On Mixkit, we offer a variety of different creative assets for you to use within DaVinci Resolve.
However, the file type provided may vary depending on the type of asset you’ve downloaded. This how-to doc is for DaVinci Resolve users who have downloaded the free DaVinci Resolve .comp or .dpr files from Mixkit and are ready to import into DaVinci Resolve to start creating!
Before we begin, you will need to have the latest version of DaVinci Resolve installed. Previous knowledge and experience of using DaVinci Resolve will certainly help but we’ve designed our files to be easily edited, so let’s get started.
To follow along you can download:
– The .comp file Animated Line Lower Third
– The Twist Wheel Transition (.dpr) file
Importing .comp files into DaVinci Resolve
This applies to both the Windows and Mac versions of DaVinci Resolve.
Let’s look at how to load a Fusion .comp file into DaVinci Resolve. First, you’ll need to open a new or existing project. Once you have that head over to the “Edit” tab of the DaVinci interface.
Make sure the “Media Pool” is active. You’ll find this in the top left of the user interface. Now right-click anywhere inside the media pool and choose “New Fusion Composition” from the menu. In the following pop-up interface choose the desired length of between five and ten seconds and the frame rate you would like. While all of our DaVinci Resolve .comp files were created in 29.97, you can adapt them to your project requirements as needed.
With this finished, you’ll see the newly created Fusion Composition file in the pool and from here you’ll need to drag and drop the file into the timeline. It will be empty for now so you can change that by right-clicking on the Fusion Composition inside the media pool and choosing “Open in Fusion Page”.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Fusion page of DaVinci Resolve, it’s the magic wand located in the navigation bar which runs along the bottom of the user interface. Here you’ll be creating motion graphics, animated text, and adding other special effects to your projects. For now, we’re going to focus on how to import the .comp file.
Inside the Fusion page of DaVinci Resolve, you’ll see just a single node called MediaOut1. This is generated by default when a new Fusion Composition is created. You can ignore it for now and instead you’ll want to head up to File from the main navigation and choose “Import Fusion Composition” from the drop-down menu.
This will open up the file browser. Simply navigate to where you saved the asset folder, downloaded from Mixkit.co, and select the .comp file from within. We’ll be using the Animated Line Lower Third as an example.
You’ll now see that the automatically generated node has been replaced by a full node tree. These are the layers of the composition. They’re noted to help you identify the different parts of the design, which node to select, and in some cases where to replace our own demo content with your own images and video. Which will vary depending on the asset. Now that you have the .comp imported. We can start editing!
How to edit .comp files in DaVinci Resolve
Now that we have our Fusion Composition created, our .comp file imported and our eyes firmly fixed on the Fusion page. We can start editing our nodes. To get you familiar with the interface, node structure, and editing in general. We’ll be editing the three main features of this lower third. The main heading text, the tagline below, and the color of the animated line which acts as a mask for the text animation.
Click on the node called “MainHeading”, and view the inspector to the right of the user interface. You’ll now see the settings for this node outlined here. This panel acts as a control panel for all settings specific to the node you have selected. Simply replace the existing text with your own. It will update in the preview window. As this is a text node you can also edit the font, sizing, and color here. Alongside other more advanced features.
Repeat the process, this time clicking on the “Subheading” node. As this is also a text node you’ll find the options in the inspector are identical to the main heading text.
Finally, let’s update the color of the solid shape layer which creates the mask for this lower third. In the node tree, you’ll see we have a shape layer to the top-left of the main heading node. This is our mask, which forms the shape, and just below it, you’ll see we have a node called color. Click the color node and view the inspector.
Changing the color in DaVinci Resolve
This time we have some different options but they’re just as easy to understand. Here you can use the color picker to update the color of the shape background. By default, it’s just a solid color. However, if you want to be more creative, you can choose from other options under the “Type” drop-down menu. Perhaps add a gradient instead?
We’re almost finished
Now that we’ve edited the composition. It’s time to head back to the edit interface of DaVinci Resolve. This time you’ll notice the preview is not empty and your newly edited lower third is sitting against a dark background.
Adding a video to the timeline
If you want to add a video. Click on the Fusion Composition in the timeline and drag it up to a new line. Next, take your favorite video and drag it to the line where your composition was. If you’re unsure what video to choose, why not head back to our stock video library and browse for a new video?
Importing (.drp) DaVinci Resolve projects
If you’ve downloaded a DaVinci Resolve asset from Mixkit.co, it’s possible that you’ve encountered a .drp file. If you’re new to DaVinci this may be a bit confusing but don’t worry. These are simply the main project file extensions for DaVinci Resolve. If your computer recognizes it as a DaVinci file you’ll be able to double-click it and it will open in the software by default. If not you can import this from within the user interface. Navigate to File and then choose Import Project from the drop-down menu.
Importing transitions for DaVinci Resolve (.drp)
Amongst the various assets that we offer for DaVinci Resolve, you’ll find some transitions. These are simple Fusion Compositions contained within a project file. Once downloaded, open the project file and navigate to the edit interface of DaVinci, then browse the media pool. Here you’ll see your chosen transition.
You’ll want to open the power bins. If you can’t see these already, head up to the top navigation bar and choose View before selecting “Show Power Bins” from the dropdown. This will add the bin interface for you. From here you need to drag and drop the transition composition from the media pool into the Master Bin. This will allow you to access it from other projects.
Using the transition in DaVinci Resolve
As the transitions are Fusion Compositions. All you need to do is drag the transition from the Master Bin onto the timeline. Above two clips that you wish to transition between.
That’s a wrap on this introduction to Fusion Compositions and project files in DaVinci Resolve and all that’s left is the render button. Click that rocket ship and enjoy your free DaVinci Resolve asset from Mixkit.co. Explore more of our DaVinci Resolve library of free templates here.
