SmoothyApp can work inside DaVinci Resolve Free without a paid Resolve licence, an external scripting port or a plugin purchase. It installs its Lua Scripts helpers into Resolve’s Scripts folder, starts a local connector from the Scripts menu, and then sends saved files into your project.
This guide covers the setup once, the step you repeat each Resolve session, and what to check when an import does not appear.
What you need
- SmoothyApp with DaVinci Resolve support.
- DaVinci Resolve Free (or another Resolve edition that exposes its Scripts menu) on the same computer.
- A Resolve project with a timeline you want to work on.
- No SmoothyEdit account, Studio credits or internet connection for the local tools. Stock Footage and Audio Library still need internet.
Step 1 — Choose Resolve and install the helpers
- Open SmoothyApp and select DaVinci Resolve in the editor switcher.
- Open Multicam or Silence Removal. With Resolve selected, the Resolve workflow section appears.
- Click Install Resolve helpers once. Smoothy writes its Scripts helpers, including Smoothy Connector and Receive from Smoothy, into Resolve’s
Scripts/Utilityfolder.
The helpers are plain Lua scripts. They use Resolve’s built-in scripting and native preferences, not a local web server, socket, require or process API.
Step 2 — Start Smoothy Connector once per Resolve session
In Resolve, open Workspace → Scripts → Smoothy Connector. Leave it running in the background.
Start it from the Scripts menu, not the Console. The connector waits for requests from SmoothyApp and performs only the action in the request. It does not run when Resolve is closed, and it does not need to be restarted when you restart SmoothyApp.
If the Scripts menu does not show the connector yet, restart Resolve once. As a one-shot fallback, use Copy Console command in SmoothyApp and paste it into Workspace → Console with Lua selected.
Step 3 — Send something, or load the current timeline
The normal flow depends on the tool:
| Tool | What happens |
|---|---|
| Multicam | Click Apply. Smoothy reads the current Resolve timeline, creates the camera cuts, saves the XML in SmoothyEdit Assets → Resolve and sends it back as a new timeline. |
| Silence Removal | Click Remove Silence. Smoothy analyses the timeline audio, saves a new frame-aligned XML and sends it as a new timeline. |
| Captions | Load the Resolve timeline (or choose a media file), transcribe, then send the SRT to the Media Pool. Drag it onto a subtitle track in Resolve. |
| Assets / AI Photos | Send the rendered PNG; it appears in Resolve’s Media Pool. |
| Stock Footage / Audio Library | Send the downloaded MP4 or MP3 to the Media Pool. |
| Shorts markers | Send markers to the loaded Resolve timeline. Existing markers are preserved. |
For Multicam and Silence Removal, the timeline is read automatically. For captions, markers and Studio sources, use Load current Resolve timeline in SmoothyApp first and refresh it there after you change it in Resolve.
What carries over, and what does not
The generated timeline copies the edit Smoothy makes: clip cuts, source timing, selected microphone channels and continuous audio. It does not copy:
- grades or colour work
- transforms and Fusion or clip effects
- fades and transitions
- keyframed or animated properties
- mixer processing and audio effects
Decompose nested and multicam clips, then remove retiming and animated effects before running a tool. Rebuild the look in Resolve after the camera edit is in place.
Timeline audio for captions and Studio uses the selected source channels with known trims and offsets. It does not include Resolve mixer processing.
Troubleshooting
Nothing happens in Resolve. Confirm Smoothy Connector is running. Start it again from Workspace → Scripts, or use the Console command. Sends wait for a native receipt and are not marked successful until Resolve confirms the action.
Resolve refuses the import. Smoothy keeps the saved file and shows its location. Use File → Import → Timeline, Import → Media or Import → Subtitle to bring it in manually. The manual path always works and is not a failure of the edit itself.
The new timeline has offline clips. Check that the source media paths are available to Resolve. Offline output is not counted as a successful import, and Smoothy will not report it as one.
Markers are rejected. Load a fresh Resolve snapshot in SmoothyApp first. Markers are tied to the loaded native timeline, and a marker already at the same time stops the action rather than overwriting it.
I closed Resolve. Reopen it and start Smoothy Connector again. SmoothyApp can stay open.
Is it really local?
Yes. The helpers, timeline XML, WAV decodes and generated files stay on your computer. Sends use a local mailbox file and Resolve’s internal API. No footage is uploaded and no Studio credits are used.
Explore DaVinci Resolve support, Auto Multicam and captions for Resolve Free. If a specific import fails, join the Discord with your Resolve version and the steps you took.