Resolve FX · ColorStudio · tone / gamut remapDaVinci Resolve 21

Gamut Mapping

A dedicated technical Resolve FX for tone and saturation remapping: describe the current gamma, choose the luminance mapping model, compress or clip extreme saturation, and control scene/display OOTF behaviour without building a full colour-space conversion inside the same node.

Tone Mapping

Dynamic-range roll-off

Gamut Mapping

Saturation compression / clip

Advanced

Forward / Inverse OOTF

Controls Mapping workflow

Scope of this page

Resolve FX controls here; colour-science theory stays in Color Science

The encyclopedia already has a dedicated Gamut Mapping chapter covering out-of-gamut colour, gamut boundaries, compression, clipping, hue preservation and colour volume. We do not duplicate that material here. This guide concentrates on the Resolve 21 OFX controls, signal contract, node placement and troubleshooting.

Color Science

Gamut Mapping

Theory: boundaries, gamut compression, clipping, hue behaviour and colour volume.

Open theory chapter

Resolve 21 controls

Read the panel as one signal-remapping system

Gamma tells the FX what it is receiving. Tone Mapping defines luminance redistribution. The luminance fields define the operating range. Gamut Mapping decides how extreme saturation is handled. Advanced OOTF switches belong to scene/display signal-domain transitions.

How the current signal is encoded

Gamma

Gamma describes the transfer function of the image entering Gamut Mapping. Use timeline is correct only when this node really receives the Timeline Gamma. The menu includes ACEScc/ACEScct, Apple Log, ARRI LogC3/LogC4, HLG, Blackmagic Design Film and other encodings — this is a signal-state description, not a look selector.

Use timeline — only when the signal state at this point matches the timeline
After a CST/DCTL/LUT the gamma may no longer match the timeline
Gamma describes the FX input; it does not replace a full input→output transform

What to do with dynamic range

Tone Mapping Method

Tone Mapping Method chooses how luminance is redistributed. None disables tone mapping, Clip hard-clips out-of-range values, Simple uses a simple curve, Luminance Mapping is aimed at standards-based signals, DaVinci provides a smooth roll-off with controlled desaturation at the extremes, and Saturation Preserving retains more saturation while rolling luminance off.

None / Clip — no soft roll-off, or hard clipping
DaVinci — a general smooth roll-off for mixed wide-gamut camera material
Saturation Preserving — when retaining colour in bright/dark extremes matters

The luminance numbers driving tone mapping

Max / Avg Luminance

Max. Input Luminance and Max. Output Luminance define which input peak is mapped into which output peak. Avg. Input Luminance accounts for viewer adaptation and influences detail distribution, especially when a very bright scene is mapped into a more limited display range. Set these values from the mastering/display context rather than tuning them only by eye.

Max Input — assumed/defined input peak in nits
Max Output — target display/master peak in nits
Avg Input — an adaptation-aware control, not ordinary Exposure

What to do with excessive saturation

Gamut Mapping Method

None applies no gamut remapping. Saturation Compression smoothly redistributes extreme saturation, preserving more gradation and relationships between colours. Clip is the hard option: values outside the allowed mapping model hit the boundary. Your screenshot shows None, so the additional Saturation Compression controls are not expanded.

Saturation Compression — the main smooth option for LED/neon/out-of-gamut problems
Clip — technically predictable, but can destroy hue/saturation separation
If a strict final QC boundary is required, a separate Gamut Limiter after mapping is usually clearer

Advanced · OOTF

Forward and Inverse OOTF are signal-domain switches, not look buttons

OOTF describes the system relationship between scene-referred values and a display-referred rendering. Forward OOTF is relevant when intentionally moving from a scene representation toward display rendering; Inverse OOTF is relevant in the opposite direction. If RCM, ACES or another CST already owns that transition, adding it again here can double the rendering behaviour.

Forward OOTF

Scene → display relationship. Use only when this node intentionally owns that rendering step.

Inverse OOTF

Display → scene-side relationship. It is not a generic way to make an image flatter.

Avoid double transforms

Check RCM/ACES/output CST first. One stage should own the scene/display rendering relationship.

Verify on scopes + display

OOTF can change luminance distribution and perceived saturation, so judge it in the calibrated output context.

Practical workflow

Six passes from signal contract to final verification

Identify the signal at this node

Before touching mapping, trace every upstream CST, DCTL, LUT and colour-management stage. Gamma must describe the signal that actually reaches this FX.

Decide whether tone mapping is needed

If source and target dynamic ranges are already equivalent, do not add a DRT merely because DaVinci is the default. If ranges differ, choose the method deliberately and define luminance limits from the mastering context.

Set Max Input / Output and Avg Input

Use known display/mastering numbers where possible. Check highlight roll-off and midtone placement on scopes instead of treating the values as creative sliders.

Choose the gamut policy

Use Saturation Compression when you need smooth remapping of extreme colours. Use Clip only when hard clipping is actually the intended behaviour; for strict final delivery compliance, consider keeping hard limiting in a dedicated Gamut Limiter stage.

Verify luma and chroma separately

Waveform/HDR scopes reveal tone compression, while Vectorscope and CIE Chromaticity reveal saturation and gamut behaviour. RGB Parade helps expose channel flattening after clipping.

Keep mapping responsibility in one place

RCM, ACES, an output CST and this OFX can all perform related operations. Avoid stacking several unknown tone/gamut mappers because the combined result becomes hard to reason about and reproduce.

Tool boundaries

Gamut Mapping FX, CST and Gamut Limiter solve different layers of the pipeline

Gamut Mapping FX

A dedicated tone/saturation remapping stage using current Gamma, luminance limits, mapping methods and optional OOTF controls. It does not define an explicit input/output gamut pair.

Current page

Color Space Transform

An explicit conversion between Input Colour Space/Gamma and Output Colour Space/Gamma. Tone and gamut mapping live inside CST as optional parts of that technical transform.

CST

Gamut Limiter

A strict hard boundary for a specified target gamut. It is a compliance guard, not a smooth perceptual compressor. If both are required, map first and limit later.

Gamut Limiter

Troubleshooting

If mapping creates a new problem, diagnose the signal before adding another correction

Symptom

The whole image shifts when the FX is enabled

Cause: Gamma is wrong, or tone mapping is active even though no dynamic-range remap was intended.

Fix: Confirm the node input state, test Tone Mapping Method = None, then add only the mapping stage that solves the actual problem.

Symptom

Highlights look grey or lose colour

Cause: The selected tone mapper is deliberately desaturating extreme luminance, or the luminance limits are not representative of the source/output.

Fix: Compare DaVinci with Saturation Preserving, verify Max Input/Output, and judge the result on Waveform plus the actual calibrated output.

Symptom

LED/neon turns into flat patches

Cause: Gamut Mapping Method = Clip, or another downstream limiter is collapsing many colours onto one boundary.

Fix: Use Saturation Compression upstream and reserve hard limiting for the final compliance stage if the specification requires it.

Symptom

The image becomes too dark/contrasty with OOTF

Cause: Forward or Inverse OOTF was enabled without a real scene↔display transition, or an adjacent transform already performs that role.

Fix: Audit the signal domain before and after the node. Use Forward OOTF for an intentional scene-to-display step and Inverse OOTF for the inverse direction; do not use both as generic look switches.

Remapping without duplicating the theory

Gamut Mapping: the signal-level model

Resolve FX Gamut Mapping is neither another Color Space Transform nor a Gamut Limiter. It receives an already-existing signal, described by Gamma, and applies separate tone-mapping and saturation-remapping policies. The first question is therefore not which preset looks nicest, but what signal state enters the FX and what specific problem this remapping stage is meant to solve.

Blackmagic documents these controls as the same tone/gamut mapping models found in CST and Color Management. Gamma describes the input transfer function; Tone Mapping Method controls dynamic-range redistribution; Max/Avg Luminance define the luminance operating points; Gamut Mapping Method selects saturation compression or hard clipping. Advanced OOTF changes the scene↔display rendering relationship and requires its own justification.

This page does not repeat the underlying gamut-mapping theory: out-of-gamut colour, gamut boundaries, hue preservation, colour volume and perceptual compression are already covered in /color-science/gamut-mapping. The focus here is the specific OFX, its signal contract and practical pipeline use.

Use it when

smoothly taming extreme saturation after a problematic transform, LED/neon source or aggressive creative correction
a local/dedicated tone-mapping stage when project-level Color Management should remain unchanged
deliberate output-side remapping before a final hard limiter when delivery requires a strict boundary

Choose another tool when

RCM/ACES/an output CST already performs the same DRT/gamut mapping and the new OFX would simply double the transform
you need an explicit conversion from one Colour Space/Gamma pair to another — that is CST's job, not the dedicated Gamut Mapping FX

Control → signal meaning → verification

Layer	What it means	How to verify
Gamma	Describes the transfer function of the signal entering the FX. Use timeline is safe only when the current signal actually matches Timeline Gamma.	Audit upstream CST/DCTL/LUT stages and do not choose gamma by eye.
Tone Mapping Method	None disables the DRT; Clip hard-clips out-of-range values; Simple uses a basic curve; Luminance Mapping and DaVinci provide smoother roll-off; Saturation Preserving retains more saturation during luminance compression.	Inspect highlight/shadow roll-off, reference white, colour at the extremes and unexpected overall contrast shifts.
Max Input / Max Output / Avg Input Luminance	The Max fields define luminance mapping endpoints while Avg Input influences adaptation-aware luminance distribution. These are technical tone-mapper parameters, not three forms of Exposure.	Cross-check nits against the mastering/display context and verify with Waveform/HDR scopes.
Gamut Mapping Method	None does not remap saturation; Saturation Compression smoothly brings extreme chroma values inward; Clip creates a hard boundary and can collapse colour differences.	Use Vectorscope/CIE Chromaticity and saturated LED/neon/skin edges as stress tests.
Forward / Inverse OOTF	Switch the scene↔display rendering relationship. They are not generic look controls and should not duplicate OOTF already owned by a neighbouring CST/RCM/ACES stage.	Document the signal domain before and after the node; verify brightness, contrast and perceived saturation on the calibrated output.

Production workflow

01Identify the actual Gamma at the FX input after all upstream transforms.
02If dynamic range does not need remapping, start with Tone Mapping Method = None; if it does, choose the model deliberately.
03Set Max Input/Output Luminance from known mastering/display context, then adjust Avg Input only if needed.
04For extreme saturation, try Saturation Compression before Clip.
05Enable OOTF only when this node genuinely owns a scene↔display transition.
06Verify Waveform/HDR scopes, Vectorscope/CIE and the downstream output stage; if a strict QC boundary is required, place the hard limiter after smooth mapping.

Diagnostics: symptom → cause → fix

Enabling the FX changes the whole contrast even when gamut was not the problem

Likely cause: Tone Mapping Method is active and performing a DRT, or Gamma does not match the actual input.

Fix: Verify Gamma and temporarily set Tone Mapping Method = None to separate tone mapping from gamut correction.

Bright colours become grey

Likely cause: DaVinci/Luminance tone mapping is desaturating extremes, or Max Luminance values do not match source/output.

Fix: Verify Max Input/Output, compare Saturation Preserving and judge the result on Waveform plus the actual display.

LED/neon turns into flat monochrome patches

Likely cause: Clip is active or a downstream Gamut Limiter is hard-clipping an already heavily compressed signal.

Fix: Return to Saturation Compression, remove duplicated mapping/limiting and keep hard limiting only as the final guard.

The image unexpectedly becomes darker/more contrasty after Forward OOTF

Likely cause: OOTF was applied where the signal is already display-referred, or a neighbouring transform already performed the rendering step.

Fix: Trace the scene/display state through the node tree and keep OOTF in one responsible stage only.

Node placement

Placement depends on the role. For local super-saturation repair, place the OFX immediately after the stage creating the problematic values so the artefact is not carried downstream. For output-side remapping, keep it after the creative grade and before a final hard limiter. If RCM/ACES/an output CST already performs the DRT/gamut mapping, the separate OFX may be redundant.

Scopes / validation

Check tone mapping on Waveform/HDR Waveform for peak roll-off, reference white and midtone placement. Check gamut mapping on Vectorscope and especially CIE Chromaticity when chromaticity positions relative to target primaries matter. RGB Parade reveals channel clipping/flattening, while the Viewer reveals hue turns, posterisation and lost texture in saturated lights.

Managed-pipeline warning

In RCM/ACES, mapping is often already part of the DRT/Output Transform. CST also contains its own Tone Mapping and Gamut Mapping controls. Before adding the dedicated OFX, assign one stage responsibility for dynamic-range mapping and one for gamut compression. Multiple DRTs/compressors in series can create unpredictable roll-off and hue behaviour.

Do not confuse the roles

Gamut Mapping versus the neighbouring Color FX

Color Space Transform

explicit conversion between colour-space/gamma descriptions, including tone/gamut mapping

Gamut Mapping

Resolve FX controls here; colour-science theory stays in Color Science

Gamut Mapping

Read the panel as one signal-remapping system

Gamma

Tone Mapping Method

Max / Avg Luminance

Gamut Mapping Method

Forward and Inverse OOTF are signal-domain switches, not look buttons

Forward OOTF

Inverse OOTF

Avoid double transforms

Verify on scopes + display

Six passes from signal contract to final verification

Identify the signal at this node

Decide whether tone mapping is needed

Set Max Input / Output and Avg Input

Choose the gamut policy

Verify luma and chroma separately

Keep mapping responsibility in one place

Gamut Mapping FX, CST and Gamut Limiter solve different layers of the pipeline

Gamut Mapping FX

Color Space Transform

Gamut Limiter

If mapping creates a new problem, diagnose the signal before adding another correction

The whole image shifts when the FX is enabled

Highlights look grey or lose colour

LED/neon turns into flat patches

The image becomes too dark/contrasty with OOTF

Gamut Mapping: the signal-level model

Use it when

Choose another tool when

Control → signal meaning → verification

Production workflow

Diagnostics: symptom → cause → fix

Node placement

Scopes / validation

Managed-pipeline warning

Gamut Mapping versus the neighbouring Color FX

Primary references used for this technical layer

Practical questions about Gamut Mapping

Is this the same as the Color Science Gamut Mapping chapter?

Is Gamut Mapping the same as Color Space Transform?

When should I use Saturation Compression instead of Clip?

What does Avg. Input Luminance = 9 mean?

Should I enable Forward OOTF by default?

Where should this FX sit relative to Gamut Limiter?

Keep the remapping stage connected to the rest of the pipeline

Gamut Limiter

Tone Mapping

Scopes

Invert Color