Grade School: Understanding Resolve 17.4's Newest Color Features

Join Cullen as we dive into the exciting new updates to DaVinci Resolve's Color page in version 17.4!

5:26 ACES 1.3
9:55 ACES 1.3 Gamut Compression
14:05 Updated color management system
19:35 Custom mixer
28:00 Q: Why is the trace on the color mixer different from the vectorscope?
32:32 Q: Where in my node tree do I place halation?
42:00 Q: How do you set yourself up for speed on large projects (800 shots)?
51:40 Q: Do you take your powergrades, etc. with you when you rent out a facility to work in?
54:22 Q: Where and when do you use curves in a linear space?
1:00:13 Q: How do you feel the new halation FX compares to how you build it yourself?

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[DerZaubererFN]

Just discovered your channel! After 3 vids I have to say thank you for sharing your knowledge! Really excited watching all the vids I have missed so far 🤘🏼

[thatcherfreeman]

You're right that the color warper achieves the same results as some hue v hue and hue v sat curves, but I think it presents those two curves in a much better way.

With the color warper, for a specific input hue, I can make an adjustment to the hue and saturation at the same time, whereas with the color curves, I'd have to do more work to make sure my control points are set up identically. Additionally, the color warper is great for conducting the operation of reducing hue variability in a certain portion of the color wheel. With the hue v hue curve being a horizontal line, it's hard to set a span of input hues to be a single output hue (and tbh it's not clear to me what the units of the Y-axis are in the hue v hue curve).

I suppose a third thing the color warper would be good for (though I haven't done this myself) would be that it provides the ability for me to choose some hue, and then rotate that hue one way or another for a limited range of saturations. I don't think the custom curves can do that.

[ramproductions]

Hi Cullen! Always appreciate the extra insight and straightforward and honest approach when replying and providing content. I have a question involving color tagging and color fidelity that was touched on during some of the Grade Schools in the summer, but was hoping you would expand upon it.

I have two set ups between work and my home studio, the work one being ran through Mac OS and my home through Windows, therefore already creating a bit of a snag when creating renders between the two due primarily to the Mac OS' gamma being stationed more around 1.96 whereas my home setup has a dedicated SDR Rec 709 gamma 2.4 display hooked into Resolve. While gamma tagging to Rec 709, g2.4 does provide a closer approximation to what I see on my Windows for the Mac, I wanted to pick your brain more on what a more dedicated workflow should be for review purposes in a team composition that flows between both OS systems, both of which watch through Frameio.

Since my Windows always gives me a 1:1 match on what I send out of Davinci vs what is put up on Frame, I am of course more aligned to that option. That said, those same files that are a 1:1 match are slightly washed out when brought over to the Mac workspace, where the majority of our team is for reviews. With so many different color models and proprietary systems used between not only OS's but web browsers, media players, etc, what would your suggestion be in this circumstance for reviewing purposes, as I know we can only provide so much assurance before the file is put into the wild west of color management on the web, TV settings, etc. Thanks in advance for any insight you can bring to this situation!

[jmalmsten]

The thing about layering in Resolve is, I think it's confusing to think of them as layers like acetate sheets or cells used in old school animation. It's better to think of them as signal processing steps, like the whole node system in general. When you do that, it makes more sense. It takes the first layer. Then goes to the next node down the list and adds it multiplies or whatever to the result. And then the next. And so on down the list. So the last one, ends up being added last and therefore is on top if we use blending modes that show layering.

It is a quirk in how the app works in general. And as I understand it it also makes sense when you think about that what the node tree is doing is building a script in the background. And scripts are inherently read top to bottom.

That's how I justify it in my head that node layers are shown bottom up at least. Of course, technically, we probably could have a switch in Resolve that inverts that visualization... But I kind of like the consistency where all installs at least look and behave the same in tutorials and such. :)

[markunrau]

This may be a silly question. I've been following your ACES workflow and doing all my ACES transforms on the node level. However, what I can't seem to find on your videos is what should I set the color management to in the project settings? Currently I have it set to Davinci YRGB Color Managed / color processing mode is SDR / output color space is SDR Rec.709. Then on the clipi level, my first node is ACES transform v1.3 / input transform is Sony Slog3Cinema (shots are from a Sony A1) and output transform to ACEScct - CSC. Then my timeline "Out" node is input transform ACEScct - CSC / output transform is Rec.709.

[Jimmy_Maurice]

With the Color Warper you can easily have the over saturated look without actually over saturated your color in your image.
By extending the middle of the web.
Sorry if I'm not clear, my English writing (and speaking) isn't good, I'm french...

[SouthPhillyth]

Hello I am using Resolve Studio 17.4.2 and I am trying to understand color management. I shoot BRAW with my 6k pro. I tried DaVinci wide gamut but my footage becomes dark. What are the best settings to color grade and upload to YouTube? Thank you!

[mrfroopy]

As opposed to the ACES 1.3 workflow in the node sandwich, I am wondering why one wouldn't work with YRGB DaVinci Color Managed with automatic off and then Davinci Wide Gamut intermediate instead? Does this have a larger gamut than ACES or am I way off base? Or if one wanted to go custom totally would one do (for a rec 709 output) :
Input color Space: Davinci WGIntermediate. Timeline: Davinci WGIntermediate and (the one I am confused about here now : Timeline working Luminence: HDR1000 or higher or SDR 100? Am confused about this last one. I am talking working with lets just say ARRI Alexa footage for instance.

[Photovintageguy]

Can you do a real basic node setup to take common log footage into aces properly? And also how simple camera matching and color correction is different vs standard color management. I'd like to jump in to play with it but it seems confusing.