Are you tired of unwanted elements ruining your footage? Look no further than DaVinci Resolve 15’s Patch Replacer. While Resolve has always had tools to remove unwanted features, the Patch Replacer has been streamlined and improved in version 15. With this tool, you can easily patch an unwanted element from your image, whether it’s a slider or a mic in the frame. The Patch Replacer is essentially Resolve’s answer to the clone tool in Photoshop, and it can even duplicate onscreen features for creative purposes.
Using the Patch Replacer is simple. Head to the color page, find the clip that needs fixing, create a new node, and apply the Patch Replacer from the Resolve Revival category. The tool works by placing a source patch and a target patch over the area of the image that needs removal. By default, the Patch Replacer uses an Adaptive Blend fill-in-method, which blends pixel data from the source with color and lighting data from the surrounding area of the target patch. However, you can also change the fill-in method to Clone or Fast Mask, depending on your needs.
While the Patch Replacer is relatively easy to use, it can be more challenging when the shot is moving. Once you’ve positioned and corrected the patch, you’ll need to track it so it follows with the camera movement. To do this, add tracking points to visible elements that surround the area that needs a patch. Then, hit track forward (and track backward if needed), and your patch replacement should remain in place when the clip plays forward.
Overall, the Patch Replacer is a powerful tool for removing unwanted elements from your footage. While it has its limitations, it’s a great solution for most foreign objects within a frame. So why not give it a try and see how it can improve your footage?