Installing Textmation

From download to your first title in about five minutes. Textmation is a Workflow Integration panel — a folder you copy into DaVinci Resolve's own plugins directory — not an effect you add from the OpenFX library.

Before you start

DaVinci Resolve Studio 20.2.1 or newer. Workflow Integration panels are a Studio feature and do not exist in the free edition. The caption tools read the subtitle track, which script cannot reach before 20.2.1.
macOS or Windows. The steps below cover both; choose your system with the toggle on the setup card.
An administrator account. The plugins folder belongs to DaVinci Resolve, so your computer will ask for permission when the folder is copied in. That prompt is normal — every customer sees it.
The download. Get it from your downloads page after purchase — or start with the free trial if you have not bought it yet.

Textmation setup

Unzip the download, then copy its plugin folder into DaVinci Resolve's Workflow Integration Plugins folder. Textmation needs DaVinci Resolve Studio. Workflow Integrations are not available in the free edition.

Updating an existing copy?

Follow the same steps and choose Replace when your computer finds the old com.colormetriclabs.textmation. Do not keep both versions. Your activation is stored separately, so updating does not use another device seat.

1. Download the latest version
Get the macOS ZIP from your downloads page.
2. Quit DaVinci Resolve
Resolve only looks for plugins when it starts. Quit the application completely before replacing a plugin.
3. Unzip the archive
Double-click the ZIP in Finder. Inside is com.colormetriclabs.textmation.
4. Copy the folder into the Workflow Integration Plugins folder
Copy com.colormetriclabs.textmation into this folder:
/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Workflow Integration Plugins
Fastest way there: copy the path above, switch to Finder and press ⇧⌘G (Go → Go to Folder), paste it and press Return. Finder opens the folder so you can drag the plugin straight in.
Final location should be /Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Workflow Integration Plugins/com.colormetriclabs.textmation. Do not nest it one level deeper: manifest.xml has to sit directly inside com.colormetriclabs.textmation, or Resolve will not list the plugin at all.
This folder needs administrator access. Finder will ask for your password when you drop the folder in. If the Workflow Integration Plugins folder does not exist, create it — in Finder, press ⇧⌘G, enter the path above without the last part, and make a folder called Workflow Integration Plugins.
5. Start Resolve
Open DaVinci Resolve Studio and choose Workspace → Workflow Integrations → Textmation.

First install: activate the plugin

Open the plugin's Licence tab and choose Activate this computer.
Enter the code shown in the plugin into the browser page and approve.
The plugin changes to Activated within a few seconds.

Verify the download or clear a security warning

To verify the ZIP, run this command and compare the result with the SHA-256 on your downloads page:

shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/Textmation-macOS.zip

If macOS blocks the plugin, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway for Textmation.

Installed. What now?

Open the Edit page in Resolve and choose Workspace → Workflow Integrations → Textmation. The panel opens beside your timeline. Browsing the library, previewing templates and changing every control is free with no time limit — putting a title on the timeline is what a licence buys, and the Licence tab walks through activation the first time.

When you are ready, the tutorial builds your first animated title step by step: pick a template, type your words, shape the motion, apply it at the playhead.