How to Import a PNG Sequence Into DaVinci Resolve
To import a PNG sequence into DaVinci Resolve: open the Media Pool, right-click in an empty area, select "Add Folder and Group By", and navigate to the folder containing your PNG frames. Resolve automatically detects the sequence and groups all frames into a single clip.
Drag the clip to your timeline. The RGBA alpha channel is recognized automatically — the chart composites transparently over footage without any keying setup.
Step-by-Step Import Instructions
- 1 Prepare the PNG sequence folder Extract the ZIP archive to a dedicated folder on your drive. The folder should contain only the PNG frame files, named sequentially (frame_001.png, frame_002.png, ...). Do not place other files in the same folder — this can confuse Resolve's sequence detection.
- 2 Open DaVinci Resolve and navigate to Edit or Cut page Open your DaVinci Resolve project. Go to the Edit page (or Cut page). Make sure the Media Pool panel is visible — it should be in the upper-left by default. If not, click the Media Pool icon in the top toolbar.
- 3 Right-click in Media Pool → Add Folder and Group By Right-click anywhere in the empty space of the Media Pool panel. From the context menu, select "Add Folder and Group By". This is the correct method for image sequences. Using "Import Media" and selecting individual files will not group them as a sequence.
- 4 Select the PNG folder In the file browser dialog, navigate to the folder containing your PNG frame files. Select the folder itself — not any individual file inside it. Click "Select Folder" or "OK".
- 5 Resolve creates an image sequence clip DaVinci Resolve scans the folder, detects the sequential file naming pattern, and creates a single image sequence clip in the Media Pool. The clip will show the total frame count and duration based on your project frame rate.
- 6 Drag to timeline above footage Drag the image sequence clip from the Media Pool to a video track above your footage in the timeline. Place it at the timecode where you want the chart to appear. The RGBA alpha channel composites automatically in Normal blend mode.
Alternative Import Method
An alternative approach is to use File → Import Media from the menu bar. Navigate to the PNG folder, select the first frame
(frame_001.png), and look for an
"Individual Frames" or "Image Sequence" option in the import dialog if prompted.
The "Add Folder and Group By" method from the Media Pool is more reliable and is the recommended approach, particularly for RGBA PNG sequences. It avoids ambiguity about whether Resolve is treating the files as individual images or as a sequence.
Frame Rate Considerations
DaVinci Resolve plays the image sequence at the project's frame rate — not at the rate the sequence was originally rendered. This is the most common source of problems.
- — Framechart rendered at 60fps: 600 frames for a 10-second chart
- — DaVinci Resolve project is set to 30fps
- — Resolve plays 600 frames at 30fps = 20 seconds (too slow)
Solution A (recommended): Before rendering in Framechart, check your Resolve project frame rate (Project Settings → Master Settings → Timeline frame rate). Set Framechart's export fps to match. Re-render.
Solution B (after the fact): In DaVinci Resolve, right-click the image sequence clip in the timeline → Clip Attributes → Video → Frame rate. Change it to the intended fps to retime the clip.
Alpha Channel in DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve recognizes RGBA PNG alpha channels automatically. When you place the image sequence clip on a track above footage, the transparent areas of each frame show the footage below — no keying, no masking, no blend mode changes required.
Verify the composite mode is set to Normal on the clip. If you see a solid white or black background instead of transparency, the sequence was exported as RGB without an alpha channel — re-export it from your source tool with transparency enabled.
Troubleshooting
You imported using "Import Media" and selected individual files. Delete those imports. Re-import using the correct method: right-click in Media Pool → Add Folder and Group By → select the folder.
Frame rate mismatch between the exported sequence and your Resolve project. Re-render the sequence at the project fps, or retime the clip in Resolve: right-click clip in timeline → Clip Attributes → Video → adjust Frame rate.
The PNG sequence was not exported with RGBA transparency. Re-export from your source tool with transparent background enabled. (With the framechart plugin this problem doesn't exist — the chart composites with alpha directly in the timeline.)
The PNG files may have been renamed or are not consecutively numbered. Check the filenames in the folder. Ensure no files are missing from the middle of the sequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does DaVinci Resolve show individual frames instead of a sequence?
This happens when you import a single PNG file instead of the folder. In the Media Pool, right-click on empty space → "Add Folder and Group By" → select the folder. Do not select an individual file.
Does the alpha channel work automatically in DaVinci Resolve?
Yes. DaVinci Resolve reads the RGBA alpha channel from PNG sequences automatically. Place the clip on a timeline track above your footage and the chart composites transparently without any keying setup.
What if the PNG sequence plays too fast or too slow in Resolve?
The sequence plays at your project's frame rate regardless of the intended fps. If the sequence was rendered at 60fps but your project is 30fps, a 10-second animation plays over 20 seconds. Solution: re-export at the project fps, or use Resolve's clip retime to adjust the speed.
Can I import PNG sequences in the free version of DaVinci Resolve?
Yes. The free version of DaVinci Resolve (no Studio license required) fully supports PNG sequence import and RGBA compositing. No paid upgrade needed for this workflow.
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Last reviewed: April 2026