---
title: "Final Cut Pro to DaVinci Resolve XML Workflow"
author: "Alex Johnson"
category: "Video Workflows"
excerpt: "Master the industry-standard round-trip workflow: editing in Final Cut Pro and color grading in DaVinci Resolve using FCPXML."
image: "/cutsio-thumbnail.svg"
tags: "Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, XML, Workflow, Round Trip"
---

The combination of Final Cut Pro's blazing-fast editing speed and DaVinci Resolve's unmatched color grading tools makes for a powerhouse post-production pipeline. However, bridging the gap between them requires a precise "round-trip" XML workflow.

Here is the step-by-step Final Cut Pro to DaVinci Resolve XML workflow.

## Phase 1: The FCP Prep
1.  **Picture Lock:** Finish your edit in Final Cut Pro.
2.  **Duplicate:** Duplicate your Project and name it `[Project Name]_Resolve_Prep`.
3.  **Clean Up:** On the prep timeline, flatten compound clips, remove all transitions (except simple cross-dissolves), and disable tracks containing titles or complex graphics.
4.  **Export FCPXML:** Go to `File > Export XML...`. Choose a stable version (like 1.10 or 1.11) and save the file.
5.  **Export Reference:** Export a low-res MP4 of your master timeline to serve as a visual guide for the colorist.

## Phase 2: The Resolve Import
1.  **Media First:** Open DaVinci Resolve. Import all your original, high-resolution camera media into the Media Pool.
2.  **Import XML:** Go to `File > Import > Timeline...` and select your `.fcpxml` file.
3.  **Settings:** In the load menu, uncheck "Automatically import source clips" and ensure "Link to source camera files" is checked. 
4.  **Verify:** Import your low-res reference MP4, place it on a video track above your imported timeline, set the composite mode to "Difference," and verify that every cut matches perfectly.

## Phase 3: Color and Export from Resolve
1.  **Grade:** Perform your color grading on the Color Page.
2.  **The Deliver Page:** Go to the Deliver page. In the Render Settings at the top left, select the **"Final Cut Pro" preset**.
3.  **Render Settings:** This preset will render every clip individually (not as a single video) using a high-quality codec like ProRes 422 HQ. It will also generate a *new* FCPXML file that points to these newly colored clips. Click "Add to Render Queue" and "Render All."

## Phase 4: The Return to FCP
1.  **Import XML to FCP:** Open Final Cut Pro. Go to `File > Import > XML...` and select the *new* XML file that Resolve just generated.
2.  **The New Timeline:** FCP will create a brand new Project. This timeline will look exactly like your prepped timeline, but every clip will be linked to the newly color-graded ProRes files.
3.  **Final Polish:** Copy your titles, graphics, and audio from your original master timeline and paste them onto this new, colored timeline. Export your final master!