Speed
Sets the playback rate of the source.
← Fusion node reference
Time & MotionAdvanced
SpeedWarp
High-quality retiming and temporal interpolation
Changes playback speed using temporal interpolation, with separate controls for speed, frame delay and calculation quality.
SpeedWarp
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
SpeedWarp is a retiming tool for creating slow motion or speed changes when new frames must be synthesized between recorded frames.
Overview
What SpeedWarp does
Speed controls the temporal rate while Delay offsets which moment is sampled. Mode trades processing speed against higher-quality interpolation.
The hardest material for any optical-flow-based retime includes occlusion, crossing limbs, hair, water, smoke, flashing lights and fine repeating textures. Those areas should be inspected frame by frame.
For an efficient workflow, work in the faster mode during timing and switch to the higher-quality mode for final evaluation and render.
Mental model
Think of SpeedWarp as a virtual high-frame-rate reconstruction step: it estimates motion so missing in-between frames can be synthesized.
Common uses
Slow motion from normal-frame-rate footage
Smooth speed changes
Temporal offsets
Music-video time effects
High-quality retiming for short hero shots
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Image Input
Source image for the operation.
SpeedWarp
Fusion node
Image Output
The processed result from this node.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Delay
Offsets temporal sampling without moving the clip on the timeline.
Mode
Chooses the faster preview calculation or the more accurate final interpolation mode.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Place SpeedWarp before heavy grain, glow or other effects that make motion estimation harder.
- 2
Set Speed for the desired timing.
- 3
Use Delay only when a temporal offset is needed.
- 4
Work in the faster mode while tuning.
- 5
Switch to the higher-quality mode and inspect occlusions before final render.
Typical node chain
Source Frames→
Motion Estimation→
Synthesized Retimed Frames
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Clean slow motion
Create synthesized in-between frames from a normal-speed source.
MediaInSpeedWarpGradeMediaOut
Temporal design layer
Use Delay on a duplicate branch for controlled time separation.
MediaInDuplicate BranchSpeedWarp DelayMerge
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Expecting perfect interpolation on water, smoke or heavy motion blur.
Placing grain and aggressive sharpening before motion analysis.
Never switching from fast preview to final quality.
Production notes
Practical tips
Split a shot and use SpeedWarp only where the interpolation is needed.
Inspect hair, hands and crossing edges at full resolution.
Use optical-flow artifacts creatively only when the design calls for them.
Related nodes