resolve-mcp

The most comprehensive MCP server for DaVinci Resolve. 295+ tools covering the complete DaVinci Resolve scripting API (v20.3) — control every aspect of Resolve from Claude, ChatGPT, or any MCP-compatible AI assistant.

What is resolve-mcp?

resolve-mcp is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes 295+ tools for controlling DaVinci Resolve through AI assistants like Claude, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, ChatGPT, and any other MCP client.

It turns natural language into Resolve scripting API calls — letting you manage projects, edit timelines, grade color, render deliverables, manage media pools, control Fusion compositions, and more, all through conversation with an AI.

Why resolve-mcp?

Complete API coverage — 295+ tools spanning every Resolve scripting API surface: projects, media pool, timelines, editing, markers, rendering, color grading, Fusion, Fairlight, galleries, node graphs, Dolby Vision, and stereo 3D
Zero code required — just talk to your AI assistant: "Create a new timeline called 'Final Cut' at 24fps" or "Add a dissolve transition to every cut point"
One-line install — uvx resolve-mcp or pip install resolve-mcp
Works with any MCP client — Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code + Continue, or your own MCP client
Optional AI editing tools — 3 bonus Gemini-powered tools for AI timeline analysis, marker-driven editing, and automated marker placement
Cross-platform — macOS, Windows, Linux (wherever Resolve runs)

Quick Start

Prerequisites

DaVinci Resolve (Free or Studio) must be running
Enable scripting: Preferences → System → General → External scripting using = Network
Python 3.11+
ffmpeg (for AI tools only): brew install ffmpeg (macOS) or apt install ffmpeg (Linux)

Install

# Using uvx (recommended — runs in isolated environment)
uvx resolve-mcp

# Using pip
pip install resolve-mcp

# Using pipx
pipx install resolve-mcp

# Install with the AI editing assistant (resolve-assistant) included
pip install resolve-mcp[assistant]

Configure Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop MCP config:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "resolve-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["resolve-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Configure Claude Code

Add to your project's .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "resolve-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["resolve-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Configure Cursor / Windsurf / VS Code

Follow your editor's MCP server configuration docs, pointing to uvx resolve-mcp as the command.

Enable AI Bridge Tools (Optional)

To use the 3 Gemini-powered AI tools (resolve_analyze_timeline, resolve_add_markers, resolve_build_from_markers), set your Gemini API key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "resolve-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["resolve-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": "your-gemini-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windows note: If uvx is not on your system PATH, use the full path to uvx.exe (e.g., C:\\Users\\YOU\\.local\\bin\\uvx.exe) as the "command" value.

Get a free Gemini API key at aistudio.google.com.

Using Both Servers Together — resolve-mcp + resolve-assistant

resolve-mcp gives you 295+ tools for direct DaVinci Resolve control — projects, timelines, editing, color grading, rendering, Fusion, Fairlight, and more.

resolve-assistant is a separate MCP server that adds AI-powered automatic editing — point it at a folder of footage and give it an editing instruction, and it uses Google Gemini to watch every frame, plan the edit, and build the timeline in Resolve automatically.

They are independent MCP servers. You can use either one alone, or both together for the complete AI video editing toolkit. When used together, you get full manual control over Resolve (resolve-mcp) plus AI-driven footage analysis and automatic timeline building (resolve-assistant).

Install Both With One Command

# Install resolve-mcp with the AI editing assistant included
pip install resolve-mcp[assistant]

# Or install them separately
pip install resolve-mcp
pip install resolve-assistant

Configure Both Servers

Because they are two separate MCP servers, each needs its own entry in your Claude Desktop or Claude Code config. Here is the complete configuration with both servers:

Claude Desktop (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS, %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows, ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on Linux):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "resolve-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["resolve-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": "your-gemini-api-key-here"
      }
    },
    "resolve-assistant": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["resolve-assistant"],
      "env": {
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": "your-gemini-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code (.mcp.json in your project root):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "resolve-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["resolve-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": "your-gemini-api-key-here"
      }
    },
    "resolve-assistant": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["resolve-assistant"],
      "env": {
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": "your-gemini-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: GEMINI_API_KEY is optional for resolve-mcp (only the 3 AI bridge tools need it) but required for resolve-assistant. Both servers use the same Gemini API key.

Which Server Do I Need?

Use Case	resolve-mcp	resolve-assistant	Both
Control Resolve via AI (projects, timelines, editing, rendering)	Yes
Color grading, Fusion, Fairlight, node graphs	Yes
AI footage analysis — watch every frame, transcribe speech, tag content		Yes
AI automatic editing — give an instruction, get a timeline		Yes
Full AI video editing pipeline with manual Resolve control			Yes
AI timeline critique + marker-driven editing	Yes

For more about the AI editing assistant, see the resolve-assistant documentation.

Tool Categories

Project Management (10 tools)

Create, open, close, save, and configure DaVinci Resolve projects. Switch databases, manage project settings, and query project metadata.

Tool	Description
`resolve_list_projects`	List all projects in the current database
`resolve_create_project`	Create a new project with optional settings
`resolve_load_project`	Open a project by name
`resolve_save_project`	Save the current project
`resolve_get_project_settings`	Read project settings (resolution, frame rate, etc.)
`resolve_set_project_setting`	Modify a project setting
`resolve_switch_page`	Navigate to a specific Resolve page (edit, color, deliver, etc.)
`resolve_get_version`	Get Resolve version and edition info
`resolve_get_product_name`	Get product name (Free vs Studio)
`resolve_get_project_id`	Get the unique project ID

Media Pool (21 tools)

Import, organize, search, and manage clips in the media pool. Create bins, move clips, set metadata, relink media, and more.

Tool	Description
`resolve_import_media`	Import files into the media pool
`resolve_import_folder_to_media_pool`	Import an entire folder
`resolve_create_bin`	Create a new media pool bin
`resolve_list_bins`	List all bins with clip counts
`resolve_search_clips`	Search clips by name
`resolve_get_clip_info`	Get detailed clip properties
`resolve_set_clip_metadata`	Set clip metadata fields
`resolve_set_clip_color`	Set clip color label
`resolve_move_clips`	Move clips between bins
`resolve_delete_clips`	Delete clips from the pool
`resolve_relink_clips`	Relink offline media
`resolve_auto_sync_audio`	Auto-sync audio to video
...and more

Timeline Management (15 tools)

Create, duplicate, delete, import, and export timelines. Manage tracks, set timeline properties, and navigate between timelines.

Tool	Description
`resolve_create_empty_timeline`	Create a blank timeline
`resolve_create_timeline_from_clips`	Create a timeline from selected clips
`resolve_list_timelines`	List all timelines in the project
`resolve_get_timeline_info`	Get timeline metadata (tracks, duration, etc.)
`resolve_set_current_timeline`	Switch to a specific timeline
`resolve_duplicate_timeline`	Duplicate a timeline
`resolve_delete_timelines`	Delete timelines
`resolve_export_timeline`	Export as AAF, EDL, XML, FCPXML, OTIO, etc.
`resolve_import_timeline_from_file`	Import a timeline from file
`resolve_add_track`	Add video, audio, or subtitle tracks
`resolve_delete_track`	Remove a track
`resolve_set_track_name`	Rename a track
`resolve_set_track_enabled`	Enable/disable a track
`resolve_set_track_locked`	Lock/unlock a track
`resolve_get_timeline_settings`	Read timeline-level settings

Editing (12 tools)

Manipulate timeline items — set properties, transforms, composite modes, speed changes, and clip-level operations.

Tool	Description
`resolve_list_clips_on_track`	List all clips on a given track
`resolve_get_item_properties`	Read clip properties (zoom, pan, opacity, etc.)
`resolve_set_item_properties`	Set clip properties
`resolve_set_clip_enabled`	Enable/disable a clip
`resolve_set_clip_color_on_timeline`	Color-code a clip on the timeline
`resolve_delete_clips_from_timeline`	Remove clips from the timeline
`resolve_link_clips`	Link video and audio clips
`resolve_unlink_clips`	Unlink video from audio
`resolve_create_compound_clip`	Create a compound clip
`resolve_stabilize_clip`	Run stabilization analysis
`resolve_smart_reframe`	Apply Smart Reframe (Studio)
`resolve_get_clip_source_info`	Get source media info for a timeline clip

Markers & Playhead (9 tools)

Add, edit, delete, and query markers on timelines. Control playhead position.

Tool	Description
`resolve_list_markers`	List all markers on the current timeline
`resolve_add_marker_at`	Add a marker at a specific frame
`resolve_delete_markers`	Delete markers by color
`resolve_delete_marker_at`	Delete a marker at a specific frame
`resolve_update_marker_data`	Update marker name, note, or color
`resolve_get_marker_data`	Read marker data at a frame
`resolve_get_playhead`	Get current playhead position
`resolve_set_playhead`	Move playhead to a specific frame

Rendering (14 tools)

Configure render settings, manage the render queue, and control rendering jobs.

Tool	Description
`resolve_add_render_job`	Add a render job to the queue
`resolve_start_render`	Start rendering
`resolve_stop_render`	Stop rendering
`resolve_get_render_status`	Check render progress
`resolve_list_render_jobs`	List all jobs in the queue
`resolve_delete_render_job`	Remove a job from the queue
`resolve_get_render_presets`	List available render presets
`resolve_load_render_preset`	Load a render preset
`resolve_set_render_settings`	Configure render settings
`resolve_set_render_format_and_codec`	Set format and codec
`resolve_get_render_formats`	List available formats and codecs
`resolve_get_current_render_settings`	Read current render settings
`resolve_get_render_resolutions`	Get available resolutions
`resolve_is_rendering`	Check if a render is in progress

Color Grading (12 tools)

Control color grading — apply LUTs, set CDL values, manage nodes, copy grades, grab stills, and export frames.

Tool	Description
`resolve_apply_lut`	Apply a LUT to a clip
`resolve_get_lut`	Read the current LUT
`resolve_set_cdl`	Set CDL (slope, offset, power, saturation)
`resolve_get_cdl`	Read CDL values
`resolve_get_node_count`	Count nodes in the grade
`resolve_reset_grades`	Reset all grading
`resolve_copy_grade`	Copy grade from one clip to another
`resolve_grab_still`	Capture a still from the current frame
`resolve_export_frame`	Export the current frame as an image
`resolve_list_color_groups`	List color groups
`resolve_add_color_group`	Create a new color group
`resolve_delete_color_group`	Delete a color group

Fusion (8 tools)

Manage Fusion compositions on timeline clips.

Tool	Description
`resolve_item_list_fusion_comps`	List Fusion comps on a clip
`resolve_item_add_fusion_comp`	Add a new Fusion comp
`resolve_item_import_fusion_comp`	Import a .comp file
`resolve_item_export_fusion_comp`	Export a Fusion comp
`resolve_item_delete_fusion_comp`	Delete a Fusion comp
`resolve_item_load_fusion_comp`	Load a Fusion comp for editing
`resolve_item_rename_fusion_comp`	Rename a Fusion comp

Fairlight Audio (4 tools)

Control Fairlight audio features — voice isolation, audio insertion, and track info.

Tool	Description
`resolve_get_voice_isolation`	Check voice isolation status
`resolve_set_voice_isolation`	Enable/disable voice isolation
`resolve_insert_audio_at_playhead`	Insert audio at the playhead
`resolve_get_audio_track_info`	Get audio track details

Additional Categories

Clip Metadata (18 tools) — markers, flags, proxy management, transcription
Timeline Items (11 tools) — item-level markers and flags
Clip Versions (11 tools) — version management, color group assignment
Gallery & Stills (7 tools) — still albums, still export/import
Node Graph (5 tools) — node labels, enable/disable, tool inspection
Layout Presets (22 tools) — UI layouts, render presets, burn-in presets
Dolby Vision & Stereo 3D (4 tools) — Dolby Vision analysis, stereo conversion
Media Storage (3 tools) — browse volumes and storage locations
Project Manager (10 tools) — archive, delete, import, restore projects
Bin/Folder Operations (4 tools) — transcription, metadata export, folder IDs
Generators & Titles (13 tools) — insert generators, titles, Fusion compositions, scene cut detection

AI Bridge Tools (3 tools, requires GEMINI_API_KEY)

Tool	Description
`resolve_analyze_timeline`	AI-powered editorial critique of the current timeline
`resolve_add_markers`	Add director's note markers from an edit plan
`resolve_build_from_markers`	Fill marker-defined slots with AI-selected footage

MCP Resources (Read-Only)

Resource URI	Description
`resolve://version`	Resolve version and edition
`resolve://project`	Current project name and settings
`resolve://timelines`	All timelines with track counts
`resolve://bins`	Media pool bin tree with clip counts
`resolve://render-queue`	Render job queue with statuses

Usage Examples

Once configured, just talk to your AI assistant naturally:

Project Management

"List all my Resolve projects" "Create a new project called 'Summer Campaign' at 4K 24fps" "What are the current project settings?"

Media Pool

"Import all files from /Volumes/Media/Footage into the 'Raw' bin" "How many clips are in the 'B-Roll' bin?" "Set the clip color of all clips in 'Interviews' to Blue"

Timeline Editing

"Create a new timeline called 'Final Cut v3' with 2 video and 4 audio tracks" "List all clips on video track 1" "Add a Blue marker at frame 1200 with the note 'Great reaction shot'"

Rendering

"Set up a render job for H.265 MP4 at 4K" "Start rendering and tell me when it's done" "What render presets are available?"

Color Grading

"Apply the 'Kodak 2383' LUT to the current clip" "Set the CDL lift to add warmth to the shadows" "Grab a still from the current frame"

AI-Powered Analysis (requires Gemini)

"Analyze the current timeline and give me editorial feedback" "Build a timeline from markers using the footage in /Volumes/Media/Footage"

Claude Code Plugin — Skills, Agents & Hooks

This repo is also a Claude Code plugin that installs 13 editor-focused skills, 3 specialized agents, and safety hooks directly into Claude Code.

Install Everything With One Command

claude plugin add github.com/jenkinsm13/resolve-mcp

This installs the MCP server (295+ tools) AND all skills, agents, and hooks in one step. No separate MCP configuration needed — the plugin bundles it all.

Note: Set your GEMINI_API_KEY in the MCP server config after install if you want the AI bridge tools. The 215+ Resolve tools work without it.

Skills (invoke with `/skill-name`)

Skill	Description
`/color-assist`	AI color grading — exports sRGB frame, analyzes it visually, applies CDL adjustments
`/match-reference`	Match a reference image — compare side-by-side, adjust CDL to match the look
`/deliver`	One-command render with presets (H.265 4K, ProRes, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok)
`/multi-deliver`	Batch render multiple deliverables from one timeline
`/preflight`	Full pre-delivery QC — gaps, disabled clips, FPS mismatches, un-graded clips, markers
`/dolby-vision`	Dolby Vision render pipeline with profile selection and analyzer
`/review-cut`	Render review cut + AI editorial feedback via Gemini
`/archive`	Export complete project archive (DRP + media manifest + timelines + markers)
`/prep-timeline`	Create timeline with standard track layout (V1 A-Roll, V2 B-Roll, V3 GFX, etc.)
`/organize`	Auto-organize media pool into bins by clip type
`/markers-to-notes`	Export timeline markers as editorial notes markdown
`/import-notes`	Parse timecoded client notes into color-coded markers
`/timeline-diff`	Compare two timelines — report added, removed, trimmed, moved clips

Agents

Agent	Description
`color-analyst`	Structured color analysis with CDL recommendations (dispatched by `/color-assist`)
`timeline-auditor`	Pre-delivery QC for gaps, disabled clips, FPS mismatches, markers
`color-consistency-checker`	Post-grading QC for grade coverage, LUT consistency, CDL ranges

Hooks

.env protection — blocks editing of .env files containing API keys
Destructive operation warning — warns before delete operations in Resolve (clips, timelines, grades, markers, bins, projects)

Note: The plugin bundles both the MCP server and all skills/agents/hooks. For standalone MCP server install (without skills), use uvx resolve-mcp or pip install resolve-mcp.

Architecture

resolve-mcp
├── resolve_mcp/               # Python package (installed via pip/uvx)
│   ├── __init__.py            # Package init, registers all tool modules
│   ├── __main__.py            # python -m resolve_mcp entry point
│   ├── config.py              # FastMCP server + optional Gemini client
│   ├── resolve.py             # DaVinci Resolve scripting API connection
│   ├── errors.py              # Error handling + @safe_resolve_call decorator
│   ├── resources.py           # MCP resources (resolve://project, etc.)
│   ├── project_tools.py       # Project management (10 tools)
│   ├── media_pool_tools.py    # Media pool operations (11 tools)
│   ├── timeline_mgmt_tools.py # Timeline management (15 tools)
│   ├── edit_tools.py          # Timeline item editing (12 tools)
│   ├── marker_tools.py        # Markers & playhead (9 tools)
│   ├── render_tools.py        # Render pipeline (14 tools)
│   ├── color_tools.py         # Color grading (12 tools)
│   ├── fusion_tools.py        # Fusion comp management (8 tools)
│   ├── fairlight_tools.py     # Fairlight audio (4 tools)
│   ├── ...                    # 10+ more tool modules
│   └── resolve_ai_tools.py    # AI bridge tools (3 tools)
├── skills/                    # Claude Code plugin skills
│   ├── color-assist/SKILL.md
│   ├── deliver/SKILL.md
│   ├── preflight/SKILL.md
│   └── ...                    # 13 skills total
├── agents/                    # Claude Code plugin agents
│   ├── color-analyst.md
│   ├── timeline-auditor.md
│   └── color-consistency-checker.md
├── hooks/hooks.json           # Claude Code plugin hooks
├── .claude-plugin/plugin.json # Plugin manifest
├── pyproject.toml
├── .env.example
└── README.md

How It Works

resolve-mcp starts a FastMCP server that registers 295+ tools
Your AI client (Claude, Cursor, etc.) connects via the MCP protocol
When you make a request, the AI selects the appropriate tool(s)
Each tool calls the DaVinci Resolve scripting API via the Python SDK
Results are returned as structured text to the AI for interpretation

The server connects to Resolve over the network scripting interface, which must be enabled in Resolve's preferences. No plugins or extensions needed — just enable the scripting API and run the server.

Troubleshooting

"DaVinci Resolve is not running"

Make sure Resolve is open
Enable scripting: Preferences → System → General → External scripting using = Network
Restart Resolve after enabling scripting

"No project open in Resolve"

Open or create a project in Resolve before using project-dependent tools

Tools not appearing in Claude Desktop

Restart Claude Desktop after modifying claude_desktop_config.json
Check the MCP server logs in Claude Desktop's developer console
Verify uvx resolve-mcp runs successfully from the terminal

AI bridge tools return "GEMINI_API_KEY not set"

Add GEMINI_API_KEY to the env section of your MCP config
The 215+ Resolve tools work without Gemini — only the 3 AI bridge tools require it

DaVinci Resolve API Compatibility

Tested with: DaVinci Resolve 20.3 (Free and Studio)
Platform support: macOS (Apple Silicon + Intel), Windows, Linux
Studio-only features are clearly marked — the server gracefully handles Free edition limitations

Related Projects

resolve-assistant — AI-powered video editing assistant that uses Google Gemini to analyze footage, plan professional edits, and build timelines in DaVinci Resolve automatically. Install alongside resolve-mcp with pip install resolve-mcp[assistant] for the complete AI video editing toolkit.
FastMCP — The MCP framework powering this server
Model Context Protocol — The open protocol for AI tool use

License

MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please open an issue or PR on GitHub.

Built for video editors, colorists, and post-production professionals who want to control DaVinci Resolve with AI. Works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, ChatGPT, and any MCP-compatible client. Pair with resolve-assistant for AI-powered automatic editing.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 40 Commits
.claude-plugin		.claude-plugin
.claude		.claude
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
agents		agents
hooks		hooks
resolve_mcp		resolve_mcp
scripts		scripts
skills		skills
tests		tests
.env.example		.env.example
.gitignore		.gitignore
.mcp.json		.mcp.json
CLAUDE.md		CLAUDE.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
pyproject.toml		pyproject.toml
uv.lock		uv.lock

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resolve-mcp

What is resolve-mcp?

Why resolve-mcp?

Quick Start

Prerequisites

Install

Configure Claude Desktop

Configure Claude Code

Configure Cursor / Windsurf / VS Code

Enable AI Bridge Tools (Optional)

Using Both Servers Together — resolve-mcp + resolve-assistant

Install Both With One Command

Configure Both Servers

Which Server Do I Need?

Tool Categories

Project Management (10 tools)

Media Pool (21 tools)

Timeline Management (15 tools)

Editing (12 tools)

Markers & Playhead (9 tools)

Rendering (14 tools)

Color Grading (12 tools)

Fusion (8 tools)

Fairlight Audio (4 tools)

Additional Categories

AI Bridge Tools (3 tools, requires GEMINI_API_KEY)

MCP Resources (Read-Only)

Usage Examples

Project Management

Media Pool

Timeline Editing

Rendering

Color Grading

AI-Powered Analysis (requires Gemini)

Claude Code Plugin — Skills, Agents & Hooks

Install Everything With One Command

Skills (invoke with /skill-name)

Agents

Hooks

Architecture

How It Works

Troubleshooting

"DaVinci Resolve is not running"

"No project open in Resolve"

Tools not appearing in Claude Desktop

AI bridge tools return "GEMINI_API_KEY not set"

DaVinci Resolve API Compatibility

Related Projects

License

Contributing

About

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