Install & Activate

Two things get Prime/Grade™ running: download the PixelTools Installer, then click Install. Activation happens during the install, so there is no serial number to type and nothing to drag into a hidden folder. The one choice to understand first is which version you want, because Prime/Grade ships in two forms.

DCTL or OFX

Prime/Grade comes as a DCTL and as an OFX plugin. They grade the same way; the difference is which edition of Resolve runs them.

• DCTL runs in DaVinci Resolve Studio only. The free edition of Resolve does not load DCTL tools of any kind.
• OFX is currently in beta and runs in both Resolve Studio and the free edition.

If you are on Resolve Studio, either version works. If you are on the free edition, use the OFX version. Both are installed and licensed the same way, through the PixelTools Installer.

Before you start

• DaVinci Resolve 19 or later. Resolve 19.1 or later also shows a tooltip when you hover a slider.
• Resolve edition. The OFX version loads in Resolve Free and Resolve Studio. The DCTL version needs Resolve Studio.
• macOS: the current release and the two before it, on Apple silicon and Intel.
• Windows 10 or 11, x64.
• A GPU. Macs render on Metal. Windows renders on CUDA on supported NVIDIA cards. Without a supported GPU the plugin renders on the CPU, which is slower but gives the same picture.
• Admin rights. The OFX plugin installs into a system-wide folder, so expect a permission prompt.
• Quit Resolve first. Relaunch after any install or update so Resolve picks up the new version.

1. Download the installer

The PixelTools Installer is one desktop app that installs, updates, and licenses every PixelTools plugin you own. Download it once and keep it.

• macOS: PixelTools Installer (.dmg)
• Windows: PixelTools Installer (.exe)

On macOS, open the disk image and drag the app to Applications. On Windows, run the installer.

The first time you open the app it asks you to sign in. Enter the email address you used at checkout and the installer sends a short code to that address. Type the code and you are in. There is no password to create.

2. Install the plugin

Find Prime/Grade on your account in the installer and click Install. The installer places the files in the correct location for you, so there is nothing to copy by hand.

The OFX bundle lands in the standard OFX location, the one Resolve reads from:

• macOS: /Library/OFX/Plugins/PixelToolsPrimeGrade.ofx.bundle
• Windows: C:\Program Files\Common Files\OFX\Plugins\PixelToolsPrimeGrade.ofx.bundle

You only need these paths if support asks for the bundle. Every other PixelTools OFX plugin installs into the same folder.

3. Activate your license

A successful install activates the license on its own, so most people never click anything here. If the Prime/Grade card shows an Activate button, click it. The installer writes a license file to your user account and the plugin picks it up on its own:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/PixelTools/license.dat
• Windows: %APPDATA%\PixelTools\license.dat

There is no key to paste into Resolve. The plugin re-reads that file while it renders, so if Resolve is already open with a demo instance on a node, the watermark clears within a few seconds of activation. You do not need to restart Resolve or re-add the node.

Machines and seats

An Individual license includes three seats, so you can run Prime/Grade on three machines at once. Each machine you activate takes one seat. Activating a machine you have already registered does not take another.

When you retire a workstation or move to a new laptop, open Settings → Machines in the installer and Deactivate the old machine, from any machine where you are signed in. Signing out while online frees the current machine’s seat as well. If you have lost the old machine and cannot deactivate it, write to support from the email on your account.

Working offline

On an Individual license, activation needs an internet connection once. After that the plugin keeps grading without one. Open the installer on a network from time to time so it can refresh the license; if the license goes too long without a refresh, the watermark comes back until it gets one. A machine that can never go online needs a Studio license. Write to support for an air-gapped setup.

4. Confirm it loaded

Launch Resolve and open a project on the Color page.

• OFX version. Open the OpenFX panel on the right. Under the PixelTools group you should see Prime/Grade. Drag it onto a node and the controls appear in the inspector.
• DCTL version. Add a DCTL OpenFX effect to a node, then choose PixelTools_PrimeGrade from the DCTL dropdown.

Resolve’s Preferences → System also lists every OFX plugin it found and whether it loaded cleanly.

Plugin still missing?

• Resolve was open during the install. Quit Resolve fully and relaunch.
• macOS blocked the install. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the bottom, and allow the PixelTools Installer if it is listed there. Run the install again.
• Windows blocked the plugin folder. Run the installer again and accept the Windows permission (UAC) prompt.
• You are on Resolve Free and only see DCTL missing. DCTL tools need Resolve Studio. Use the OFX version on the free edition.

Updating

Open the installer and look at your products. Anything with a newer version shows an Update button. Quit Resolve, click Update, and relaunch. Your license and existing node settings carry over. You do not need to uninstall first.

Demo vs licensed

The demo is the full plugin with a watermark on the output. Activate, and the watermark clears on the nodes you already built. The product page has current pricing.

Getting help

If something breaks, send us a bug report with what you did, what you expected, what happened instead, your Resolve version and edition, your OS, and your GPU. Send it to support.

Next: Resolve Quick Start takes you from a fresh node to a balanced primary grade.