Editor Handoff

Share the open DaVinci Resolve project and its original footage with an external editor. Clipthesis prepares a password-protected download page, reuses files already in Backup, and uploads the rest after you review them.

Requirements

• Creating a handoff requires macOS and DaVinci Resolve Studio, with a project open and external scripting set to Local in Resolve's Preferences → System → General.
• Sign in to Clipthesis with Clipthesis Backup enabled. Sharing is included with Backup; new uploads count toward its normal storage charges.
• Your editor needs the link and password. A Clipthesis account is not required to download.

Prepare and review

1. Open Shares in the bottom navigation.
2. Choose Include only media used in timelines, or turn it off to include the entire Media Pool. Each original file is included in full, even if only a short segment appears in a timeline.
3. If footage has moved to another indexed drive, optionally enable Look on other indexed drives for moved media.
4. Click Prepare handoff. Clipthesis exports a temporary .drp project copy and checks the referenced media. This step does not upload files.
5. Review the total handoff size, new upload size, additional monthly storage estimate, and file list.

Files are shown as Already backed up, To upload, Missing, or Conflict. Identical content is uploaded only once, even when multiple paths reference it. Files already in Backup can be shared while their original drive is disconnected.

Missing files are excluded from the download and listed in the recipient's manifest. You must acknowledge unavailable media before continuing. Conflicting records must be resolved before you can publish. Project items without source files, such as generated titles, are called out separately; fonts, effects and third-party plugins may need installation on your editor's machine.

Handoffs support up to 5,000 media files. Large camera originals use multipart upload. A project with many unusually long file paths may need to be split into smaller handoffs.

Create the link

1. Enter a share title and a password of at least eight characters.
2. Choose a link expiry: 7, 30, or 90 days.
3. Keep a copy of the password. Clipthesis does not save it.
4. Click Upload and create link. Progress shows transferred bytes and confirmed files. You can navigate elsewhere while it runs; keep Clipthesis open and return to Shares when it finishes.
5. Click Copy link and give your editor the link and password.

Only one cloud transfer runs at a time. If Backup or a restore is running, finish it before starting the handoff upload. Cancelling a handoff stops publication and aborts its unfinished multipart upload. Files whose uploads already completed remain in Backup.

The download link is saved on the creating device using OS encryption, separately for each account. Passwords are never saved. If encrypted storage is unavailable, copy the link before closing the app. Shares made through the CLI or on another device can be listed and revoked here, but their links are not recoverable on this device.

Your editor's download

The recipient opens the page and enters the password. They can download individual files, download into a folder with a supported browser, or use the page's downloadable shell script for resumable downloads. The page explains how to import the .drp and relink footage to the downloaded bundle folder in Resolve.

Manage shares

Your shares lists status, file count, size, expiry, and file-download activity. Download counts represent file requests, not unique people or proof that a whole project was received. Click Refresh shares for the latest activity.

Use Copy link to retrieve a link saved on this device. Revoke stops future access and requires confirmation. It cannot retract files someone has already downloaded. A revoked or expired link cannot be reactivated; prepare another handoff to create a new link.

Storage costs and retention

New files use Clipthesis Backup at $0.01/GB per month, metered daily. The preview estimates the additional cost of new, deduplicated uploads for a full month.

Link expiry and revocation do not delete uploaded originals or stop their storage charges. The normal Backup subscription and retention rules continue to apply. Cancelling the Backup subscription ends access to the stored media according to those rules.

Troubleshooting

• Resolve cannot be reached: open Resolve Studio and enable external scripting. See Resolve setup.
• A file changed: stop editing or copying the source file, re-index its drive if needed, then prepare the handoff again.
• A drive is missing: connect it and prepare again, or explicitly continue with an incomplete handoff.
• The connection failed during publication: refresh the shares list before retrying. The server may have created the share even if its response did not arrive. Revoke an unwanted share before creating a replacement.
• You quit during preparation or upload: prepare the project again. Files already confirmed in Backup will be reused.