Plasma

Plasma belongs to the Generator family, so it does not need MediaIn or another required image source. The pattern is calculated internally and Output is a regular 2D RGBA image.

In the Resolve 21 reference, Plasma has one external input: the blue Effect Mask. It does not provide texture data or create the four circles; it only limits where the generated result is applied.

The base Plasma structure is built from exactly four circular patterns. This is part of the tool's algorithm rather than a dynamic number of Flow inputs.

Circles / Scale changes the overall scale of the generated pattern. It changes internal pattern scale, not the output canvas dimensions controlled by Width/Height.

Circles / Operation defines the mathematical relationship among the four circles where they intersect. Treat it as part of pattern generation, not as a downstream compositing blend mode.

The current Resolve 21 reference explains what Operation does but does not enumerate every menu label in its prose, so this page does not turn unverified menu labels into separate Inspector parameters.

Circle 1–4 / Type selects the circular function used for each source. Type is a generator control, not a mask or Merge mode.

Circle 1–4 / Center positions each of the four sources. Moving the centers changes where their wave structures interact and can alter the field more fundamentally than downstream color correction.

Circle 1–4 / Scale changes one source without changing the other circles. Keep local circle scale distinct from the overall Circles / Scale when diagnosing pattern frequency.

On the Color tab, Phase shifts the color phase of the whole image. Blackmagic specifically notes that animating it creates color cycling, so motion can be created without transforming the whole frame.

R/G/B/A Phases independently shift the phase of Red, Green, Blue and Alpha. They are phase offsets, not four gain sliders.

Alpha Phase changes generated transparency as well as the visual pattern. When Plasma is used as a foreground, mask source or technical map, inspect alpha separately from RGB.

Resolve 21 does not list a Plasma-specific Rotation control in the Circles or Color controls. Use Phase, Centers, Scales, or a downstream Transform instead of documenting Rotation as a native Plasma parameter.

Image / Process Mode is a shared Generator control for frame/field processing. It is a technical format setting, not a quality mode for the circular algorithm.

Global In/Out determines the frame range in which the Generator produces an image. Outside that range, a missing Plasma output is not necessarily a Circles or Color problem.

The reference manual calls the shared resolution switch Use Frame Format Settings. In Resolve UI the same practical behavior may appear as Auto Resolution; they should not be documented as two unrelated features.

When frame-format following is enabled, Width, Height and Pixel Aspect follow the composition. Disable it only when the Generator intentionally needs a custom canvas.

Width/Height define the physical image dimensions, while Pixel Aspect defines pixel shape. Neither replaces Circles Scale for artistic pattern sizing.

Depth controls pixel precision. The manual notes that 32-bit pixels use more memory and float values can represent HDR values outside the normal 0–1 range, so Depth is a pipeline decision rather than a style slider.

Source Color Space adds or passes source-space metadata. Blackmagic explicitly distinguishes this from an actual color-space conversion such as a Gamut transform.

Source Gamma Space defines gamma/curve interpretation, and Remove Curve can remove that curve or perform log-to-linear conversion for a linear workflow. These are color-management controls rather than Plasma palette controls.

The Settings tab contains shared Fusion tool controls. Keep this layer separate from Plasma-specific Circles and Color controls so channel/mask behavior is not confused with pattern generation.

The manual's basic setup uses Plasma as a generated background in a Merge composite. Because Output is a normal image, it can also feed Blur, Displace, Bitmap and other 2D tools.

When Plasma drives Displace, MediaIn remains the main Displace Input while Plasma feeds Foreground Image as the displacement map. A Blur between Plasma and Displace can independently soften the field.

Plasma and Fast Noise are both procedural sources, but their structures differ: Plasma is based on four circular patterns and phase controls, while Fast Noise produces a noise field. Choose by the shape of the source field, not merely by the category name.