How Grapple and DaVinci Resolve differ for editing, compositing and finishing.
Blackmagic Design describes DaVinci Resolve as one application for editing, colour correction, visual effects, motion graphics, audio post-production and photo editing, with a separate page for each. Grapple puts layered motion graphics directly on the editing timeline, corrects roto and transcripts against the source, and adds an agent that builds in the project.
Side by side
| Task | In Grapple | In DaVinci Resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Editing | Ripple, roll, slip, slide and rate stretch, speed ramps, frame holds, markers and a source monitor for placing ranges. | A Cut page designed for speed, with multicam editing, and an Edit page for traditional editing. |
| Compositing and motion graphics | Layers placed directly on the editing timeline, with mattes, blend modes, shapes, text animation, 3D layers, lights and cameras. | The Fusion page, a node-based compositor with 2D and 3D tools. |
| Isolating a subject | Roto with subject, vector and paint masks and tracking, using included models that run on your computer. | Magic Mask in the Studio version, and rotoscoping and keying in Fusion. |
| Transcripts and captions | Correct transcript text, speakers and timing against the source, and create captions that follow the transcript. | Text-based editing in DaVinci Resolve Studio. |
| Scripting and custom effects | Property scripts, and custom effects written in GLSL or Python with their parameters as controls. | Python and Lua scripting, and expressions that link parameters in Fusion. |
What Grapple adds
Grapple is built for pieces where the edit and the graphics are made together: promos, explainers, title sequences and interview cuts with graphics. Motion graphics sit on the editing timeline as layers, rather than on a separate compositing page.
Ape changes how the construction gets done. Brief it on a set of lower thirds, a vertical version or a camera move through layered artwork, then review and adjust what it built. History keeps each run as one entry, and Undo run reverses a run that went the wrong way. Create runs the image, video and audio models you connect and adds the results to the project.
Bringing work across
Bring source media into Grapple, or use an export from Resolve as media. Grapple exports H.264 or HEVC in MP4, in SDR or HDR. A short promo or title treatment that you know well is a good first test.
Build a first small projectTry it on footage you already know.
Pick a short clip and one job, such as a lower third or a trimmed opening. The getting-started guide takes you from import to an exported file.