DaVinci Resolve MCP server

This MCP server enables AI assistants like Claude to interact with DaVinci Resolve Studio, providing a bridge for controlling editing, color grading, audio, and other functions through the Model Context Protocol.

Installation

Setting Up with uv

uv is recommended for installing this server due to its speed and reliability.

Step 1: Install uv

# Using pip
pip install uv

# Using Homebrew (macOS)
brew install uv

# Using Conda
conda install -c conda-forge uv

Verify the installation:

uv --version

Step 2: Create a Virtual Environment

uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

Step 3: Install the MCP Server

# From the project directory (editable install)
uv install -e .

# Or directly from GitHub
uv install git+https://github.com/yourusername/davinci-resolve-mcp.git

Step 4: Install Dependencies

uv install mcp pydantic

Configuration

API Access Setup

The ResolveAPI class automatically locates the scripting API, but you may need manual configuration:

macOS

API paths are automatically detected in:

• /Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Developer/Scripting/Modules
• ~/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Developer/Scripting/Modules

Windows

If needed, add the API path:

import sys
sys.path.append("C:\\ProgramData\\Blackmagic Design\\DaVinci Resolve\\Support\\Developer\\Scripting\\Modules")

Linux

Set the environment variable:

export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:/opt/resolve/Developer/Scripting/Modules

Or use a custom path:

export RESOLVE_SCRIPT_PATH="/custom/path/to/scripting/modules"

Running the Server

# Run directly with Python
python -m resolve_mcp.server

# Or with uv
uv run resolve_mcp/server.py

The server will connect to DaVinci Resolve and display confirmation logs.

Claude Integration

To integrate with Claude Desktop, update your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "davinci-resolve": {
      "command": "/path/to/uv",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--directory",
        "/path/to/davinci-resolve-mcp",
        "resolve_mcp/server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

• Replace /path/to/uv with your actual uv path
• Replace /path/to/davinci-resolve-mcp with your project directory path

Restart Claude Desktop after configuration. A hammer icon in the input box indicates successful integration.

Features and Capabilities

Project Management

• Create, load, and save projects
• Export and import projects
• Manage project settings

Timeline Operations

• Create and switch between timelines
• Add and manage tracks
• Manipulate timeline items and clips
• Add timeline markers

Media Management

• Import media files
• Create and organize media pool folders
• Create timelines from clips
• Access clip metadata

Fusion Integration

• Create and manage Fusion compositions
• Add Fusion nodes to compositions

Color Grading

• Access color page nodes
• Save and apply color stills
• Manage gallery albums

Audio Control

• Adjust clip and track volume
• Control audio parameters

Playback Control

• Start and stop playback
• Get and set playhead position

Rendering

• Start rendering jobs
• Monitor render status

Navigation

• Switch between Resolve pages (Media, Edit, Fusion, Color, Fairlight, Deliver)

Advanced Operations

• Execute custom Python code
• Run Lua scripts in Fusion

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

If you encounter connection problems:

1. Verify DaVinci Resolve Studio is running
2. Check that scripting is enabled in Resolve's preferences
3. Confirm Python version compatibility (3.10+ recommended):

   python --version
   

4. Check logs in ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log (macOS) or %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Claude\Logs\ (Windows)

Dependency Issues

If modules are missing:

uv install mcp pydantic

Python Version Compatibility

If needed, switch to a compatible Python version:

pyenv install 3.10.12
pyenv shell 3.10.12
uv install -r requirements.txt

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "davinci-resolve" '{"command":"/path/to/uv","args":["run","--directory","/path/to/davinci-resolve-mcp","resolve_mcp/server.py"]}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "davinci-resolve": {
            "command": "/path/to/uv",
            "args": [
                "run",
                "--directory",
                "/path/to/davinci-resolve-mcp",
                "resolve_mcp/server.py"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "davinci-resolve": {
            "command": "/path/to/uv",
            "args": [
                "run",
                "--directory",
                "/path/to/davinci-resolve-mcp",
                "resolve_mcp/server.py"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect