Davinci Resolve has 7 main pages: Media Page, Cut Page, Edit Page, Fusion Page, Color Page, Fairlight Page, and Deliver page. Now we discuss the Cut page.
About Cut page in Davinci Resolve 19
DaVinci Resolve’s cut page offers a streamlined editing workflow designed for speed and efficiency. The main purpose of the cut page is to simplify the editing process to speed up the workflow.
Interface:
Here, we have 2 timelines for adjustments. They are
Upper Timeline: Provides a zoomed-out view of your project, allowing you to navigate and locate clips quickly.
Lower Timeline: Offers a zoomed-in view for precise editing of clips and transitions.
Source Tape: In the viewer window, the source tape displays all clips within the current bin, facilitating selection and adding clips to the timeline.
Viewer Window: Displays the selected clip. Here we can trim or edit the clip by in and out points.
Trim Tools and their Functions:
Trim Mode Activation: Enable Trim Edit mode by pressing the “T” key on your keyboard.
Trim In/Out: This is the most common edit. If we want to trim the starting or ending, simply drag the edges.
Roll Edit: Click directly on the edit point. Drag this point left or right to adjust the timing of both clips simultaneously, effectively moving the edit point back and forth.
Slip Edit: Click on the middle of a clip within the timeline then the cursor icon changes to a double-headed arrow. Drag this point to adjust the clip position.
Slide Edit: It is similar to a slip edit tool but applicable to clips with other clips following it. Click in the middle of a clip and drag. The following clips will slide along with it.
Smart Editing with the Cut Page Indicator.
Simply choose the desired section in the viewer and click the “smart insert” button. The clip seamlessly integrates at the nearest edit point, automatically rippling the timeline to accommodate it. This intuitive approach extends to most editing functions. Inserting or appending clips, crafting close-ups, and incorporating synchronized B-roll cutaways are all significantly faster without the constraints of in/out points.
Smart Insert:
Imagine you’re editing a video and want to insert a new clip. The “smart insert” function makes this easy. It finds the spot in your video closest to where you’re working and places the new clip there. Any clips that were already there are automatically moved down the timeline to make space.
To use it, just pick the clip you want from your media pool, set the part you want to use (the in and out points), and click the “smart insert” button. That’s it – your new clip is smoothly added to your video.
Append at End:
Adding clips to your timeline is a breeze with the Append to End function. No matter where your play head is positioned, you can effortlessly add clips or even an entire group of clips. Simply select the clips you want to add and click the Append to End button on the toolbar. Those clips will be neatly added to the very end of your timeline, saving you time and keeping your workflow smooth.
Place on Top:
The “Place on Top” command in DaVinci Resolve inserts a new clip onto the next available track above the currently selected track in your timeline. When you select a clip in the media pool and use “Place on Top,” the new clip will be positioned at the current playhead location within your timeline, effectively placing it above the existing clips on the current track.
Close Up:
The close-up command leverages the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning within the DaVinci Neural Engine. This innovative feature automatically detects faces in your footage and zooms in on them. This translates to faster editing, as you can seamlessly insert close-up shots without the need for manual zooming and reframing.
Ripple Overwrite:
The Ripple Overwrite function allows you to seamlessly replace a clip on the timeline with a new one, regardless of their differing lengths. If the new clip is shorter, the timeline will be adjusted accordingly, effectively rippling it to become shorter. Conversely, if the new clip is longer, the timeline will be extended through rippling to accommodate the additional footage.
Source Overwrite:
Source overwrite is the quickest method for creating synchronized cutaways from multiple camera angles. Simply set in and out points on your desired cutaway clip. Then, using source overwrite, the clip will be inserted onto the track above, perfectly aligned with the footage on the layer below, ensuring seamless synchronization.
Professional Trimming
DaVinci Resolve offers a suite of trimming tools to help you achieve editing perfection. Shortening or lengthening clips is a breeze – simply drag the left or right edge of a clip at the transition point. This “trim in/out” function automatically adjusts the overall timeline duration for seamless integration. Need to reposition a clip within its allocated space without affecting its length? Click the “slip” icon, usually located at the midpoint of the clip, and drag it to the desired position. This allows the clip to “slide” within its existing timeframe. For even more precise control, click directly on the edit point (where two clips meet). The cursor will change, indicating a “roll edit.” Drag this point back and forth to adjust the timing of both clips simultaneously, effectively moving the edit point with greater accuracy. DaVinci Resolve further enhances your editing experience by providing an A/B trimmer window within the viewer once you initiate trimming. This window displays both clips as a filmstrip, allowing you to make frame-accurate edits for a polished final product. Additionally, the audio track automatically zooms in during trimming, ensuring your edits perfectly align with dialogue or music for a seamless audio experience.
Effortless Trimming
DaVinci Resolve’s Cut Page makes trimming a breeze. Simply drag on either side of the edit point. Dragging to the left shortens the clip at its beginning (trim in), while dragging to the right shortens it at the end (trim out). The changes are reflected instantly in the viewer.
Automatic Timeline Ripple
A key benefit of trimming in the Cut Page is automatic timeline ripple editing. As you trim a clip, the rest of your timeline automatically adjusts to maintain the overall project duration. This eliminates the need for manual adjustments, saving you valuable editing time.
Slip
DaVinci Resolve’s slip edit lets you adjust what part of a clip appears in your timeline without affecting its overall length. Imagine the clip itself sliding within its allocated space. The clip’s duration stays the same, but it moves up or down the timeline.
A helpful visual aid is a white outline that displays the entire clip’s source duration. This outline acts as a reference, showing the clip’s “handles” (unused portions) as you make adjustments. This way, you can easily see how much extra footage exists beyond what’s currently visible in the timeline.
Slide:
While the Slide Edit icon is the same as the Slip Edit, it requires a Shift-click. This lets you reposition a clip within the timeline without changing its duration. Clips to the left and right will automatically adjust to fill the gap or overlap, creating a ripple effect. Imagine it as a three-clip rolling edit, where all clips shift together.
Duration
Fine-tuning transition durations is a breeze in DaVinci Resolve. Simply click the edge of the transition icon at the edit point. This allows you to drag the length of the transition directly. A handy tooltip will display the numerical duration value in real time, ensuring precise adjustments.
Trimming with Audio
DaVinci Resolve offers multiple ways to trim audio for ultimate flexibility. Clicking the new audio trim icon on the upper timeline lets you see a zoomed-in view of the waveform for precise editing. But that’s not all! You can also trim audio directly in the lower timeline with its waveform view, or use the detailed A/B trimmer for frame-accurate adjustments. No matter your preference, DaVinci Resolve provides the tools you need for a clean and efficient editing workflow.
The cut page also includes some more functions. They are,
- Viewer Trimming
- Sync bin for multicam editing
- Clip Inspector
- Transform, Color, Audio, and Text
- Transitions and Effects
- Stunning 2D and 3D Titles
- Detect Boring Short and Jump Cuts
- Import and Sort Media
- Quick Export
Conclusion:
The Cut Page is a valuable addition to DaVinci Resolve’s editing. Whether you’re crafting short-form content, creating social media clips, or assembling a rough cut for a larger project, the Cut Page can significantly enhance your workflow and help you achieve professional results in less time.
About Media page in Davinci Resolve 19
FAQ’s of the Davinci Resolve Cut Page
- How do I add media to the timeline?
Drag and drop clips from the Media Pool onto the timeline. - How do I edit cuts?
Use the razor tool to cut clips, and the edit points to adjust transitions. - How do I add effects?
Apply effects from the Effects Library to clips on the timeline. - How do I adjust audio levels?
Use the audio meters and sliders to balance audio levels. - How do I export my video?
Go to File > Export and choose a format to save your video.
