AI DEPTH · FROM VIEW TO KEY
AI Depth Map.
Find the depth.
Control the selection.
Generate a perceived-depth map, isolate the right distance band, clean the matte and send its alpha to the next Color node. Learn which control changes depth and which only changes what the Viewer shows.
Faster / Better
Target / Tolerance
Use OFX Alpha
Lab challenge: turn off Depth Map Preview, then enable Use OFX Alpha and inspect the Output view. That is a routing demonstration, not a real AI inference.
01 · Depth levels
02 · Isolate a band
03 · Map Finesse
04 · Advanced + routing
This is a deterministic synthetic depth field, not AI segmentation or the proprietary Resolve OFX. The Quality and Deflicker controls illustrate principles only. The source screenshots below are genuine Resolve Inspector captures. Choose Output to see how Preview and Use OFX Alpha change the illustrated workflow.
Original DaVinci Resolve captures and an independent synthetic-depth laboratory.
17 controls · 8 PNG01WHAT THE AI MAP REPRESENTS
Relative distance is not camera Z-depth.
Resolve 20+ uses the updated Depth Map v2 under the same general controls. Evaluate the generated map as an estimate, not physically measured distance.
White generally means near
In the standard, non-inverted map, the foreground is bright and far background dark. Invert changes the polarity.
A depth band is a mask
Isolation chooses a depth interval. Tolerance broadens it; Softness feathers the depth-domain transition.
Preview is not delivery
Turn off Preview, enable Use OFX Alpha when applied to a Corrector, and route the key. A grayscale Viewer alone is not a working node chain.
The hero uses a synthetic illustrated scene with editable mathematical depth bands. It is neither Blackmagic’s neural model nor a photograph-based depth inference. The Inspector images below are genuine screenshots.
02EVERY REAL CONTROL
Five groups. Seventeen controls. Eight original captures.
The real screenshots show what can actually be verified visually. For full control behavior, the article also uses the Resolve 21 manual. Values in captures are not universal presets.
01 / CORE
Generation and inspection
Three essential controls. The map estimates perceived depth, not measured camera distance.
- Quality
Faster prioritizes responsiveness; Better is the choice for scrutinizing edges and final work. Better does not guarantee correctness.
CheckCompare the same frame and inspect hair, glass, and overlapping subjects.
- Depth Map Preview
Displays the diagnostic map. White normally denotes nearer/foreground regions and black denotes farther ones; Invert reverses it. Turn Preview off before using the alpha.
CheckIf the final viewer still shows grayscale rather than the graded image, inspect Preview first.
- Invert
Swaps near and far selection. It is neither AI retraining nor edge improvement.
CheckCompare exactly the same matte with Invert on and off; foreground and background exchange roles.
02 / LEVELS
Depth level remapping
Set levels after verifying the segmentation. A tone remap cannot repair misidentified objects.
- Adjust Map Levels
Enables Far Limit, Near Limit and Gamma. The manual notes that enabled level adjustment previews the 0–1 clipping of alpha output.
CheckCompare disabled and enabled adjustment, changing only one limit at a time.
- Far Limit
Sets the map black point (far limit), excluding farther depths from the light portion of the key as it rises.
CheckWatch background tonal transitions, especially mid-depth detail.
- Near Limit
Sets the map white point (near limit); setting it too close to Far Limit crushes mid-depth gradation.
CheckCheck that the foreground stays coherent instead of turning into a harsh contour.
- Gamma
Redistributes midtones between the map black and white points without changing the scene estimate.
CheckInspect midground transitions, not only the brightest pixel.
03 / ISOLATION
Isolate a depth interval
Use this to select a mid-depth band, not merely the foreground.
- Isolation
Enables a selected depth band instead of using the full near-to-far ramp.
CheckToggle this and observe which objects fall inside the selected range.
- Target Depth
The selection centre: approximately 0 for far and 1 for near. It is relative, not measured in metres.
CheckSweep it across the whole range and watch the selected scene layer move.
- Tolerance
Range width around Target Depth: higher tolerance includes more distance layers.
CheckCompare narrow and broad bands with the same target depth.
- Softness
Feathering around the selected depth range, distinct from spatial Blur applied to object edges.
CheckLook for smooth semi-transparent transitions between depth layers.
04 / FINESSE
Matte cleanup
These tools refine boundaries and matte noise; they do not rerun AI depth estimation.
- Post-Processing
Enables Map Finesse tools. Judge them on real moving footage.
CheckExamine the original alpha before engaging cleanup.
- Post-Filter
Smooths depth variation along image contours, suppressing unevenness within regions.
CheckAvoid erasing thin hair and railings by over-filtering.
- Contract / Expand
Contracts or expands the matte boundary to reduce halos or recover lost edges.
CheckTry subtle adjustments in both directions on a high-contrast boundary.
- Blur
Softens harsh matte edges; this is not a lens blur on the final image. Too much creates halos.
CheckCheck for matte bleed onto the adjacent depth layer.
05 / ADVANCED
Blanking and temporal stability
Here the difference between timeline canvas and actual media extent is crucial.
- Blanking Regions
Process Entire Frame analyzes every pixel; Automatic follows media bounds; Auto + Extra Crop helps remove bars; Manual overrides crop bounds. Availability can depend on context.
CheckOn letterboxed footage inspect how the bars and image edge are treated, not merely the centre.
- Deflicker
Reduces frame-to-frame fluctuations in the estimated matte. It does not fix a wrong segment and may smooth rapid real changes.
CheckScrub 10–20 moving frames and watch for mask lag or breathing.
03MAP, KEY AND ALPHA
Three views of one scene — three different purposes.
Use the top laboratory to inspect Depth 0–1, Resulting Alpha and Key-driven Grade side by side. Do not confuse the measured tonal ramp with the selection used for grading.
| View | White represents | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Depth Map | Nearer estimated scene depth before isolation | Verify near/mid/far layering and errors |
| Resulting Alpha | Area selected to receive the downstream operation | Inspect Invert, Target, tolerance and cleanup |
| Key-driven Grade | A signal, not a view: mask gates the added correction | Confirm the key is actually wired downstream |
Caution: Invert is a polarity operation. Changing Tolerance expands a depth selection; Contract / Expand operates on spatial matte boundaries. Their apparent similarity in a still frame can hide different behavior on motion.
04THE MISSING NODE CONNECTION
The key must leave the Depth Map node.
The Resolve 21 manual explicitly calls out Use OFX Alpha on a Corrector node. In the interactive sketch, toggle Preview and alpha routing to see why a plausible-looking matte does not always reach a downstream grade.
When Depth Map is on a regular Corrector node, enable Use OFX Alpha in the node context menu. Otherwise the blue key may not carry the desired matte.
Diagram, not a Resolve screenshot. It demonstrates a Color Corrector with Depth Map applied. The consumer node may be a grade, haze composite, or a blur map; connect the blue key separately from the green RGB line.
Related guides: Color node graph ↗ · Tilt-Shift Blur ↗
05WHAT IS THE VALID IMAGE REGION
Treat black bars as framing, not scene depth.
Select “Black bars” in the hero and compare the Blanking Regions options. Automatic uses known media extent; Manual may be needed for irregular crops.
Process Entire Frame
Full frameEven black bars and surrounding frame pixels participate.
Automatic
Media boundariesUses the media extent known to Resolve.
Auto + Extra Crop
Auto with extra cropHelps avoid black bars within the media region.
Manual
Manual cropYou override the media region when automatic detection is insufficient.
The synthetic laboratory demonstrates a letterbox boundary; it does not detect the actual media crop nor reproduce Resolve’s internal Blanking Regions algorithm. “Auto + Extra Crop” and “Manual” are greyed in the captured dropdown; their availability is context-dependent.
06FOUR REAL WORKFLOWS
A depth matte is useful only when it holds across time.
These exercises are checkable on real footage in DaVinci Resolve Studio; the hero model is not a benchmark or a source of exact parameter values.
Separate a subject from background
Grade the background without affecting the subject.
- 01
On a dedicated Color node add Depth Map, choose Better and inspect Depth Map Preview.
- 02
If the background should be selected white, use Invert and refine Far/Near Limit.
- 03
Turn Preview off; when on a regular Corrector node select Use OFX Alpha, then route key via the blue connector.
- 04
Apply a subtle grade in a downstream node and inspect the moving boundary.
Over 10–20 frames the subject stays clean, with no colour spill or bright halo.
Select only the midground
Demonstrate that Target Depth selects distance, not a sampled colour.
- 01
Enable Isolation and sweep Target Depth from 0 to 1 with a narrow Tolerance.
- 02
Increase Tolerance, then Softness; compare band width with the transition feather.
- 03
Apply gentle Map Finesse if needed; avoid turning the matte into general blur.
Objects at the target depth are selected while nearer and farther areas stay excluded.
Letterbox and irregular frame
Prevent black bars from skewing the estimated depth.
- 01
Use a shot with actual letterbox/pillarbox bars.
- 02
Compare Process Entire Frame against Automatic, then Auto + Extra Crop or Manual when available.
- 03
After changing extent, recheck hair and boundary pixels at the edge of the media.
Black bars do not become a false depth layer.
Keep the matte stable over time
Distinguish AI flicker from real object motion.
- 01
Choose motion footage with hair or complicated transparency.
- 02
Preview the map and scrub 10–20 frames before changing Deflicker.
- 03
Raise Deflicker gently, checking both stability and possible lag.
The edge stops breathing without visibly lagging rapid motion.
07WHEN THE RESULT IS WRONG
Start with signal routing, then repair edges.
A missing OFX alpha cannot be fixed with Gamma. An incorrectly selected background cannot be fixed with more Blur.
01The entire image remains grayscale+
Cause: Depth Map Preview is still enabled.
Fix: Disable Preview for the finishing node chain.
02The downstream node ignores the depth map+
Cause: OFX Alpha is not selected or the blue key connection is missing.
Fix: On the Depth Map Corrector choose Use OFX Alpha; inspect the direction of the key wire.
03Background selected instead of subject+
Cause: Near/far selection is opposite to the intended key.
Fix: Check Invert and inspect the matte before adding more Blur.
04Bright hair-edge halo+
Cause: The matte is too wide or the segmentation is incorrect.
Fix: Try small Contract / Expand and Post-Filter adjustments; reduce excess Blur.
05Matte flickers across frames+
Cause: The estimate varies from frame to frame or the cropping is unstable.
Fix: Review consistent frames, blanking extent and moderate Deflicker.
06Letterbox bars interfere with depth+
Cause: Process Entire Frame includes pixels outside the active picture.
Fix: Try Automatic or extra crop if supported for your media.
08BEFORE DELIVERY
Five checks before trusting a depth matte.
09FAQ
Practical AI Depth Map questions
Does AI Depth Map measure physical distance?
No. It estimates relative perceived depth in a 2D image; 0–1 is neither metres nor camera Z-pass data.
Which edition has the effect?
Resolve FX Depth Map requires DaVinci Resolve Studio. Resolve 20 and newer use the improved Depth Map v2 model.
Why do I need Use OFX Alpha?
When the effect is on a Corrector node, this action selects the OFX-provided alpha. Without it the next node may not receive the intended depth key. Turn Preview off first.
Is white near or far?
In the normal Depth Map v2 view, bright is nearer and dark is farther. Invert flips polarity; Isolation makes white represent a selected depth band.
How does Softness differ from Map Finesse Blur?
Softness feathers the selected depth range; Map Finesse Blur softens spatial edges of the resulting matte.
Will Better repair a wrong depth estimate?
It may improve difficult boundaries, but neither Better nor Gamma guarantees correct separation of overlapping objects. Inspect the frame.
Can I feed the map into Tilt-Shift Blur?
Yes. Route the Depth Map key to Tilt-Shift Blur alpha input and choose Map Source = From Alpha In (naming varies by version). Check Invert if focus runs in the opposite direction.
Is this the same as the Fusion Depth Map node?
The concept is similar, but this guide covers the Resolve FX Color Inspector and its routing. Fusion nodes have different connectors; do not copy the Color graph blindly.
Sources, scope and original captures
The official Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve 21 manual documents the Depth Map FX under Resolve FX Refine (Studio only), while this site groups depth utilities in its Utility catalogue. Resolve 20+ uses Depth Map v2. The gallery contains all eight native PNGs; some screens show controls disabled and therefore cannot prove undocumented numeric ranges. The lab never sends data to Resolve and does not run its neural network.