# Getting Started This guide walks you through setting up Nobe LutBake in DaVinci Resolve and capturing your first LUT. {% embed url="" %} One-keystroke LUT capture while grading in DaVinci Resolve {% endembed %} ## Prerequisites Make sure you have completed the [installation](/nobe-lutbake/installation.md) and meet the [requirements](/nobe-lutbake/requirements.md): * Nobe LutBake app installed and running in the menu bar * OFX plugin installed (check the app's menu bar popover for status) * **Local scripting enabled** in DaVinci Resolve — go to **Preferences > General** and set **External scripting using** to **Local** (see [Requirements](/nobe-lutbake/requirements.md#enable-local-scripting)) ## Step 1: Set Up the Node Graph 1. Open DaVinci Resolve Studio and go to the **Color** page. 2. Select a clip in the timeline. 3. Open the **OpenFX** panel and drag **Nobe LutBake** onto the **first node** in the chain. Set its mode to **HALD Generator**. 4. Add your color correction nodes after it (curves, wheels, LUTs, etc.). 5. Drag another **Nobe LutBake** onto the **last node** in the chain. Set its mode to **LUT Generator**. 6. **Label the first node** as `HALD` — the app uses this label to find the node. On DaVinci Resolve 20+, nodes are also discovered automatically, so labeling is optional but recommended. 7. **Disable the HALD node** (**Ctrl+D** / **Cmd+D**) so it doesn't render the HALD pattern into your image. The app will automatically enable it during LUT capture and disable it again afterward. Your node graph should look like this: ```mermaid flowchart LR H["HALD Generator node"] --> G["Your grading nodes"] G --> L["LUT Generator node"] L --> O["Captured .cube LUT"] ```

Node setup: HALD Generator → Your Color Corrections → LUT Generator

{% hint style="warning" %} **Disable spatial and temporal effects before capture.** LutBake captures everything between the two nodes — unlike Resolve's built-in Generate LUT function, spatial effects are **not** automatically bypassed. Blur, sharpening, noise reduction, glow, grain, Power Windows, and similar effects cannot be represented in a 3D LUT and will produce a LUT that does not match your grade. Disable these effects or place them on nodes outside the LutBake capture range. The app automatically detects 40+ spatial tools before each capture. On DaVinci Resolve 20+, you can auto-disable detected effects during capture and restore your original grade afterward. Post-capture mathematical validation catches anything the scan missed. Correct node placement is still the most reliable safeguard. {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} Make sure both nodes use the **same HALD level**. The default level 8 works well for most workflows. {% endhint %} ## Step 2: Configure the App Click the Nobe LutBake icon in the menu bar to open the popover.

Menu bar popover

Open **Settings** to configure: * **Output folder** — Where LUT files will be saved. * **Filename template** — Use placeholders like `{index}` for auto-incrementing numbers. * **LUT size** — 17, 33, 64, 65, or 100 (overrides the plugin's UI setting). Use 64 with HALD 8 for best accuracy. * **Clamp output to 0..1** — Enabled by default to maximize compatibility with LUT consumers that expect normalized output. * **Node label** — The label of your HALD Generator node (default: `HALD`). Optional on Resolve 20+ (auto-discovery). * **Node graph** — Clip, Timeline, Group Pre-Clip, or Group Post-Clip.

General settings

LUT settings

## Step 3: Capture a LUT Press the global keyboard shortcut (default: **Cmd+Shift+L**) or click **Capture LUT** in the menu bar popover. The app will automatically enable the HALD node, capture the LUT, disable the node, and show a notification when complete. If DRX export is enabled, a still will be grabbed as well. Your `.cube` LUT file is now saved and ready to use. ## Step 4: Customize the Keyboard Shortcut Go to **Settings > Shortcuts** to change the global capture shortcut.

Keyboard shortcut settings

## Node Graph Types The app can access HALD nodes in different node graphs: | Type | Description | | ------------------- | ----------------------------------- | | **Clip** | Main clip node tree | | **Timeline** | Timeline-level node graph (default) | | **Group Pre-Clip** | Applied before clip corrections | | **Group Post-Clip** | Applied after clip corrections | On DaVinci Resolve 20+, the app scans all graphs in processing order (Pre-Clip → Clip → Post-Clip → Timeline) to find your LutBake nodes automatically. The graph type setting is mainly used as a hint for older Resolve versions. {% hint style="warning" %} Group Pre-Clip and Group Post-Clip require the clip to be assigned to a **Color Group** in Resolve. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.timeinpixels.com/nobe-lutbake/getting-started.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.