DaVinci Resolve Picture in Picture: Resolve 21 Guide

Quick answer: put the full-screen clip on V1 and the video you want as the smaller window directly above it on V2. In DaVinci Resolve 21, select the V2 clip, open Effects, find Resolve FX Transform > Picture in Picture, and apply it. Use Content to reframe what appears inside the inset, Position to size and place the window, and Style for rounding, border and shadow.

If Picture in Picture is missing, check the version before rebuilding the project. Blackmagic introduced the dedicated effect in the Resolve 21 New Features Guide. Resolve 20 and earlier can make the same basic layout by scaling and positioning the V2 clip with Inspector Transform controls.

The control names and two-track setup were checked on September 5, 2026 against the DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual. This guide covers one inset window; the Resolve learning hub can help with the editing steps around it.

Choose the right Picture in Picture method

For one smaller window, start with the native Resolve 21 effect. Use a grid or Fusion when you need several coordinated frames or a custom mask. Switching between camera angles is a different job: the multicam editing guide covers showing one synchronized angle at a time.

Create picture in picture in Resolve 21

1. Open the Cut or Edit page and place the background video on V1.
2. Put the clip that should become the smaller window on V2, directly above the matching part of V1.
3. Trim or sync the two clips before styling the window. Moving the PiP clip later will also move its timing.
4. Select the V2 clip. Open Effects, search for Picture in Picture, and apply the Resolve FX Transform effect to that upper clip.
5. Open Inspector > Effects > Open FX and expand Picture in Picture. Its Content, Position and Style groups control different parts of the inset.
6. Choose Open FX Overlay below the Viewer if you want to drag and resize the inset on screen.
7. Play through the whole overlap. One representative frame is not enough. The speaker may lean out of a crop or cover text later in the shot.

With ordinary opaque clips, the upper track covers the lower one wherever they overlap. Before the effect is applied, V2 may fill the Viewer; that is expected. If V1 disappears from the timeline rather than just from the picture, check whether you placed both clips on the same track.

Use the Resolve Inspector guide for a wider reference to Video, Audio and Effects controls. For this task, stay on the selected clip's Picture in Picture effect so that clip-level Transform and effect-level controls do not get mixed up.

Content versus Position: the control that prevents bad crops

The useful distinction is between the source inside the frame and the frame itself. Content changes what you see through the window; Position changes where that window sits.

• Content Zoom enlarges or reduces the source inside the PiP frame.
• Content Pan shifts that source horizontally.
• Content Tilt shifts it vertically.
• Position X/Y moves the whole window across the finished frame.
• Width and Height change the outer window dimensions.

If the face is too small but the inset already occupies the right amount of screen space, adjust Content Zoom rather than Width and Height. If the framing is good but the inset covers a subtitle or interface button, move Position X/Y. Keeping those jobs separate avoids the repeated resize-and-recrop loop common in older tutorials.

Width and Height can also change the window's shape. Judge the result at the delivery aspect ratio. A corner layout designed at 16:9 can obscure important content after a vertical reframing; the Resolve aspect-ratio guide covers the timeline and output decisions that belong outside this effect.

Make the inset readable without overdesigning it

Open Style after the content and position are correct. Rounding moves from square corners at its minimum toward a circular window at its maximum. Rotation and Opacity affect the whole inset. Border, Fill and Drop Shadow each reveal their own controls when enabled.

Create a circular picture in picture

Center the face with Content Pan and Tilt, then raise Style Rounding to its maximum, 1. Check the shape in the Viewer at your delivery aspect ratio. If it looks oval, adjust Width and Height until the visible window is circular. Do not assume matching numeric values guarantee a circle, and do not stretch the person to compensate for the frame.

Add a border

Enable Border, then set Border Width, Border Color and Border Opacity. The best width depends on timeline resolution, window size and background contrast, so there's no defensible universal number. Review at 100 percent Viewer scale and on a phone-sized preview before making the line heavier.

Add a drop shadow

Enable Drop Shadow and adjust Strength, Color, Drop Angle, Drop Distance, Expand and Blur. A shadow should separate similar tones, not look like a second graphic element. Test it over the brightest and darkest frames because one setting may disappear over black and look dirty over white.

Use Fill only when the source needs it

Fill draws a background behind transparent content inside the window. Fill Matches Border uses the border color. Neither is required for an ordinary full-frame video source, and adding Fill by habit can hide transparency you meant to preserve.

Manual Picture in Picture in Resolve 20 or earlier

The manual method is still useful for a plain inset and explains the underlying composite:

1. Place the background on V1 and the inset source on V2.
2. Select V2 and open Inspector > Video > Transform.
3. Keep Zoom X and Y linked, then reduce Zoom until the inset is the size you need. The useful value depends on the source and timeline dimensions.
4. Change Position X and Y to move it into a corner.
5. Use Cropping only when content outside the desired window must be removed.
6. Check Composite Opacity and track visibility if the result disappears.

This route doesn't provide the Resolve 21 effect's separate Content and Position groups. Zoom changes the whole V2 image rather than zooming inside a fixed PiP boundary. A more complex fixed frame, tracked mask or reusable graphic belongs in the Fusion beginner workflow, but a basic corner inset doesn't require nodes.

Animate the inset in and out

For a simple fade, keyframe the native effect's Style > Opacity. This keeps the animation in Picture in Picture rather than mixing its window controls with clip-level Transform:

1. Select the V2 clip and open Inspector > Effects > Open FX > Picture in Picture.
2. At the first frame of the entrance, set Style Opacity to 0 and click its diamond to store a keyframe.
3. Move the playhead to the frame where the inset should be fully visible, then set the same Opacity parameter to 1. Resolve adds the next keyframe.
4. For a fade-out, first store another Opacity keyframe at 1 where the exit begins, then move later within the clip and set it to 0. That extra point holds the inset visible between the fades.
5. Play through the entrance, hold and exit. Use the Curve Editor to select the effect's Opacity curve and adjust the timing or easing if needed.

For a slide, use the keyframe diamonds beside the native effect's Position controls; keep Content Zoom for reframing inside the window. With the older manual method, animate Video > Transform instead. The keyframes and Curve Editor guide explains how to reveal the right curve and shape the move. A short entrance is usually enough; the frame should not compete with the speaker.

Why Picture in Picture is missing or looks wrong

The effect is not in search

Check both the installed version and the Effects category. Search within Resolve FX Transform, not Video Transitions or Titles. The dedicated effect arrived in Resolve 21; on Resolve 20 or earlier, use the manual Transform method. You do not need to rebuild a project just because a search in the wrong category returns nothing.

The background is not visible

Check track order and timing first: background on V1, inset on V2, both covering the playhead. Confirm V1 is enabled, then check that Picture in Picture is applied to V2 and enabled in the Inspector. A full-size V2 image before applying the effect is normal.

The Viewer handles move the wrong thing

Select the V2 clip, open its effect in the Inspector and switch the Viewer to Open FX Overlay. Ordinary Transform controls edit the whole clip; the Open FX overlay edits the PiP window.

The source moves but the window does not

You're changing Content Pan or Tilt. Use Position X/Y to move the outer window. Use Width and Height to change its boundary.

The Color-page version has a black background

For the Color-page route, right-click the node graph, choose Add Alpha Output, and connect the Picture in Picture node's blue alpha output to that new graph output. Blackmagic documents this extra connection so the timeline receives transparency instead of a black background. The effect also has a Use Alpha checkbox for alpha compositing. If you are learning the effect, the Cut/Edit route avoids this extra node setup.

The inset covers titles or phone UI

Scrub the entire overlap and check the actual delivery frame. Move or resize the window, shorten its duration, or cut back to full screen when the background detail becomes more important. Safe placement is an editorial decision, not a permanent lower-right preset.

Does Picture in Picture work in Resolve Free?

Picture in Picture is available in Resolve 21 Free as well as Studio. Blackmagic's manual does not mark it Studio-only, and the release notes for its free Mac edition explicitly list the effect. If you cannot find it, check the installed version and Resolve FX category before assuming you need a paid license.

PiP does not require special export settings. It becomes part of the composed timeline image. Use the normal DaVinci Resolve export workflow, then review the rendered file to confirm the inset position, border and shadow survived at delivery resolution.

DaVinci Resolve Picture in Picture FAQ

How do I make picture in picture in DaVinci Resolve 21?

Put the background on V1 and the smaller source on V2. Apply Resolve FX Transform > Picture in Picture to V2, then adjust Content, Position and Style in the Inspector.

Why can I not find Picture in Picture in DaVinci Resolve?

The dedicated effect was added in Resolve 21. Check the installed version and search the Resolve FX Transform category. In Resolve 20 or earlier, scale and position the upper clip with Inspector Transform controls.

How do I make a circular picture in picture?

Center the source with Content Pan and Tilt, set Style Rounding to 1, then adjust Width and Height until the window looks circular at the delivery aspect ratio. Matching numeric Width and Height values is not a reliable substitute for checking the visible shape.

Can I add a border and shadow without Fusion?

Yes in Resolve 21. The native Picture in Picture Style controls include Border and Drop Shadow with their own width, color, opacity, distance and blur settings.

How do I zoom inside the PiP without resizing its frame?

Use Content Zoom, Pan and Tilt. Those controls reframe the source inside the window. Width, Height and Position X/Y change the outer window.

How do I animate picture in picture?

For a native Resolve 21 fade, keyframe Picture in Picture > Style > Opacity from 0 to 1. Use its Position keyframes for a slide and the Curve Editor for timing. With the manual method, animate the clip's Transform controls instead.

Is Picture in Picture available in DaVinci Resolve Free?

Yes. The Resolve 21 manual does not mark Picture in Picture Studio-only, and Blackmagic lists it in the release notes for its free Mac edition. If it is missing, check the installed version and the Resolve FX Transform category.

Jason Miller I run DaVinci Resolve Club as an independent publication: hands-on edits, color grading breakdowns, Fairlight sessions, Fusion tests, and honest notes on where Resolve gets in the way.