Channel
Selects the source information used for the mask.
Depending on the source, Alpha, Luminance or individual color channels may be useful.
← Fusion node reference
MasksIntermediate
Bitmap
Image-to-mask conversion
Converts image luminance, alpha or color information into a reusable mask.
Bitmap
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
Bitmap turns an image branch into a mask so textures, mattes and generated graphics can control other Fusion nodes.
Overview
What Bitmap does
Bitmap is the bridge between ordinary image data and mask data. You can feed it a rendered graphic, noise texture, alpha channel or matte and use the result on a blue Effect Mask input.
This is especially useful for procedural workflows: Fast Noise can become an organic mask, text can become a matte, and a high-contrast image can drive an effect only where selected values exist.
Before Bitmap, prepare the source for strong separation. Brightness / Contrast or Color Curves often helps create a cleaner mask.
Mental model
Bitmap treats an image like a stencil source and converts selected image values into mask strength.
Common uses
Convert alpha to a mask
Use Fast Noise as an organic matte
Turn text or graphics into masks
Build luma-based isolation
Drive local effects from an image texture
Create procedural reveals
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Input
Source image for the operation.
Bitmap
Fusion node
Mask Output
The generated mask or matte.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Low
Sets one boundary of the active range.
High
Sets one boundary of the active range.
Clip Black
Clips low matte values toward black.
Clip White
Clips high matte values toward white.
Invert
Reverses the generated mask.
Useful when the opposite tonal region should be selected.
Softness
Smooths the threshold transition.
Helps avoid brittle, aliased matte edges.
Post Multiply Image
Multiplies RGB by alpha after processing.
Enable it when the following composite expects premultiplied image data.
Level
Overall mask strength.
Useful for fading the influence of the generated mask.
Combine
Chooses how the Bitmap mask is combined with the mask already present in the chain.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Feed the source image into Bitmap.
- 2
Choose the channel that contains the best separation.
- 3
Adjust the low/high range.
- 4
Invert if needed.
- 5
Connect the mask output to another node’s Effect Mask input.
Typical node chain
Fast Noise→
Bitmap→
Color Corrector→
MediaOut
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Noise-driven reveal
Fast Noise becomes an animated matte for a title or graphic.
Fast NoiseBitmapMerge/Effect Mask
Luma isolation
A high-contrast source is converted to a mask for local grading.
SourceBrightness / ContrastBitmapColor Corrector
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Feeding a low-contrast source into Bitmap and getting a weak mask.
Choosing Alpha when the useful information is actually in luminance.
Using a hard threshold that creates noisy edges.
Production notes
Practical tips
Prepare the source before Bitmap.
Fast Noise + Bitmap is a powerful procedural mask pair.
For clean mattes, judge the mask in black and white instead of only looking at the final composite.
Related nodes