Trail Length
Controls how many temporal states contribute.
← Fusion node reference
MotionIntermediate
MotionTrails
Temporal echo and transformed trails
Builds a trail from previous image states and can pan, zoom or rotate the trail over time.
MotionTrails
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
MotionTrails combines temporal accumulation with optional transform motion to create echoes, light tails, sports streaks and stylized repeated action.
Overview
What MotionTrails does
MotionTrails combines temporal accumulation with optional transform motion to create echoes, light tails, sports streaks and stylized repeated action.
Think of stacking a short history of frames behind the current frame. Trail Length controls how much history remains and Dropoff controls how quickly older states disappear.
Mental model
Think of stacking a short history of frames behind the current frame. Trail Length controls how much history remains and Dropoff controls how quickly older states disappear.
Common uses
Sports motion echoes
Light trails
Dance and music-video effects
Repeated graphic movement
Temporal transition accents
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Image Input
Source image for the operation.
Effect Mask / Key Input
Optional mask that limits where the node affects the image.
MotionTrails
Fusion node
Image Output
The processed result from this node.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Dropoff
Controls how older trail samples fade.
Use Key / Mask Input
Uses a key or mask to constrain accumulation.
Move Trail: Pan
Sets Move Trail to Pan.
Move Trail: Pan Angle
Moves trail samples directionally.
Move Trail: Zoom
Sets Move Trail to Zoom.
Move Trail: Rotate
Sets Move Trail to Rotate.
Reuse Current Frame
Uses the current frame again when building transformed trail samples.
Composite Gamma
Chooses how accumulated samples blend.
Composite Gamma: Timeline
Uses Timeline for composite gamma.
Composite Gamma: Rec.709
Uses Rec.709 for composite gamma.
Composite Gamma: Linear
Uses Linear for composite gamma.
Composite Gamma: Custom
Uses Custom for composite gamma.
Border Type
Selects the Border Type used by MotionTrails.
Border Type: Black
Sets Border Type to Black.
Border Type: Replicate
Sets Border Type to Replicate.
Border Type: Reflect
Sets Border Type to Reflect.
Border Type: Wrap-Around
Sets Border Type to Wrap-Around.
Soften
Softens the transition at the edge of the mask, matte or effect.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Set a short trail length first.
- 2
Tune Dropoff.
- 3
Add pan/zoom/rotation only if the trail needs directional motion.
- 4
Choose composite gamma.
- 5
Check borders and soften as needed.
Typical node chain
Source→
MotionTrails→
Output
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Sports echo
Create fading repeated positions behind a moving subject.
MediaInMotionTrailsMediaOut
Light tail
Combine MotionTrails with Glow.
Light GraphicMotionTrailsGlowMerge
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Pushing MotionTrails farther than the source resolution can support
Animating several MotionTrails controls that fight each other instead of choosing one clear primary control
Judging MotionTrails edge quality only in a proxy or reduced-resolution Viewer
Production notes
Practical tips
Keep the main MotionTrails transform logic together instead of scattering equivalent adjustments across several nodes.
After a strong MotionTrails deformation, inspect image edges and alpha for stretching or resampling artifacts.
Preview animated MotionTrails work at normal playback speed as well as frame by frame.
Related nodes