Studio 21.1.1
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FUSION & COMPOSITING

How to animate a polygon mask for rotoscoping

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

Rotoscoping traces a changing shape over time. Fewer well-placed points are easier to animate and usually produce smoother contours than a very dense outline.

Before you begin

Use a short test clip and open Fusion. Keep MediaOut connected to the final result.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Fusion node graph with branches, masks, and a Merge
Fusion node graph with branches, masks, and a Merge Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 1402. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Add a Polygon mask to the blue mask input of the image or effect you want to limit.
  2. At a clear reference frame, draw a manageable outline around the subject and adjust edge softness.
  3. Move to another important pose and update the shape. Confirm shape animation is active, then add keys at changes of direction or occlusion.
  4. Review the frames between keys and refine only where interpolation fails. Split complex subjects into several manageable masks when necessary.

Check your result

The mask follows the intended outline without boiling edges or sudden shape changes.

If it doesn’t work as expected

Adding keys on every frame too early can make cleanup harder. Establish major poses first, then insert intermediate corrections where the motion actually needs them.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Fusion: advanced compositing

Go deeper with the course’s explanations, exercises, and knowledge checks.

Open module 10 →
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Technical reference: DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, Blackmagic Design, September 2026. Screenshot page numbers refer to that manual. Independently written guidance; specific controls may vary by platform and build. Authorship & image credits.