DaVinci Resolve 21.1 MCP With Codex: Setup, Capabilities, and Limitations

Choose the right connection for your Resolve edition

Blackmagic's native server and Samuel Gursky's community server are separate implementations. A tutorial that installs a Python package or an in-app bridge is describing the community route. It is not configuring the server bundled with Resolve Studio 21.1.

Your installation	Recommended starting point	What to establish first
Studio 21.1, no existing MCP setup	Use File > Setup AI Assistants.	Codex is detected on the same computer and can identify the intended project.
Studio with an existing community setup	Keep track of which server handles each request before trying the native one.	Record both server entries. Avoid allowing two implementations to change the same timeline during diagnosis.
Studio, with a specific operation missing from the native tools	Evaluate a community helper for that operation.	Its exact release, implementation, dependencies, and actual result in a project copy.
Free 21.1	Use Resolve manually unless a separately verified route supports your exact build.	The 21.1 release notes place advanced scripting in Studio. Older bridge instructions do not establish Free 21.1 compatibility.
Free 21.0.x following an older tutorial	Treat the in-app bridge as a version-specific community workflow.	The repository's tested or reported OS and build match yours. This guide's native setup steps do not apply.

Start with the bundled server if you already have Studio 21.1. A community installation is worth considering when you can name a needed helper and explain what the native route lacks. Complete an MCP server review before giving that additional software access to a working project.

Prepare a recoverable project before connecting

You need Resolve Studio 21.1, a local Codex client, and a project with accessible media. Keep both applications on the computer that will perform the edit. ChatGPT in a browser on another device does not acquire this local server merely because it uses the same account.

If you are upgrading an older working project, back up its project library and individual project before opening it in 21.1. Blackmagic's release notes warn that a project opened or created in 21.1 cannot subsequently be opened in 20.3.2, even though the project library remains compatible. A plan to downgrade later is not a substitute for the pre-upgrade backup.

Use a small project with a few clips for the first connection. For an existing edit, export a recovery copy through File > Export Project. The 21.1 Reference Manual documents this .drp export on page 76 and timeline duplication on page 841. In the Project Manager, use Import to open the exported .drp as a separate project. Give it a clear sandbox name before allowing project-wide changes.

A project export is not a copy of your camera files. Keep source media available and backed up separately, or use a project archive with the required media included. Choose the export option that includes stills and LUTs if recovery depends on them. A duplicated timeline is useful for comparing cuts and framing, but use a separate project copy when changing bins, shared source items, project settings, or other state beyond that timeline.

Check Preferences > User > Project Save and Load before the first edit. The manual's Live Save section on page 86 says it is enabled by default and saves changes as you work. A prompt saying "do not save" only asks Codex to avoid an explicit save command; Resolve may still save the edit automatically. Keep the exported recovery copy from before the test, even when working in a duplicated project.

Write down the project name, timeline name, start timecode, frame rate, resolution, duration, and track layout. Keep a baseline screenshot of any panel the task will change. For a naming job, save the old names; for a color job, record the affected nodes and transforms; for an export, record the expected file path. These are the details you will compare after a write.

For a team project, use an isolated copy and agree who owns it during the test. If another editor changes the clips or settings after your inspection, check them again before asking Codex to edit.

Set up the native MCP connection with Codex

1. Open Resolve Studio 21.1 and the sandbox project. Check the edition and exact build before using instructions from another version.
2. Choose File > Setup AI Assistants. Page 4318 of the Reference Manual documents this command.
3. Read the configuration confirmation. The manual's example lists Codex in ChatGPT. Your own dialog must show that Resolve detected the client you intend to use.
4. Restart the assistant if requested. Blackmagic notes that assistants may need a restart for the new configuration to take effect.
5. Inspect the registered server in your client. The official Codex MCP documentation describes desktop Settings > MCP servers, the /mcp inspection command, and codex mcp list in the CLI.
6. Ask for the server's available tools and a read-only project report. Compare the project and timeline names with Resolve before approving a change.

Resolve performs the native registration. Do not substitute the community npx command or copy a community Python executable into the native entry. If the entry is missing, establish whether detection failed or you are inspecting a different Codex host.

If you use the Codex desktop app, start in Settings > MCP servers; the CLI is optional. If you already use the CLI, run these commands in your system terminal, outside Resolve's Python console and the Codex chat. Replace SERVER_NAME with the exact registered name returned by the first command:

codex mcp list
codex mcp get SERVER_NAME
codex mcp --help

If your terminal says codex is not found but you use the desktop app, continue in its MCP settings. Installing a community Python environment will not fix a missing Codex CLI command.

A listed entry establishes configuration, not a successful call into Resolve. In the active Codex session, check whether the server initialized, returned tools, and answered a project request. If it appears in the configuration but contributes no tools, resolve the startup error before debugging a clip operation.

Inspect the generated Codex configuration

Codex normally stores MCP entries in ~/.codex/config.toml; trusted projects can also use .codex/config.toml. Its local desktop, CLI, and IDE clients share configuration on the same Codex host. An installation on a remote host has its own execution context, so verify where the server process would run and where the footage is accessible.

Back up the relevant configuration before changing it. Identify the existing Resolve server table and preserve its generated command, arguments, and environment. For an initial review, these keys can be merged into that existing table:

# Merge into the existing [mcp_servers.<actual-server-name>] table.
# Keep the command, args, and env that Resolve registered.
enabled = true
default_tools_approval_mode = "prompt"

This fragment is not a complete server definition. The approval setting requests review of tool calls; it does not make an approved script harmless. Codex also supports enabled_tools and disabled_tools, with the deny list applied after the allow list. Populate them only with names observed in your server's tool inventory.

A tool that executes arbitrary scripts can perform many kinds of writes behind one name. An allow list containing that tool is not equivalent to an allow list of harmless project reads. Review which clips, settings, and files the script will touch as well as the MCP call. Blackmagic warns that assistant-created scripts share the assistant's access to disk, network, and other resources.

Verify the connection with a report and one small change

Replace MCP Sandbox and Interview Test with your project's and timeline's exact names wherever they appear in the examples. For later tasks, also replace track labels, naming prefixes, and output paths to match your edit. Start by confirming the open project and timeline:

Use the Resolve MCP server for a read-only connection check.
Expected project: "MCP Sandbox"
Expected timeline: "Interview Test"

Do not edit, save, render, or write files. First report the actual
project and timeline. Stop if either differs from the expected name.
Then report the Resolve version, timeline start timecode, frame rate,
resolution, duration, video/audio track counts, clip counts by track,
offline media, and markers. Identify the tool or returned field used
for each answer. Mark unavailable fields as unavailable.

Compare the report with Resolve's settings, timeline, and Media Pool. Clarify whether duration is expressed as frames, seconds, or timecode and whether a clip count includes audio, nested timelines, or only video items. If Resolve does not return a value, ask Codex to leave it unavailable rather than infer it from a project name or filename.

Once the report matches, test a marker in the disposable project. Choose an empty frame so you can distinguish the new marker from an existing one:

Work only in project "MCP Sandbox", timeline "Interview Test".
First report the current playhead as a timeline-relative frame offset
and as timecode. Check for an existing timeline marker at that frame.
Stop if the project or timeline differs, or the frame already has a marker.

Add one blue timeline marker named "MCP connection test" at that frame.
Make no other changes. Do not save or render.
Read back its location, name, and color using Resolve, then stop.

Look for the marker in the timeline, compare its location and color, and remove it manually. Reread the marker list to confirm removal. If a script's changes do not appear in the normal Undo history, restore the sandbox from the saved project instead of treating Undo as a universal recovery mechanism. A failed marker test leaves a small, identifiable problem to diagnose.

Understand what MCP can inspect and change

Codex sends a structured tool request, the server interacts with Resolve, and the result returns to Codex. Blackmagic's manual describes timeline organization, custom looks, scripts, and example delivery tasks. It does not establish that every GUI control has an equivalent MCP operation or that the assistant has watched every frame of your footage.

Manual example	Useful application	How to check the result
Timeline breakdown	Find offline media and inventory a project before handoff.	The right timeline, a clear account of what was counted, and problem clips you can locate.
Rename V1 clips; mark cuts	Apply a review naming convention and locate edit points.	Old/new name mapping, track identity, marker positions, and unchanged timing.
Compare project settings	Find differences between a working project and an approved reference.	Actual returned values and a delivery specification chosen by the editor.
Reframe to 9:16	Prepare a vertical version of a horizontal edit.	Subject visibility, graphics placement, captions, and preserved shot timing.
Apply a named LUT to node 2	Apply a known transform to an eligible set of camera clips.	Correct source color space, exact LUT, expected node contents, and visual review.
Render several formats	Produce approved delivery variants.	Available encoders, explicit ranges and paths, completed jobs, and inspected files.

For any operation, ask which tool or documented scripting method will perform it before authorizing execution. If it cannot select the intended clips or return their updated values, use a smaller operation or perform that part in Resolve. Choose the task below that matches your edit; there is no need to run every example in sequence.

Find offline media before an edit or handoff

Start with inspection when you inherit an unfamiliar project, reopen an archived edit, or receive a timeline whose exports contain missing shots. Ask for a per-track inventory and a separate list of clips with unresolved media. Each problem row should include the timeline item, source item or path when available, track, start position, and the returned status that made it a problem.

Keep diagnosis separate from relinking. A missing file may have moved to another drive, a network volume may be unmounted, or the project may point to another workstation's folder. Confirm the intended source manually. Files with the same basename in two folders are not necessarily the same camera take.

Read only: inspect "MCP Sandbox" / "Interview Test".
List offline or unresolved media with track and timeline position.
Show the recorded source path if available. Do not relink, replace,
delete, or search unrelated directories. Separate confirmed offline
items from items whose status the API could not determine.
For nested or compound items, state whether the report inspected
their contents or only the containing timeline item.

After repairing a path or mounting the correct drive, rerun the same report and inspect the affected shots in the viewer. Check audio as well as picture. A report that only counted top-level video items does not establish that all nested media or audio sources are present.

Rename clips and add review markers

Decide which names you want to change, on which track, in what order, and how to handle names already in use. Distinguish timeline-item names from Media Pool names and filenames on disk. Reusing the same source clip several times can make a Media Pool rename affect more appearances than you intended.

For an interview on V1, first request a table of timeline start positions, old names, source clips, and proposed names such as Interview_A_001. Define whether numbering follows timeline order and whether gaps, disabled items, compound clips, and repeated uses are included. If the available method only renames shared Media Pool items, decide whether changing every use of that source is acceptable.

Plan only for "MCP Sandbox" / "Interview Test", video track V1.
Propose names Interview_A_001 onward in timeline order.
Return old name, new name, start timecode, and source identity.
State whether the available operation renames a timeline item or a
shared Media Pool item. Flag repeated sources and existing names.
Exclude compound clips and nested timelines. Do not change files,
clip timing, audio items, bins, or project settings. Stop after the table.

Review the table, then select one row for the first change. Keep the old-name mapping. This request continues from the plan in the same Codex conversation:

Apply only the one rename row I selected from the approved table.
Recheck project "MCP Sandbox", timeline "Interview Test", and V1.
Confirm the old name, source clip, and start timecode still match that row.
If the method would rename other uses of the source, stop unless the
approved row explicitly permits that. Do not rename a file on disk.
Change only the selected name. Report the actual name afterward,
its timeline position, and any other items whose displayed names changed.
Do not continue with the remaining rows or save the project yet.

Find that clip in Resolve and confirm its displayed name and timing. If the method changes only the intended names, approve the remaining rows explicitly and compare the finished list with the mapping. Check the item count, durations, and edit positions too. To recover, restore names from the saved mapping to the same clips. If you cannot identify what changed, restore the sandbox instead.

For cut markers, choose timeline markers or clip markers explicitly, name the track, define a color, and decide how to handle existing markers. On a second run, check for the markers already created so the operation does not produce duplicates. If exporting markers to CSV, include both timecode and the frame convention used; a timeline that starts at 01:00:00:00 still has a separate timeline-relative frame offset.

Make a vertical version without losing the edit

In the Media Pool, right-click the approved horizontal timeline and choose Duplicate Timeline. Give the duplicate a clear name such as Interview Vertical and work there. For a proposed 1080-by-1920 version, specify whether the duration and frame rate must remain unchanged and whether the task may alter clip transforms, timeline resolution, titles, captions, or project settings. Keep a change to the whole project separate from a change to one timeline.

A center crop, a subject-following reframe, and fitting the whole picture over a background solve different problems. A centered interview can tolerate a stable crop. Two people at opposite sides may need another layout or a manual shot choice. A product demonstration may need the full work surface because cropping out the hands removes the explanation. Give Codex that decision for each shot category instead of asking for a uniform crop.

In "MCP Sandbox", plan a vertical adaptation of "Interview Vertical".
Confirm it is the duplicate timeline before proposing changes.
Target 1080x1920; preserve duration, frame rate, edit order, and audio sync.
For each video item, list the proposed crop or fit treatment and any
transform already present. Flag two-person shots, moving subjects,
screen recordings, product demonstrations, titles, and captions for review.
Do not alter the horizontal master or project-wide settings.
Use returned metadata only; if visual analysis is unavailable, say so
and leave the shot's framing decision for me. Do not render.

If Codex has only timeline metadata, it cannot determine where a face or label sits in the actual image. Provide your own shot notes or use a separately available visual inspection method. Review representative shots before batch changes, then inspect every shot after the adaptation. Watch for a subject leaving the frame during motion, cropped on-screen instructions, existing zooms compounded by a new transform, and captions placed under the intended platform's interface.

After choosing the treatment for one shot, continue with a request that names the shot and keeps the rest of the plan on hold:

In "MCP Sandbox", set the duplicate "Interview Vertical" to the approved
1080x1920 dimensions using the timeline-specific control in the plan.
Apply the framing treatment I approved to only the selected shot,
identified by its track and start timecode. Stop if this requires changing
project-wide settings or if the shot or its transform has changed.
Keep timing and audio unchanged. Report the resulting timeline dimensions
and the selected shot's transform values. Leave other clips' transforms
unchanged. Do not render.

Changing resolution alone does not verify the layout. Scrub the opening, middle, and end of moving shots; play transitions; and review titles and caption entrances. Choose safe areas for the actual destination rather than assuming one set of margins works across all social platforms. If one shot fails, adjust that shot in Resolve instead of changing the entire project's scaling rule.

Compare settings and apply color changes selectively

For a settings audit, ask for a difference table between the sandbox and an approved reference project. Include resolution, frame rate, relevant color-management settings, and the delivery fields the API can return. Keep unavailable fields visible. Supply the actual delivery specification; the manual's question about Netflix delivery is an example prompt, not a certification method.

Decide which differences are deliberate. A reference timeline may use another aspect ratio, camera source, or output transform. Do not let the assistant copy all settings merely because the reference project is called "Master." Confirm each intended change and whether it belongs to the project or only the selected timeline.

The manual's LUT example assumes a particular camera log format and node position. Before applying it, identify eligible source clips, the exact installed LUT, the input interpretation, and whether color management or an existing node already performs the intended conversion. Applying another conversion to already transformed footage can produce an unintended image.

Read only: inspect color setup for the approved Sony S-Log3 clips
in "MCP Sandbox" / "Interview Test". Report the available source
color-space metadata, project color management, and node 2 contents.
Identify the exact installed LUT proposed for the conversion.
Exclude Rec.709 footage, graphics, and clips with unknown input settings.
Flag existing transforms and occupied target nodes. Do not apply a LUT,
create a node, overwrite a grade, or change project color management.

Test one eligible clip after reviewing the plan. Name that clip by track and start position, approve the exact LUT and node, and ask Codex to stop if the node contents have changed since inspection. Compare the node contents before and after, view the image with the intended output transform, and inspect scopes. Include skin, bright highlights, and saturated objects in the check when the footage contains them. If node 2 holds an existing grade, stop and choose a node plan manually. If input color space is unknown, resolve that uncertainty before assigning a camera-specific LUT.

A LUT operation can apply a named transform. Shot matching, exposure judgments, and a finished look need their own reference and visual review. Do not treat a successful LUT assignment as proof that the whole timeline is correctly graded.

Adjust voice, music, and captions separately

Use explicit track identities for audio work. Specify whether a request targets clip gain, a track fader, automation, or a bus. "Lower the music" leaves the target and amount unspecified, especially when music appears on several clips or tracks. Protect the dialogue track and any intentional transitions.

First ask the server which audio property it can read and set in your installation. If the requested control is unavailable, adjust that control in Resolve. For example, a supported clip-volume operation would not establish access to every Fairlight bus or plugin parameter. After changing music, listen through speech, pauses, fades, and the ending. A gain value alone cannot tell you whether the words are clear or the export meets a loudness requirement.

For a proposed reduction of 3 dB on a music clip, request a plan like this before allowing the change. The amount is an example for review, not a recommended loudness target:

Plan only for "MCP Sandbox" / "Interview Vertical".
Inspect audio track A2 and list its items with names and start positions.
Propose reducing clip gain by 3 dB on the one item I select.
Report the available gain field, its units, current value, and proposed
value. Stop if the field cannot be read and set or the units are unclear.
Keep A1 dialogue, timing, fades, automation, and bus settings unchanged.
Do not edit or replace media. Return the plan and wait for my selection.

To apply the audio plan, select the clip by name and start position, approve the specific old and new gain values, and ask Codex to change only that field. Ask it to report the value afterward. Stop if the units or starting value have changed. Listen to the result before approving more clips; a 3 dB reduction does not settle the balance between different recordings.

For captions, distinguish an editable subtitle track, text graphics burned into the picture, and a sidecar subtitle file. State the target language, reviewed transcript, timing source, and export form. Inspect proper names, numbers, line breaks, reading time, and speaker changes. If the server cannot create or modify the desired subtitles or titles, finish them manually or prepare a reviewed subtitle file with another tool. Then inspect the result in Resolve and in the actual export.

If a music-volume change fails

If the requested gain or fader control is unavailable, make the adjustment directly in Resolve and continue with a new inspection. Repeating the same unsupported tool request will not add the missing control. If Codex reports success but the music sounds unchanged, check whether it adjusted the intended clip, track, or bus and compare the actual setting with the earlier value.

A quieter external music file is another option when you already have a suitable audio workflow. Save it under a new filename, retain the original, and check the replacement's duration, start position, fades, and sync. Replace only the intended occurrence: relinking a shared Media Pool source may affect every use. Listen through the resulting edit and the rendered file before accepting the replacement.

Render a specified file and check what it contains

Start with one short review export before requesting several delivery formats. Give the exact timeline, range, destination directory, basename, container, codec, dimensions, frame rate, and audio requirement. State whether captions must be burned in or supplied separately. Confirm that the requested encoder is available in your Resolve installation; the manual's ProRes, H.265, and H.264 examples are not a cross-platform codec availability guarantee.

Use a new output filename and decide how to handle collisions. Avoid replacing an approved master. If your working timeline has marked In and Out points, specify whether the render uses that range or the entire timeline. Ask Codex to list existing render jobs so it does not accidentally start unrelated jobs already in the queue.

Plan one review export from "MCP Sandbox" / "Interview Vertical".
Use the entire named timeline, not the current marked In/Out range.
Target MP4, H.264, 1080x1920, the existing timeline frame rate, with audio.
Use my supplied output directory and basename; stop if either is missing
or the output file already exists. Do not silently substitute a codec.
Report caption treatment, available encoder, range, duration, audio
settings, and existing render jobs. Do not queue or start the render yet.

Provide the directory and basename, review the proposed settings, and approve the render explicitly. Continue in the same conversation so Codex can refer to that exact plan:

Create one render job using the settings and output path I approved.
First confirm "MCP Sandbox" / "Interview Vertical" is still the target,
the encoder is available, and the output path is still unused.
Return the new job's ID and configured timeline, range, and output path.
Start only that job by its ID. Do not start other queued jobs.
If the server cannot isolate one job, stop before starting the queue.
Report the job status. If a call times out, inspect the existing job
before retrying; do not create another job automatically.
When complete, report the actual output file path and any render errors.

A completed job still needs a file check. If ffprobe is available, run this command in your system terminal to report stream metadata without changing the video:

ffprobe -v error \
  -show_entries format=duration:stream=index,codec_type,codec_name,width,height,avg_frame_rate,sample_rate,channels \
  -of json "review-vertical.mp4"

Run it from the output directory or replace the filename with the actual path. Compare duration, dimensions, video codec, frame rate, and audio streams with the approved specification. A frame-rate value such as 30000/1001 is a ratio, approximately 29.97, and should be compared with the intended rate rather than rounded to 30.

Play the file from beginning to end. Inspect the first and last frames, speech and music balance, black gaps, missing shots, transitions, and captions. Burned-in captions are pixels in the video and do not require a separate subtitle stream; a sidecar subtitle is a separate deliverable. A media probe can identify streams and metadata, but it does not judge caption accuracy, framing, synchronization throughout the edit, or color appearance.

If a render call times out, inspect the queue and output path before retrying. The job may still be running. Confirm completion or failure, then decide whether to resume, cancel, or create a replacement job. Repeating the request immediately can produce additional jobs or files.

Use the community server when its extra tools solve a named problem

The community v4.7.10 README documents the following installer command:

npx davinci-resolve-mcp setup

This runs third-party installation software and does not pin the reviewed v4.7.10 release. Inspect the release you will actually install. For Studio, the project instructs users to set Preferences > General > External scripting using to Local. Its installation documentation describes a Python environment, Codex configuration, compound workflow tools, and a granular mode.

Evaluate a helper against the specific job you need. Inspect its target selection, source-file writes, subprocesses, network calls, and recovery method. If it edits project files outside the live scripting API, check how it backs up and restores those files; recovery instructions for a marker added inside Resolve may not apply.

For community startup failures, follow that release's installation instructions and check the configured interpreter, absolute executable paths, environment, and Resolve scripting preference. A desktop-launched process may not see the same environment as your terminal. Python discovery fixes from an older Free bridge tutorial are not prerequisites for Blackmagic's native setup.

The pinned README reports that Free 21.1 no longer lists Python scripts in the Scripts menu in the reported environment and leaves its console behavior unconfirmed. It treats the in-app bridge as a 21.0.x route. If you have Free 21.1, an older bridge tutorial is not sufficient reason to expect it to work on your build.

Protect confidential projects and recover from partial changes

A local MCP server describes the connection to Resolve. It does not establish that model requests, logs, or script network calls stay on your machine. Before using confidential material, check the account's data controls and the proposed inputs. Project names, source paths, transcripts, and client notes can themselves be sensitive even when camera files are not uploaded.

Use a nonconfidential sandbox for initial diagnosis. Keep permission changes specific to the operation that needs them. A prompt saying "read only" expresses intent; it is not an access-control setting. Use tool controls and script review where available, and avoid a server with unrestricted script execution if you cannot review that access.

For a batch edit, retain the approved clip list and old values. If the third operation fails after the first two succeeded, ask which clips or settings changed before retrying. Restore completed operations individually only when you know exactly what changed and have the old values; otherwise restore the project copy. After changing the active timeline, relinking media, or accepting another editor's changes, inspect again before executing a previous plan.

For a workflow you intend to repeat, record the Resolve build, Codex client, server and release, exact prompt, selected clips, before-and-after values, and output path. Rerun the project report and one small reversible operation after an update, before trying the same batch on a working edit.

Troubleshoot the stage that actually failed

Problem	What to check	When to continue
Setup AI Assistants is absent	Confirm Studio and the exact 21.1 build, then compare the File menu with the manual.	The documented menu is available in the intended installation.
The setup dialog does not list Codex	Confirm the local client is installed and has been opened, then rerun setup. Check client version and detection before changing configuration manually.	The intended client appears in the confirmation.
The server is registered but unavailable in chat	Restart the client; inspect the same host's server entry, enabled state, executable, and startup error.	The active session initializes the server and receives tools.
Startup times out	Check whether the registered executable exists and starts successfully. Separate a broken path from a genuinely slow startup.	The server initializes successfully and returns tools.
Tools exist but project reads fail	Open the expected Resolve project and timeline. Retry a named read-only query and retain the actual error.	Returned names and settings match Resolve.
A requested operation has no supported tool	Inspect the available tools and method documentation. Choose a manual step or evaluate a specific community helper.	You have a method that can make the intended change to the selected clips or settings.
A write reports success but changes the wrong clip or setting	Stop. Locate the actual changes and compare old values before restoring the sandbox.	The sandbox is restored and the next request selects the intended clip or setting.
A batch or render call times out	Check completed changes, render status, and output files before repeating the request.	The partial result is known and a retry will not duplicate it.
The render exists but is wrong	Compare range, stream metadata, captions, audio, and framing with the approved plan.	The corrected file passes both metadata inspection and playback.

Codex documents separate startup_timeout_sec and tool_timeout_sec settings. Change the relevant setting only after identifying which stage is slow. A render taking longer than a tool-call timeout needs status inspection; a server that never initializes needs startup diagnosis. More time or broader permission does not repair an unsupported method or a wrong project target.

Common decisions before using it on a working edit

Do I need a separate Python installation for the native setup?

The manual initiates native setup inside Resolve and does not instruct users to install the community Python environment. If File > Setup AI Assistants registers the server, inspect that entry first. Use Python installation instructions only when deliberately configuring software that requires them.

Can Codex make a whole short video from a brief?

The documented operations can support a larger workflow, but you still need a shot list, approved media, timing, caption text, audio choices, delivery settings, and review. Confirm the required operations individually. For a new video built from code rather than an existing Resolve edit, the Codex and HyperFrames short-video guide covers that different starting point.

When is manual editing the better choice?

Use Resolve directly when a needed control is unavailable, the assistant cannot judge the picture or sound, you cannot identify the right source clip, or you cannot recover the proposed change. MCP works best for repeated tasks with clear clip names and settings you can compare before and after. Before using it on client footage, complete the project report, marker test, one small edit, and one inspected export in the sandbox.