Category: DaVinci Resolve

Introduction

If you’ve ever created custom lower thirds in DaVinci Resolve video editing software, you’ve probably used the Keyframe Stretcher node. This powerful tool in Fusion allows you to adjust the length of your composition without affecting the animation speed. However, many editors encounter a frustrating issue when shortening compositions that use this node – empty frames or a black screen appear where your animation should be.

What you’ll learn in this guide:

• Why the black screen problem occurs with Keyframe Stretcher
• Step-by-step solutions to fix the issue permanently
• Prevention tips for future projects
• Advanced techniques for working with Fusion compositions

What Is The Keyframe Stretcher Node?

The Keyframe Stretcher Node is a special Fusion tool that allows animation timing to remain consistent regardless of composition length. It’s commonly used for:

• Creating reusable lower third templates
• Designing flexible animated elements
• Building responsive motion graphics
• Maintaining animation timing when adjusting clip duration

Understanding how this node interacts with Global In/Out points is crucial for avoiding the black screen issue.

The Black Screen Problem: Identifying Symptoms

When working with the Keyframe Stretcher node, you might encounter these telltale signs of the problem:

• Animation works initially but then suddenly cuts to black
• Shortening a Fusion composition causes frames to disappear
• Animations stop playing before they should complete
• The timeline shows content but the viewer displays black

This issue specifically affects Fusion compositions that have been shortened after the initial creation.

Root Cause Analysis

The missing frames or black screen is directly related to nodes with a Global In/Out setting. These include:

• Media nodes
• Text nodes
• Background nodes
• Render nodes

These nodes have their Global In/Out settings automatically configured to match the original composition length. When you shorten the composition, the Global In/Out settings don’t automatically adjust, causing frames to be cut off precisely when your animation should appear.

Step-by-Step Solution

Quick Fix Method:

1. Open your problematic composition in the Fusion tab
2. Identify all nodes with Global In/Out settings (text, media, background nodes)
3. Select each node and locate the Global In/Out properties in the Inspector panel
4. Change the Global In/Out duration to a much longer value (1000 frames is recommended)
5. Apply this change to all relevant nodes
6. Return to the Edit page and test your composition

Troubleshooting Other Keyframe Stretcher Issues

If you’re still experiencing problems after fixing the Global In/Out settings:

• Make sure your Source Start, Source End, Stretch Start, and Stretch End are configured properly in the Keyframe Stretcher node settings.
• Verify that animation keyframes exist within the viewable timeframe
• If you are using Anim Curves for animation, make sure its’ Source is set to Custom

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why does the black screen only appear after I shorten my composition? A: The black screen appears because shortening the composition affects the Global In/Out points of nodes, cutting off frames when animations should play.

Q: Does this issue affect all types of Fusion compositions? A: This issue specifically affects compositions using the Keyframe Stretcher node that have been shortened from their original duration.

Q: Do I need to adjust the Global In/Out for all nodes? A: You only need to adjust nodes that have Global In/Out settings, typically text, media, and background nodes.

Conclusion

The black screen issue with DaVinci Resolve’s Keyframe Stretcher node is a common but easily fixable problem. By understanding how Global In/Out settings interact with composition durations, you can ensure your animations play correctly every time.

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Overview

DaVinci Resolve templates are tools to help video editors create videos faster with pre-made motion graphics, video elements, transitions, and effects. Templates are a generic term that encompasses many different types of tools. Video editors can install and use templates either on the Edit page or inside the Fusion page. This article will cover how to use templates in the Edit page, where the majority of the video editing workflow is performed.
Ever since DaVinci Resolve 17.2 and later versions, BlackMagic Design has come up with a way to make the installation process easy via the .drfx file format installer. To learn more about the installation, check out the full tutorial here.

Where Are Templates Located in DaVinci Resolve?

Different Types of DaVinci Resolve Templates

There are different types of templates that can be created and used inside the Edit page of DaVinci Resolve. There are 5 main categories, and they all serve different purposes and are placed in different parts of the user interface. Although there are 5 main categories, conceptually, there are 2 main types of templates: ones that affect and change your videos and images, and ones that do not change your clips.

Titles

Titles are the simplest form of templates. Titles are text elements that are displayed in a video to convey information to the viewer. Titles are an example of an independent and self-contained template, meaning they do not affect existing video clips on the timeline. Here are some examples of how titles can be used:

• Movie titles
• Introduction to a video informing viewers what the video is about
• Ending credits for a film or show
• Infographic text, for example, if you are creating a documentary, you may want to show the population for a country.
• Lower Third – Ever seen an interview where the speaker’s name is displayed on the bottom of the screen? That’s a title used as a lower third.

To learn more about Titles in DaVinci Resolve, check out our blog post on Titles. Check out the titles collection that Allavio has to offer.

Video Transitions

Transitions allow 2 video clips to be merged at the start and end portions into one clip to be presented seamlessly, rather than a sharp cut to the next clip. Let’s say you have video clip A and video clip B, both clips can be placed on the timeline in the Edit page. The timeline will play clip A and then clip B. What if, as clip B was about to be played, you wanted clip A to slide to the left, and clip B to be sliding in from the right? That’s a transition. If you want to learn how to add transitions to your video clips in DaVinci Resolve, check out our tutorial here. View the full transitions collection that Allavio has to offer

Generators

Generators inside DaVinci Resolve are self-contained motion graphic elements that do not affect your videos. DaVinci Resolve has a lot of generators built in for common video editing purposes. As the name implies, they often help generate motion graphics, patterns, and backgrounds. Let’s look at some concrete examples:

• Let’s say you need a red color background to be placed behind your videos, how would you go about this? There is a generator item to help you. If you click on the Generator dropdown, there’s an item called “Solid Color,” which you can drag onto the timeline and change its color.
• Need a simple introductory scene to introduce your video? Find the “Stinger Transitions” and select any one of the pre-made intro scenes and drag it onto the timeline. Click on the item that you dragged onto the timeline, and a sidebar on the right will open up called the Inspector Window, where you can customize the intro scene to fit your needs. Usually, there will be an option to change the Graphic Text, Background Color, and Logos.
• Need to generate snow particles and create a snow atmosphere to match your video? Check out this Snow generator.

Effects

Effects, also known as filters, allow video editors to augment or modify videos in new ways. Unlike Generators and Titles, effects directly affect the pixels of the video or image. When you apply an effect to a video clip, it affects the entire video clip. Effects take the pixel data in the videos, modify them, and output the modified pixels. In other words, imagine face filters on your favorite social media apps or photo library apps. The cool thing about effects is that they can be stacked on top of each other and combined to create completely new and complex effects.

There are 2 sections where Effects can be found. One is part of the Toolbox section inside the Effects tab, and another section where you can find more effects is the OpenFX section. OpenFX effects are used in the same way as regular effects; the only difference is that they are made using the OpenFX SDK, which is an open-source protocol for creating effects. To find more effects for DaVinci Resolve from Allavio, check out the effects collection.

Audio Transitions

Audio transitions allow editors to merge the end and start of separate audio clips into one seamless sound. The transition allows for a more pleasing transition from one audio to the next, without creating a sense of disjointness. They are used in a similar manner as video transitions, in the sense that the transition is applied to the end of audio A and the start of audio B.

How to Use Templates?

Templates are used by first finding the templates section and locating the template to be used. If you are using an independent template object such as a Title or Generator, you will need to click and drag the template object onto the timeline.

If the template is an independent object on the timeline, its properties can be edited and customized by clicking on the template, and changing its controls in the right sidebar called the Inspector Window.

If you are using an effect template, you will need to drag the effect template object directly onto the image or video clip. If the template is an effect applied to an image or a video, it will be added as an effect to the clip itself. The effect’s controls can be edited by clicking on the clip that it was applied to. Then find the effects section of the clip in the Inspector Window and change the controls there.

How Are Templates for DaVinci Resolve Created?

Templates for DaVinci Resolve video editing software are created in the Fusion page of DaVinci Resolve. Fusion is DaVinci Resolve’s built-in VFX and motion graphics workspace. Its node-based workflow and extensive 2D/3D toolset empower you to create everything from simple fixes to Hollywood-caliber effects (as seen in films like The Hunger Games and Avengers).