Blackmagic Design (http://www.blackmagic-design.com/) has announced DaVinci Resolve 8.1, an update available to all DaVinci Resolve customers.

The new Resolve 8.1 software update includes support for Apple Final Cut Pro X XML round trip, new layer node composite effects, ACES colorspace support, compatibility with Avid AAF for round trip with Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro 7 clip size and position support, new copy commands for grades, upgraded EDL features, support for UltraStudio 3D for Thunderbolt and compatibility with the 2011 MacBook Pro.

With this new update, DaVinci Resolve can now import and export Final Cut Pro X timelines using the new Final Cut Pro rich XML file format. When working in Final Cut Pro X, customers will get full timeline round trip where projects can be moved between Final Cut Pro X and DaVinci Resolve, retaining the multi track timeline with frame accurate cuts, dissolves and even speed changes. DaVinci Resolve will also use rich XML from Final Cut Pro X to link to original camera footage. DaVinci Resolve supports full media management for Final Cut Pro X projects including additional source clip folders and alternate image source when conforming edits in Resolve.

Because DaVinci Resolve supports grading of high resolution and bit depth files, edits can be exported out of Final Cut Pro for finishing. An alternative workflow is to use DaVinci Resolve 8.1 to manage extremely high resolution raw image formats such as RED, ARRI, CinemaDNG and DNxHD, and then to grade and render to ProRes or uncompressed media for Final Cut Pro X.

DaVinci Resolve 8.1 now includes new layer node composite effects which offer colorists more creative grading with add, subtract, difference, multiply, screen, overlay, darker and lighten effects. Colorists will be able to use these new composite effects to create complex and intricate grades, according to the folks at Blackmagic Design.

DaVinci Resolve 8.1 now includes ACES colorspace support. ACES and IIF is a new colorspace and file format promoted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences technology committee to provide a universal and open image interchange and processing format. The ACES IIF file format is fully supported, and includes a variety of IDTs and ODTs as well as support for 3D shaper LUTs.

DaVinci Resolve 8.1 allows colorists to work in this format; even the free DaVinci Resolve Lite includes ACES colorspace.

To improve compatibility with customers using Avid Media Composer, DaVinci Resolve 8.1 now includes improved support for Avid AAF import/export for roundtrip editing to Resolve and back to Avid Media Composer. This new AAF support includes effects such as dip to color, edge and center wipe with border, clock and venetian blind wipe and also cross, oval and diamond iris wipe, overlay composite and more. Also includes support for Avid sizing with (PTZR) pan, tilt, zoom and rotate.

Additional support is included for Final Cut Pro 7 round trip with clip by clip selectable import of image sizing data now possible. Import sizing and position data for all or selected clips is available to allow renders using the extremely high quality DaVinci Resolve image resizing engine.

New cut, copy and paste operations for editing and node metadata including dynamics have been added to DaVinci Resolve 8.1. The upgrade also includes new conform features including the abilities to export missing clips EDL and import new EDL to a track.