Brush Controls
Opens the MaskPaint brush size, softness, spacing and stroke controls.
← Fusion node reference
Masks & RotoIntermediate
MaskPaint
Painted and animated mask strokes
Paints mask strokes directly into a matte and supports frame-by-frame cleanup, holdout work and local roto fixes.
MaskPaint
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
MaskPaint lets you draw brush-based mask information instead of describing the mask only with vector points. It is useful for irregular details, local corrections and temporal fixes that would be awkward with a Polygon.
Overview
What MaskPaint does
MaskPaint lets you draw brush-based mask information instead of describing the mask only with vector points. It is useful for irregular details, local corrections and temporal fixes that would be awkward with a Polygon.
Mental model
Think of MaskPaint as painting directly on the matte: white adds coverage, black removes it, and animated strokes can follow changing details through the shot.
Common uses
Paint missing parts of a matte
Remove unwanted matte regions
Repair individual frames
Create hand-drawn reveals
Add holdout strokes
Refine hair or irregular edges
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Input
Source image for the operation.
Effect Mask
Optional mask that limits where the node affects the image.
MaskPaint
Fusion node
Output
The processed result from this node.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Brush Shape
Chooses the shape of the MaskPaint brush.
Tablet Settings
Configures how pen pressure and other tablet input affect MaskPaint strokes.
Size
Sets the overall size.
Softness
Controls feathering across the stroke edge.
Apply Controls
Applies the current MaskPaint stroke controls to the selected stroke or paint operation.
Apply Mode
Chooses whether strokes add, subtract or otherwise combine with existing matte information.
Color
Sets the color.
Alpha
Adjusts the alpha channel.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Opacity
Sets the overall opacity of the material or object.
Stroke Duration
Controls whether a stroke exists on one frame or across a range.
Stroke Controls
Edits the selected stroke’s position, rotation, scale and dab spacing.
Center X / Y
Sets the X/Y coordinates for center.
Angle
Sets the angle of the element.
Size
Sets the overall size.
Spacing
Sets the distance between brush samples along the stroke.
Mask — Show View Controls
Shows Mask — Show View Controls in the Viewer for setup or diagnostics.
Mask — Level
Sets the output level of the MaskPaint mask.
Mask — Filter
Chooses the filter used to smooth or process the MaskPaint mask.
Mask — Soft Edge
Softens the transition at the edge of the mask, matte or effect.
Mask — Invert
Inverts the MaskPaint result.
Image — Output Size: Default / Custom
Sets Image — Output Size to Default / Custom.
Image — Clipping Mode: None / Frame
Sets Image — Clipping Mode to None / Frame.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
View the matte instead of the beauty image.
- 2
Choose a brush slightly larger than the defect.
- 3
Set Add or Subtract intentionally.
- 4
Paint only the area that actually needs repair.
- 5
Scrub surrounding frames and animate or repaint where the edge moves.
Typical node chain
Existing matte→
MaskPaint→
Repaired matte
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Roto edge repair
Patch a few frames after a tracked mask slips.
MagicMaskMaskPaintMatteControl
Animated hand reveal
Draw a stroke and animate Write On.
MaskPaintBackgroundMerge
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Painting on the beauty image without inspecting alpha
Using huge soft brushes that destroy edge structure
Leaving single-frame fixes visible for too many frames
Trying to replace a clean vector mask with hundreds of paint strokes
Production notes
Practical tips
Use vector masks for broad shape and MaskPaint only for irregular detail.
Keep repair strokes short in time.
Name important strokes when a shot contains many corrections.
Related nodes