> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://davinciresolveclub.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # DaVinci Resolve Fusion Macros and Templates: Build, Save, Install - URL: https://davinciresolveclub.com/davinci-resolve-fusion-macros-templates/ - Published: 2026-08-28T06:13:12.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-30T08:39:15.000Z - Description: Build a reusable Fusion macro in Resolve 21, expose a clean Inspector, choose Macro, Group or Edit Template, then fix templates that don't appear. - Author: Jason Miller - Tags: Fusion, Tutorials, #learn **Quick answer:** build and test the node tree first. Select the nodes you want to reuse, right-click one of them, and choose **Macro > Create Macro**. In Resolve 21's Macro Editor, export only the controls another editor should change, give them clear names, arrange the live Inspector Preview, and test with **Copy Macro**. Then save the result as a Macro, Group, or Edit Template according to where and how it will be used. The destination matters. A Macro is one custom Fusion node. A Group keeps the internal nodes available for future editing. An Edit Template belongs in the Cut or Edit page Effects Library as a Title, Generator, Effect, or Transition. Saving the same node tree to the wrong destination is the main reason a perfectly valid `.setting` file seems to vanish. ## Choose Macro, Group or Edit Template before you build | Save choice | Best use and limit | | ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Macro** | Use one custom node inside Fusion with a restricted set of controls. The internal node tree is intentionally hidden behind that tool. | | **Group** | Collapse a reusable setup while keeping its individual nodes expandable. Choose this when another compositor may need to repair or redesign the internals. | | **Edit Template** | Drag a reusable Title, Generator, Effect, or Transition from the Cut/Edit Effects Library. It exposes selected controls in the Inspector instead of asking the editor to work in Fusion. | If you're still learning what each node does, start with the [Fusion beginner workflow](https://davinciresolveclub.com/davinci-resolve-fusion-tutorial-for-beginners/). The macro process assumes the comp already works. Packaging a broken comp only makes the failure easier to repeat. ## Build a clean source comp Make the smallest node tree that produces the finished result. Name the important nodes, remove abandoned branches, and test different clips, frame sizes, durations, and aspect ratios when those inputs can change. A reusable lower third shouldn't be approved after one name at one duration. A reusable effect should survive a different source clip without relying on a hidden mask or a fixed frame number. Keep the boundary between the template and the host timeline clear. For a title made entirely in Fusion, the official Resolve 21 manual's title example selects the creative nodes but leaves MediaOut out of the macro. A transition is different: its construction needs the incoming and outgoing MediaIn nodes plus MediaOut. Don't turn either example into a universal rule. Choose nodes according to the template category you're building. For a normal custom Fusion tool, confirm the node inputs and output before packaging. The [Resolve node guide](https://davinciresolveclub.com/davinci-resolve-nodes-explained/) covers Merge inputs, masks, serial flow and safe branching if the comp itself still feels uncertain. ## Create a Fusion macro in Resolve 21 1. Open the clip or Fusion Composition on the **Fusion** page. 2. Build the complete effect and confirm the final branch reaches MediaOut. 3. Select only the nodes that belong inside the reusable item. 4. Right-click one selected node. 5. Choose **Macro > Create Macro**. 6. Give the macro a short, searchable name that will still make sense in six months. ![DaVinci Resolve 21 Fusion nodes selected before choosing Macro and Create Macro](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a9/29/a929429b-cfab-4467-b902-a0cd9c90feac/content/images/2026/08/fusion-macro-create-step.webp) Finish the comp first, select the nodes that belong in the reusable item, then open Macro > Create Macro from the node context menu. Blackmagic's [Resolve 21 New Features Guide](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/SupportNotes/DaVinci%5FResolve%5F21%5FNew%5FFeatures%5FGuide.pdf?ref=davinciresolveclub.com) documents the redesigned Macro Editor and its live Inspector Preview. That preview is more than decoration: it lets you judge what an editor will actually see while you're still choosing and organizing parameters. ## Expose fewer controls than the node tree contains The Export checkbox decides whether a parameter appears on the finished macro. Start with none, then add only the settings the next user must change. For a lower third, that might be Styled Text, font, size, text color, background opacity, and position. Exposing every Text+ or Transform parameter recreates the original complexity in a worse interface. Rename technical inputs for the person using the template. **Background Opacity** is clearer than an internal channel name. **Title Position** is clearer than a generic Center control when the template has several transforms. Set sensible defaults and ranges only when they prevent an invalid or destructive choice. A narrow range is useful for opacity; it can be harmful when a position control genuinely needs the full frame. ![DaVinci Resolve 21 Macro Editor exporting six controls into a clean live Inspector Preview](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a9/29/a929429b-cfab-4467-b902-a0cd9c90feac/content/images/2026/08/fusion-macro-expose-controls.webp) Export only the controls that change, rename them for the editor, then use the live preview to order related settings into a compact Inspector. ## Organize the live Inspector Preview Resolve 21 lets you drag controls up or down in the preview, move them to another page, and rename pages. It also adds Separator, Spacer, and Nest layout tools. Use them to clarify decisions, not to build a miniature control panel for its own sake. - Keep the first page for the settings changed on almost every use. - Put related controls together: text, layout, color, timing, or advanced repair. - Use one separator when two groups would otherwise run together. - Use a nest for genuinely optional detail, not for the core controls the editor needs immediately. - Leave a new page for a real second task, not because the first page looks busy. For title templates, test the same Inspector with a short name, a long name, and a two-line name. If you need the full Text+ workflow before packaging it, use the [Resolve text and Text+ guide](https://davinciresolveclub.com/how-to-add-text-in-davinci-resolve/). ## Test the macro before saving it Open the Macro Editor's three-dot menu and choose **Copy Macro**. Paste the work-in-progress item into the Fusion node tree and test the exposed controls there. Blackmagic added this loop so you don't have to save and import a new file for every small change. Check four things before you commit the file: 1. The output matches the original comp at the default values. 2. Every visible control changes what its label promises. 3. No essential input, mask, image, or text control was hidden. 4. Minimum and maximum values don't trap the editor or break the design. Paste the test macro into a fresh comp rather than next to the source nodes and assuming both are equivalent. A clean test catches accidental dependencies on an upstream node, a missing input, or a control that only worked because the original clip had a particular resolution. ## Save to the destination you actually need The current three-dot menu separates the destinations: - **Save As Macro:** creates one custom node with the controls you exposed. - **Save As Group:** stores an expandable container of the individual nodes. - **Save to Edit Template:** places the result in the Cut/Edit Effects Library as a Title, Generator, Effect, or Transition. - **Choose Thumbnail:** adds a recognizable thumbnail. - **Show in Folder:** opens the saved location instead of making you guess it. ![DaVinci Resolve 21 Macro Editor save menu comparing Macro Group and Edit Template destinations](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a9/29/a929429b-cfab-4467-b902-a0cd9c90feac/content/images/2026/08/fusion-macro-save-options.webp) Choose by destination: a custom Fusion node, an expandable group, or a Cut/Edit template in the appropriate Effects Library category. For an ordinary timeline transition, use the [transitions guide](https://davinciresolveclub.com/davinci-resolve-transitions/) to solve handles, duration, alignment, and playback. A Fusion Transition template is a different task: it builds the reusable effect that later appears in that library. ## Install .setting and .drfx templates correctly A loose `.setting` file must live in the category it's meant to appear under. A packaged `.drfx` bundle can contain the Edit folder structure, template files, icons, and associated assets. To install a valid bundle, double-click the `.drfx` file in the operating system or drag it onto the Fusion page, then approve Resolve's installation dialog. Don't rename a random download to `.drfx` and expect Resolve to infer the missing structure. When Resolve 21 offers **Show in Folder**, use it. For manual placement, the user-level Edit template roots documented in the current [Resolve 21 Reference Manual](https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/UserManuals/DaVinci%5FResolve%5F21%5FReference%5FManual.pdf?ref=davinciresolveclub.com) are: - **macOS:** `~/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Fusion/Templates/Edit/` - **Windows:** `%AppData%\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Fusion\Templates\Edit\` - **Linux:** `~/.local/share/DaVinciResolve/Fusion/Templates/Edit/` Add the matching suffix: `Titles`, `Generators`, `Effects`, or `Transitions`. If a missing category folder needs to be created, match the spelling and hierarchy exactly. Quit and reopen Resolve after manual placement so the Effects Library is rebuilt. ## Fix a Fusion template that is not showing ![DaVinci Resolve 21 troubleshooting path from Show in Folder to Templates Edit Effects and the Effects Library](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a9/29/a929429b-cfab-4467-b902-a0cd9c90feac/content/images/2026/08/fusion-template-not-showing.webp) Trace the saved item from Resolve's Show in Folder command to the correct Edit category, restart Resolve, then search the matching Effects Library section. 1. **Confirm the destination.** A Fusion Macro belongs in Fusion's macro list; an Edit Template belongs in the Cut/Edit Effects Library. 2. **Confirm the category.** A title in `Effects` will not appear under Fusion Titles. Move it to the folder that matches its construction. 3. **Confirm the extension.** Check that the file didn't become `.setting.txt` or an invalid bundle after download or extraction. 4. **Confirm the folder level.** The file belongs inside the category folder, not beside `Edit` and not inside an extra duplicate `Edit/Edit` tree. 5. **Restart Resolve.** Manual additions are indexed when the application starts. 6. **Search the correct library.** Look under Titles, Generators, Effects, or Video Transitions according to what you saved. 7. **Test the underlying requirements.** A template can load but still fail if it depends on missing fonts, media, third-party plugins, or Studio-only tools. Do not solve a missing item by copying it into several system and user folders at once. That creates duplicates and makes the working path impossible to identify. Keep one known file, use Show in Folder when possible, and change one variable per test. ## Update a reusable template without breaking working edits Treat a saved template as a small product. Keep a known-good copy before replacing it. Save a material redesign under a new name such as `Lower Third v2`, add a fresh instance to a test timeline, and compare it with the old one. Don't promise that replacing one file will safely rewrite every existing timeline instance; the project may retain its own state and exposed controls. Check the new version on a different clip and a different duration. If it uses fonts, external media, plugins, or Studio-only nodes, document those requirements where the template is distributed. A macro wrapper doesn't remove the licensing or installation requirements of the tools inside it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is a Fusion macro in DaVinci Resolve? A Fusion macro packages one or more selected nodes as one custom node and exposes only the parameters you choose. It's useful when the internal setup should be reused without presenting the whole node tree every time. ### What is the difference between a Fusion macro and a group? A macro behaves as one custom node with selected controls. A group is a container whose individual nodes can be expanded and edited later. Use a group when future access to the internal construction matters. ### How do I make a Fusion template appear on the Edit page? In Resolve 21's Macro Editor, choose Save to Edit Template and select Title, Generator, Effect, or Transition. For manual files, place the .setting file in the matching Templates/Edit category folder, quit Resolve, reopen it, and search that Effects Library category. ### Why is my Fusion template not showing in DaVinci Resolve? The usual causes are the wrong destination, wrong category folder, an extra folder level, a changed file extension, or Resolve not being restarted after manual placement. Check one known file with Show in Folder before copying it elsewhere. ### Where is the Fusion Templates folder on Windows? The current user-level Edit template root is %AppData%\\Blackmagic Design\\DaVinci Resolve\\Support\\Fusion\\Templates\\Edit\\. Add Titles, Generators, Effects, or Transitions according to the template type. ### Can I edit a Fusion macro after saving it? Yes. The Resolve 21 manual says an existing macro can be opened from the Node Editor's Macro submenu and re-edited in the Macro Editor. Save a backup or a versioned copy before changing a tool used in real projects. ### Do Fusion macros and templates work in DaVinci Resolve Free? The macro and template workflow is part of Fusion, but the wrapper doesn't make every node, plugin, font, or asset universally available. A template that depends on a Studio-only tool or third-party plugin still carries that requirement. Continue through the [Fusion task hub](https://davinciresolveclub.com/davinci-resolve-fusion/) for tracking, keying, rotoscoping and compositing guides. Use this page when the job is no longer building one comp, but turning a proven comp into something another edit can reuse safely.