Increasing Davinci Resolve Editing Efficiency with a Custom Controller
In an effort to increase my efficiency in Davinci Resolve, I built this custom controller called the Bear Claw.
Did you know that I’ve started making videos, too? In doing so, I learned that editing is incredibly time-consuming. Sometimes, that video editing requires almost as much time as the project itself. In an effort to increase my efficiency in Davinci Resolve, I built this custom controller called the Bear Claw.
This is an input device similar to a macro pad, but shaped more like a mouse and with some unconventional controls. Those controls are three metal ball tactile buttons, a three-way toggle switch, and an Adafruit ANO navigation wheel. Together, they provide access to all kinds of useful shortcuts and tools in Davinci Resolve. For example, the toggle switch changes editing modes, one of the buttons performs a ripple delete, and the ANO wheel zooms in and out on the timeline. There is also a status light in the corner that changes color based on the editing mode. It pulses and looks pretty.
An Adafruit KB2040 development board controls all of those functions. I programmed it using Circuit Python and wrote the code so that it is really easy to configure the keypresses sent by each button. As far as the computer knows, it is receiving those key presses from a regular old keyboard and so compatibility is never an issue.
To design the case, I first sculpted the design in modeling clay to get an ergonomic shape that fit my hand. Then, I 3D-scanned that and brought the mesh file into Autodesk Fusion 360. From there, I spent several days modeling the enclosure with meshes and surfaces based on that scan, and 3D-printed several iterations to test their feel in my hand.
Then, I threw all of that out and started over, because the design was ugly and was all curved surfaces that are difficult to mount buttons onto. The new design was a more conventional solid model very loosely inspired by the shape I sculpted in clay. It looks like the pastry to me, so I started calling this device the Bear Claw.
After building a prototype for testing, I assembled the final device using a PCB and resin-printed case from PCBWay. The PCB just holds the three finger buttons in place. The components all mount onto a base I 3D-printed on a Bambu Lab P1S in transparent PLA, which I chose to let the status LED shine through and so I could put in heat-set inserts.
I haven’t yet used the Bear Claw enough to decide if it will actually speed up my video editing, but I’m feeling pretty good about it so far!