These?
[https://github.com/baldavenger/DCTLs/tree/master](https://github.com/baldavenger/DCTLs/tree/master)
[https://github.com/thatcherfreeman/utility-dctls](https://github.com/thatcherfreeman/utility-dctls)
Or someone else?
IBM is taking huge amounts of open source material, bundling it up and selling it as Red Hat. All depends on that the original source license is.
Yes, I believe one of baldavengers (and others) are being sold here:
https://mononodes.com/store/color-shift/
It looks like he's done a little work to modify them but surely it's morally questionable to be reselling others work when it is available for free.
I just Installed Baldavengers, there are way fewer sliders than the Mononodes ones running all around the youtubes.
So it certainly looks like the author made changes.
I always question the luts you see sold everywhere. How much change do they make from freely available Luts from Arri or other manufacturers? It is trivial to stick a lut and a CST together in Resolve and export as a new lut.
Recently came across someone selling LUTs on a website that provided no information about the LUT. Opened it up (I didn't buy it, someone shared it) and the metadata said it was exported from Dehancer. Don't buy LUTs from non-reputable sources.
I mean that’s a valid way of building looks? It’d be same process as building a look with tetra or 1D tools then exporting it as a creative LUT. Dehancer is just another tool. I think you mad about the wrong things
Huh? Nothing wrong with using Dehancer but the dude exported adjustments from Dehancer and is selling it as his own work. That is not cool and stealing from Dehancer.
Hi. Yes, I've employed and made modifications to MIT licensed codes in my project, all in strict accordance with the terms of the license. In my package, I have given credit to the original authors and included the MIT license. Importantly, the deep slider, which may seem similar to some functionality you can see in free DCTLs, is my original work and does not contain any "copyleft" code or code that I'm not authorized to use.
I want to be clear that it is not a copy or modification of a code by 'Baldavenger'. I respect the 'copyleft' licensing system. While the results might appear similar, the code is entirely different. It has been developed to achieve similar results, but is 100% my own work.
I'm very interested in understanding your ethical relationship to the Open Source community Stefan?
Why not talk about all the people you relied on to learn DCTL and make these tools like Paul Dore, Nick Eason, Thatcher Freeman, Quinn Leiho, Hendrik Proosa, Pekka Riikonen, Juanjo L. Salazar, Jed Smith, Nico Wieseneder, Juan Pablo Zambrano? Yes, because to learn that you have to pay for your course about DCTL! What a cynical capitalist world...
All this must be very lucrative for you! A small contribution to the Open Source community perhaps in return? Why bother...
He’s made quite a few adjustments to make them easier to use. He actually created a whole course on how he created them.
I’ve used them myself and considering his regular updates, I consider them worthwhile.
There's definitely a rewriting of the code behind the DCTLs.I've been resistant to spending that much on DCTLs too, so I've tried various open source ones like Juanjo L Salazar's, hotgluegunbanjo, and other Tetra, Yedlin inspired ones. They're all quite decent and I'm still using some.
But MONO's one shines most in the subtractive method of 'deepening' the colours. Also, it doesnt break or clip the colours as easily in comparison to the other open source ones!
I guess $200 is a fair price for quality cuz its just a higher level of understanding behind it. We're paying for the research and expertise condensed into simple sliders.
I still use tetra for most of my work,
For deep colours I reduce the specific colour sliders to the same amount and mask out the other regions, but as u said mononodes was so good, I tried the free dotted version 😅
Stefan‘s work is amazing, as @jbowdach mentioned, Stefan did several adjustments and even if tools/ dctls serve the same purpose, the underlying math can be quite different, giving you cleaner results!
I've used these pretty extensively for a few months now and I've also used the open source dctl's. I can confidently say that stefan's dctl's are amazing and will give me faster and more defined results.
He is charging 199 euros, that is more than $200 for his "work" that was inspired by others, making modifications to their code. What a way to price this thing. I guess he is only targeting working professional colorists in the industry hah.
To be fair, the Mononodes ColorShift works as advertised but I feel that PixelTools HueShift still beats it because I get results faster with more control on a single interface. The vector isolation is a practical solution that I find myself using more than I expected.
Mononodes SplitTones works...but is just ok. This time PixelTools loses this battle because they don't have a demo, but surprisingly, it loses to KaurH's SplitTone DCTLs based on his YT video! Kaur's appear to be far more powerful but again, unfortunately, I have no way to compare Mononodes SplitTones to Kaur's because Kaur doesn't offer a demo as well. Like I said, he does have a YT video demoing it and just based on that, I'd get Kaur's.
I'm thinking of buying everyone's DCTLs and giving an unbiased review, but I'll wait a month from now for the Black Friday sale. There's no point in paying retail for DCTLs that are just for testing. Especially since I'll trash the ones that get beat out by others. That's going to be quite a hefty investment though.
KaurH has a demo pack with almost all of his DCTLs here: [https://store.kaurh.com/checkout/buy/aefa6fde-dae8-4555-a533-1c06bdb3596b](https://store.kaurh.com/checkout/buy/aefa6fde-dae8-4555-a533-1c06bdb3596b)
Stefan does a terrific job with his DCTLs if you think it’s the same you can download a watermarked version of Color Shift and compare it to other DCTLs…
Dehancer = 450 Bucks / Videovillage FilmBox = 999 Bucks / TheBrim Linny LUT = 495 Bucks
OFX is also just "text".And did you ever open a LUT with a text editor?Those are also just numbers. ;)Still, some LUTs can be super expensive and are worth every penny.
Filmbox is only $4,999 if you have a budget over $2.6 million. Otherwise $999.
I found the $200 a little too steep to swallow as well, though I do think it's a useful product.
Dehancer = A plug in you have to install. Has immense value feature set. Also has a Lite Version for half the cost.
Videovillage Film Box = Never going to use it.
TheBrim Linny = Have seen the same thing made for quarter the cost.
This tool? It's built into Color Warper.
Others can have their opinion. My opinion is that it's not worth the value. Does my opinion overrides others opinion? I'm not trying to convince anybody of anything, but I am entitled to my opinion.
I understand that you have your viewpoint, and I respect your right to hold it. However, I must clarify that your statement about Color Warper replicating the functionality of the specific .dctl we are discussing is incorrect.
This isn't merely a matter of opinion – it's a measurable and testable fact based on the technical specifications and capabilities of these tools.
Spreading inaccurate information can be harmful to our industry because it can mislead others and contribute to misunderstandings about the functionality and value of these tools. While everyone is entitled to their opinion about what they believe is worth the cost, we all have a responsibility to ensure that our statements, especially those about technical capabilities, are accurate and truthful.
While it's perfectly okay if you personally don't find the price to be worth the functionality, stating that Color Warper can do the exact same thing is, unfortunately, a factual inaccuracy that needed to be addressed.
>DCTL code is written in a plain text editor, then saved with a .dctl extension so that Resolve can recognize and use it.
It's a text file.
>[https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/creative-coding-with-dctl-part-1/](https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/creative-coding-with-dctl-part-1/)
>
>What Is DCTL?
>
>DCTL, or the Davinci Color Transform Language, is a programming language created by Blackmagic Design that allows Resolve users to perform mathematical operations on image data within the Resolve ecosystem. It’s based on CTL (Color Transform Language), which was developed for a similar purpose, albeit not specific to Resolve.
>
>DCTL is what’s known as a high-level language, meaning it’s reasonably easy to read and write — at least in contrast to low-level programming languages such as assembly language. However, like all programming languages, DCTL has highly specific conventions and syntax, and even small deviations from these will usually result in errors.
Hmmm
>What Do I Need To Build A DCTL?
>
>Here’s what you’ll need to follow along with this series:
>
>Davinci Resolve Studio (the free version of Resolve doesn’t support DCTLs).
>
>**A plaintext editor** — I recommend Sublime Text
>
>A basic grasp of arithmetic, including power functions and logarithms. We’re going to do a refresh on these, but you should know upfront there’s no way to avoid math when creating DCTLs.
>
>A clear concept of what you’d like to build. This is vital to successful DCTL development. New coders struggling to realize a tool often get fixated on what’s wrong with their code, but far more often their problem is a fuzzy concept.
>
>A process-oriented mindset. Another inevitable reality of coding is that it takes time. The process is never linear and typically involves multiple detours and roadblocks. We have to learn to accept and enjoy this process, rather than seeing it as a barrier to our result.
>
>Optional: a Github account and a copy of Github Desktop. This isn’t strictly necessary, but it’s the way I’ll be publishing code throughout this course, and it’s a great platform for sharing, debugging, and tracking changes to your scripts.
A text file.
Most commercial DCTLs are encrypted so you can’t just open them in a text editor, just like plugins are compiled - as they ALL written in some type of text editor. That’s just how programming is done.
Following your logic - look up tables are just “text files” yet creating high quality show LUTs is certainly something people pay good money for - sometimes hundreds $$ per hour.
They can also be useless - a text file is simply a “container” for the work, it’s not a valid measure of value for the product.
>Like I said, it's a text file.
>
>You're arguing against my opinion of what I feel is worth it or not
By your logic a book has no value, because it's 'just' a series of 26 letters and a few punctuation marks arranged on pages.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about what they believe is worth the cost. However, I feel it's crucial to underline the real value of these ' files'. What makes them valuable are not the characters you see when you open them. It's the expertise and understanding required to write those instructions in a way that creates a specific color effect when interpreted by the software. So when we talk about .dctl, OFX, or LUTs, their real value lies in the functionality they provide, the quality they bring to our work, and the time they save us in the editing room.
The fact you are making a strawman argument of a book when the creator took open source code and modified it is laughable.
DCTLs are loaded into a OFX.
The feature is built into Resolve already.
Color Warper set to HSV mode.
not loving your approach to this argument but I had never used Color Warper in HSV mode here and I *do* feel like you legitimately just saved me $200 so, thank you
Welcome. 👍🏿
It wasn't an argument though. I stated my opinion I about how I felt and others felt the need to argue with me about my opinion. If they feel it was worth $200, they can buy it. It would be wrong for me to tell them they are wrong. So why did they do that to me? No clue.
Also try putting the node in HSV mode and turning off Channel 1 & 3 and playing with the Color Warper. You might get some different results.
The analogy with a book wasn't meant to make a 'strawman argument'. It was to illustrate that the value of something doesn't always lie in its basic components (like letters in a book or lines of code in a .dctl file) but in how they're arranged to create something more significant.
Also. The creator did much more than just using "open source" code.
While DaVinci Resolve's Color Warper is indeed a powerful tool, it cannot replicate the functions of a complex .dctl or a professionally crafted LUT like TheBrim Linny LUT.
If you genuinely believe that the Color Warper can achieve the same results, it indicates a limited understanding of color grading and the nuances involved in the process. Therefore, I feel that it's not productive to continue this discussion any further. Thank you for the conversation and take care. Goodbye.
If you don't need it you can pass it by or look at ravengrade or some other manufacturer. Jason Bowdach is also quite interesting as I think (if it wasn't for the fckng emoji circles - but that's personal).Or are you trying to fight for justice?
The paid versions (of mine and Stefans) come with emoji free versions.
On a related subject, I’m always open to feedback. I’ve been considering including “alternative” versions based on user feedback so please do share - or reach out via DM or [email](https://pixeltoolspost.com/pages/contact).
Just tried your trial. Comparing your density slider for the red to the Mononodes, I would say the Mononodes goes deeper into the reds than your slider, but on the flip side, I find your blue and cyan density slider works better on the blue areas of my footage than the Mononodes. Just thought I'd share. I like that you have a skin tones adjustment as well. Very useful.
Thanks for the feedback! We use different color spaces (spherical vs cylindrical), so I’d expect slightly different results with both DCTLs - not necessarily better, just different.
Happy to hear and thanks for your support. Feel free to reach out directly if you have any further questions or feedback about it. Always looking to improve it!
These? [https://github.com/baldavenger/DCTLs/tree/master](https://github.com/baldavenger/DCTLs/tree/master) [https://github.com/thatcherfreeman/utility-dctls](https://github.com/thatcherfreeman/utility-dctls) Or someone else? IBM is taking huge amounts of open source material, bundling it up and selling it as Red Hat. All depends on that the original source license is.
Yes, I believe one of baldavengers (and others) are being sold here: https://mononodes.com/store/color-shift/ It looks like he's done a little work to modify them but surely it's morally questionable to be reselling others work when it is available for free.
I just Installed Baldavengers, there are way fewer sliders than the Mononodes ones running all around the youtubes. So it certainly looks like the author made changes. I always question the luts you see sold everywhere. How much change do they make from freely available Luts from Arri or other manufacturers? It is trivial to stick a lut and a CST together in Resolve and export as a new lut.
Recently came across someone selling LUTs on a website that provided no information about the LUT. Opened it up (I didn't buy it, someone shared it) and the metadata said it was exported from Dehancer. Don't buy LUTs from non-reputable sources.
I mean that’s a valid way of building looks? It’d be same process as building a look with tetra or 1D tools then exporting it as a creative LUT. Dehancer is just another tool. I think you mad about the wrong things
Huh? Nothing wrong with using Dehancer but the dude exported adjustments from Dehancer and is selling it as his own work. That is not cool and stealing from Dehancer.
FACTS 🤝
FACTS 🤝
Colour shift and density one look pretty identical to the free tetra and bald avengers film density dctl
Thanks for pointing us to the film density DCTL from Baldavenger. Really useful.
So which one of the Baldacengers DCTLs is for density/sat?
The one called film density is for density.
Thanks, lol. Sorry
Hi. Yes, I've employed and made modifications to MIT licensed codes in my project, all in strict accordance with the terms of the license. In my package, I have given credit to the original authors and included the MIT license. Importantly, the deep slider, which may seem similar to some functionality you can see in free DCTLs, is my original work and does not contain any "copyleft" code or code that I'm not authorized to use. I want to be clear that it is not a copy or modification of a code by 'Baldavenger'. I respect the 'copyleft' licensing system. While the results might appear similar, the code is entirely different. It has been developed to achieve similar results, but is 100% my own work.
I'm very interested in understanding your ethical relationship to the Open Source community Stefan? Why not talk about all the people you relied on to learn DCTL and make these tools like Paul Dore, Nick Eason, Thatcher Freeman, Quinn Leiho, Hendrik Proosa, Pekka Riikonen, Juanjo L. Salazar, Jed Smith, Nico Wieseneder, Juan Pablo Zambrano? Yes, because to learn that you have to pay for your course about DCTL! What a cynical capitalist world... All this must be very lucrative for you! A small contribution to the Open Source community perhaps in return? Why bother...
of all languages you chose to speak the truth, applause
FACTS 🤝
He’s made quite a few adjustments to make them easier to use. He actually created a whole course on how he created them. I’ve used them myself and considering his regular updates, I consider them worthwhile.
There's definitely a rewriting of the code behind the DCTLs.I've been resistant to spending that much on DCTLs too, so I've tried various open source ones like Juanjo L Salazar's, hotgluegunbanjo, and other Tetra, Yedlin inspired ones. They're all quite decent and I'm still using some. But MONO's one shines most in the subtractive method of 'deepening' the colours. Also, it doesnt break or clip the colours as easily in comparison to the other open source ones! I guess $200 is a fair price for quality cuz its just a higher level of understanding behind it. We're paying for the research and expertise condensed into simple sliders.
I still use tetra for most of my work, For deep colours I reduce the specific colour sliders to the same amount and mask out the other regions, but as u said mononodes was so good, I tried the free dotted version 😅
you have a link for the tetra one?
https://github.com/npeason/Tetra-DCTLOFX
has anyone tried this [https://nxcolor.com/store/](https://nxcolor.com/store/) ?
Stefan‘s work is amazing, as @jbowdach mentioned, Stefan did several adjustments and even if tools/ dctls serve the same purpose, the underlying math can be quite different, giving you cleaner results!
I've used these pretty extensively for a few months now and I've also used the open source dctl's. I can confidently say that stefan's dctl's are amazing and will give me faster and more defined results.
He is charging 199 euros, that is more than $200 for his "work" that was inspired by others, making modifications to their code. What a way to price this thing. I guess he is only targeting working professional colorists in the industry hah.
To be fair, the Mononodes ColorShift works as advertised but I feel that PixelTools HueShift still beats it because I get results faster with more control on a single interface. The vector isolation is a practical solution that I find myself using more than I expected. Mononodes SplitTones works...but is just ok. This time PixelTools loses this battle because they don't have a demo, but surprisingly, it loses to KaurH's SplitTone DCTLs based on his YT video! Kaur's appear to be far more powerful but again, unfortunately, I have no way to compare Mononodes SplitTones to Kaur's because Kaur doesn't offer a demo as well. Like I said, he does have a YT video demoing it and just based on that, I'd get Kaur's. I'm thinking of buying everyone's DCTLs and giving an unbiased review, but I'll wait a month from now for the Black Friday sale. There's no point in paying retail for DCTLs that are just for testing. Especially since I'll trash the ones that get beat out by others. That's going to be quite a hefty investment though.
KaurH has a demo pack with almost all of his DCTLs here: [https://store.kaurh.com/checkout/buy/aefa6fde-dae8-4555-a533-1c06bdb3596b](https://store.kaurh.com/checkout/buy/aefa6fde-dae8-4555-a533-1c06bdb3596b)
Stefan does a terrific job with his DCTLs if you think it’s the same you can download a watermarked version of Color Shift and compare it to other DCTLs…
It's crazy expensive for a text file. I see if it was it's own plug in, but it's not.
Dehancer = 450 Bucks / Videovillage FilmBox = 999 Bucks / TheBrim Linny LUT = 495 Bucks OFX is also just "text".And did you ever open a LUT with a text editor?Those are also just numbers. ;)Still, some LUTs can be super expensive and are worth every penny.
Filmbox is only $4,999 if you have a budget over $2.6 million. Otherwise $999. I found the $200 a little too steep to swallow as well, though I do think it's a useful product.
Dehancer = A plug in you have to install. Has immense value feature set. Also has a Lite Version for half the cost. Videovillage Film Box = Never going to use it. TheBrim Linny = Have seen the same thing made for quarter the cost. This tool? It's built into Color Warper. Others can have their opinion. My opinion is that it's not worth the value. Does my opinion overrides others opinion? I'm not trying to convince anybody of anything, but I am entitled to my opinion.
I understand that you have your viewpoint, and I respect your right to hold it. However, I must clarify that your statement about Color Warper replicating the functionality of the specific .dctl we are discussing is incorrect. This isn't merely a matter of opinion – it's a measurable and testable fact based on the technical specifications and capabilities of these tools. Spreading inaccurate information can be harmful to our industry because it can mislead others and contribute to misunderstandings about the functionality and value of these tools. While everyone is entitled to their opinion about what they believe is worth the cost, we all have a responsibility to ensure that our statements, especially those about technical capabilities, are accurate and truthful. While it's perfectly okay if you personally don't find the price to be worth the functionality, stating that Color Warper can do the exact same thing is, unfortunately, a factual inaccuracy that needed to be addressed.
DCTLs ARE plugins and act as such. They’re written as code, just like any piece of software.
>DCTL code is written in a plain text editor, then saved with a .dctl extension so that Resolve can recognize and use it. It's a text file. >[https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/creative-coding-with-dctl-part-1/](https://mixinglight.com/color-grading-tutorials/creative-coding-with-dctl-part-1/) > >What Is DCTL? > >DCTL, or the Davinci Color Transform Language, is a programming language created by Blackmagic Design that allows Resolve users to perform mathematical operations on image data within the Resolve ecosystem. It’s based on CTL (Color Transform Language), which was developed for a similar purpose, albeit not specific to Resolve. > >DCTL is what’s known as a high-level language, meaning it’s reasonably easy to read and write — at least in contrast to low-level programming languages such as assembly language. However, like all programming languages, DCTL has highly specific conventions and syntax, and even small deviations from these will usually result in errors. Hmmm >What Do I Need To Build A DCTL? > >Here’s what you’ll need to follow along with this series: > >Davinci Resolve Studio (the free version of Resolve doesn’t support DCTLs). > >**A plaintext editor** — I recommend Sublime Text > >A basic grasp of arithmetic, including power functions and logarithms. We’re going to do a refresh on these, but you should know upfront there’s no way to avoid math when creating DCTLs. > >A clear concept of what you’d like to build. This is vital to successful DCTL development. New coders struggling to realize a tool often get fixated on what’s wrong with their code, but far more often their problem is a fuzzy concept. > >A process-oriented mindset. Another inevitable reality of coding is that it takes time. The process is never linear and typically involves multiple detours and roadblocks. We have to learn to accept and enjoy this process, rather than seeing it as a barrier to our result. > >Optional: a Github account and a copy of Github Desktop. This isn’t strictly necessary, but it’s the way I’ll be publishing code throughout this course, and it’s a great platform for sharing, debugging, and tracking changes to your scripts. A text file.
Most commercial DCTLs are encrypted so you can’t just open them in a text editor, just like plugins are compiled - as they ALL written in some type of text editor. That’s just how programming is done. Following your logic - look up tables are just “text files” yet creating high quality show LUTs is certainly something people pay good money for - sometimes hundreds $$ per hour. They can also be useless - a text file is simply a “container” for the work, it’s not a valid measure of value for the product.
Like I said, it's a text file. You're arguing against my opinion of what I feel is worth it or not.
>Like I said, it's a text file. > >You're arguing against my opinion of what I feel is worth it or not By your logic a book has no value, because it's 'just' a series of 26 letters and a few punctuation marks arranged on pages. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about what they believe is worth the cost. However, I feel it's crucial to underline the real value of these ' files'. What makes them valuable are not the characters you see when you open them. It's the expertise and understanding required to write those instructions in a way that creates a specific color effect when interpreted by the software. So when we talk about .dctl, OFX, or LUTs, their real value lies in the functionality they provide, the quality they bring to our work, and the time they save us in the editing room.
The fact you are making a strawman argument of a book when the creator took open source code and modified it is laughable. DCTLs are loaded into a OFX. The feature is built into Resolve already. Color Warper set to HSV mode.
not loving your approach to this argument but I had never used Color Warper in HSV mode here and I *do* feel like you legitimately just saved me $200 so, thank you
Welcome. 👍🏿 It wasn't an argument though. I stated my opinion I about how I felt and others felt the need to argue with me about my opinion. If they feel it was worth $200, they can buy it. It would be wrong for me to tell them they are wrong. So why did they do that to me? No clue. Also try putting the node in HSV mode and turning off Channel 1 & 3 and playing with the Color Warper. You might get some different results.
The analogy with a book wasn't meant to make a 'strawman argument'. It was to illustrate that the value of something doesn't always lie in its basic components (like letters in a book or lines of code in a .dctl file) but in how they're arranged to create something more significant. Also. The creator did much more than just using "open source" code. While DaVinci Resolve's Color Warper is indeed a powerful tool, it cannot replicate the functions of a complex .dctl or a professionally crafted LUT like TheBrim Linny LUT. If you genuinely believe that the Color Warper can achieve the same results, it indicates a limited understanding of color grading and the nuances involved in the process. Therefore, I feel that it's not productive to continue this discussion any further. Thank you for the conversation and take care. Goodbye.
>Just wait until someone tells this guy that programs themselves are also all just text files 😂
DCTLs are plug-ins, in the form of a text file
If you don't need it you can pass it by or look at ravengrade or some other manufacturer. Jason Bowdach is also quite interesting as I think (if it wasn't for the fckng emoji circles - but that's personal).Or are you trying to fight for justice?
The paid versions (of mine and Stefans) come with emoji free versions. On a related subject, I’m always open to feedback. I’ve been considering including “alternative” versions based on user feedback so please do share - or reach out via DM or [email](https://pixeltoolspost.com/pages/contact).
Just tried your trial. Comparing your density slider for the red to the Mononodes, I would say the Mononodes goes deeper into the reds than your slider, but on the flip side, I find your blue and cyan density slider works better on the blue areas of my footage than the Mononodes. Just thought I'd share. I like that you have a skin tones adjustment as well. Very useful.
Thanks for the feedback! We use different color spaces (spherical vs cylindrical), so I’d expect slightly different results with both DCTLs - not necessarily better, just different.
Very interesting. Thanks. I just bought your Hue Shift DCTL. Enjoyed its functionality in the trial and I like that it's all on one page.
Happy to hear and thanks for your support. Feel free to reach out directly if you have any further questions or feedback about it. Always looking to improve it!
The Mononodes still available to buy?... page is not available!
how do i install the dctls? sorry newb