--- title: "How to use Group Versions and Layer List view in DaVinci Resolve 21 Color page" author: "Cutsio Team" date: "2026-05-15" lastmod: "2026-05-15" category: "DaVinci Resolve Advanced Workflows" excerpt: "DaVinci Resolve 21 introduces Group Color Grade Versions for managing look variants across grouped clips and a Layer List view for the node editor. This guide covers both features for faster color grading." tags: ["DaVinci Resolve 21","Group Versions","Layer List","Node Editor","Color Grading","Color Management"] --- ## What are Group Color Grade Versions in DaVinci Resolve 21? DaVinci Resolve 21 introduces Group Color Grade Versions, which allow you to create and manage multiple grade variants for groups of clips. If you have grouped all the clips from a particular scene, you can create multiple versions of the grade for that entire group. Switch between a warm version, a cool version, a high-contrast version, and a desaturated version with a single click. The version applies to every clip in the group simultaneously. Group Versions extend Resolve's existing version management system from the clip level to the group level. Previously, creating multiple creative looks for a scene required either saving separate timelines or manually copying grades between clips and managing versions individually. Group Versions automate this entirely. ## How do you use Group Versions in the Color page? Group your clips first. In the Color page, select the clips that belong together — all clips from the same scene, same lighting setup, or same camera angle. Right-click and select "Add to New Group." Name the group based on the scene or content. With the group created, select any clip within the group and build your first grade version. This is your V1 — the initial creative look. Once the grade is complete, open the Version menu in the Color page toolbar. Click "Add Version" to create V2. This creates a copy of the grade across all clips in the group. Adjust the grade for V2 — change the color temperature, adjust contrast, modify saturation. Create V3, V4, and so on for additional creative directions. To compare versions, select any clip in the group and cycle through the versions using the Version menu or keyboard shortcuts. All clips in the group update to the selected version simultaneously. This gives you an instant before-and-after comparison across the entire scene. ## When should you use Group Versions vs Clip Versions? | Scenario | Recommended version type | Reason | |---|---|---| | Same scene, same lighting | Group Version | One adjustment updates all clips | | Same scene, different camera angles | Group Version with clip trims | Base grade shared, per-clip refinements | | Different scenes | Separate Groups | Versions scoped to each group | | Single clip experimentation | Clip Version | Isolated without affecting other clips | | Client look comparison | Group Version | Present full scene in different looks | Group Versions are ideal for the early stages of grading when you are exploring creative directions. Build three or four group versions for each scene, present them to the client, and once a direction is approved, refine the selected version with per-clip trims. For per-clip refinements within a group, use clip-level versions on top of the group version. A clip in a group can have its own V1, V2, V3 that sit above the group grade. The group version provides the shared base grade, and the clip version provides scene-specific adjustments. ## What is the Layer List view in the Color page node editor? The Layer List view in DaVinci Resolve 21 displays nodes in rows according to their position in the node graph. This typically results in a less crowded interface and allows for easier node management when adding, labeling, switching, locking, bypassing, and removing nodes. ![Layer List View](https://images.blackmagicdesign.com/images/products/davinciresolve/whatsnew/color/node@2x.jpg?_v=1775111432) The standard node graph view shows nodes as a freeform web of connections. For simple grades with three or four nodes, this is clean and readable. But for complex grades with a dozen or more nodes — parallel branches, splitter-combiner workflows, shared nodes — the graph view becomes visually overwhelming. Layer List view addresses this by organizing nodes into a linear, row-based list. Each node appears as a row with its label, type indicator, and status badges. You can reorder nodes by dragging them up and down the list, bypass or lock individual nodes with a single click, and easily identify which nodes are active in the signal path. ## How do you switch between Layer List and Graph view? Toggle between Layer List view and the traditional Graph view using the view switcher in the node editor toolbar. The icon looks like a list for Layer View and a node diagram for Graph View. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+L (Windows) or Cmd+L (Mac) to toggle between views. Both views show the same node tree — they are display modes, not separate data models. Changes made in one view are reflected in the other. You can use Layer List for day-to-day node management and switch to Graph view when you need to understand complex parallel processing flows or visual feedback on node connections. The Layer List view includes: - **Node labels**: Displayed prominently for each row - **Status indicators**: Active, bypassed, locked, and solo states shown as icons - **Drag reordering**: Move nodes up and down the list to change processing order - **Right-click menu**: Bypass, lock, delete, and label nodes without opening the graph For colorists who prefer a timeline-like approach to node management, the Layer List view provides a cleaner interface that reduces visual noise and speeds up node selection and adjustment. ## How do Group Versions and Layer List work together? In practice, the two features complement each other. Use Group Versions to manage creative looks at the scene level, and use Layer List view to manage the node tree for the selected version efficiently. The workflow is: organize your timeline into groups by scene. Create a group version with your primary grade using Layer List view for clean node management. Duplicate the group version and apply alternate looks. Switch between Group Versions to compare scene-level creative directions, while using Layer List view to keep the node tree organized for each version. For projects with 10+ scenes and 3-4 creative directions per scene, this combination saves significant time compared to managing individual clip versions or separate timelines.

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