Create a 3D LUT for Resolve | DisplayCAL & ArgyllCMS

The only way to accurate grade your film is with a calbrated display.

Post color professionals preach this relentlessly, because it's true. But what if you're an independent filmmaker without the budget for high end displays that support hardware calibration? Do you buy a colorimeter and create an ICC profile? Not ideal.

The best way to grade on a budget is a small display hooked up to something like the Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Monitor 3G (or Decklink card). Hook up a display with 100% Rec.709 support and then use DisplayCAL and ArgyllCMS to create a 3D LUT file that can be used inside Resolve.

This solution is one of the most inexpensive choices for indie filmmakers on a budget.

However, using DisplayCAL is no walk in the park. It's more like walking into a tornado.

This lesson shows you how to use DisplayCAl to calibrate your display and create a 3D LUT file that you can use in Resolve.

#howtousedisplaycalfor3DLUT
#howtocreatea3DLUTforResolve
#onlinefilmschool
#ultrastudiomonitor3G
#Blackmagicdesigndecklink

[BoyanDechev]

This video was absolutely invaluable in properly calibrating my external monitor and I keep coming back to it! Thank you so much for your work!

[ozzyosmond]

Hi Kyler - So glad somebody is out there making these videos for us! I am ready to get into a properly calibrated work environment and based on some suggestions from others somehow ended up here where you corroborated, expanded and even deep dived for me! Amazing. My grading is done on an M1 Ultra Apple Studio in Resolve with the new BM Micro panel. My plan is to get the Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Monitor 3G, a Calibrite Display Pro HL, and an ASUS PA329CV and use DisplayCal to produce a 3D LUT. QUESTIONS - 1) Is the ASUS I mentioned going to work well? It's a 4K display, but I figured it would be nice to be able to use for other purposes later if I upgrade. Will I have to make adjustments for the fact that it's 4K? 2) I tend to keep things updated and I see indication DisplayCal may not work with the latest Mac OS. I would probably then have to use the Calibrite software if it's not compatible. Would I still get decent results?

[kaktus.studio]

Very good one, especially for people for whom Displaycal might be a little overwhelming... I am using this method since over 3 years. My setting is quite similar, except from: Calibration - here I set tone curve to Rec 709, as well as black level to 0.01 cd/m2; 3d lut: size 65 (33 is simply less accurate, but some tools like viewing calera monitors may accept only 33). Also I always do verification, which can assure me that all went ok - worth to mention that either a lut is loaded into Resolve, or Device Link Profile with the right path is checked, otherwise luts duplicate themselves.

[markusrytilahti]

Nice content! I really hope you will do a video about using BMD hardware as lutbox.

[FuIIDiveVR]

I noticed the gamut covered was quite low at 88% after profiling. You can get better coverage if you increase the saturation slightly beyond rec709 primaries and check the tracking on HCFR before profiling. Just make sure to import the ccss or ccmx to hcfr.

[rules]

I'm going through all the steps explained in the video, but when the white measurement area box that you place the Calibrite DisplayPro HL on appears, it appears on the computer monitor I'm using to show the Resolve color page, not the Asus monitor connected to the UltraStudio output. How do I move the white box to the Asus monitor I'm trying to calibrate? I believe the white box is supposed to appear on both monitors, but it only appears on the one not connected to UltraStudio, even though the Asus connected to UltraStudio does show the output from Resolve.

[erikgouletphoto]

How do you add the LUT box to the hardware chain?

[markusrytilahti]

Hi! Displaycal PY3 that you sort of mentioned in the video works great on Sonoma 14.4.1 .Im running it on a macbook pro m1 with Sonoma 14.4.1 right now. No problems at all!

[johanwagner_sweden]

Thanks a lot. Really helpful. My Eizo was way off. Now back on track. 😊

[yanpetcov]

I'm using MacOS Sonoma, and apparently there is no update for that. At least I couldn't install it. If I install the DisplayCal on my Windows PC, connect my Ultrastudio and my monitor to it, create the LUT, it will be "installed" on the Ultrastudio, so I can bring it back to my Mac? That is how it works? So everytime I want to calibrate it I will have to do that? Thanks in advance to whoever replies it!

[giznofx]

So workflow would be..
1. conect with HDMI do display
2. make calibration with DispalyCal and create LUT
3. switch to Ultrastudio 3G and in resolve add video monitor LUT


Is that correct?

[GoodTimesWithBrianJoseph]

Do you still use the BENQ 2700u monitor for your color grading as a reference monitor?

[erikgouletphoto]

On DisplayCal I don't the Override minimum, override display, full field pattern and output levels. I only have the Display - Instrument and Correction. How do I get the missing components?

[pumpum]

thanks for the details instruction, btw i have the same monitor ASUS PA247, same CalMan i1 pro, same BMD UltraStudio Monitor 3G but my rec709 mode only gives out 66% sRGB after calibration

[adamblair-smith]

Any way to do this with video levels instead? when I try changing the pipeline to video levels I get unusable results. I need video levels as .mp4 and h.264 does not support full levels

[twan.peeters]

Thanks a lot Kyler! I was wondering if the Argyll settings would remain the same for a 1350:1 contrast ratio Eizo monitor or if you would change something? As it seems in between the 1000:1 and 2000:1 discussed.

[vicentsendra]

Hello, thanks for the video! I have a question, if I already created an icc calibration and installed it on my windows, do I have to deactivate it and make the 3D lut for davinci or can I just do the 3D calibration method for Davinci while having the icc already installed on the system?

Thank you!!!

[im_gldn]

Ive been going through the series and i just want say thanks for creating this content. Im sure the ill be recommending and coming back for a refresher. Qiuestion: I know you said you would followup with how report the results from theh calibration. Ive tried my hand it at just curious if you'll be releasing that before and after report and what to look for in the results.

[TanelTopaasia]

Thank you for this tutorial 😊, but how did you manage to set the monitor hz to 24 since it only supports 48-75hz? Mine shows out of range logo when BMUS3G is feeding 1080p24.

[wildcat_films]

Excellent and fascinating. Enjoying many of your videos. However despite following your instructions to the letter, Calibrite doesn't see my ASUSProArt247. Calibrite support sadly not much help. Am I missing something obvious? My ASUS is also not showing in my Mac Display Settings. So sorry to bother you but I'm completely stuck!