COLOR / TOOL GUIDE 12 / 13
Versions.
Compare precisely. Keep your decisions.
Gallery, stills, PowerGrades and versions serve different scopes. Preserve a reference grade, compare shots and transfer only intentional decisions.
saved grade + reference frame
available to projects in one Project Library
grade alternative for a timeline instance
The captured menu belongs to Split Screen and chooses what to compare. It is not the menu that creates Versions. Versions and PowerGrades are explained below.
BEFORE MOVING A CONTROL
Understand what you are changing.
A saved still and a version serve different tasks
A still provides a reference image and saved grade for comparison or application. A version holds an alternative correction for a clip. Albums organize material but do not automatically create versions for every shot.
PowerGrades support reuse across projects in the same Project Library. They do not guarantee portability of every dependency: external LUTs, mattes and other referenced assets must remain available.
Comparison is not Apply Grade
Wipe and Split Screen change the viewing arrangement. Apply Grade changes the selected clip’s correction. Identify the receiving clip first and confirm whether the action should apply settings or merely show a reference.
Before transfer, check input space, RAW interpretation, sizing and node purpose. Another camera’s technical foundation may be unsuitable even when its look is attractive. Match actual objects and lighting after application rather than relying on visual memory.
Local, remote and group are different scopes
A local version belongs to the timeline instance; remote grading links correction to source media in the project. If an adjustment appears elsewhere, inspect that relationship before assuming Resolve copied it accidentally.
Resolve 21 adds clip-group versioning. Selecting a group version affects all its clips; individual group members cannot simultaneously use different versions of the same group. Check membership and the Pre-Clip/Post-Clip context before switching.
FROM PURPOSE TO CONTROL
Choose deliberately, not by trial and error.
The interface images are collected in the viewer above. Here, focus on what each control changes and when to use it; values in the captures are not universal presets.
Saving, comparing and versioning
Gallery and Stills
The Gallery is not just a collection of pretty frames. Stills let you lock in a successful grade, compare neighboring shots and reuse a proven color direction across a scene. That makes shot matching much faster.
- Grab Still saves the current frame and grade
- A Still becomes a visual reference for the scene
- The grade can be applied to other clips
Clips and grade transfer
The Clips strip makes it easy to move between shots and judge whether exposure, balance and saturation are consistent. Once one shot has a solid base, it can become the starting point for the next before each clip receives its own final refinement.
- Fast navigation across scene shots
- Easy to spot the shot that does not match
- A strong base for shot matching
Viewer + Clips: judging in context
A beautiful single frame can still fail next to the surrounding shots. After grading, move quickly between clips and judge the Viewer in scene context: shadows, skin, contrast and overall color character should feel consistent.
- Judge the scene, not just one frame
- Recheck matching after major changes
- Compare with both Viewer and scopes
Versions
Versions let you keep several grade variations for the same clip and switch between them. That is cleaner than duplicating clips or destroying a working node tree just to test an idea: one version can stay neutral, another more contrasty and a third more creative.
- Several grade variants for one clip
- Safe space for experimentation
- Useful for comparing creative looks
Version, Versions and Original
Resolve comparison modes can show the current version, multiple variants or the original image. This is useful after a long grading session when your eyes have adapted and it becomes hard to tell whether the shot is genuinely better or simply more processed.
- Quickly return to Original
- Compare multiple versions
- Reduce the risk of overgrading
TECHNICAL REFERENCE
Gallery, Stills and Versions are a decision-management system, not a screenshot folder
A Resolve Still is more than a comparison image: it acts as a portable grade state that can be applied to other clips. Regular Gallery albums belong to the project, while PowerGrade albums make saved grades available to other projects in the same Project Library. Versions solve a different problem: multiple alternatives for one clip. Local Versions belong to a specific timeline instance, while Remote Versions allow instances from the same source media to share grades across timelines in a project. These mechanisms should not be conflated because they operate at different inheritance levels.
What belongs where
| Mechanism | Scope | Use it for | Main trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grab Still | Gallery in the active project | reference, matching and transferring a specific grade | treating it only as a JPEG/reference without grade state |
| Still Album | project | scenes, cameras, look alternatives and approved references | dumping hundreds of unnamed stills into one album |
| PowerGrade Album | Project Library | reusable node structures, looks and technical templates across projects | reusing project-specific transforms/LUT paths without checking them |
| Apply Grade | current clip | apply a saved grade state | applying another camera's technical input transform as if it were a look |
| Local Version | timeline clip instance | A/B looks, client options and safe experiments | expecting automatic ripple to other instances of the source clip |
| Remote Version | source media within the project | a shared master grade for repeated uses of one source across timelines | accidentally changing all linked instances while assuming the grade is local |
| Wipe / Split Screen | Viewer comparison | continuity, shot matching and comparing versions/stills/clips | comparing mismatched content/timecodes and relying on visual memory |
FROM KNOWLEDGE TO A REPEATABLE RESULT
One exercise. A result you can check.
Prepare two neighboring shots and one clip with two grade versions. Give the reference still and versions meaningful names, and ensure experiments do not unexpectedly affect shared remote grades.
- 01
Pick a hero shot for the scene
Start with the shot that best represents skin, lighting and the dominant colors of the scene. It is the easiest place to build a clean baseline for the rest of the sequence.
- 02
Save a Still
Once the base looks right, save a Still. You now have a concrete visual reference instead of a vague memory of how the scene should feel.
- 03
Transfer the base and refine each shot
Use the transferred grade only as a starting point. Different angles, exposures and lighting almost always need individual refinement, so blind copy-paste is rarely the final answer.
- 04
Compare Versions, Original and scopes
Before finalizing, compare alternate versions and return to Original. This quickly reveals where the grade became stronger and where you started grading simply for the sake of grading.
Self-check in Resolve; the site does not evaluate your work. Progress is not saved after reloading.
An editorial exercise for your own footage, not an automated check of a Resolve project. Work on a copy or separate version and evaluate the complete shot.
WHEN THE RESULT IS NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT
Find the cause, not a compensating slider.
01Apply Grade gives a completely different result+
Possible cause. the source clip has a different input state, camera gamut/gamma or upstream colour management
What to check. Input Color Space, RAW decode, CST/RCM/ACES and which nodes are camera-specific
02A PowerGrade works in one project but breaks in another+
Possible cause. it contains project-specific LUT/DCTL/path assumptions or expects a different working space
What to check. LUT/DCTL availability, timeline colour space, node colour space and output pipeline
03Changing one grade unexpectedly changes other clips+
Possible cause. a Remote Version is active or clips are linked through another grading level/group
What to check. Local/Remote marker, source media identity and Group/Timeline node context
04The scene still jumps even though one Still matches+
Possible cause. matching was done to one frozen frame without checking neighbouring shots and exposure changes
What to check. Split Screen, adjacent clips, waveform/parade and playback continuity
A SITUATION TO THINK THROUGHChanging one shot also changed several others. Is this necessarily a bug?Compare your reasoning ↓
No. Check remote grades, group nodes and group versions. Shared processing intentionally affects linked clips. For an independent experiment, identify the required scope and save an alternative rather than resetting the project.
Sources and version notes
Checked against Blackmagic Design’s Color documentation and the relevant new-feature guides. Screenshots are from the site’s own supplied library; controls and layout can differ between versions. Examples are instructional, not universal production settings.