Mac or Windows macOS edition · user manual

Hotshot VFX Briefer for Mac

The Mac edition runs as a small external application launched from Resolve's menu. It connects back to Resolve over external scripting, keeps Resolve's interface responsive, and manages its own gallery album named Hotshot VFX Briefer.

hotshot-vfx-briefer-mac.zip

Mac package with installer, scripts, icons, and PDF manual · Free

Download Mac

What it does

A VFX marker pass becomes a ready-to-send Excel workbook.

Hotshot VFX Briefer scans your DaVinci Resolve timeline for markers whose names contain VFX_, grabs a reference still for each one from the Color page, pulls clip and camera metadata, and builds an Excel workbook ready for VFX artists.

  • VFX Brief: reference thumbnail, shot code, VFX type, description, priority, assigned artist, status dropdown, and notes.
  • Clip Metadata: per-shot clip and camera data, including scene, take, source frames, timecodes, duration, and available camera fields.
  • Consolidated Clip Info: shots grouped by source clip so you can see which VFX shots come from the same camera original.

Requirements

  • DaVinci Resolve Studio. Resolve scripting requires the paid Studio version.
  • macOS with an internet connection for the first install.
  • The installer sets up Python 3 and the required libraries if they are not already present.

Installation

The installer places the app files in your user Library and adds one launcher to Resolve's Comp scripts folder.

1. Enable scripting in Resolve

Open DaVinci Resolve and go to Preferences > System > General. Turn on external scripting. The Local option is sufficient. Quit Resolve before installing.

2. Run the installer

Unzip the download, then double-click install.command.

If macOS blocks it, right-click install.command, choose Open, then Open again, or allow it under System Settings > Privacy & Security.

3. Follow the prompts

The installer checks for Python and offers to install it if missing. It then creates a private environment, installs dependencies, copies the scripts into place, and adds the launcher to Resolve's menu.

4. Restart Resolve

The tool appears at Workspace > Scripts > Comp > Hotshot VFX Briefer.

~/Library/Application Support/Hotshot VFX Briefer/

That is where the installer places the tool files. It only asks for administrator rights if it needs to install Python.

How to use

  1. Add a timeline marker at each VFX shot and give the marker a name containing VFX_, such as B2601_ARCR03_VFX_010.
  2. With your timeline open, go to Workspace > Scripts > Comp > Hotshot VFX Briefer.
  3. Click Browse and select the folder where you want the brief and stills saved.
  4. Click Grab Stills + Generate Brief.
  5. When the run finishes, open <FolderName>_VFX_Brief.xlsx in the selected project folder.

Structuring marker notes

The brief recognises simple Key: Value lines and sorts them into matching columns:

Type: Sky Replacement
Description: Replace overcast sky with sunset
Priority: High
Artist: Dave

Plain text without a recognised key lands in the Description column. Priority values of High, Medium, or Low are colour coded automatically.

Troubleshooting

Common Mac install and runtime checks.

Tool is not in the menu

Restart Resolve after installing and confirm the installer completed.

Could not connect to Resolve

Resolve must be open with a project and timeline loaded, and external scripting must be enabled in Preferences.

No shots found

Marker names must contain VFX_. Check spelling and confirm the markers are on the timeline, not on clips.

Thumbnails missing in the sheet

The brief generator needs Pillow. The installer handles this; re-run the installer if it was skipped.

Two shots show the same frame

The tool detects and retries duplicates automatically. If it persists, the Color page may be rendering slowly; run it again.

The tool's Dock icon may show the standard Python icon while running. The crosshair appears as the window icon.