Animate COUNTERS in DaVinci Resolve - Including Commas & Symbols

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating animated counters in DaVinci Resolve. By following these steps, you will learn how to display changing numbers, including the addition of commas and symbols, enhancing your video projects. You’ll also discover how to save your counter as a reusable preset, making future edits more efficient.

Step 1: Setting Up the Counter

To begin, you need to create a basic counter in DaVinci Resolve.

1. Open DaVinci Resolve and Create a New Project:

   • Launch the software and start a new project or open an existing one where you want to add the counter.

2. Add a Text Generator:

   • Go to the "Effects Library".
   • Under "Titles", drag and drop the "Text+" option onto your timeline.

3. Customize Text Settings:

   • Select the Text+ layer in the timeline.
   • In the Inspector panel, set your desired font, size, and color for the counter display.

Step 2: Implementing the Counter Code

Next, you will add a script to animate the counter numerically.

1. Open the Inspector Panel:

   • Make sure your Text+ layer is selected and open the Inspector.

2. Add the Following Code:

   • In the text box of the Inspector, you will input the following code to create your counter:

   -- setup
   thousandsSeperator = ","
   prefix = "prefix "
   postfix = " postfix"
   
   -- setup end number = Counter
   delimited = (string.format('%d', number)):reverse():gsub("(%d%d%d)", "%1" .. thousandsSeperator):gsub(",(%-?)$", "%1"):reverse()
   
   return(prefix .. delimited .. postfix)
   

3. Adjust Variables as Needed:

   • Change prefix and postfix to reflect any text you wish to appear before or after your number.
   • Adjust the number variable to set your starting number.

Step 3: Animating the Counter

Now, let’s animate the counter to show it changing over time.

1. Keyframe the Counter:

   • In the Inspector, find the "Settings" section.
   • Set the initial value of your number (e.g., 0).
   • Move the playhead to where you want the animation to end, and adjust the number to your desired end value.

2. Enable Keyframing:

   • Click on the diamond icon next to the number field to create a keyframe at the start position.
   • Move to the end position, change the number to your desired final value, and another keyframe will be created.

3. Smooth Animation:

   • Right-click on the keyframes in the timeline to adjust the easing for smoother transitions.

Step 4: Saving the Counter as a Preset

To reuse your counter setup in future projects, save it as a preset.

1. Select the Text+ Layer:

   • Right-click on your Text+ layer in the timeline.

2. Choose Save As Preset:

   • Select "Save as Preset" from the context menu.
   • Name your preset and click "OK".

3. Access Your Preset:

   • In future projects, you can find your saved counter preset under the "Effects Library" > "Titles" section.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively create and animate counters in DaVinci Resolve, adding a professional touch to your videos. Remember to experiment with different prefixes, postfixes, and animation speeds to suit your project's style. Now that you have your counter saved as a preset, you can easily reuse it in any future projects, saving you time and effort. Happy editing!