overview

Overview

CutMaster gives Claude hands inside your DaVinci timeline. It's a Python package (cutmaster-ai on PyPI) that exposes the full DaVinci Resolve Studio Scripting API to AI agents and external tools. Three consumer surfaces from one codebase, all MIT-licensed, free forever.

Three surfaces

Surface	Transport	For
MCP server	Stdio JSON-RPC	Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, any FastMCP host
Panel HTTP backend	FastAPI on `127.0.0.1:8765`	The React workflow panel (browser today; Resolve dock at v3-6)
Plugin host	Python entry-point groups	Closed-source extensions

The MCP server and the panel backend share the same Python package — adding a feature once makes it available on both.

What's in the box

The full DaVinci Resolve Scripting API wrapped as ~240 MCP tools across 16 categories — Project, Media Pool, Render, Fusion, Timeline, Color, Markers, Layout, Gallery, Graph, Interchange, Media Storage, Fairlight, Scripting, and more.
Workflow tools — deterministic compounds: ingest, assembly, delivery, conform, log grading.
Intelligence tools — Gemini-powered frame analysis, OCR, color assist, editorial critique, marker suggestions.
MCP resources — passive context for version, project, timelines, bins, render queue.
Claude Code skills — /deliver, /preflight, /color-assist, /grade-log, /conform, /ingest, /assembly, /review, /export-stills.
Domain agents — editor, colorist, VFX, sound, conform, delivery, producer.
LUT library — nine camera brands (DJI, Insta360, GoPro, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, …).

For a category-by-category index, see the tool catalogue.

Requirements

DaVinci Resolve Studio is required. The free edition has no Scripting API and will not work. There is no workaround. Want CutMaster on Resolve free? Tell us →

DaVinci Resolve Studio 18.5+ ($295).
External Scripting enabled: Preferences → System → General → External scripting using → Local.
Python 3.11 or 3.12. 3.13 has ABI issues with Resolve's fusionscript module.
uv — required, not optional. The committed .mcp.json invokes the server via uv run; MCP clients won't connect without it.
GEMINI_API_KEY — optional, only needed for AI tools and the CutMaster panel.

License

MIT. Free forever. Source, issues, and releases live at github.com/CelaviiHQ/cutmaster-ai ↗.