RESOLVE FX · CONTROL THE PIVOT
Radial Blur.
Place the center.
Then shape the spin.
Radial Blur is not a generic “more blur” control. It builds rotational arcs around Center Position, then lets you decide character, direction, channel separation, processing quality, edge sampling, sizing behavior and final mix.
Position X + Y
Strength + Symmetry
Quality + Border + Blend
Start in the Pivot chart: move Position X/Y first. Notice how the same demo arc produces very different paths when the center leaves the middle. Then compare Symmetric, Clockwise and Counterclockwise.
INPUTRADIALChannels and alpha in the model
The gold marker is the teaching pivot. Unequal RGB values change angular spread per channel around the same center. Quality changes the number of samples in this demo only; it does not model Resolve’s internal quality modes.
Independent teaching visualization, not Resolve. “Demo arc” is an angular degree span chosen for this renderer, not Smooth Strength. Realistic/Stylized weighting, Quality sampling, Border behavior, color management, and all numeric mappings are illustrative and do not reproduce the proprietary OFX implementation.
Actual Resolve captures + an explicitly independent rotational teaching renderer.
14 controls · 5 captures · 4 exercises01THE ROTATIONAL MODEL
Radial Blur is defined by a pivot and an arc, not by one straight motion vector.
Once that model is clear, the panel becomes easier to read: Center Position sets geometry, Strength sets amount, Symmetry sets distribution, and the remaining controls refine channels, quality, edges, coordinates and mix.
The center defines the rotational geometry
Radial Blur smears detail along arcs around Center Position. The same Smooth Strength therefore reads differently near the center and near the frame edge: the farther a feature is from the pivot, the longer its visible arc for the same angular displacement. Blackmagic does not publish the internal sampling formula, so treat this as a practical mental model rather than exact OFX math.
Blur Type and Blur Symmetry answer different questions
Realistic/Stylized changes blur character, while Blur Symmetry changes distribution around the source feature. Symmetric creates arcs in both directions, Clockwise creates a one-sided clockwise smear, and Anticlockwise goes the other way. These are not three intensity levels or three quality settings.
Channels, Quality, Border, and sizing decide the technical finish
Channel Adjustment scales blur by RGBA, Quality selects the processing mode, Border Type supplies samples beyond the frame, Move With Sizing preserves the center's relative position through Input/Editing sizing, Blur Alpha includes transparency, and Blend doses the completed result. None of them substitutes for a correctly placed pivot.
Control semantics and version anchor: Blackmagic Design · Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual ↗ · Blackmagic Design Support ↗
02THE ACTUAL INSPECTOR
Fourteen visible controls, grouped by the decision they actually make.
The screenshots are actual Radial Blur captures from the site archive. Captured values describe one panel state; they are not declared defaults or recommended presets.
Rotation and character
Establish the motion shape before chasing intensity.
- Smooth Strength
Overall rotational blur amount. Increasing it creates longer arc-shaped smears around the chosen center. The number belongs to Resolve's own scale; it is not a shutter angle or a pixel length.
CheckTune it after Center Position. With the wrong pivot, increasing Strength only exaggerates the wrong geometry.
- Blur Type
Blackmagic describes Realistic as emulating photographic motion blur and Stylized as a simple smooth digital blur. This is a character choice, not a fast/high-quality switch.
CheckCompare them at the same Center Position, Strength, and Symmetry. Otherwise multiple causes change at once.
- Blur Symmetry
Symmetric distributes blur in both directions along the arc. Clockwise and Anticlockwise make the smear one-sided and change the sense of spin. The current captured UI says Anticlockwise; the manual also uses Anti-Clockwise.
CheckIf a logo or wheel looks like a doubled image, compare a one-sided mode and lower Strength before moving Center Position randomly.
Channels and pivot
Center Position is the compositional anchor; channels are relative strength.
- Red
Scales red-channel blur relative to overall Smooth Strength. The 1.000 shown in the capture is a neutral captured state, not a universal project default.
CheckWhen RGB values differ, inspect bright neutral edges; colored arcs reveal themselves there first.
- Green
Relative blur amount for Green. Equal RGB values keep the radial smear channel-neutral.
CheckDo not use accidental RGB separation as a substitute for chromatic aberration; this is a different channel-specific smear.
- Blue
Relative blur amount for Blue. It can deliberately lengthen the blue arc for a graphic look.
CheckJudge it in the intended color pipeline and after compression; fine colored fringes can become more obvious in the delivery codec.
- Alpha
Scales alpha-channel blur relative to overall Strength when alpha participates in the effect.
CheckOn a fully opaque frame the difference may be invisible. Test keyed/transparent graphics together with Blur Alpha.
- Position X
Horizontal Center Position coordinate. Together with Y it sets the pivot around which the arc geometry is built.
CheckPlace the center on the actual rotational axis — wheel hub, logo center, or spin-transition pivot — instead of leaving 0.500 automatically.
- Position Y
Vertical Center Position coordinate. A small Y shift can strongly change the smear path of a feature far from the pivot.
CheckCheck the pivot on the first, middle, and last frame when transforms or sizing are animated at the same time.
Advanced Controls
Tune quality and edges after the geometry is correct.
- Quality
Selects Faster, Better, or Enhanced. In the current panel this is a dedicated processing-quality control. In practice, Faster is useful while shaping motion, while Better/Enhanced should be compared on a short representative segment during final review.
CheckDo not assume Enhanced is automatically “always better”; judge the visible gain on the actual footage, render cost, and sharp-detail artifacts.
- Border Type
Determines how samples are supplied when an arc leaves the frame: Black, Replicate, Reflect, or Wrap-Around.
CheckTest at strong Strength on features that actually touch the frame edge. Near the center all four modes can look identical.
- Move With Sizing
According to the manual, keeps the blur center at its relative frame position when Input Sizing or Editing Sizing changes. This matters when Center Position is tied to a subject while the shot is also cropped, zoomed, or repositioned.
CheckRun a real sizing test: toggle the option and verify whether the pivot stays where the composition expects it.
- Blur Alpha
Includes the alpha channel in the blur together with image content.
CheckTest on graphics/keyed elements where the transparent edge should smear consistently with RGB. On an opaque frame the effect may not be visible.
Final mix
Blend is the last dry/wet control, not a repair for the wrong pivot.
- Blend
Mixes the already-computed Radial Blur with the source. At 1.000 in the captured panel the full effect is shown; lowering it restores source detail.
CheckIf the blur rotates around the wrong point, fix Position X/Y and Move With Sizing first. Blend only hides the problem.
03DIRECTION AND QUALITY
Symmetry changes where the arc goes. Quality changes how the effect is processed.
These dropdowns sit close together in the panel, but they solve different problems. Treating Enhanced as a “stronger blur” or Clockwise as a quality mode leads to confused tuning.
Symmetric
Two-sidedBlur spreads along the arc in both directions from the source position. At high Strength it becomes double-image-like sooner.
Clockwise
ClockwiseOne-sided clockwise blur. Useful when the spin must have a clear direction rather than a symmetric smear.
Anticlockwise
Counter-clockwiseOne-sided blur in the opposite direction. The manual may call it Anti-Clockwise; the current captured UI says Anticlockwise.
Faster
Useful for responsive geometry and keyframe setup. Make the final decision on the actual footage rather than on the mode name alone.
Better
Middle quality/speed option. Better is selected in the captured panel, but that is not a universal recommendation.
Enhanced
Highest of the three panel modes. Check its benefit around sharp detail and low blur amounts, together with render cost.
The actual screenshots above show both expanded menus. The current UI spells the third direction “Anticlockwise”; the manual may use “Anti-Clockwise.” The article preserves the UI spelling when referring to the captured control.
04FRAME EDGES AND COORDINATES
A correct spin can still fail at the frame edge or after sizing.
Radial sampling reaches outside the image as arcs grow. Separately, Center Position can become compositionally wrong when the image is cropped, zoomed or repositioned. Border Type and Move With Sizing solve different failure classes.
Black
ABC | ···Outside the frame is treated as missing/black contribution. Strong blur at the edge can pull in darkness or transparency.
Inspect bright objects near the frame: a dark halo means the mode is influencing the result.
Replicate
ABC | CCCExtends the edge value/area. Replicate is selected in the captured panel.
Watch for the edge color turning into an obvious stretched arc.
Reflect
ABC | CBAMirrors content beyond the frame. It often avoids a black edge but can create recognizable mirrored structure.
Inspect lines, faces, and text near the edge; mirrored repetition can look artificial.
Wrap-Around
ABC | ABCWraps in data from the opposite side of the frame. It can suit seamless/graphic material but may pull unrelated live-action detail into the edge.
Look for objects from the opposite edge unexpectedly appearing in the smear.
The letter strings are explanatory edge-extension diagrams, not literal Resolve pixels. The real Border Type screenshot confirms Black, Replicate, Reflect and Wrap-Around. Move With Sizing is a separate checkbox in the full panel and should be tested with the actual Input/Editing sizing order in your project.
05FROM SIGNAL TO SPIN
Keep the rotational effect isolated and its pivot auditable.
A dedicated node makes it much easier to separate primary grading, localization, radial geometry, sizing behavior and final approval.
Build the spin around one deliberate pivot
For a full-frame spin, place Center Position on the visual pivot first, then set Strength, Type, Symmetry, channels, Quality and edge behavior. If Input/Editing sizing also changes, test Move With Sizing before final keyframes.
Green lines show image flow. The dashed matte annotation is not another serial node. Center Position belongs to the Radial Blur node; a Window/tracker localizes where the node contributes. For crop/zoom/reposition workflows, test Move With Sizing in the actual project because coordinate order matters. This is a teaching graph, not a Resolve screenshot.
Related Color workflow: node pipeline ↗ · Power Windows / Tracker ↗
06BUILD IT IN RESOLVE
Four exercises expose four different weak points: pivot, timing, channels, and sizing.
These are teaching workflows, not one-click presets. Use the installed Resolve build, your own material, and playback/export checks.
Wheel, disc, or rotating object
Add a motion-like smear around a physically meaningful axis of rotation.
PrepareUse a dedicated serial node after the base grade; localize with a Window/Matte when needed.
- 01
Place Center Position exactly on the hub/axis before increasing Strength.
- 02
Start with Realistic and compare Symmetric with the object's real rotation direction.
- 03
Raise Smooth Strength until motion reads without destroying spoke/rim structure.
- 04
Check Border Type and a short export if the object touches the frame edge.
The smear rotates around the correct physical point, direction agrees with motion, and contours do not collapse into a random vortex.
Spin transition between shots
Create a short rotational hit synchronized to the edit.
PreparePut the FX on a dedicated node/clip and choose a compositionally meaningful pivot; it does not have to be frame center.
- 01
Keep Strength near zero at the start and set Center Position.
- 02
Ramp Strength quickly into the cut and animate Blend only if useful.
- 03
After the cut, decay the effect symmetrically or asymmetrically to match shot two.
- 04
Judge curve timing in playback; one still frame cannot certify the transition.
The spin reads as one editorial impulse rather than two unrelated blurred frames on either side of the cut.
Graphic logo with RGB arcs
Create deliberately stylized rotational graphics while keeping channel separation controlled.
PrepareUse a transparent graphic or localized node so Blur Alpha can be evaluated clearly.
- 01
Switch Blur Type to Stylized and place Center Position on the logo's visual center.
- 02
Choose Clockwise or Anticlockwise instead of Symmetric when the spin needs a clear direction.
- 03
Separate Red/Green/Blue slightly and watch neutral white contours.
- 04
Toggle Blur Alpha and inspect the transparent edge after compositing.
Colored arcs look intentional, the pivot remains obvious, and the alpha edge stays coherent with RGB.
Radial Blur with crop/zoom/sizing
Keep the pivot stable while the shot is also scaled or repositioned.
PrepareChoose the subject that should remain the pivot and create an obvious Input/Editing sizing test.
- 01
Place Center Position on the subject before the sizing change.
- 02
Compare Move With Sizing on/off during crop/zoom/reposition.
- 03
Check the first, middle, and last frame of the sizing animation.
- 04
Only then finalize Strength and Quality.
The rotational center stays compositionally attached throughout sizing and the blur does not suddenly orbit an obsolete coordinate.
07CHOOSE THE RIGHT GEOMETRY
Radial Blur is for rotation around a point, not every kind of speed effect.
| FX | What shapes the result | Explore it for |
|---|---|---|
| Directional Blur ↗ | One linear Angle and a directional streak. | Pans, whips, linear motion, and one-axis smears. |
| Radial Blur | Arc-shaped smear around Center Position with Symmetric/Clockwise/Anticlockwise behavior. | Spin, wheels, discs, rotational transitions, and orbit-like energy. |
| Zoom Blur ↗ | Streaks converge/diverge toward a center instead of following an arc. | Rush toward/away from a subject, punch-ins, and tunnel-like motion. |
| Gaussian Blur ↗ | Smooth H/V softness without motion geometry. | General softening, detail reduction, and neutral blur. |
| Lens Blur ↗ | Optical-style defocus and bokeh through aperture shape. | When you need defocus character rather than rotation. |
08DIAGNOSE THE PIVOT
Most failures point to the center, symmetry, edge strategy, sizing, channels, or alpha.
01The effect looks like a random vortex+
Reduce excess strength and place Center Position on the actual pivot first. Then choose Symmetry and restore Strength. A wrong center breaks the geometry more than a slightly wrong amount.
02The subject looks doubled+
Check Symmetric: a two-sided arc at high Strength becomes double-image-like sooner. Compare Clockwise/Anticlockwise or lower Strength.
03Dark, mirrored, or unrelated detail appears at the edge+
This is a Border Type problem. Compare Black, Replicate, Reflect, and Wrap-Around on the actual edge; frame center is not a useful test.
04The pivot drifts after crop/zoom+
Check Move With Sizing and the order of sizing operations, then verify Position X/Y across multiple animation frames.
05Colored arcs appear even though the blur should be neutral+
Check Red/Green/Blue in Channel Adjustment. Unequal multipliers separate blur amount by channel along the same rotational geometry.
06A transparent graphic has a dirty edge+
Check Blur Alpha and the Alpha multiplier, then inspect premultiplication/compositing around semi-transparent pixels in the real node tree.
The pivot matters more than a pretty Strength number
When the rotation axis belongs to the subject, even moderate Strength can read convincingly. If the center has no compositional relationship, Enhanced quality and Blend cannot fix the motion logic.
Judge Quality on a short representative render
Faster is useful during setup. Before final delivery, compare Better/Enhanced where the shot contains sharp lines, fine graphics, and low blur amounts. That is more useful than forcing the heaviest mode at all times.
Approve it in motion and after sizing
Radial Blur is especially sensitive to keyframes and coordinates. Watch the full segment with all transforms, then a short target-resolution export.
09BEFORE YOU DELIVER
Check the pivot through motion, sizing, edges, and export.
The checklist is a reminder, not automated certification. A rotational effect is easy to approve on a still and reject in motion.
10QUESTIONS THAT MATTER
Keep pivot, spin direction, processing quality, and final mix separate.
What does Radial Blur do in DaVinci Resolve?
It creates rotational blur around Center Position. Position X/Y, Smooth Strength, and Blur Symmetry define the main geometry; Blur Type, channels, Quality, Border Type, Move With Sizing, Blur Alpha, and Blend refine character and technical behavior.
How is Radial Blur different from Zoom Blur?
Radial Blur smears along arcs around a point — a spin. Zoom Blur builds radial streaks toward/away from a center — a rush into or out of depth. Both use a center, but the motion geometry is different.
Is Realistic better than Stylized?
No. Blackmagic describes Realistic as a photographic motion-blur character and Stylized as a simple smooth digital blur. They are different styles, not quality tiers.
What does Blur Symmetry change?
Symmetric smears in both directions along the arc. Clockwise and Anticlockwise make the blur one-sided in the corresponding direction. This changes the sense of rotation even at the same Strength.
What is Move With Sizing for?
The manual says it keeps the blur center at its relative position when Input or Editing sizing changes. This helps keep the pivot attached through crop/zoom/reposition, but the actual transform order should still be tested in your node tree.
Which Quality should I use: Faster, Better, or Enhanced?
Faster is convenient during setup. Before final render, compare Better and Enhanced on a short segment with sharp detail at the working Strength. Choose by visible quality and render cost, not the label alone.
Why does the frame edge change under strong Radial Blur?
Arc sampling reaches outside the image and Border Type decides how missing data is supplied: Black, Replicate, Reflect, or Wrap-Around. That is why the mode must be judged at the edge itself.
Sources and the scope of this guide
Visible control names, menu labels and captured values were checked against the actual DaVinci Resolve screenshots shown on this page. Control semantics and current-version status were cross-checked against Blackmagic Design’s Resolve 21.1 documentation. The interactive lab is an independent teaching renderer and does not claim Resolve’s proprietary OFX kernel, quality algorithm or Smooth Strength scale.
The four exercises were not certified by a live Resolve render inside this web-editing pass. Edition availability, GPU performance and small UI differences should always be verified in the installed production build.