--- title: "How To ANIMATE SHAPES In Davinci Resolve" author: "Sarah Williams" category: Tutorials excerpt: "Learn how to create and animate custom shapes, lower thirds, and callouts in DaVinci Resolve using the Fusion page and keyframe splines." --- To animate shapes in DaVinci Resolve, you must use the Fusion page to create shape nodes (like sRectangle or sEllipse), connect them to an sRender node, and apply keyframes to their Transform parameters. By animating the size, position, or rotation over time and smoothing the curves in the Spline editor, you can build dynamic lower thirds, progress bars, and custom motion graphics. ## What is shape animation in DaVinci Resolve? Shape animation is the process of generating vector-based geometry (rectangles, circles, polygons) and manipulating their properties over time to create motion graphics. Unlike manipulating a video clip on the Edit page, shape animation occurs entirely within the node-based architecture of the Fusion page. It is used to create UI overlays, text backgrounds, lower thirds, animated icons, and callout lines that highlight specific elements in a tutorial or presentation. Because shapes in Fusion are vector-based, they can be scaled infinitely without losing resolution. ## How to create a shape node in the Fusion page? To begin animating, you must first generate the geometry using Fusion's dedicated shape tools. 1. **Create a Fusion Composition:** On the Edit page, right-click in the Media Pool and select `New Fusion Composition`. Name it, drag it onto your timeline, and click the "Fusion" tab at the bottom of the screen. 2. **Add a Shape Node:** In the Fusion node graph, click the empty space. Press `Shift+Spacebar`, type "sRectangle" (or sEllipse, sPolygon), and press Enter. This creates the vector shape data. 3. **Add an sRender Node:** A shape node (`sRectangle`) cannot be seen or exported on its own; it must be rendered into pixels. Press `Shift+Spacebar`, type "sRender," and press Enter. 4. **Connect the Nodes:** Connect the output of the `sRectangle` node to the input of the `sRender` node. Connect the output of the `sRender` node to the `MediaOut1` node. You will now see a solid white rectangle in your viewer. ## How to format the shape's appearance? Before animating, you must define how the shape looks using the Inspector panel. 1. **Adjust Size and Position:** Select the `sRectangle` node. In the Inspector, adjust the "Width" and "Height" sliders to create your desired proportions (e.g., a long, thin rectangle for a lower third background). 2. **Change the Color:** Still in the `sRectangle` Inspector, click the "Style" tab. Click the white color swatch to open the color picker and select a new fill color. 3. **Create a Stroke Outline:** If you want an outlined box instead of a solid shape, uncheck the "Solid" box in the Style tab and increase the "Border Width" slider. 4. **Round the Corners:** Switch back to the "Controls" tab and increase the "Corner Radius" slider to create a modern, rounded pill shape. ## How to keyframe shape animations? Once the shape is formatted, you must animate its Transform properties to create motion. 1. **Add an sTransform Node:** For complex animations, it is best practice to animate a dedicated transform node rather than the shape node itself. Click the line between `sRectangle` and `sRender`. Press `Shift+Spacebar`, type "sTransform," and press Enter. 2. **Set the Starting Keyframe:** Move the playhead to the first frame. Select the `sTransform` node. In the Inspector, drag the "X Offset" slider to move the shape completely off-screen to the left. Click the diamond icon next to "X Offset" to set a keyframe. 3. **Set the Ending Keyframe:** Move the playhead forward (e.g., frame 15). Drag the "X Offset" slider to bring the shape into the center of the screen. A new keyframe is automatically dropped. 4. **Preview the Motion:** Press play. The shape will slide into the screen. ## How to smooth the shape animation with splines? A linear slide-in feels robotic and amateur. To make the animation feel professional and kinetic, you must adjust the keyframe interpolation. To smooth the animation, use the Spline editor: * **Open the Spline:** Click the "Spline" button at the top right of the Fusion interface. * **Reveal Keyframes:** Check the box next to your `sTransform` node in the Spline list to display the motion curve. * **Apply Easing:** Click and drag to highlight both keyframes. Press `S` to smooth them. * **Adjust the Curve:** Drag the bezier handle of the second keyframe far to the left. This creates an "ease out" curve—the shape will slide in incredibly fast and then slowly, smoothly settle into its final resting position. ## How to combine multiple shapes into one graphic? Complex motion graphics, like a lower third, require multiple shapes (e.g., a background box, a line, and text) to move together. To combine shapes, use an sMerge node: 1. Create a second shape (e.g., `sEllipse`) and format it. 2. Press `Shift+Spacebar` and add an `sMerge` node. 3. Connect the output of your first shape (`sRectangle`) to the Background input (yellow) of the `sMerge`. 4. Connect the output of your second shape (`sEllipse`) to the Foreground input (green) of the `sMerge`. 5. Connect the `sMerge` to the `sRender` node. You can now animate the individual shapes independently, or add an `sTransform` after the `sMerge` to animate the entire combined graphic simultaneously. ## How to automate graphics workflows for massive projects? Building custom shape animations in Fusion is time-consuming. If you are editing a 2-hour documentary or a 40-episode course, building graphics from scratch for every module is impossible. Professional editors automate this workflow: * **Pre-Edit the Content:** They upload all raw footage to an AI platform like [Cutsio](https://cutsio.com) to instantly find and extract the best soundbites via XML export. * **Build the Timeline:** They import the XML into DaVinci Resolve to establish the structural edit. * **Use Macros:** Instead of rebuilding shape animations, they save their completed Fusion shapes as "Macros" in the DaVinci Resolve templates folder. They can then drag and drop the completed, animated lower third directly from the Edit page Effects Library onto any clip, changing only the text or color in the Inspector. ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ### Can I animate shapes on the Edit page without Fusion? Yes, you can generate basic shapes using the "Solid Color" generator on the Edit page, crop them in the Inspector, and keyframe their position. However, Edit page shapes cannot have rounded corners, precise strokes, or complex multi-node boolean operations. For professional motion graphics, the Fusion page is mandatory. ### What is the difference between an sRectangle and a Rectangle node? Nodes starting with "s" (like `sRectangle`) are dedicated vector shape tools introduced in DaVinci Resolve 17. They are faster, lighter, and interact with other "s" nodes mathematically before rendering. Standard nodes (like `Rectangle`) are masks used to cut holes in video pixels; they are not intended to be used as visible motion graphics. ### Why is my shape blurry when I scale it up? If your shape is blurry, you are scaling it *after* it has been rendered into pixels. Ensure you are animating the size using an `sTransform` node *before* the `sRender` node. Vector math scales infinitely; pixel data degrades. By mastering the sShape nodes, sMerge, and Spline easing in Fusion, you can build highly customized, professional motion graphics directly inside DaVinci Resolve without needing third-party software.