Time Overlay guide
How to add a transparent countdown timer in DaVinci Resolve
To add a transparent countdown timer in DaVinci Resolve, import the Time Overlay PNG sequence into the Media Pool and stack the resulting clip above your base footage. Blackmagic Design's current codec list explicitly documents PNG sequence decode with alpha support across supported desktop platforms. Because that list does not document WebM as an import container, this guide keeps PNG as the safe path instead of promising a codec-dependent shortcut.
Recommended Time Overlay export: PNG sequence for documented alpha support and grading flexibility.
- By
- yansoul
- Published
- Reviewed
Workflow map
Start from Resolve's documented PNG path
Node 01
Export PNG
Node 02
Add to Media Pool
Node 03
Stack on Video 2
What was verified for this guide
The recommendation was checked against Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve 20 codec list. The current list explicitly documents PNG decode and alpha support; it does not list WebM as a supported container, so PNG is the guide's safe default.
- Blackmagic Design lists PNG under still and sequence formats with decode and alpha support on macOS, Windows, and Rocky Linux.
- The Time Overlay PNG package uses RGBA frames with consistent numbering suitable for sequence import.
- WebM is treated as an experiment rather than the recommended handoff because it is absent from the current official container list.
Step 01
Export the overlay
Set up the Time Overlay generator with your duration, preset, resolution, and frame rate. Export the PNG sequence and keep the extracted frames in their original numbered order.
Step 02
Import into Resolve Media Pool
Open the Media Storage or Import Media workflow, make sure numbered frames are grouped as a sequence, and add the sequence to the Media Pool. Confirm its clip frame rate before editing.
Step 03
Drop onto the timeline above base footage
Stack the overlay on Video 2 above your Video 1 base clip. The alpha channel composites without further setup. Resolve respects the transparency through Color and Deliver pages.
Step 04
Trim and align
Use the Edit page to position the countdown so the final frame lands on the cut you want. Resolve's snap-to-edit features make this fast.
DaVinci Resolve troubleshooting
Case 01
Symptom
Frames appear as separate clips
Resolution
Enable sequence grouping in the Media Storage view and verify that filenames have uninterrupted, zero-padded numbers before adding the first frame to the Media Pool.
Case 02
Symptom
The countdown duration is wrong
Resolution
Check the project frame rate and the clip attributes for the imported sequence. They must match the FPS selected during export.
Case 03
Symptom
The transparent edge changes after grading
Resolution
Keep the overlay on its own track or node path, inspect the alpha channel, and avoid applying a base-footage grade to the overlay clip unless that is intentional.
First-party references
Blackmagic's codec list is platform-specific and changes between Resolve releases. Recheck it after a major upgrade.
Time Overlay tips
When you need to grade the overlay independently from the base footage, place it on its own video track and use Local Versions in Color page. The PNG sequence path preserves the cleanest alpha edge under aggressive grading.
Not sure which export format to pick? Compare every transparent overlay format by editor and browser support.
Continue with a related workflow
Related guide
How to convert a PNG sequence to ProRes 4444 with alpha (ffmpeg)
Convert a Time Overlay PNG sequence to Apple ProRes 4444 with the alpha channel intact using the bundled script or a one-line ffmpeg command.
Related guide
How to add a transparent countdown timer in Premiere Pro
Add a transparent countdown timer to Adobe Premiere Pro with a numbered Time Overlay PNG sequence, plus an optional ProRes 4444 single-file master.