FORGE/Guides/Conform

Conform

How to conform a proxy edit to OCF in DaVinci Resolve

Guide7 min readFORGE

The offline was cut on proxies; the online needs the original camera files. Here is how to conform a proxy edit back to OCF in DaVinci Resolve without losing handles, retimes or the colourist’s sanity.

What "conform" actually means

Conforming is the step where an edit decided on lightweight proxy media is rebuilt against the original camera files (OCF) for finishing. The cut — clip selection, order, in/out points, retimes — stays identical; only the underlying media is swapped from proxy to full-resolution source.

It sounds like a relink, but it usually arrives as an interchange file from another NLE (Avid, Premiere) rather than a native Resolve project, which is where most of the friction lives.

Step by step

  1. Export the interchange from the offline NLE. AAF is the most faithful for Avid/Premiere round-trips; XML (FCPXML/Premiere XML) and EDL also work for simpler timelines. Export the sequence, not a flattened render.
  2. Import it into DaVinci Resolve. File → Import → Timeline (or Import AAF/XML). Point Resolve at a folder, but expect it to come in offline if your OCF isn’t where the interchange thinks it is.
  3. Relink to your OCF roots. In the Media Pool, select the offline clips, right-click → Relink Selected Clips, and choose the volume(s) holding the original camera files. Split media across several drives if needed.
  4. Verify handles and source timecode. Spot-check that each event lands on the right frame, with handles intact and reels/source timecode matching the offline.
  5. Render or hand off. Finish in Resolve, or write a conformed timeline pointing at OCF for the colourist.

The cases that break a naïve conform

  • Timecode offsets on tape or re-wrapped sources — events land a few frames out.
  • Retimes and speed ramps that don’t survive the AAF cleanly.
  • Split-mono audio routed differently between systems.
  • Extension / codec mismatches between the proxy and the OCF (e.g. .mov proxy vs .mxf original).
  • Filename collisions where two cameras produced the same clip number.
The golden rule: never let an ambiguous match resolve silently. A wrong original quietly conformed into a master is far more expensive than an unmatched clip flagged for a human.

Doing it at scale

For one timeline, the manual pass above is fine. Across a facility doing it weekly, the verification — handles, retimes, audio routing, ambiguous matches — is where the hours and the mistakes accumulate. That is exactly the job FORGE’s Conform tool automates: it parses the AAF/XML read-only, resolves each event against your OCF, and surfaces every conflict for review instead of guessing — leaving the editor’s original interchange untouched.

FAQ

AAF or XML for conforming to DaVinci Resolve?

AAF is generally the most faithful for Avid and Premiere round-trips because it preserves more metadata (retimes, audio routing, source timecode). XML/FCPXML is fine for simpler timelines and Final Cut workflows. EDL is the lowest-common-denominator fallback when AAF/XML fail.

Why do my clips come in offline after importing the AAF?

The interchange references the original camera files by path or name, and Resolve cannot find them where the file expects. Relink the offline clips to your actual OCF roots in the Media Pool — the cut is intact, only the media link is missing.

Does conforming change the editor’s original file?

It should never have to. A safe conform parses the AAF/XML read-only and writes a new, suffixed timeline that points at the OCF — the editor’s original interchange stays untouched so you can always go back.

Conform without the manual relink, at facility scale.

FORGE resolves every event against your OCF and flags the ambiguous ones — it never mislinks silently. Start with a pipeline audit.

Start the audit →