Controls / Type
Selects the type used by Displace.
Available choices include Radial and X/Y.
← Fusion node reference
Warp & DistortIntermediate
Displace
Distortion from image detail
Distorts an image using luminance or color-channel information to push pixels and create heat, liquid, glitch or organic motion.
Displace
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
Displace converts image/channel variation into spatial distortion and is a core building block for procedural motion effects.
Overview
What Displace does
Displace is commonly driven by a texture such as Fast Noise, a matte or a preprocessed version of the image. Bright and dark values become offsets that bend the image away from its original pixel positions.
The quality of the displacement map matters as much as the strength. Large soft noise produces broad fluid movement; fine high-contrast detail produces nervous or glitchy distortion.
For animation, move or evolve the map rather than animating only Strength. A living displacement source usually feels more natural than a static map with pulsating intensity.
Mental model
Think of Displace as a height map pushing the picture sideways or through a refractive surface: the map determines where and how strongly pixels move.
Common uses
Heat-haze distortion
Liquid or glass refraction
Glitch displacement
Organic title motion
Texture-driven warping
Subtle background movement
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Input
Image that will be distorted.
Displace
Fusion node
Output
The processed result from this node.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Controls / Center X Y
Sets the Center X Y position.
Controls / Refraction Channel
Selects the image channel used by this operation.
Controls / Offset
Sets offset for Displace.
Controls / Refraction Strength
Adjusts the amount of pixel displacement driven by the displacement input.
Controls / Light Power
Sets the strength of the simulated light used to shade the displacement.
Controls / Light Angle
Sets the direction angle of the simulated light used to shade the displacement.
Controls / Spread
Sets how broadly the simulated displacement light spreads across the surface.
Controls / Light Channel
Selects the image channel used by this operation.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Prepare the image to distort.
- 2
Create or choose a suitable displacement texture, often Fast Noise.
- 3
Tune the texture scale/contrast first.
- 4
Apply Displace with a low Strength.
- 5
Animate the texture position/evolution for motion.
- 6
Check frame edges and use overscan/domain expansion if strong distortion exposes empty pixels.
Typical node chain
Source→
Displace→
Output
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Heat haze
Soft animated noise drives a restrained displacement over footage.
Fast NoiseDisplaceMediaOut
Glitch title
A high-contrast texture produces short aggressive displacement bursts.
Text+DisplaceGlowMerge
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Turning Strength up before designing a useful displacement map.
Ignoring frame edges until black/transparent gaps appear.
Using fine noisy maps for a smooth heat-haze effect.
Applying displacement after a tight crop with no overscan.
Production notes
Practical tips
Build the map as a separate visible branch while tuning it.
Animate the map itself for more organic motion.
Use masks to localize displacement instead of distorting the whole frame.
Related nodes