Color Corrector tool is displayed in the Inspector, enabling
this checkbox will show one color wheel with buttons to switch between the master, shadow,
midtones, and highlight channels. Otherwise, four color wheels are displayed in the Inspector.
– Gamma Aware Color Controls: This setting adjusts color correction nodes when working
with Rec. 709 images in a non-color managed project. Rec. 709 images appear correct on
the computer monitor because monitors have a gamma adjustment built in. When working in
the Rec. 709 color space without color management, enabling Gamma Aware color removes
the gamma, applies the color correction as if it where linear, and then reapplies the gamma.
For Rec. 709 images, enable the Gamma Aware setting and enter a Gamma value of 2.4. In a color
managed linear project, this should be set to Off or a value of 1.0. When dealing with mixed color
spaces, Fusion reads the metadata from the image and sets the Aware gamma value based on the
metadata available.
– Grab Distance: This slider ranges from 1 to 10 and defaults to 5. It designates the active area
around the mouse pointer and can be modified if you have difficulties in selecting points for
modification in paths and spline curves. Smaller values will require a more accurate selection with
the mouse pointer.
Touch Scrolling and Mouse Wheel

This group of settings allows you to configure which, if any, keyboard modifiers are needed to pan or
zoom a panel when using a trackpad or middle mouse wheel.
Video Monitoring
This setting is only available in Fusion Studio. Control over video hardware for the Fusion Page is done
in the DaVinci Resolve preferences. The Video Monitoring preferences are used to configure the
settings of Blackmagic Design capture and playback products such as DeckLink PCIe cards and
UltraStudio i/O units.
The Video Monitoring preferences

Video Output
This group of drop-down menus allows you to select the type of video I/O device you have installed,
the output resolution, and the pixel format. These settings have nothing to do with your rendered
output; it is only for your display hardware.
The Output HDR over HDMI settings are used to output the necessary metadata when sending high
dynamic range signals over HMDI 2.0a and have it correctly decided by an HDR capable video display.
The Auto setting detects the image’s values and outputs HDR. This will not affect non HDR images.
The Always setting forces HDR on all the time. This can can be useful when checking non HDR and
HDR grades.
When Auto or Always is selected, you can then set the “nit” level (slang for cd/m2) to whatever peak
luminance level your HDMI connected HDR display is capable of.
Stereo Mode
This group of settings configures the output hardware for displaying stereo 3D content.
– Mono will output a single non stereo eye.
– Auto will detect which method with which the stereo images are stacked.
– Use the Vstack option if the stereo images are stacked vertically as left on top and
right at the bottom.
– Use the Hstack option if the stereo images are stacked horizontally as left and right.
The Swap eyes checkbox will swap the eyes if stereo is reversed.
View
The View preferences are used to manage settings and default controls for viewers.
The View preferences

Saved View Settings
The area at the top of the view preferences lists the currently saved settings that you create from the
viewer’s contextual menu. You can use the Rename and Delete buttons to manage the selected
entries in the list. For more information on the viewer and its contextual menu, see Chapter 67, “Using
Viewers,” in the DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual or Chapter 7 in the Fusion Reference Manual.
Settings for View

Each viewer has its own preferences. The Settings for View drop-down menu is used to select the
viewer you want to configure.
Control Colors
The Control Colors setting allows you to determine the color of the active/inactive onscreen controls.
Color Picking Area Size

You can use these width/height controls to set the number of pixels sampled when using the Color
Picker in the viewers.
Displayed Depth Range

The Displayed Depth Range setting controls the view normalization of the Z-Channel.
Fit Margin
The Fit Margin setting determines how much padding is left around the frame when the Fit button is
pressed or Fit is selected from the viewer’s contextual menu.
Display LUT Plug-Ins

This list shows the available display LUTs and activates the selected one as default.
VR Headsets
The VR Headsets preferences allow configuration of any connected Virtual Reality headsets, including
how stereo and 3D scenes are viewed.
The VR Headsets preferences

Headset Options
The Headset options are used to select the type of VR headset you are using to view the composite
as well as the video layout of the 360° view.
API
– Disabled: Disabled turns off and hides all usage of headsets.
– Auto: Auto will detect which headset is plugged in.
– Occulus: Occulus will set the VR output to the Oculus headset.
– OpenVR: OpenVR will support a number of VR headsets like the HTC Vive.
360° Video Format

– Auto: Auto will detect the incoming image layout from the metadata and image frame aspect.
– VCross and HCross: VCross and HCross are the six square faces of a cube laid out in a cross,
vertical or horizontal, with the forward view in the center of the cross, in a 3:4 or 4:3 image.
– VStrip and HStrip: VStrip and HStrip are the six square faces of a cube laid vertically or
horizontally in a line, ordered as Left, Right, Up, Down, Back, Front (+X, -X, +Y, -Y, +Z, -Z), in
a 1:6 or 6:1 image.
– LatLong: LatLong is a single 2:1 image in equirectangular mapping.
– Enable Mirror Window: Enable Mirror Window will show a window displaying the
headset user’s live view.
Stereo
Similar to normal viewer options for stereo 3D comps, these preferences control how a
stereo 3D comp is displayed in a VR headset.
Mode
– Mono: Mono will output a single non stereo eye.
– Auto: Auto will detect the method with which the stereo images are stacked.
– Vstack: Vstack stereo images are stacked vertically as left on top and right at the bottom.
– Hstack: Hstack stereo images are stacked horizontally as left and right.
– Swap Eyes: Swap eyes will swap the eyes if stereo is reversed.
3D
Similar to normal viewer options for 3D comps, these preferences control how a 3D comp is displayed
in a VR headset.
Lighting
– Disabled lighting is off.
– Auto will detect if lighting is on in the view.
– On will force lighting on in the VR view.
Sort Method
– Z buffer sorting is the fast OpenGL method of sorting polygons.
– Quick Sort will sort the depth of polygons to get better transparency rendering.
– Full Sort will use a robust sort and render method to render transparency .
– Shadows can be on or off.
– Show Matte Objects will make matte objects visible in view or invisible.

Bins/Security
Bins preferences are only available in Fusion Studio. These preferences are used to manage the Bin
users and their permissions.
The Bins Security preferences
Users List
The Users List is a list of the users and their permissions. You can select one of the entries to edit their
settings using the User and Password edit boxes.
– Add: The Add button is used to add a new user to the list by entering a username and password.
– Remove: Click this button to remove the selected entry.
User
This editable field shows the username for the selected Bin Server item. If the username is unknown,
try “Guest” with no password.
Password
Use this field to enter the password for the Bin user entered in the Users list.
Permissions
The administrator can set up different permission types for users.
– Read: This will allow the user to have read-only permission for the bins.
– Create: This will allow the user to create new bins.
– Admin: This gives the user full control over the bins system.
– Modify: This allows the user to modify existing bins.
– Delete: This allows the user to remove bins.

Bins/Server
These preferences are used to add Bin Servers to the list of bins Fusion will display in the Bins dialog.
The Bin Servers preferences
Servers
This dialog lists the servers that are currently in the connection list. You can select one of the entries
to edit its settings.
– Add: Use this button to add a new server to the list.
– Remove: Click this button to remove the selected entry.
Server
This editable field shows the name or IP address of the server for the selected entry in the list.
User
This editable dialog shows the username for the selected Bin Server item.
Password
Use this field to enter the password for the server entered in the Server list.
Library
The Library field lets you name the bins. If you wanted to create a bin for individual projects, you would
name it in the Library field and each project would gets its own bin.
Application
The Application field allows larger studios to specify some other program to serve out the
Bin requests.

Bins/Settings
These preferences are used to control the default behavior of bins.
The Bins Settings preferences
Stamp Quality
The Stamp Quality is a percentage slider that determines the compression ratio used for Stamp
thumbnail creation. Higher values offer better quality but take up more space.
Stamp Format
This drop-down list determines whether the Stamp thumbnails will be saved as compressed or
uncompressed.
Options
– Open Bins on Startup: When Open Bins on Startup is checked, the bins will open automatically
when Fusion is launched.
– Checker Underlay: When the Checker Underlay is enabled, a checkerboard background is used
for clips with alpha channels. When disabled, a gray background matching the Bin window is used
as the clip’s background.

EDL Import
The EDL Import options are used to determine how compositions are created from imported CMX-
formatted EDL files.
The EDL Import preferences
Flow Format
This drop-down menu provides three options that determine how the node tree is constructed for the
imported EDL file.
– Loader Per Clip: A Loader will be created for each clip in the EDL file.
– A-B Roll: A node tree with a Dissolve tool will be created automatically.
– Loader Per Transition: A Loader with a Clip list will be created, representing the imported EDL list.
Use Shot Names

When checked, shot names stored in the EDL file are used to locate the footage.
Customization
The following section covers the customization of preferences that are not technically part of the
Preferences window. Using Fusion Studio’s Hotkey Manager window, you can customize the keyboard
shortcuts, making the entire process of working in Fusion not only faster but potentially more familiar if
you are migrating from another software application. You can also customize Fusion with environment
variables to switch between different preferences files, allowing different working setups based on
different users or job types. Both of these customization options are only available in Fusion Studio.

Shortcuts Customization
Keyboard shortcuts can be customized in Fusion Studio. You can access the Hotkey Manager by
choosing Customize HotKeys from the View menu.
Fusion has active windows to focus attention on those areas of the interface, like the Node Editor,
the viewers, and the Inspector. When selected, a gray border line will outline that section. The
shortcuts for those sections will work only if the region is active. For example, Command-F in the
View will scale the image to fit the view area; in the Flow view, Command-F will open the Find tool
dialog; and in the Spline editor, it will fit the splines to the window.
On the right is a hierarchy tree of each section of Fusion and a list of currently set hotkeys. By
choosing New or Edit, another dialog will appear, which will give specific control over that hotkey.
Creating a new keyframe will give you the key combo to press, and this Edit Hotkey dialog will
appear where the Action can be defined at top right: pressed, repeated, or released. The Name
and abbreviated Short Name can be set, as can the Arguments of the action.

Customizing Preferences
Fusion Studio’s preferences configure Fusion’s overall application default settings and settings for
each new composition. Although you access and set these preferences through the Preferences
window, Fusion saves them in a simple text format called Fusion.prefs.
These default preferences are located in a \Profiles\Default folder and shared by all Fusion users on
the computer. However, you may want to allow each user to have separate preferences and settings,
and this requires saving the preferences to different locations based on a user login.
To change the saved location of the preferences file requires the use of environment variables.
Setting the Preferences Location

When you fist open Fusion, the environment variable FUSION_PROFILE_DIR defines the folder that
contains the Profiles folder. If this variable defines a valid path, then the preferences are saved to this
folder. If the FUSION_PROFILE_DIR does not exist, then Fusion attempts to create it. If it cannot create
the path, then the preferences are stored in the default Path Map location: AllData:\Profiles.
Typically, all users share the same preferences.If you want each user to save separate preferences
within their home folder, you must create another environment variable with the name FUSION_
PROFILE (e.g., FUSION_PROFILE=jane). Using this second environment variable, Fusion will look for
the preferences in the PROFILE_DIR of the user profile. Using a login script, you can make sure the
FUSION_PROFILE is set to the name of the logged in user.
Creating a Master Preferences File

When working with multiple Fusion users in a studio, you may want to standardize on a few settings.
Using the FUSION_MasterPrefs environment variable, you can create one or more site-wide
preferences in addition to your local personal preferences.
FUSION_MasterPrefs must contain the full path to at least one preferences file. If you have multiple
preferences paths, separate them using semicolons. Fusion does not write to these prefs files, and
they may contain a subset of all available settings. You may change settings in these files and use
them only where local prefs do not already exist unless you set the Locked flag.
Locking Preferences
If the line “Locked = true,” appears in the main table of a master file, all settings in that file are locked
and override any other preferences. Locked preferences cannot be altered by the user.

Chapter 76
Controlling Image
Processing and
Resolution
This chapter covers the overall image-processing pipeline. It discusses color bit-depth
and how to control the output resolution in a resolution-independent environment.
Contents
Fusion’s Place in the DaVinci Resolve Image-Processing Pipeline 1352
Source Media into the Fusion Page 1352
Forcing Effects into the Fusion Page 1352
Output from the Fusion Page to the Color Page 1353
What Viewers Show in Different DaVinci Resolve Pages 1353
Managing Resolution In Fusion 1353
Changing the Resolution of a Clip 1354
Compositing with Different-Resolution Clips 1354
Sizing Between DaVinci Resolve Pages 1355
Color Bit Depths 1355
Understanding Integer vs. Float 1355
Setting Color Depth in Fusion Studio 1356
Combining Images with Different Color Depths 1357
Advantages of Floating-Point Processing 1358
Chapter 76 Controlling Image Processing and Resolution 1351

Fusion’s Place in the DaVinci Resolve
Image-Processing Pipeline
When working in a single unified environment like DaVinci Resolve, it is important to understand the
order of operations among the pages. DaVinci Resolve exposes some of this via the order of the page
buttons at the bottom of the screen, with the Media, Cut, and Edit page at the beginning of the chain
and the Color, Fairlight, and Deliver page at the end. However, this isn’t the whole story, especially
when it comes to the Fusion page. The following sections describe where the Fusion page fits in the
image-processing chain of DaVinci Resolve.
Source Media into the Fusion Page

For ordinary, single clips coming in from the Edit or Cut page, the MediaIn node in the Fusion page
represents the source media, as modified by the Clip Attributes window. Although you select the clip
from the Edit or Cut page Timeline, in the Fusion page, the clip is accessed from the Media Pool.
TIP: The decoding or debayering of RAW files occurs prior to all other operations, and as
such, any RAW adjustments will be displayed correctly in the Fusion page.
This means you have access to the entire source clip in the Fusion page, but the render range is set to
match the duration of the clip in the Timeline. You also use the full resolution of the source clip, even if
the Timeline is set to a lower resolution. However, none of the Edit or Cut page Inspector adjustments
carry over into the Fusion page, with the exception of the Lens Correction adjustment.
When you make Zoom, Position, Crop, or Stabilization changes in the Edit or Cut page, they are not
visible in the Fusion page. The same applies to any Resolve FX or OpenFX third-party plug-ins. If you
add these items to a clip in the Edit or Cut page, and then you open the Fusion page, you won’t see
them taking effect. All Edit and Cut page timeline effects and Inspector adjustments, with the
exception of the Lens Correction adjustment, are computed after the Fusion page but before the Color
page. If you open the Color page, you’ll see the Edit and Cut page transforms and plug-ins applied to
that clip, effectively as an operation before the grading adjustments and effects you apply in the Color
page Node Editor.
With this in mind, the order of effects processing in the different pages of DaVinci Resolve can be
described as follows:
Source RAW Clip Fusion Edit/Cut Page Edit/Cut Color

Media Debayering Attributes Effects Inspector Plug-ins Effects
Adjustments Resolve FX
TIP: Retiming applied to the clip in the Edit page Timeline is also not carried over into the
Fusion page.
Forcing Effects into the Fusion Page

There is a way you can force clips with Edit page Inspector adjustments, plug-ins, retiming, and Color
page grades into the Fusion page, and that is to turn that clip into a compound clip. When Edit page
effects and Color page grading are embedded within compound clips, MediaIn nodes corresponding
to compound clips route the effected clip into the Fusion page. However, bringing a compound clip
into the Fusion page does change the resolution of the source clip to match the Timeline resolution.
For more information, see the section “Sizing Between DaVinci Resolve Pages” in this chapter.

Output from the Fusion Page to the Color Page
The composition output from the Fusion page’s MediaOut node are passed on via the Color page’s
source input, with the sole exception that if you’ve added plug-ins to that clip in the Edit or Cut page,
then the handoff from the Fusion page to the Color page is as follows:
Fusion Edit/Cut Page Edit Page Color

Effects Inspector Plug-Ins Effects
Adjustments
What Viewers Show in Different DaVinci

Resolve Pages
Owing to the different needs of compositing artists, editors, and colorists, the viewers show different
states of the clip.
– The Edit page source viewer: Always shows the source media, unless you’re opening a
compound clip that’s been saved in the Media Pool. If Resolve Color Management is enabled, then
the Edit page source viewer shows the source media at the Timeline color space and gamma.
– The Edit page Timeline viewer: Shows clips with all Edit page effects, Color page grades,
and Fusion page effects applied, so editors see the program within the context of all effects
and grading.
– The Fusion page viewer: Shows Media Pool source clips at the Timeline color space and gamma,
but no Edit page Inspector adjustments or Resolve FX effects and no Color page grades.
– The Color page viewer: Shows clips with all Edit page effects, Color page grades, and
Fusion page effects applied.
Managing Resolution In Fusion

There is no formal resolution to a comp in Fusion. Even though opening Fusion > Fusion Settings in the
Fusion page or Preferences in Fusion Studio allows you to set the Width and Height in the Frame
Format panel, those settings only affect the size of Fusion-generated images, like the Background
tool, Fast Noise, and Text+ tool. The actual resolution of your composition is initially determined by the
source resolution of the input image. However, it can be modified at any time using a variety of
operations and nodes. For example, if you read in a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution image, your comp
starts at full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. This is regardless of the Timeline resolution when you are
using the Fusion page in DaVinci Resolve. The initial resolution of the Fusion comp is the size of the
source media. Depending on how you combine images and the nodes you use, the output comp
resolution can be maintained or modified.
TIP: The output of the Fusion page is placed back into the Edit page Timeline based on
DaVinci Resolve’s Image Sizing setting. By default, DaVinci Resolve uses an image sizing
setting called Scale to Fit. This means that even if the Fusion page outputs a 4K composition,
it conforms to 1920 x 1080 if that is what the project or a particular Timeline is set to. Changing
the image sizing setting in DaVinci Resolve’s Project Settings affects how Fusion
compositions are integrated into the Edit page Timeline.

Changing the Resolution of a Clip
If your comp uses a single image, you can change the pixel output resolution in several ways. Three
common tools that change the pixel resolution of a clip are the Resize, Scale, and Crop nodes. A fourth
node, Letterbox, is less commonly used but also changes the pixel resolution of a clip.
These four nodes are located in the Transform category of the Effects library. Resize is also located in
the toolbar.
– Crop: Sets the output resolution of the node using a combination of X and Y size along with X and
Y offset to cut the frame down to the size you want. Crop removes pixels from the image, so if you
later use a Transform node and try to move the image, those pixels are not available.
– Letterbox: Sets the output resolution of the node by adding horizontal or vertical black edges
where necessary to format the frame size and aspect ratio.
– Resize: Sets the output resolution of the node using absolute pixels.
– Scale: Sets the output resolution of the node using a relative percentage of the current input
image size.
TIP: To change resolution and reposition a frame without changing the pixel resolution of a
clip, use the Transform node.
Compositing with Different-Resolution Clips

When you composite images with different resolutions using the Merge node, the image that’s
connected to the orange background input determines the output resolution of the Merge node.
Often, it’s easiest to control the comp resolution right at the start by connecting a node with the
desired output resolution you want to the orange background input on the Merge node. A Background
node is often used in this situation because it consumes meager system resources.
A Background node determines the output resolution of the merge
The Background node sets the output size, and the foreground image is cropped if it is larger.
A Background node created at 1280 x 720 crops the larger foreground.

However, all the pixels of the larger foreground are available for repositioning.

Sizing Between DaVinci Resolve Pages
The order of sizing operations between DaVinci Resolve pages is a bit more nuanced. It’s important to
understand which sizing operations happen in the Fusion page, and which happen after, so you know
which effects alter the image that’s input to the Fusion page, and which effects alter the page’s output.
For example, lens correction, while not strictly sizing, is nonetheless an effect that changes how the
image begins in your Fusion composition. However, the Edit or Cut page stabilization function is an
effect that comes after the Fusion page, so it does not appear in the composition you’re creating.
The order of sizing effects in the different pages of DaVinci Resolve can be described as follows:
Super Edit/Cut Page Fusion Edit/Cut Page Input Output

Scale Lens Transforms Transforms Sizing Sizing
Correction
Sizing with Compound and Fusion Clips

Another way to modify the resolution before clips get handed off from the Edit page to the Fusion
page is to create a compound clip or a Fusion clip. Both compound clips and Fusion clips change the
working resolution of the individual clips to match the Timeline resolution. For instance, if two 4K clips
are stacked one on top of the other in an HD timeline, creating a compound or Fusion clip resizes the
clips to HD. The full resolution of the individual 4K clips is not available in Fusion and is therefore
handed off to the Color page at the rescaled size. To maintain the full resolution of source clips, bring
only one clip into the Fusion page from the Edit or Cut page Timeline, and then bring other clips into
the Fusion composition using the Media Pool. Of course, if your clips are full HD and your timeline is
full HD, then creating a Fusion clip or compound clip does not affect the resolution.
Color Bit Depths

The term bit depth describes how many colors are available in the color palette used to make up an
image. The higher the bit depth, the greater the precision of color in the image, and therefore the
greater the color reproduction. The higher precision is most apparent in gradients with subtle changes.
Lower bit-depth gradients have noticeable banding artifacts, whereas higher bit-depth images can
reproduce more colors, so fewer, if any, banding artifacts occur. The Fusion page within
DaVinci Resolve always uses 32-bit float bits per channel precision to process images. However, in
Fusion Studio you can choose to process images with 8-bit integer, 16-bit integer, 16-bit float, and
32-bit float bits per channel. Although always working at 16-bit float or 32-bit float will produce the best
quality, it may be more efficient to use a lower bit depth if your images are 8-bit or 16-bit integer
formats to begin with.
Understanding Integer vs. Float

Generally, 8-bit integer color processing is the lowest bit depth you’ll come across for video formats.
8-bit images come from older or consumer-grade video equipment like mobile phones and
camcorders. If you try to perform any significant gamma or color correction on 8-bit images, you can
often see more visible banding.
16-bit integer color depth doubles the amount of precision, eliminating problems with banding.
Although you can select 16-bit integer processing for an 8-bit clip, it does not reduce banding that
already exists in the original file. Still, it can help when adding additional effects to the clip. This sounds
like the best solution until you realize that many digital cameras like Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro
and others record in formats that can capture over-range values with shadow areas below 0.0 and
super highlights above 1.0, which are truncated in 16-bit integer.
The 16-bit float color depth sacrifices a small amount of the precision from standard 16-bit integer color
depth to allow storage of color values less than 0 and greater than 1.0. 16-bit float, sometimes called
half-float, is most often found in the OpenEXR format and contains more than enough dynamic range

for most film and HDR television purposes yet requires significantly less memory and processing time
than is required for full float, 32-bit images.
Preserving over-range values allows you to

change exposure while maintaining highlights
Processing at 32-bit float can work with shadow areas below 0.0 and highlights above 1.0, similar to
16-bit float, except with a much greater range of precision but also much greater memory and
processing requirements.
Setting Color Depth in Fusion Studio

As we said earlier, DaVinci Resolve always processes at 32-bit float bits per channel; however, you can
use less memory and still achieve more-than-acceptable results using the Performance Mode setting
located in the User > Playback Preferences panel.
Fusion Studio automatically uses the color depth that makes the most sense for each file format.
For example, if you read in a JPEG file from disk, then the color depth for the Loader is set to 8 bits per
channel. Since the JPEG format is an 8-bit format, loading the image at a greater color depth would
generally be wasteful. If a 16-bit TIFF is loaded, the color depth is set to 16 bits. Loading a DPX file
defaults to 32-bit float, whereas OpenEXR generally defaults to 16-bit float. However, you can override
the automatic format color depth using the settings found in the Import tab of the Loader node’s
Inspector. The Loader’s Inspector, as well as the Inspector for images generated in Fusion (i.e., text,
gradients, fast noise, and others), has a Depth menu for 8-bit, 16-bit integer, 16-bit float, and
32-bit float.
The Loader’s Inspector Color Bit Depth settings
Configuring Default Color Depth Preferences

The default color depth setting forces the tool to process based on the settings configured in the
Node Editor’s Frame Format preferences. These are used to set a default value for color depth,
applied when a Generator tool is added to the Node Editor. There are three drop-down menus to
configure color depth in the preferences. They specify the different color depths for the interactive
session, final renders, and preview renders.

To improve performance as you work on your comp, you can set the Interactive and Preview depth to
8-bits per channel, while final renders can be set to 16-bit integer. However, if your final render output
is 16-bit float or 32-bit float, you should not use the integer options for the interactive setting. The final
results may look significantly different from interactive previews set to integer options.
The Frame Format Color Depth settings
If you aren’t sure what the color depth process is for a tool, you can position the pointer over the
node’s tile in the Node Editor, and a tooltip listing the color depth for that node will appear on the
Status bar.
Hover over a node to view its Color Bit Depth setting.
TIP: When working with images that use 10-bit or 12-bit dynamic range or greater, like
Blackmagic RAW or Cinema DNG files, set the Depth menu in the Inspector to 16-bit float or
32-bit float. This preserves highlight detail as you composite.
Combining Images with Different Color Depths

You can combine images with different color depths in a single composition. When images of different
color depths are combined, the image from the background input of the node determines the bit depth
output, and the foreground image is adjusted to match.

Advantages of Floating-Point Processing
There are two major advantages to floating-point processing that make the additional RAM
requirements and longer render times worth your while. The first benefit is that floating-point values
are more accurate than integer values. The second benefit is the preservation of shadow and highlight
values that go beyond the normal tonal range.
Greater Accuracy
Using 16- or 32-bit floating-point processing prevents the loss of accuracy that can occur when using
8- or 16-bit integer processing. The main difference is that integer values cannot store fractional or
decimal values, so rounding occurs in all image processing. Floating-point processing allows decimal
or fractional values for each pixel, so it is not required to round off the values of the pixel to the closest
integer. As a result, color precision remains virtually perfect, regardless of how many operations are
applied to an image.
If you have an 8-bit pixel with a red value of 75 (dark red) and that pixel is halved using a Color
Correction tool, the pixel’s red value is now 37.5. Since you cannot store decimal or fractional values in
integers, that value is rounded off to 37. Doubling the brightness of the pixel with another Color
Correction tool should bring back the original pixel value of 75 but because of rounding 37 x 2 is 74.
The red value lost a full point of precision due to integer rounding on a very simple example. This is a
problem that can result in visible banding over several color corrections. Similar problems arise when
merging images or transforming them. The more operations that are applied to an image, the more
color precision is lost to rounding when using 8- or 16-bit integer processing.
Accessing Extended Highlights and Shadows

Increasingly more productions are capturing out-of-range images thanks to digital cinema cameras like
the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro and even the Pocket Cinema 6K camera. These cameras capture very
high dynamic range RAW images and maintain color detail even in heavily over or underexposed
frames. The extended white color detail can also give very nice, natural results when blurred, glowed,
color corrected, or even just when faded or dissolved. While it is possible to work with these RAW
images using integer data, doing so results in the loss of the extended range values, losing all detail in
the highlights and shadows. Float processing makes working with logarithmic RAW images
considerably easier by preserving highlight and shadow detail.
If you have an 8-bit pixel that has a red value of 200 (bright red) and a Color Gain tool is used to
double the brightness of the red channel, the result is 200 x 2, or 400. However, 8-bit color values are
limited to a range of 0 through 255. So the pixel‘s value is clipped to 255, or pure red. If now the
brightness is halved, the result is half of 255, or 127 (rounded), instead of the original value of 200.
When processing floating-point colors, pixel values brighter than white or darker than black are
maintained. There is no value clipping. The pixel is still shown in the viewer as pure red, but if float
processing is used instead of 8-bit, the second operation where the gain was halved would have
restored the pixel to its original value of 200.
Using Float with 8-Bit HD Video

There is also some value to using float color depths with an 8-bit HD video when the images require a
lot of color correction. Using float helps maintain precision by avoiding the rounding errors common to
8-bit processing, as described above.
Detecting Extended Highlight and Shadow Values

Although floating-point processing preserves extended values below 0.0 and greater than 1.0, also
called “out-of-range values,” the viewer still displays them as black or white. This can make it difficult
for you to determine the overall dynamic range of an image.

To discover whether there are out-of-range values in a viewed image:
– Right-click in the viewer and choose Options > Show Full Color Range.
Use the Show Full Color Range pop-up menu to detect out-of-range images.
Enabling this display mode rescales the color values in the image so that the brightest color in the
image is remapped to a value of 1.0 (white), and the darkest is remapped to 0.0 (black).
The 3D Histogram subview can also help visualize out-of-range colors in an image. For more
information, see Chapter 67, “Using Viewers,” in the DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual, or Chapter 7
in the Fusion Reference Manual.
Clipping Out-of-Range Values

When processing in floating point, there may be situations where the out-of-range values in an image
need to be clipped. The Brightness/Contrast tool provides checkboxes that can be used to clip
out-of-range values to 0 or 1.
For example, there may be files that contain out-of-range alpha values. Since the alpha channel
represents the opacity of a pixel, it makes little sense to be more than completely transparent or
more than fully opaque, and compositing such an image may lead to unexpected results. To easily
clip alpha values below 0 and above 1, add a Brightness/Contrast toolset to Clip Black and Clip
White, with only the Alpha checkbox selected.
Clip White and Clip Black settings in Brightness/

Contrast can be used to clip mattes.
Alternatively, you can clip the range by adding a Change Depth node and switching to 8-bit or 16-bit
integer color depths.

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What are Simple Expressions and how can they be used in Fusion?

What are Simple Expressions and how can they be used in Fusion?

What are some ways to access extended highlight and shadow values when working with HDR images?

What are some ways to access extended highlight and shadow values when working with HDR images?

An empty field will appear below the parameter, and a yellow indicator will appear to the left.

A SimpleExpression using the sine and time functions

time This returns the current frame number.

Merge1.Blend This returns the value of another input, Blend, from

sin(time/20)/2+.5 This returns a sine wave between 0 and 1.

iif(Merge1.Blend == 0, 0, 1) This returns 0 if the Blend value is 0, and returns 1 if

iif(Input.Metadata.ColorSpaceID == This returns 0 if the image connected to the current

Text1.Center - Point(0,.1) This is similar to the previous expression.

Chapter 72 Using Modifiers, Expressions, and Custom Controls 1269

Text(“Rendered “..os.date(“%b %d, This returns a much larger Text, perhaps

os.date(“%H:%M”) The OS library can pull various information about the

“..os.getenv(“COMPUTERNAME”).. “ Any environment variable can be read by os.getenv,

Chapter 72 Using Modifiers, Expressions, and Custom Controls 1270

Pick whipping to connect one

Customizing User Controls

Choose Edit Controls to create

Chapter 72 Using Modifiers, Expressions, and Custom Controls 1271

The Inspector for a default direction blur

Chapter 72 Using Modifiers, Expressions, and Custom Controls 1272

To change the Inspector parameters for the example above:

DirectionalBlur Center parameter name changed to Blur Vector.

To hide the Length and Angle parameters in the Inspector:

Chapter 72 Using Modifiers, Expressions, and Custom Controls 1273

The Type menu now includes only two options.

To create a new control:

Chapter 72 Using Modifiers, Expressions, and Custom Controls 1274

Chapter 72 Using Modifiers, Expressions, and Custom Controls 1275

Chapter 73 Bins 1276

The Bins window

To open the Bins window, do one of the following:

The Bins sidebar

Chapter 73 Bins 1277

The Bins icon view

Viewing and Sorting Bins

Icon or List View

To view a bin’s contents in List view:

Chapter 73 Bins 1278

Sort Order in List View

Icon Size in Icon View

Use the Size button to select

To create a new folder in the sidebar:

Chapter 73 Bins 1279

To rename a bin folder:

To move a folder into or out of a parent folder:

Drag a folder from the Contents panel to move it in the sidebar.

To remove a folder from the bins:

Chapter 73 Bins 1280

To add an item to a bin:

Add Item in the contextual menu

To remove an item from the bins:

The Delete function in the contextual menu

Chapter 73 Bins 1281

Projects and Media

Image Sequences and Stills

Using Content from Bins