Choose a path
Integrated and external collections have different requirements
Resolve 21 ships with Krokodove. Its integrated tools do not need Reactor, a separate Krokodove ZIP or a copied legacy binary. Version 21.1 added more tools, so first record your full application build.
Integration is not restricted to the Studio name: the official update entry for free DaVinci Resolve 21.1 also announces new Krokodove Shape and 3D tools. Other nodes, effects or media in a particular project can have their own edition requirements. The Studio requirement in the original developer's older instructions concerns the external binary Krokodove plugin.
| Application | Distribution | Action |
|---|---|---|
| DaVinci Resolve 21 / Studio 21 | Integrated collection | Find the particular tool in Fusion; the old separate plugin is not required |
| DaVinci Resolve 21.1 / Studio 21.1 | Integrated collection with additions | Use the appropriate version for new Shape and 3D tools, and compare it with the recipient's installation |
| Fusion Studio 21 / 21.1 | Integrated collection for its generation | Check standalone Fusion Studio's own version and tools, rather than only a neighboring Resolve installation |
| A supported older Fusion / Resolve Studio | External Krokodove | Choose a binary for the host generation and OS in the developer's matrix |
| Resolve / Fusion 20 | Not listed in the legacy v8.30 matrix | Do not treat a version 19 binary as guaranteed compatible; plan and test migration separately from the working project |
Resolve 21 and later
Test the integrated installation with a simple graph
Use a new short composition with known sources for diagnosis. A complex old project can contain missing media, external modifiers and incompatible nodes at the same time, making the underlying cause harder to isolate.
Identify the application and build
Open the application information and record Resolve or Fusion Studio, edition and full version. A feature introduced in 21.1 needs more than 21.0. Save a separate project copy before updating an active project.
Find a generator
In Fusion, open tool search and look for Pattern by its English name. Connect Pattern → MediaOut in Resolve and check that a pattern is visible. Pattern does not need MediaIn; check its resolution and active frame range.
Find an image processor
Create Text+ → Fragments → MediaOut. If Fragments exists but the Viewer is empty, check Text+, Alpha and the effect range. This is now an input and settings check, rather than proof of a failed installation.
Check the system you need
For Mapped Duplicate 3D, supply a Shape3D object and inspect the scene; add Merge3D and Renderer3D for an image output. Test Beat or Write on a compatible parameter or text field through the modifier controls.
Isolate an old copy if it conflicts
If upgrading introduces duplicate tools or an old Krokodove loading error, preserve the plugin file and its path, temporarily disable that particular external copy, and restart. Compare a test composition while leaving other plugins alone.
The older binary plugin
The developer's historical matrix limits the file choice
The original Krokodove page lists specific Fusion and Resolve generations and their supported platforms. Linux in the old Fusion 8–9 row does not establish a modern Linux build for 18.5–19. Likewise, a file for a neighboring generation does not become compatible because the version numbers look similar.
| Listed generation | Listed operating systems | Meaning of the limit |
|---|---|---|
| Fusion 6–7 | Windows | Historical hosts; not an installation guide for current Resolve |
| Fusion 8–9 | Windows, macOS, Linux | Linux is explicitly listed for this generation |
| Fusion / Resolve 16 | Windows | Use the binary intended for this branch |
| Fusion / Resolve 17–18 | Windows, macOS | Match the operating system and supported edition |
| Fusion / Resolve 18.5–19 | Windows | This row does not confirm macOS or Linux support for the branch |
| Fusion / Resolve 20 | Not listed | The developer's v8.30 matrix does not establish compatibility |
For a compatible older host
Install the one matching binary
Use the original developer's package and instructions. Installation is described as copying the appropriate plugin file to the corresponding Fusion plugin folder and restarting. The path depends on the application, OS and configuration; Templates or an arbitrary OpenFX folder is not a substitute.
Match the host, OS and edition
Choose the file for the matrix row matching the installed application. If the required combination is absent, stop this installation path: an archive for a neighboring version is not a confirmed solution.
Locate the actual plugin folder
Use the path settings and manual for your Fusion or Resolve installation. An archive may contain several files for different hosts; do not copy all of them into one folder expecting automatic selection.
Preserve the existing configuration
If Krokodove is already installed, keep the previous file and record its path. Replace only the selected copy so you can restore the working state if an older composition is incompatible.
Restart and check
After copying, restart the application, find a known tool and test it in a simple composition. Then open a copy of the working project and compare images and animation with the previous result.
Symptom → check
A missing node differs from a node with no visible output
Start with the clearest observable symptom. Tool search, binary loading, input data types and final rendering are separate stages of the check.
| What you see | Likely area | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Neither Pattern nor Fragments is found | Application version, search context or legacy installation | Check About, Fusion tool search and several exact names; on an old host, check the file, OS and folder |
| Base tools exist but a new Shape tool is absent | A difference between 21.0 and 21.1 | Check when the feature was introduced and the full application build |
| Beat or Write is not found as an image node | A modifier searched for in the wrong context | Open the modification options for a compatible parameter or Styled Text |
| Fragments exists but its output is transparent | Source, Alpha, Channel or active Range | View Text+ or MediaIn before the effect and temporarily widen the selection range |
| Mapped Duplicate 3D is visible in a scene but MediaOut is empty | The bridge from 3D to an image | Check Renderer3D, selected camera, object visibility and framing |
| Only the old composition fails after an update | An old node identifier, binary or external dependency | Compare with a fresh test node, preserve the old file, and test replacement on a project copy |
| Duplicate tools or a plugin loading message | A remaining external copy | Record the old Krokodove path, temporarily disable that copy and restart |
After the check
Record the composition's working configuration
In the project notes, record Resolve or Fusion Studio, the full version, OS, and whether the collection is integrated or legacy. For a project using 21.1 tools, this immediately explains why a recipient on 21.0 may be missing part of the graph.
Include control images, text files used by From File, and source media. When preparing a rendered replacement, check the required Alpha, frame range and color interpretation; a video render preserves the appearance, but not the editable procedural graph.