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EXPLORE THE DIRECTIONS

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FUSION / NODE SYSTEMS

How Fusion
nodes differ.

Choose the task. Follow the data.

Why does Text+ connect to Merge while Text3D needs a renderer? How is a mask different from a Shape? Compare node families, follow their connections and assemble a working flow for your shot.

Compare the data typesChoose by task
14detailed guides06interactive flowsRU / ENtwo languages
CONNECTION MAPFUSION / FLOW
SHAPE → IMAGEOUTPUT TYPE
  1. Vector branchSHAPE
    sRectanglesTransform

    Shape, styling and motion

  2. Render to imageIMAGE
    sRender

    Set the raster layer’s resolution here

  3. Composite with footageIMAGE
    MergeMediaOut

    Render → Foreground · MediaIn → Background

sRectangle creates a Shape object. Regular effects and Merge receive an image after sRender.

01 / THE MAIN DISTINCTION

A role is not a data type.

The role describes what a node does: creates, modifies, tracks or combines. The output type tells you where that result can connect.

Text+Role: generatorIMAGE
Text3DRole: generator3D SCENE
sRectangleRole: generatorSHAPE
pEmitterRole: generatorPARTICLES

A single node can have several kinds of inputs: an image, a mask, a material or a control value. Check the input name and expected data. The blue Effect Mask input controls an operation; it does not replace the main image input. Trackers can pass an image while also storing motion data for other controls.

02 / CONNECTION REFERENCE

What travels along the wire?

Find the output type, then choose a compatible next node. Shape, particles, classic 3D, USD and Deep each have their own route to an ordinary image.

On a narrow screen, scroll the table horizontally.

Data types, compatible nodes, rendering transitions and checks
System and dataTypical nodesWhere the output goesWhat to check
IMAGE

Image: RGB, alpha and any available auxiliary channels.

MergeMultiMergeBlur
Ready for 2D processing and Merge. MediaOut ends the branch in Resolve.Frame size, alpha, color space and layer order.
MASK

Coverage mask: where and how strongly an operation applies. Its contour can be animated and feathered.

RectanglePolygonBitmap
Usually connects to the target node’s Effect Mask. For a colored shape, mask a Background and send its Image to Merge.The input name and that node’s masking behavior. An effect mask does not necessarily change image alpha.
SHAPE

Shape objects: vector paths, fills, strokes and transforms.

sRectanglesTransformsMerge
sRender → Image. Regular Blur, Glow and Merge can process the rendered result.sRender resolution and where the vector branch becomes an image.
PARTICLES

Particle state: position, velocity, age, style and other attributes.

pEmitterpTurbulencepMerge
pRender in 2D → Image. pRender in 3D → particle geometry → Renderer3D → Image.Output Mode and simulation history. pMerge combines particles, not images.
FUSION 3D

Classic Fusion 3D scene: geometry, cameras and lights.

Text3DCamera3DMerge3D
Renderer3D → Image. Merge3D assembles the scene; the renderer produces the image.Render camera, materials, lighting, clipping and image format.
USD

USD stage: a scene containing a hierarchy of primitives, materials, cameras and lights.

uLoaderuMergeuCamera
uRenderer → Image, followed by regular 2D compositing. Classic Merge3D does not replace this renderer.uMerge also accepts supported classic geometry, such as Text3D. This does not guarantee transfer of every material and effect.
DEEP

Multiple color, opacity and depth samples per pixel. This is different from an Image with a single Z channel.

ImageToDeepdMergeDeepToImage
DeepToImage → Image. dMerge composites Deep data before flattening to a regular image.Deep tools were introduced in Resolve 20 Studio. Converting a regular image does not automatically recover hidden geometry.

A renderer creates an image from another representation. It is not the same as exporting a file. MediaOut sends a completed Image to the Resolve timeline; the delivery render happens later.

Merge and Render in detail
03 / FROM TASK TO FLOW

Start with the result you need.

Select a task to see the starting nodes, connections and the check that matters. Each row names the source and its destination input; separate branches stay separate.

IMAGE

Text+ and two independent branches

Text is already an image with alpha. Process it separately, then composite it over the original footage.

In the Fusion page of Resolve, make these three connections:

  1. MediaInMergeBackground
  2. Text+MergeForeground
  3. MergeMediaOutInput
Check the result

If text disappears, check Foreground and alpha. Glow before Merge processes the title; Glow after Merge receives the whole composite.

Open the full family guide
04 / SIMILAR NAMES, DIFFERENT JOBS

The choices that cause confusion.

Compare the tools by their actual output and intended use. Follow a node name to its parameters and practical examples.

01 / COMPARE

Background, Text+ or Fast Noise?

All three generate an Image. They differ in how that image is created.

Background
A fill, gradient, transparent canvas or backing at a defined size. A mask can shape the fill.
Text+
Typography: text, fonts, layout, shading and character animation. The output is ready for a 2D Merge.
Fast Noise
A procedural pattern for textures, haze, variation or a control map. For a mask, select and adjust the channel with Bitmap.

“Generator” describes a role. pEmitter and Text3D also create source data, but their output types differ.

02 / COMPARE

Merge, Merge3D or uMerge?

Their names all suggest combining branches, but their inputs are not interchangeable.

Merge
Composites a Foreground over a Background using alpha and the selected blend mode. Both main inputs are images.
Merge3D
Combines classic 3D scene elements. Space, camera and rendering determine their placement and visibility.
uMerge
Assembles a USD stage and can accept supported classic geometry such as Text3D. uRenderer produces the image; check material transfer separately.

sMerge combines Shapes; pMerge combines particle streams. These nodes preserve their data type; the corresponding renderer converts the result to Image.

03 / COMPARE

Rectangle or sRectangle?

Matching silhouettes in the Viewer do not imply matching connections.

Rectangle
Creates a mask. Feed it to Blur’s Effect Mask for local blur, or to a Background for a rectangular graphic.
sRectangle
Creates a styled Shape object. Combine it with other s-nodes and render the vector branch with sRender.

A mask is often enough to constrain one operation. A Shape branch is useful for a system of animated shapes. Both approaches can create graphics.

04 / COMPARE

Which tracker should you choose?

Choose by the geometry of the motion and the result you need to apply to the insert.

Tracker
Feature points: position and, with multiple points, rotation and scale. Useful for straightforward graphic attachment and stabilization.
Planar Tracker
A planar surface with perspective changes, such as a screen, sign or wall. Apply the result with Planar Transform or Corner Pin mode.
Camera Tracker
Camera motion in space for a 3D insert. Requires suitable footage, sufficient parallax and a valid solve; DaVinci Resolve Studio is required.

A successful track still needs to be applied. Point coordinates, a planar transform and a solved 3D camera are different analysis results.

PROCESSING ORDER

The same Glow, a different input.

Effects process the branch that reaches them. Put the effect before Merge for one layer, or after Merge for the assembled image.

Glow on the titleText+ → Glow → Merge (Foreground)
Glow on the assembled frameMerge → Glow → MediaOut

In both cases, MediaIn enters Merge’s Background; Text+ supplies its Foreground, directly or through Glow.

05 / PRACTICAL FAMILIES

Explore the whole family.

The tool map groups nodes by practical work. Each guide explains the role, connections, workflow and common mistakes.

FAMILY GUIDE

Generators

Create an image, text or procedural control map

Background · Text+ · Fast Noise
FAMILY GUIDE

Effects

Modify existing imagery rather than build a new layer

Blur · Glow · Transform
FAMILY GUIDE

Masks

Limit a processing region or create a matte

Rectangle · Ellipse · Polygon
FAMILY GUIDE

Compositing

Combine separate branches into the final frame

Merge · MultiMerge · sRender
FAMILY GUIDE

Tracking

Extract motion and transfer it to graphics

Tracker · Planar Tracker · Camera Tracker
FAMILY GUIDE

Particles

Simulate a particle stream and render it into an image

pEmitter · pTurbulence · pRender
FAMILY GUIDE

3D

Build a scene with geometry, camera and lighting

Text3D · Merge3D · Renderer3D

Keep exploring the architecture

More guides on data systems, channels, materials and graph organization.

Core image pipeline

Regular 2D nodes

MediaIn, Merge, Transform, Blur, Glow, Color Corrector and most familiar Fusion tools operate on flat image data: pixels, RGB, alpha, masks and image domains. This is the main 2D pipeline that Shape, Particle, 3D and USD systems usually return to after rendering.

Read the guideUniversal Scene Description

USD / U nodes

UCamera, UShape, UMerge, uShader, UTexture, UTransform and URenderer belong to Fusion's USD-oriented pipeline. They work with scene-description concepts such as hierarchy, variants, visibility, materials and assets rather than acting as replacements for classic Merge3D nodes.

Read the guideImage data and auxiliary channels

Color & channels

Color, Channel, Deep, Depth, Disparity, Stereo, VR, OCIO and DCTL tools can affect far more than the visible RGB result. They manage alpha, mattes, depth, auxiliary channels, color spaces, gamut and stereo-related information that determines whether a composite remains technically correct.

Read the guideSurface appearance

Materials & light

Blinn, Phong, CookTorrance, MaterialMerge, PointLight, SpotLight, AmbientLight, DomeLight, UDomeLight and USD material tools determine how 3D surfaces respond visually. Geometry defines shape; materials, textures, normals, reflections and lighting determine whether that shape reads as a believable object.

Read the guideDesign and animation

Motion graphics

Titles, lower thirds, lines, UI graphics and animated cards in Fusion are usually built from combinations of Text+, Shape, Transform, Merge, timing, duplication, trails, motion blur and finishing effects rather than one dedicated 'motion graphics' node type.

Read the guideProduction plumbing

Utility & data

Saver, Loader, SetDomain, AutoDomain, Crop, Resize, metadata tools, WirelessLink, Underlay and similar utilities rarely create a flashy look, but they make large Fusion compositions faster, clearer, safer and easier to maintain.

Read the guideBig-picture map

Fusion architecture

A practical map of how regular 2D nodes, masks, Shape data, particles, classic 3D scenes, materials, USD, tracking, color channels and utility tools interact. Start here when Fusion feels like an unrelated collection of node types.

Read the guide
FUSION / ENCYCLOPEDIA

Ready for a specific node?

Find its parameters, connections and examples in the complete catalog.

Open the node catalog
REFERENCE

Check against the manual for your version.

The connections follow Blackmagic Design documentation. USD, Deep and Studio-only tools depend on the installed version and edition. These examples describe the Fusion page in DaVinci Resolve.