Databases Explained - Getting started in DaVinci Resolve (Part 1)

Setting up your Databases in Davinci Resolve is one of the first things you will have to do. In this video, we cover everything you need to get you started.

This is Part 1 of my Getting Started in DaVinci Resolve series. You can all of the currently available parts here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx9Sc2olDN-dN3coCXq9te4E7z8-DWYW4

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Databases Explained - Getting started in DaVinci Resolve (Part 1)

Welcome to part 1 of getting started in DaVinci Resolve.

In this series, we're going back to the basics and walking you through step-by-step, everything you need to know, to get you started in Resolve.

If you're new to Resolve or just need a refresher, these tutorials are for you.

Let's get started!

When you open up DaVinci Resolve, the first thing you'll see after the splash screen is the Project Manager Window.

Before you can get started with a New Project, you will first need to set up your Local Database.

So what is a Database!?

In Resolve, a Database contains pretty much everything that isn't Media.

This includes your Projects, Bins, Timelines and more.

It can contain your Sound Library, but we will discuss this in another video.

To create a new Local Database, you will need to make sure the Show Databases icon is checked.

From here, you can select the "New Database" icon at the bottom of the menu.

Once you've clicked this, a new dialogue menu will open and you will have two options to choose from.

Disk or postgreSQL.

If you are just working by yourself with one computer, you only need to worry about the Local Disk option.

postgreSQL is the Database option for those who are working in larger teams and need to share databases across network storage, for example, if you work in a Post Production house.

When creating a new Local Database, you have the option to name it and to choose the destination where you would like to keep it.

It's recommended that you keep your Local Database on an internal drive.

By default, the Local Database can be found here on a Mac:

User > Library > Application Support > Blackmagic Design > DaVinci Resolve > Resolve Disk Database

If you've already created a new Database and are not sure of where it is, you can right-click on it in the menu and select "Reveal in Finder or the Windows equivalent". You can also select the (i) Information icon, which will reveal the status and location of the Databases.

As long as your Local Database is stored on an Internal Drive, you can always choose somewhere else easier to find.

Once you've created your New Database, you can now start to create your Projects.

Depending on how much work you do in Resolve, an individual Database will vary in size, however, they are still relatively small in terms of file size. Mine for instance are less then 1GB.

This makes it fairly easy if you need to transfer your Database to another computer or hard drive.

To do this, you can use the select the Database Backup Icon in the Project Manager.

This will open up another dialogue box and it will ask you to name and select the destination for your backup.

Once you click "Save", it may take a little while to create the backup, but once it has been completed, you can now copy that file to your new computer or external hard drive.

To restore your Backup, all you have to do is select the "Restore" icon and locate your Backup file.

Now all of your projects contained within that Database will be restored.

Remember, Databases do not contain your project media. This is stored in a different location, so you will need to back that up separately.

We will discuss how to Backup and Archive individual Project files in a future video.