Use Resolve to create 4K Avid Media from unsupported media

Open Resolve.







(we're using version 12.5)

Click the New Project button

Name your project.


(Hint: whatever name you use here, Avid will recognize in the media tool later. Some editors name it the same as their Avid project name to simplify matters.)


Your new project will open

Make sure you are on the "Media" tab

Navigate to your camera originals that you copied to your hard drive.

Select all the clips you want to transcode into Avid media.

(This is usually all the clips)

Right click and choose "Add into Media Pool"

Click the EDIT button at the bottom of the interface.

Press Command + N to make a new timeline.

Uncheck "Empty Timeline"

This will make a timeline with all of your clips from the media pool.

Click "Create"

Uncheck use Project Settings

The go to the Format tab and make sure the Format matches your clip

>Aspect Ratio

>Frame Rate 

Make sure it matches.


Note if you shot 4K 4096 x 2160 you need to use the PAID version of Resolve 

The free version only supports UHD 3840 x 2160.


Then hit create

Click the "Deliver" button at the bottom of the interface.
Choose AVID AAF from the render settings. You may have to scroll to the right to find it.

Browse to a location you want your MXF files to save to


Click on the Video Tab and choose to 

>Export Video

Format - MXF OP-Atom

Codec DNxHR

Type DNxHR HQ

>Check Render at source resolution

>Check Use Constant Bit Rate

Then Click on Advanced Settings

Check the box for Retain sub-black and super-white data

Then Click on the Audio Tab - If you want to export Audio - If you do not then UNCHECK Export Audio


Do NOT choose "Same As Source" for the Channels drop down. (your audio will come out as static)


Make sure to choose 2 for the Channels drop down.

Choose 24 BIt

Click Add to Render Queue
In the upper right of the interface, you should see the job added.
Click "Start Render"

Get some coffee.


Hopefully when you come back, Resolve looks like this.

Close Resolve, Save if you plan on finishing in Resolve. See this wiki to see how to save a Resolve Project

DaVinci Resolve - How to Relink Offline Media from a Exported Project


Put the Color Corrected files from Resolve into your AVID Project.
Open the exported Resolve files. There will be ONE .aaf file and several .mxf files.
This example is short - most projects will have a lot more .mxf files.

AVID reads media from the Avid MediaFiles folder on the root level of the hard drive.

The .mxf files exported from Davinci Resolve must be moved to this folder. See example below.

Copy or Move the .mxf files to the AVID MediaFiles>MXF>1 folder

After the files are moved to the Avid MediaFiles

>MXF>1 folder on the hard drive open the AVID Project or make a new one.


Launch AVIDMediaComposer

Open your project

Make sure your project window is open

>Tools >Project



Make a New Bin

Title the new bin "Color Corrected Footage"

Go to >File>Input>Import Media

Navigate to the .aaf file in the Resolve exported media folder and select it.


Choose Open

You should see your clips load in the bin along with a timeline that resembles what was in Resolve that you rendered out.
They will be associated with the project name you gave in Resolve.

If they are not there, you may need to delete some data base files, or you saved them in the wrong spot.

(you'll want to get the proctor for this)