davinci-mcp-fat

A "fat" Model Context Protocol server for DaVinci Resolve that goes beyond what the standalone Blackmagic Scripting API exposes.

Why

The official Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve Scripting API (Python/Lua) — and every MCP server that wraps it — leaves out essential operations that exist in the UI:

• Per-clip audio volume / pan
• Adding video & audio transitions on edit points
• Setting text on most Fusion Title templates
• Switching between Insert / Overwrite / Replace edit modes
• Moving titles & generators between tracks
• Drag-and-drop ergonomics for templates
• Live event subscriptions (timeline changes, playhead, selection)

This project closes those gaps by combining three layers:

Claude / any MCP client
       │
       │ stdio
       ▼
┌──────────────────────┐
│  MCP server (TS)     │  ← thin protocol layer
└──────────────────────┘
       │
       │ localhost:9000 WebSocket
       ▼
┌──────────────────────┐
│  Workflow Integration │  ← runs inside Resolve, in-process API access
│  plugin (JS)         │
└──────────────────────┘
       │
       ├─→ DaVinciResolveScript (same scripting API, in-process)
       ├─→ Resolve Inspector / UI surface (extra access)
       └─→ AppleScript bridge (for UI-only gestures)

The WI plugin gets us in-process access (clip volume, opacity keyframes, inspector fields, event hooks). The AppleScript bridge handles the truly UI-only stuff (drag-drop a template, add a Cross Dissolve on a cut). Together they cover ~95% of what a working editor does.

Status

🚧 Phase 1 — Scaffolding

Feature	Status
WI plugin loads in Resolve	🚧
WS bridge MCP ↔ plugin	🚧
Per-clip volume	⏳
Opacity keyframes (faux transitions)	⏳
AppleScript drag template	⏳
AppleScript add Cross Dissolve	⏳

Install

Requires DaVinci Resolve Studio 18+ on macOS. Free DaVinci Resolve doesn't ship the Workflow Integration runtime.

git clone git@github.com:DannyDesert/davinci-mcp-fat.git
cd davinci-mcp-fat
./scripts/install-plugin.sh   # copies plugin/ into Resolve's plugin dir (needs sudo on macOS)
npm install --prefix mcp-server
npm run build --prefix mcp-server

Plugin install path on macOS is system-wide (/Library/..., not ~/Library/...). Resolve does not scan the user-library path — verified empirically against Resolve Studio 20.3.

Then launch Resolve and enable: Workspace → Workflow Integrations → davinci-mcp-fat.

Configure your MCP client to launch:

node /Users/<you>/Developer/davinci-mcp-fat/mcp-server/dist/index.js

License

MIT