Aspect + DaVinci Resolve

When Resolve is the finishing tool, Resolve can usually read the camera files, but your team really needs to get a colorist, editor, producer, assistant, and reviewer onto the same media without shipping drives, duplicating terabytes, or asking everyone to install a RAW-capable workstation just to look at dailies. Aspect fits into that workflow as the shared media layer around Resolve. You mount the project, Resolve sees the files like they're on a normal drive, and the team can keep camera originals, proxies, exports, references, review files, and archive structure in one place. Resolve still does what Resolve is best at: edit, conform, grade, mix, render. Aspect handles the cloud file space, browser previews, review, access, and archive around it.

Work directly from a mounted Aspect project

The simplest Resolve setup is also the one that holds up best: mount the Aspect project on the workstation, then import or relink media from that mounted path. Aspect appears in Finder or File Explorer like a shared drive. When Resolve asks for bytes from a clip, Aspect streams the needed data into a local cache. You don't need to download a full card, a full shoot day, or a full 100 GB clip before Resolve can open it. Aspect also prefetches data ahead of playback, so the experience is closer to working from a shared network volume than a browser-based transfer tool.

A mounted Aspect project appears to the Resolve workstation like stable shared storage.

That makes a few Resolve workflows much less annoying:

An editor can start building a timeline from camera originals before the entire project has downloaded.
A colorist can open the same folder structure the assistant used, instead of relinking from a renamed local drive.
A producer can review browser previews without touching Resolve.
An assistant can keep exports, XMLs, DRPs, reference movies, LUTs, audio deliverables, and graphics beside the media they belong to.

The important detail is that Resolve sees a normal mounted path. That means your Resolve habits still matter. Keep a consistent folder structure. Don't scatter project media across five personal download folders. Don't let every editor rename the mount or reorganize card folders locally. If a conform depends on stable paths, treat the mounted Aspect project the same way you would treat a shared facility volume. For teams that already have a strict folder convention, the cleanest model is usually:

Keep camera originals in a protected source folder.
Keep editorial proxies or Resolve-generated proxy media in a dedicated proxy folder.
Put Resolve project exports, XMLs, EDLs, LUTs, stills, refs, and delivery renders in their own predictable folders.
Version review exports as assets, not replaced in place without context.
Keep archive candidates in the same project structure so metadata and previews remain useful later.

That structure is boring in the best way. It gives Resolve predictable paths, gives assistants predictable handoff locations, and gives non-Resolve teammates something they can understand in the browser.

Size the cache for the session, not the whole project

Aspect’s cache is local storage used for streamed files. You can choose the cache location and size limit, which matters a lot on Resolve systems because color sessions can burn through fast storage quickly. The mistake is sizing cache like storage because you usually don't need enough local cache for the whole project. You need enough for the part of the project Resolve will actively touch during the session.

Size cache for the active working set, not as a duplicate of the whole project.

For an editing day, that might mean the current episode, scene selects, music, graphics, and a handful of source cards. For a color day, it might mean the locked timeline, handles, reference files, stills, LUTs, cache renders, and any source clips the colorist may jump into. For a VFX review day, it might mean plates, pulls, latest comps, and reference renders. A useful cache plan accounts for a few different buckets:

Active camera originals used in the current timeline.
Proxy or optimized media Resolve may read instead of originals.
Reference movies and client exports.
Resolve’s own cache, gallery stills, and render cache if those are local.
Headroom for jumping around the timeline instead of playing straight through.

The takeaway is that Aspect cache and Resolve cache are different things. Aspect’s cache helps Resolve read mounted cloud media efficiently. Resolve’s render cache, optimized media, gallery stills, and generated proxies are Resolve-managed performance tools. Put both on fast storage when you can, but don't treat them as the same cache or point them at a tiny system disk and hope for the best. On a grading workstation, the Aspect cache should usually live on a fast local SSD with enough free space for the session’s working set. If the machine has a dedicated media/cache volume, use that instead of the OS drive. If the session is short and the timeline is proxy-based, the cache can be smaller. If the colorist will jump through RAW camera originals all day, give it more room. Blackmagic’s supported codec documentation lists Blackmagic RAW as supported and RED R3D as supported with GPU acceleration in Resolve 19. Resolve is very capable with these formats, but capability isn't the same thing as infinite bandwidth. High-resolution RAW media still has to be read, cached, debayered, and played back. Cache sizing is how you keep “the file opens” from turning into “the room waits.”

Pin media before offline grading

Streaming is great until the connection disappears, so for flights, hotel rooms, client offices, remote stages, and field grading setups, pin the media before the session. In Aspect, pinning files or folders downloads them for offline use outside the normal cache. That distinction matters because cache is opportunistic and bounded by cache rules. Aspect intentionally keeps pinned media available offline.

Pinned media stays available locally when the connection is unavailable.

For Resolve, pinning is most useful when the session has a known scope:

A locked timeline and all source clips used by that timeline.
The day’s selects or hero shots for look development.
A proxy folder for an offline edit.
LUTs, stills, reference movies, audio stems, and graphics needed for context.
DRP exports, XMLs, EDLs, and notes needed to rebuild or validate the session.

Don't wait until boarding to pin a feature’s worth of RAW. Pin the known working set while you still have a reliable connection, then open the Resolve project and spot-check the media before you leave. If Resolve needs a clip that wasn't pinned, it can't magically stream it without a network. This is where proxies can be the smarter offline choice. If the goal is editorial timing, review, or prep, pining generated proxies may be enough. If the goal is final color decisions on RAW controls, highlight recovery, noise reduction, or finishing output, pin the camera originals needed for that work.

Browser previews for R3D and BRAW change who needs Resolve

Resolve can work directly with R3D and BRAW, but most stakeholders shouldn't need Resolve at all. Aspect generates previews and proxies for uploaded video and image files, including RED and Blackmagic RAW formats. That means producers, clients, brand teams, archivists, assistants, and coordinators can watch camera-original footage in the browser without launching Resolve, installing camera SDKs, or debayering anything locally.

Aspect previews let people watch camera-original formats in the browser without a RAW workstation.

That changes the shape of the workflow. Instead of asking a colorist to render viewing copies every time someone wants to inspect footage, Aspect can make the media viewable as part of ingest. The RAW file remains the source of truth, but the browser preview gives the rest of the team a lightweight way to watch, comment, search, organize, and approve. This is especially useful with R3D. RED’s own workflow guidance notes that REDCODE RAW is flexible and compact compared with some alternatives, but that flexibility can add perceived complexity for teams unfamiliar with RAW workflows. REDCINE-X PRO exists specifically for viewing, transcoding, and pre-editorial manipulation of R3D footage, and it performs RAW-to-RGB conversion through demosaicing and color matrix processing. That's useful when you need RED-specific control, but it's overkill when someone only needs to see what was shot. The same idea applies to BRAW. Resolve is the natural home for serious BRAW work, but browser previews mean a marketing lead can review takes, an archive manager can identify useful shots, and a producer can leave frame-specific feedback without occupying a Resolve system. The boundary is important: previews are for access and review, not final color judgement. If the question is “does this shot exist, what is in it, and can the team comment on it?” browser previews are perfect. If the question is “how should this RAW decode be interpreted for the final grade?” Resolve is still where that decision belongs.

Where generated proxies fit offline-to-online

There are two proxy conversations in a Resolve workflow, and mixing them up causes confusion. Aspect-generated previews and proxies are about access outside Resolve. They make heavy media streamable in the browser and available for lower-bandwidth viewing or download. They help the whole team interact with footage without requiring the original file or a local NLE. Resolve proxy media is about NLE performance and conform behavior inside Resolve. Blackmagic’s Resolve 20 Editor’s Guide covers proxy generation and management with the Blackmagic Proxy Generator, and Resolve has its own expectations for proxy linking, filenames, folders, and timeline behavior. Both can exist in the same workflow, but they aren't automatically the same thing.

Media layer	Primary job	Typical location	Offline behavior	Conform implication
Camera originals	Authoritative online media for conform, grade, finishing, and final render	Protected source folder in Aspect	Pin the clips needed for RAW work when the workstation will be offline	Keep names, card structure, timecode, and metadata stable
Aspect previews and proxies	Browser playback, review, logging, metadata, approvals, and lower bandwidth access	Generated and served by Aspect from uploaded media	Useful while connected; if a proxy file is used locally, make sure it is pinned or downloaded before travel	Not automatically a Resolve proxy workflow; cutting with these files needs a planned relink path
Resolve-generated proxy media	Resolve-native offline editing and playback performance	Dedicated proxy folder, optionally stored in Aspect for team access	Pin the proxy folder when the offline edit must work without a connection	Best fit when Resolve will later switch or relink back to originals
Resolve render cache, optimized media, and stills	Workstation playback and grading performance	Resolve-managed cache or gallery location, usually fast local storage	Usually local to one workstation unless deliberately exported or shared	Performance aid, not the source of truth for archive or online
Aspect pinned media	Guaranteed local availability for a selected working set	Local pinned storage outside normal cache eviction	Available offline after pinning completes	Scope the pin set to the session so missing clips do not break Resolve offline

For offline-to-online, the clean model is:

Keep camera originals in Aspect as the authoritative online media.
Use Aspect previews for browser review, logging, metadata, approvals, and general access.
Use Resolve-generated proxies when the edit team needs Resolve-native proxy behavior.
Store those Resolve proxies in Aspect if multiple users need the same proxy set.
Relink or switch back to camera originals for online conform, color, finishing, and final render.

If an editor downloads an Aspect-generated proxy and cuts with it as standalone media, that can work for a lightweight offline edit, but the team needs a deliberate conform plan. Matching timecode, reel names, filenames, folder structure, and metadata become the difference between a clean online and a painful rebuild. For serious offline-to-online work, generate proxies in a way that your Resolve conform expects, then keep the originals untouched and organized. The useful way to think about it's simple: Aspect previews help people see and discuss media. Resolve proxies help Resolve play and edit media. Sometimes a file can serve both purposes, but the workflow should decide that intentionally.

Shared Resolve projects need a project strategy, not just shared media

Aspect solves shared media access, but it doesn't replace Resolve’s project collaboration layer. Blackmagic describes Resolve as a post-production system where editors, colorists, VFX artists, animators, and sound engineers can work together on the same project, including collaboration through Blackmagic Cloud. Blackmagic’s own site also says the free version enables collaboration, while Studio adds a larger set of advanced features. If your main problem is multiple Resolve users working in the same live Resolve project at the same time, Blackmagic Cloud and Resolve’s collaboration features are the right layer to evaluate. Aspect sits beside that as the shared file space and review layer. Use Resolve or Blackmagic Cloud for the Resolve project state. Use Aspect for the media and the surrounding workflow: ingest, folder structure, browser previews, comments, and archive. A common team setup looks like this:

Resolve project library or Blackmagic Cloud manages the collaborative Resolve project.
Aspect stores the media folders mounted by each workstation.
Assistants manage imports, proxies, turnovers, and exports in shared folders.
Reviewers use Aspect browser previews and comments instead of opening Resolve.
Your team uploads final renders and archive packages back to Aspect with versions and metadata.

That division keeps responsibilities clean. Resolve doesn't need to become your client review portal. Aspect doesn't need to become your Resolve project database. Each system does the job it's actually built for. One caveat: path consistency still matters. If one workstation sees media under one mounted path and another sees a totally different path, Resolve may need relinking. Teams can work around this, but it's better to standardize mount names and folder structure early. On a facility network, Aspect can also support an on-site shared cache node, so after one person pulls a file, others on the same network can read it at LAN speed. That's a better fit for a busy office than having every artist independently stream the same heavy media all day.

Review, metadata, and archive around the grade

Resolve is where the timeline gets finished, and Aspect is where the finished work stays understandable to everyone else. For review, upload or render cuts back into Aspect so stakeholders can leave frame-accurate comments and annotations on the asset version. Keep revisions stacked on the same asset when the edit changes, rather than creating a trail of mystery files named final, final-v2, and final-approved-real. That keeps comments, approvals, and version history connected. For metadata, use Aspect to track the information that doesn't belong inside a Resolve timeline alone: campaign, client, product, region, usage rights, approval status, shoot day, scene, talent, or archive category. Aspect can also make media searchable by spoken words, people, objects, scene descriptions, and custom metadata. That matters after delivery, when someone asks for “the coffee shop shot from last spring with the red jacket” and nobody remembers the card name. For archive, the important point is to preserve more than the camera files. A useful Resolve archive package includes the pieces needed to understand and revive the job later:

Camera originals and production audio.
Resolve project exports such as DRPs, XMLs, EDLs, and stills where relevant.
LUTs, CDLs, reference movies, offline cuts, and approved masters.
Proxy folders if they're part of the handoff or future edit plan.
Review history, versions, comments, metadata, and approvals.
Any delivery specs or client notes that explain why the final looks the way it does.

Aspect’s archive storage is designed to keep projects and assets available for long-term storage while preserving previews and metadata. That's useful because your team still needs to find archived media. If the only way to inspect an old RAW archive is restoring terabytes and launching Resolve, reuse becomes expensive enough that people stop trying.

Signals the workflow is working

A good Aspect and Resolve workflow should feel boring during the session. Media opens, paths relink, reviewers can see footage, the colorist isn't waiting on missing files, and assistants aren't making emergency duplicates. Healthy signs include:

Resolve can relink from the mounted Aspect path without manual hunting.
The active timeline plays acceptably for the chosen media type, proxy mode, and workstation.
Aspect cache usage grows during the session but doesn't constantly hit the size limit.
Review comments and versions stay attached to the right asset.
Your team uploads final renders, project exports, references, metadata, and archive material back to Aspect.

The best split is straightforward: let Resolve own creative finishing, and let Aspect own shared access to the media around it. Mount the project when you need to work locally. Size the cache for the session. Pin what must survive offline. Use browser previews so the rest of the team can watch RAW footage without becoming colorists. Keep proxies intentional, and keep originals authoritative for online. That gives your team a workflow that scales from a single remote editor to a shared finishing team without turning every handoff into another drive copy.

FAQ

Size the Aspect cache for the working set of the session, not the whole project. For an edit, that may be the active episode, selects, music, graphics, and source cards. For grading, it may be the locked timeline, handles, RAW source clips, references, LUTs, and any files the colorist may jump to. Aspect cache and Resolve cache are separate. Aspect cache helps Resolve read mounted cloud media efficiently, while Resolve render cache, optimized media, gallery stills, and Resolve proxy media are managed by Resolve. Both should ideally live on fast local storage.

Caching is opportunistic. Aspect keeps recently or actively used streamed file data locally within the configured cache limits. Pinning is intentional offline availability. If a folder or file is pinned, Aspect downloads it outside the normal cache behavior so it remains available when the network is gone. For offline grading, pin the known working set before leaving a reliable connection, then open the Resolve project and spot-check media. If Resolve later needs a clip that wasn't pinned, it can't stream that missing clip without network access.

Yes, Aspect can generate browser previews and proxies for uploaded video and image files, including RED R3D and Blackmagic RAW media. That lets producers, clients, archivists, assistants, and coordinators watch camera-original footage in the browser without installing Resolve, camera SDKs, or local RAW-capable workstations. The preview is for access, review, organization, and comments. It shouldn't replace Resolve for final RAW interpretation, color decisions, debayer settings, highlight recovery, noise reduction, or finishing output.

Not necessarily. Aspect-generated previews and proxies are primarily for platform access, browser playback, lower-bandwidth viewing, and team review. Resolve proxy media is designed for Resolve’s own performance, relinking, timeline behavior, and conform expectations. For a serious offline-to-online workflow, keep camera originals authoritative in Aspect, use Aspect previews for review and logging, generate Resolve-compatible proxies when the edit workflow requires them, and relink or switch back to originals for online conform, color, and final render. Blackmagic’s Resolve Editor’s Guide should be treated as the source of truth for Resolve proxy behavior in the installed version.

No. Aspect is the shared media, review, metadata, access, and archive layer around the Resolve workflow. If the main need is multiple Resolve users working in the same live Resolve project, Blackmagic Cloud and Resolve’s collaboration features are the better layer to evaluate. Aspect works beside that by storing the mounted media, generated previews, exports, review versions, comments, metadata, and archive packages. Teams should still standardize mount paths and folder structure so each Resolve workstation can relink media predictably.

Usually no. Resolve is still the right place for RAW decode decisions, grading, and finishing, but review stakeholders often only need to see, comment on, and organize footage. Aspect generates browser-viewable proxies and previews for uploaded video and image files, including RED and BRAW, so non-Resolve users can review camera-original footage through generated proxies and previews.