dvr

The missing CLI and Python library for DaVinci Resolve.

Declarative. Scriptable. LLM-friendly. No more silent None returns.

pip install dvr

$ dvr timeline inspect
{
  "name": "Edit_v2",
  "fps": 24.0,
  "duration_frames": 86400,
  "tracks": {
    "video": [{"index": 1, "name": "V1", "clips": 1, "enabled": true}, ...],
    "audio": [{"index": 1, "name": "A1", "clips": 4, "subtype": "stereo"}, ...]
  },
  "markers": [...],
  "color": {"science": "DaVinci YRGB Color Managed v2", "input": "Rec.2020", ...}
}

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Why this exists

DaVinci Resolve has a powerful Python scripting API. It's also painful:

• Silent failures everywhere. AddRenderJob() returns None on success or failure — good luck.
• String-keyed settings with undocumented valid values.
• No batch operators. You loop everything.
• macOS connection footguns. Resolve binds to LAN IP; vanilla scriptapp('Resolve') returns None.
• Chain navigation. Every .Get*() can return None. One typo and you're traversing nothing.
• 20+ export formats behind magic enum constants.

dvr wraps the API with a clean object model, idempotent operations, decoded errors, structured I/O, and a CLI that's pleasant for humans and parseable by LLM agents.

Three ways to use it

1. Python library

from dvr import Resolve

r = Resolve()  # auto-connects, handles macOS LAN-IP quirk

with r.project.use("MyShow"):
    tl = r.timeline.current
    print(tl.inspect())                      # one call, full state

    # Query language operates on inspected state
    bad = tl.clips.where(lambda c: c.duration < 12)
    for clip in bad:
        clip.add_marker(color="red", note="too short")

    job = r.render.submit(preset="delivery")
    job.wait()                               # blocks with progress
    print(job.output_path)

2. CLI

$ dvr project ensure MyShow --color rec2020_pq_4000 --fps 24
$ dvr timeline inspect | jq '.tracks.video[].clips'
$ dvr render submit --preset delivery --wait --stream
{"job_id": "abc", "status": "rendering", "pct": 12, "eta_s": 240}
{"job_id": "abc", "status": "rendering", "pct": 24, "eta_s": 210}
{"job_id": "abc", "status": "complete", "output": "/path/out.mov"}

3. MCP server (for LLM agents)

$ pip install dvr
$ dvr mcp install-claude     # one-shot Claude Desktop setup
$ dvr mcp serve              # or run the server yourself
$ dvr mcp tools              # introspect the 39+ typed tools

LLM agents call typed tools directly — no shell parsing, no silent failures. Tools that don't need a live Resolve (version, doctor, static schema topics) work even when Resolve isn't running, so first-time setup is instant. See docs/mcp.md.

Five things that make it fundamentally better than the raw API

1. One inspect() call replaces ten API calls. Full structured state in a single round-trip.
2. Idempotent operations. project.ensure(), timeline.ensure(), bin.ensure() — re-run anything safely.
3. Decoded errors. Every failure carries cause, fix, and state. No more None.
4. Declarative specs. dvr apply project.dvr.yaml reconciles state. kubectl apply for DaVinci.
5. Persistent connection. dvr serve keeps Resolve warm — sequential commands run in <100ms.

Install

Channel	Command
Homebrew (macOS / Linux)	brew install mhadifilms/tap/dvr
PyPI	pip install dvr
pipx	pipx install dvr
uv	uv tool install dvr
From source	git clone https://github.com/mhadifilms/dvr && cd dvr && pip install -e ".[dev]"

Optional extras

pip install "dvr[docs]"           # docs site dependencies
pip install "dvr[dev]"            # dev (ruff, mypy, pytest)

MCP support is included in the default install.

Homebrew details

dvr ships via my personal tap at mhadifilms/homebrew-tap. The recommended pattern is to tap once, then use the bare command:

brew tap mhadifilms/tap
brew install dvr            # works after the tap is installed

Or, if you only ever want to install once and don't care about updates:

brew install mhadifilms/tap/dvr

brew install dvr says "no formula"? That's expected if you haven't tapped yet. Homebrew only searches homebrew/core by default; our formula lives in our personal tap. Run brew tap mhadifilms/tap and try again.

Requirements

• Python 3.10+ (matches Resolve's embedded Python on current versions)
• DaVinci Resolve Studio 18.5+ — external scripting is a Studio-only feature. Blackmagic Design sells Studio as a one-time $295 perpetual license or via Blackmagic Cloud at $30/month per seat.
• macOS, Windows, or Linux

dvr auto-discovers Resolve's scripting library on each platform. No environment variables needed for typical installs.

The free edition of DaVinci Resolve cannot be scripted from outside the app (Blackmagic restricted this in v19.1+). If you're evaluating dvr without Studio, use --dry-run flags on apply and explore the schema/inspection commands — they work without a live connection.

Status

Stable from 1.0. Breaking changes ship with a deprecation cycle and a major version bump; new features land as minor releases. See CHANGELOG.md.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests welcome. The project's API surface is large; contributions covering edge cases on Windows / Linux are especially valuable. See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup and conventions.

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dvr is an independent open-source project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Blackmagic Design. "DaVinci" and "DaVinci Resolve" are trademarks of Blackmagic Design Pty Ltd.