What is the 'hidden alignment feature' in DaVinci Resolve 21?

It's a new set of alignment and distribution tools accessible by right-clicking on position values (X or Y) in the Inspector when multiple 'Transform' nodes are selected with 'Combine Selected Tools' enabled in the Fusion Page.

Is this feature available in older versions of DaVinci Resolve?

No, the 'Combine Selected Tools' feature and the associated advanced alignment options are exclusive to DaVinci Resolve Studio 21 and newer versions.

How do I use 'Combine Selected Tools' effectively?

Select multiple nodes with similar properties (e.g., 'Transform' nodes). Click the 'Combine Selected Tools' button (top-right in the Inspector). This allows you to adjust common properties for all selected nodes simultaneously.

What does 'Set X Value To: First' mean?

This option aligns all selected elements to the horizontal position (X-axis) of the element that was last clicked or is currently active within the selection.

How can I evenly distribute elements horizontally?

Manually place your first and last elements in their desired positions. Then, select all elements, ensure 'Combine Selected Tools' is active, right-click the 'X' position, and choose 'Set X Value To > Spread'. This will evenly space the other elements between your anchor points.

Can I use these alignment features for vertical positioning?

Yes, all the alignment options (First, Middle, Minimum, Maximum, Spread, Jitter) are also available for the 'Y' position value in the Inspector, allowing for precise vertical alignment and distribution.

DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve 21 Hidden Alignment Feature You Need to Know (Fusion Page)

Intermediate

10 mins

Kabeer Khan

Creator

Watch on YT

Overview

Discover the hidden alignment and distribution features in DaVinci Resolve 21's Fusion Page. Learn to precisely align and evenly space text, images, and elements with a single click.

Tools Used

DaVinci Resolve 21

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

13 Steps

Introduction to Alignment Feature

Understand the new hidden alignment and distribution feature in DaVinci Resolve 21's Fusion Page, which simplifies perfect positioning of elements with a single click, replacing manual methods.

Set Up Fusion Composition

Open a Fusion Composition from your Media Pool. Add a 'Background' node to your node panel to serve as a base for your elements.

Right-click on the Fusion composition in the Media Pool and select 'Open in Fusion Page'.

Add & Prepare Elements

Drag five desired icons (or other elements) into the node panel. Remove any automatically added 'Merge' nodes. Add a 'Transform' node to each icon and connect them sequentially to 'Merge' nodes, which then connect to the 'Background' node.

Copy and paste 'Transform' nodes to quickly add them to all elements.. Using individual 'Merge' nodes helps to visually understand the connections.

Utilize Combined Properties

Select all 'Transform' nodes. Locate and enable the 'Combine Selected Tools' option (top-right corner). This allows you to adjust common properties, such as 'Size', across all selected nodes simultaneously, making uniform changes efficient.

This feature is exclusive to DaVinci Resolve Studio 21 and streamlines bulk adjustments.

Randomize Element Positions

After uniformly scaling your elements using combined properties, deselect all nodes. Then, manually move each element to various random positions to demonstrate the effectiveness of the alignment features.

This step is crucial for clearly illustrating how the alignment tools correct disordered layouts.

Access X-Value Alignment Options

Select all 'Transform' nodes again. Ensure 'Combine Selected Tools' is active (toggle it off and on if necessary). Right-click on the 'X' position value in the inspector panel to reveal a dropdown menu of alignment options for the horizontal axis.

The 'X' position value may display a dash if elements have different current positions.. Toggling 'Combine Selected Tools' ensures the alignment changes are applied.

Align X-Value to First Element

From the right-click menu, select 'Set X Value To > First'. This will align all selected elements to the X-position of the last-clicked or currently active element.

The active element will be highlighted (e.g., red border) when selected last.

Align X-Value to Middle

Select 'Set X Value To > Middle'. All elements will instantly snap to the calculated horizontal center (X-axis) based on their combined positions.

This is useful for quickly centering a group of elements horizontally.

Align X-Value to Minimum (Left)

Choose 'Set X Value To > Minimum'. All selected elements will align to the X-position of the leftmost element in the group.

Ideal for left-justifying a set of objects.

Align X-Value to Maximum (Right)

Select 'Set X Value To > Maximum'. This aligns all elements to the X-position of the rightmost element in the selection.

Use this to right-justify multiple elements.

Distribute X-Value Evenly (Spread)

Manually position your first and last elements where you want them. Then, select all elements and choose 'Set X Value To > Spread'. The remaining elements will be evenly distributed horizontally between the first and last.

This feature is a game-changer for creating perfectly spaced arrangements, previously a manual and time-consuming task.

Apply X-Value Jitter

If you need a slight random displacement rather than precise alignment, select 'Set X Value To > Jitter'. This adds minor, random shifts to the X-positions of your elements.

Jitter is useful for adding a natural, less rigid feel to elements, not for exact alignment.

Align Y-Value to Middle (Vertical Alignment)

After perfecting horizontal alignment, select all elements. Right-click on the 'Y' position value in the inspector and select 'Set Y Value To > Middle'. This will align all elements perfectly along their vertical center (Y-axis), ensuring a straight line.

The 'Y' value alignment options (First, Middle, Minimum, Maximum, Spread, Jitter) function identically to the 'X' value options but control vertical positioning.

Transcript

DaVinci Resolve 21 has launched, introducing powerful new features, including a hidden alignment tool within the Fusion page. This tool revolutionizes how you align and evenly distribute text, images, and elements, a task that was previously complex and manual. Now, it's achievable with a single click. To demonstrate, we'll use DaVinci Resolve Studio 21. Start by opening a Fusion Composition from your media pool. Add a 'Background' node for visual clarity. Then, drag five icons into your node panel. Delete their default 'Merge' nodes. For each icon, add a 'Transform' node, copying and pasting it for efficiency. Connect all these elements to the 'Background' node using individual 'Merge' nodes. Initially, the icons appear large. DaVinci Resolve 21 introduces a 'Combine Selected Tools' feature (top-right when multiple similar nodes are selected). This allows you to adjust common properties, like size and position, across all selected nodes simultaneously. Utilize this feature to reduce the size of all icons at once. This combined property adjustment is exclusive to DaVinci Resolve Studio 21. To showcase the alignment capabilities, randomly reposition each icon. For example, move 'Discord' to the left, 'PayPal' to the right, and others arbitrarily. Now, select all 'Transform' nodes. Ensure the 'Combine Selected Tools' feature is active (toggle it off and on if necessary). You'll notice the 'X' position value shows a dash, indicating varied positions. Right-click on this 'X' value to reveal the alignment options: 1. **Set X Value To: First**: Aligns all selected elements to the X-position of the *last-clicked* or *active* element. Remember to toggle 'Combine Selected Tools' for this to apply correctly. 2. **Set X Value To: Middle**: Snaps all selected elements to their average horizontal center (X-axis). 3. **Set X Value To: Minimum**: Moves all elements to the leftmost X-position among the selected group. 4. **Set X Value To: Maximum**: Moves all elements to the rightmost X-position among the selected group. 5. **Set X Value To: Spread**: This is for even distribution. Manually set the positions for your first and last elements. Then, select all elements and apply 'Spread' to evenly space the rest between these two anchor points. This significantly simplifies even distribution. 6. **Set X Value To: Jitter**: Adds a slight, random displacement to the elements, useful for minor randomization rather than precise alignment. After achieving horizontal alignment or distribution using X-value options, you might find vertical misalignment. To correct this, select all elements, right-click on the 'Y' position value, and choose 'Set Y Value To: Middle'. This will perfectly align all elements along the Y-axis. The Y-value alignment options function identically to the X-value options but control vertical positioning.