Max's Timeline Guardian

Why this exists

Every editor knows the email. "There's a black flash at 12:47." Sent by the client, two hours after you delivered. The flash frame was three frames long — invisible while scrubbing, unmissable on playback.

And every editor knows the other feeling too: Resolve won't open the project, the database is acting up, and the last export of your work is three weeks old. I've had both, so I built this for my own deliveries. Maybe it's useful for yours too. It's still young — I mark it as beta until it has survived enough real-world timelines.

What it does

• Finds flash framesClips and gaps of just 1–3 frames — the classic invisible mistake. Threshold configurable.
• Finds real gapsChecked across all enabled video tracks combined: if V2 covers the hole in V1, it's not a gap. Black before the first clip is ignored (that one's usually intentional).
• Catches offline mediaVerifies that every clip's source file actually exists on disk — before the render fails or, worse, succeeds with a placeholder.
• Flags forgotten workMuted tracks that still hold clips, disabled clips, audio running past the last frame, and every marker that says TODO, FIX, WIP or ??? — your keywords, your rules.
• Jumps to the problemDouble-click any finding and the playhead lands exactly on it. Fix, re-check, deliver.
• Reports you can hand overOne click exports a clean PDF or TXT report — proof of QC for clients, broadcasters or your own records.
• Versioned snapshotsExports your project as timestamped .drp files with comments ("v3 — after client feedback"). Restore always creates a copy — your current project is never touched.
• Auto-snapshotsEvery 30 minutes if you want, with automatic housekeeping. Plain .drp files on your disk, independent of Resolve's database.

Two editions in the box

Since Resolve 19.1, script windows are limited to Resolve Studio — so the download includes an edition for each.

Installed in two minutes

1. Drop one file into Resolve's scripts folder — the included manual shows exactly where, on Mac and Windows.
2. Restart DaVinci Resolve.
3. Open it from Workspace → Scripts, hit Check timeline — done.

Questions, answered

Does it work with the free version of Resolve?

Yes. The included Free Edition runs the full check from Workspace → Scripts and writes the report plus a snapshot automatically. Only the interactive window is Studio-only — a Blackmagic limitation, not mine.

Will it change my timeline?

Never. The Guardian only reads. Restoring a snapshot always creates a new project copy — your current work is untouched.

What about intentional black?

Longer black sections are warnings, not errors — you stay the judge. Flash gaps of 1–3 frames are almost never intentional, so those are errors.

Where does my data live?

Reports and snapshots are plain files in your Documents folder. Nothing ever leaves your machine — no cloud, no telemetry.

Something's not working.

Write me via the contact page — include your Resolve version and what you clicked, and I'll take a look.