Comments
Stores the label or note associated with the Underlay.
Use short functional labels that remain readable at normal Flow zoom.
← Fusion node reference
Utility / DataBeginner
Underlay
Visual grouping and Flow documentation
Creates a colored background annotation behind nodes in the Flow so related parts of a composition can be grouped and documented visually.
Underlay
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
Underlay is an organizational Flow tool rather than an image-processing node. It helps turn a large graph into readable sections such as KEY, TRACKING, 3D, TITLE or DELIVERY.
Overview
What Underlay does
Underlay does not change pixels and does not need to be part of the render chain. It sits behind a group of nodes as a visual container.
Color, comments, position and size can communicate the role and boundary of a subsystem. This becomes increasingly valuable in collaborative or long-lived compositions.
A good Underlay should clarify the Flow without hiding wiring or becoming a decorative distraction.
Mental model
Think of Underlay as a labeled colored folder painted behind a set of nodes: it organizes the graph but does not process the image.
Common uses
Group a tracking subsystem
Mark a reusable title block
Separate 3D from 2D compositing
Label delivery/output nodes
Document pipeline stages for another artist
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Generator node — no image input is required.
Underlay
Fusion node
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Underlay Color
Sets the visual color of the group background.
Use a restrained project-wide color convention rather than random colors.
Underlay Size and Position
Sets the area and position of the Underlay that visually groups nodes in the Flow.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Identify a logical subsystem in the Flow.
- 2
Create an Underlay behind it.
- 3
Use a concise functional label.
- 4
Resize it to include the complete branch.
- 5
Apply the same color convention to similar subsystems elsewhere.
Typical node chain
Node group→
Underlay label→
Readable Flow
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Tracking group
Keep tracker, transform and cleanup nodes visually grouped.
Underlay: TRACKINGTrackerPlanarTransformMerge
Delivery group
Separate file-output and metadata nodes from creative processing.
Underlay: DELIVERYSetMetadataSaver
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Using Underlay as if it changes the render
Covering too much of the graph with one giant group
Using colors without a consistent meaning
Leaving comments so long that they are harder to read than the nodes
Production notes
Practical tips
Use Underlays as architecture labels, not decoration.
A small set of repeated colors is easier to understand than a unique color for every group.
Name the group by function: KEY, TRACK, GRADE, 3D, OUTPUT.
Related nodes