If you’d like to know how to move your project from one database to another, how to export your project, archive and restore it, how to move projects between computers, etc – you’re at the right place.
In fact, you’ll learn how to deal with your databases, projects, and timelines efficiently.
Let’s dive right in.
It is an excellent practice to create multiple databases to group your similar projects together for an efficient workflow and backups.
Which naturally leads us to…
How to Create a New Database in DaVinci Resolve?
- Go to “Project Manager” (either by launching Resolve or clicking on house icon from the bottom right-hand corner)
- Click on the “Show/Hide Databases” icon.
- Click on “New Database“.
- Click on “Create“
- Let the “Type” be “Disk” – Default value.
- Enter a proper name with no spaces.
- Choose a location of your choice which should be empty or create a new folder. Otherwise you might get an error message saying – “Specify empty folder. Please create an empty folder for the new database”.
- Click on “Create“.
- The new database will be displayed below your local database.
How to Move a Project From One Database to Another?
Now, let us suppose, you have many databases – each having many projects.
Then…
- Go to “Project Manager” (either by launching Resolve or clicking on house icon from the bottom right-hand corner)
- Click on the “Show/Hide Databases” icon.
- Select your database, which has your project.
- Then select and copy (“Ctrl + C” or “Cmd + C”) your project.
- Click on the desired database and paste it (“Ctrl + V” or “Cmd + V”).
- The project should now reflect in the desired database.
Related Article:
How do I Move or Export DaVinci Resolve Files?
Exporting DaVinci Resolve Files (Databases, Files, Timelines) is easy. Before exporting, you must know the below things:
- Do you need to export only the project file? Or
- Do you need to export the entire project with media files? Or
- Do you need to export the database (which is a collection of all of your project files)? Or
- Do you need to export only one timeline inside of a project?
Let’s delve into each of the above scenario.
How to Export a DaVinci Resolve Project?
If you need to export only the project file, then “Export Project” option is enough.
- Go to “File” -> “Export Project” (If you’re already inside a project).
- Choose your desired location.
- Click on “Save“.
- It will save the project file as “.drp” extension – which means “DaVinci Resolve Project” file.
If you’re in “Project Manager” window, then right click on your desired project and click on “Export“. And follow the same steps as above.
The “.drp” file doesn’t include your source media files. The size of a .drp file will be comparatively less compared to your huge media files, say around few MBs for a large project and less than 1 MB for a small project.
If you are sure you just need to share the drp file to a colorist, and he/she has media files, then it’s a matter of importing the project file (.drp) and relinking the media clips in the timeline.
How to Import a DaVinci Resolve Project?
- Go to the “Project Manager” window (either by launching Resolve or clicking on house icon from the bottom right hand corner).
- Right click on the empty area or grey space.
- Click on “Import Project“.
- Select your project file with “.drp” extension.
- Click on “Open“.
- There you go!
After opening the project, if you see that the clips display “Media Offline”, then select all the clips, right click on any one clip, select “Relink Selected Clips” and choose the desired folder which has your media files.
How to Move Your DaVinci Resolve Projects Between Computers?
You could have various reasons to move your projects between computers:
- You have your project files on your desktop, but need to work from a laptop because you’re travelling.
- You might need to hand-off your project works to another person, say, a colorist or vfx specialist.
- You’re going to upgrade to a new system, so that is where you’ll be working from now on.
If these are the cases, then the next thing you should decide is whether you want to export a single project or a collection of all projects within a database.
How to Archive DaVinci Resolve Project Including the Media Files?
If you know you need to export only one project along with all the media files, then you should use “Export Project Archive” option.
- Go to “Project Manager” (either by launching Resolve or clicking on house icon from the bottom right hand corner).
- Right click on your project and click on “Export Project Archive“.
- Choose your location.
- Click on “Save”.
- You’ll get a window to check options for “Media Files”, “Render Cache”, “Proxy Media” ,etc,. Check your desired options.
- Click on “Ok“.
- It will save the folder with the extension “.dra” – DaVinci Resolve Archive.
Now you can move this folder – which has the project file, media files, cache files, proxy files, etc, – to another computer and do a restoration.
Resolve will automatically import the “.drp” project and relink the media files, which will save you a lot of time.
How to Restore an Archived Project in DaVinci Resolve?
- Go to “Project Manager” (either by launching Resolve or clicking on house icon from the bottom right-hand corner).
- Right click on the empty area or grey space.
- Click on “Restore Project Archive“.
- Select your archived folder with “.dra” extension.
- Click on “Open“.
You’ll have your project restored.
How to Move DaVinci Resolve Database to Another Computer?
If you want all the projects and all the databases with all the media files, then you must copy all the databases folders and all the media files separately. This is how you do.
- Go to “Project Manager” (either by launching Resolve or clicking on house icon from the bottom right-hand corner).
- Click on the “Show/Hide Databases” icon.
- You have to select your database one by one and right click -> select “Open File Location”.
- Now copy the folder “Resolve Projects” and go to your external hard-drive, create a new folder and paste it there. (Always keep in mind that you should paste “Resolve Projects” inside another empty folder.)
- Now do the same to other databases (that is, “open file location” -> copy “Resolve Projects” -> paste inside an empty folder in your hard drive.)
- Now copy all of your media files to your hard drive.
So now all the media files and databases are copied. Next step is to go to your new computer and connect your database.
How to Connect DaVinci Resolve Database?
- Launch DaVinci Resolve.
- In the “Project Manager” window, click on “New Database“.
- Click on “Connect“.
- Let the “Type” be “Disk” – Default value.
- Enter a proper name with no spaces.
- Choose the same folder that has your database which was copied in the earlier steps. (Remember to choose the folder that you created which has the “Resolve Projects”)
- Click on “Add“.
- The new database will be imported and displayed below your local database.
- Now go to any project inside that database and select all the clips inside Media Pool and “Relink Selected Clips” with your media files to avoid “Media Offline” error message.
- Now do the same to other databases.
- Now you should have all the databases and media files that you need in the new computer.
How to Move a Timeline from one Project To Another?
Sometimes you might need a timeline (which is part of one project) in another project within the same database. In that case,
- Open existing project, which has your timeline.
- Locate the timeline in the Media pool.
- Copy it using “Ctrl + C” or “Cmd + C”.
- Go to “Project Manager” by launching clicking on house icon from the bottom right-hand corner.
- Double click your desired project to open it.
- Paste the timeline using “Ctrl + V” or “Cmd + V”.
- You’ll notice that along with the timeline, the media files are also copied (which are part of your timeline).
If you need to copy the timeline to a project which is part of another database, then you simply copy the timeline using “Ctrl + C” or “Cmd + C”, select the desired database and project from the “Project Manager” and paste it inside the media pool (of the desired project). All the media which are part of the timeline are also copied!
Learn more about copy and paste operations in DaVinci Resolve here.
How to Export a Timeline from DaVinci Resolve?
There will be situations when you might need to export a single timeline and take it to other computers. Project archiving will copy all the timelines and the related media – which is something you don’t want.
You want a particular timeline, and its related assets that you want copied. Then,
- Go to “File” -> “Export” -> Select “Timeline“.
- (Make sure you are already in the desired timeline before exporting).
- Choose your folder location.
- Click on “Save”.
- It will save the file with “.drt” (DaVinci Resolve Timeline) extension.
If you want to export multiple timelines, then:
- Go to “File” -> “Media Management“.
- Click on “Timeline” tab.
- Select your desired timelines.
- Choose your destination folder.
- Make sure you are under “Copy” tab (instead of Transcode)
- Then click on “Start“.
- All the selected timelines will be copied as “.drt” files along with the media files.
How to Import a DaVinci Resolve Timeline
- Go to “File” -> “Import” -> Select “Timeline“.
- Choose your folder location which should contain the timeline in “.drt” format.
- Click on “Open“.
- It will load the timeline with all the related media files.
You may also find the below posts helpful:
Frame Rates in DaVinci Resolve (Things You Should Know)
Quick Export in DaVinci Resolve (+ Shortcut & Useful Tips)
Essential DaVinci Resolve Project Settings (For Beginners!)
Tips to Save Your Precious Work in DaVinci Resolve (IMPORTANT!)
Change Aspect Ratio in DaVinci Resolve: (for a Cinematic Look)
How To Delete Gaps & Clips in DaVinci Resolve (the Right Way!)
Does DaVinci Resolve Support Gif? (Here’s How to Work With Them)
How To Recover DaVinci Resolve Lost Projects (Crash Recovery!)
