DaVinci Resolve MCP

An MCP server and Claude Code skill that expose the complete DaVinci Resolve scripting API — letting any MCP-compatible AI assistant control DaVinci Resolve programmatically.

AI Assistant  <-->  MCP Protocol  <-->  This Server  <-->  fusionscript  <-->  DaVinci Resolve

What It Can Do

440+ tools covering every aspect of DaVinci Resolve:

Example Prompts

• "List all my projects"

• "Import all .mov files from my Desktop into the media pool"

• "Create a new timeline called 'Assembly' and add all clips from the media pool"

• "Add a Text+ title to video track 2 at the start of the timeline"

• "Set up a render job as ProRes 422 HQ at 4K to my Renders folder"

• "Apply the LUT 'Rec709' to node 1 of the current clip"

• "Generate subtitles from the audio on the current timeline"

• "Build a Fusion comp with a Background, Text, and Merge node"

Related MCP server: DaVinci MCP Professional

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• DaVinci Resolve or DaVinci Resolve Studio (v19.0+) installed and running

• Python 3.10+

• The MCP server must run on the same machine as DaVinci Resolve

Install

pip install davinci-resolve-mcp

Configure Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "davinci-resolve": {
      "command": "davinci-resolve-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Or with uvx (no install needed):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "davinci-resolve": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["davinci-resolve-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Configure Claude Code

claude mcp add davinci-resolve -- davinci-resolve-mcp

Claude Code Skill

This repo also includes a Claude Code skill that teaches Claude how to effectively use the 440+ MCP tools — including the object registry pattern, correct tool chaining, Fusion node wiring, and common workflow recipes.

Install the Skill

claude skill install davinci-resolve-mcp.skill

Or copy the skill/davinci-resolve-mcp/ directory into your Claude Code skills folder.

The skill provides:

• Object registry guidance — how to chain parent/child object IDs correctly

• Workflow recipes — step-by-step patterns for importing, editing, grading, rendering

• Fusion reference — node types, common inputs, connection patterns

• Render settings reference — format/codec options and configuration keys

Architecture

Object Registry

The Resolve API returns native objects that can't be serialized over MCP. The server maintains an in-memory registry mapping string IDs to live objects:

resolve_get_project_manager  -->  project_manager_id
  --> project_manager_get_current_project  -->  project_id
    --> project_get_current_timeline  -->  timeline_id
      --> timeline_get_item_list_in_track  -->  [timeline_item_ids]

1. Tools that return Resolve objects register them and return a JSON-safe ID

2. Subsequent tools accept that ID to look up the live object

3. Use clear_object_cache if objects become stale (e.g., after switching projects in the Resolve UI)

4. Use initialize to reconnect if Resolve was restarted

Server Structure

src/davinci_resolve_mcp/
  server.py              # FastMCP server with lifespan management
  resolve_connection.py  # fusionscript bridge & object registry
  models.py              # Pydantic response models
  constants.py           # Enums and API constants
  tools/
    resolve.py           # App-level tools (22)
    project_manager.py   # Project CRUD & databases (25)
    project.py           # Timeline & render management (43)
    timeline.py          # Track, marker, generator tools (59)
    timeline_item.py     # Clip properties, Fusion, grades (80)
    media_pool.py        # Import, organize, create (27)
    media_pool_item.py   # Metadata, markers, proxy (36)
    media_storage.py     # Volume browsing, import (7)
    gallery.py           # Stills & PowerGrades (14)
    graph.py             # Node graph & LUTs (11)
    color_group.py       # Color group management (5)
    fusion_comp.py       # Fusion composition tools (40)
    fusion_tool.py       # Fusion node tools (20)
    fusion_input.py      # Input connections & expressions (12)
    fusion_output.py     # Output values & cache (8)
    fusion_flow.py       # Node layout & selection (8)
    fusion_spline.py     # Keyframe animation (5)
    fusion_misc.py       # Fonts, registry, image cache (11)
    folder.py            # Folder browsing (8)
    utility.py           # Cache & init (3)

Environment Variables

Default paths by platform

API Coverage

Based on the DaVinci Resolve 20.2.2 Scripting API. Works with Resolve 19.0+, but some tools require newer versions:

Limitations

• Must run on the same machine as DaVinci Resolve

• DaVinci Resolve must be running before the server starts

• Some operations require specific pages (e.g., thumbnails need the Color page)

• Some features are Studio-only (scripting access may be limited in the free version)

• Wraps the Scripting API only — no GPU plugin control

Development

git clone https://github.com/lordhoell/davinci-resolve-mcp.git
cd davinci-resolve-mcp
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Adding Tools for New API Versions

1. Check Scripting/CHANGELOG.txt in the Resolve SDK for new methods

2. Add the tool to the appropriate file in src/davinci_resolve_mcp/tools/

3. Add any new enum constants to constants.py

4. Add any new models to models.py

License

MIT