TrackID Builder — User Manual

This manual covers every feature of TrackID Builder — from importing your first tracklist to building branded Lower Thirds on your DaVinci Resolve timeline. Read it top to bottom, or jump to any section using the Table of Contents.

1. Introduction

TrackID Builder is an automation plugin for DaVinci Resolve Studio that creates professional Lower Third title overlays for DJ sets, music playlists, and video projects.

Instead of manually creating a title card for every track in your set, you simply load a tracklist, optionally customise fonts, images and text, and then click one button — the tool builds all Lower Thirds automatically and places them on your Resolve timeline.

Key Features

• One-Click Build: Import a tracklist, press Build, and get branded Lower Thirds on your timeline in under 60 seconds.
• Multiple Formats: Import from CUE sheets, CSV, M3U/M3U8, PLS, XSPF, and plain text files.
• Dual Branding: Place your DJ logo and per-track artwork (album art, artist photos) on every Lower Third.
• 27 Fonts, 9 Styles: Choose from curated Windows-native fonts with live preview and per-track overrides.
• Auto-Size Text: Long track titles are dynamically scaled to fit without overflow.
• Safe Rebuild: Only TrackID-managed clips are replaced — your other timeline content is never touched.
• Session Persistence: All edits, images, and settings are saved and automatically restored.
• Built-In Manual: An 11-chapter manual is accessible directly inside the app.
• Silent Auto-Update: The app checks for updates at every launch and installs them silently.

2. Getting Started

System Requirements

• DaVinci Resolve Studio 18.x, 19.x, or 20.x (the paid Studio version — the free version does not support scripting)
• Windows 10 or 11
• No additional software or dependencies required

Installation

1. Download the installer from trackidbuilder.com or the Microsoft Store.
2. Run the installer — no admin rights needed (PrivilegesRequired=lowest).
3. The installer places the script files into your DaVinci Resolve Scripts folder and installs the Lower Third template.
4. Open DaVinci Resolve, go to Workspace → Scripts → TrackID_Builder to launch the plugin.

Quick Start

1. Open DaVinci Resolve and create or open a project with a video on V1.
2. Launch TrackID Builder via Workspace → Scripts → TrackID_Builder.
3. Click Load and select your tracklist file.
4. Review the tracks in the table. Click on any track to see and edit its details.
5. Optionally: Click DJ Logo to select your logo image.
6. Optionally: Assign per-track images via the Track Image button.
7. Optionally: Select tracks and choose custom fonts and sizes.
8. Make sure the Duration matches your Resolve still image duration setting (see section 19).
9. Click BUILD and wait for the process to complete.
10. Switch to the Resolve Edit page — all Lower Thirds are now on the selected video track.
11. Click Save to store your session for next time.

3. License Activation

After purchasing a license (Yearly or Lifetime), you receive a license key in the format TIB-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX via email.

Activation Steps

1. Open TrackID Builder inside DaVinci Resolve.
2. The license dialog appears automatically if no active license is found.
3. Enter your license key and click Activate.
4. The key is verified against the server and bound to your machine.

Machine Binding

Each license is bound to one machine at a time using a fingerprint derived from your hostname, username, and network adapter (SHA-256 hashed). If you switch computers, deactivate the license on the old machine first, then activate on the new one.

Grace Period

If you lose internet connectivity, your license remains valid for 3 days offline. After that, the app will ask for revalidation once you are back online.

4. 7-Day Free Trial

TrackID Builder offers a 7-day free trial with full access to all features — no credit card and no registration required.

How It Works

• On first launch, the trial starts automatically.
• A countdown is displayed in the app showing your remaining trial days.
• The trial is tied to your machine (using a SHA-256 machine fingerprint), not to an account.
• After 7 days, the trial expires and you need a license to continue using the app.

The trial gives you full access to every feature — there are no limitations or watermarks during the trial period.

5. App Overview

The TrackID Builder interface is organised into clearly separated panels, from top to bottom:

The interface uses an Anthracite-Grey theme designed to feel native inside DaVinci Resolve. All text is rendered without bold to match Resolve's aesthetic.

6. Importing Tracklists

Click the Load button to open a file dialog. TrackID Builder supports the following formats:

Once loaded, all tracks appear in the track table. The header bar updates to show the total number of tracks. Timestamps are automatically converted based on your timeline's frame rate.

Tip: CUE sheets are the recommended format — they contain the most metadata (artist, title, album, label) and precise timestamps.

7. Track Table

The main table displays every track from your loaded tracklist. Each row shows:

Click on any row to select it and load the track's details into the Edit Track section below.

8. Template Selection

The template dropdown lists all available Fusion Lower Third templates installed in your Resolve Templates folder. A template defines the visual design — layout, colours, animation, and text placement. TrackID Builder fills in the dynamic content (track name, artist, album, etc.) for you.

If you only have one template installed, it is selected automatically.

Video Track Number

Controls which video track receives the generated Lower Thirds. Default is V2. Use the arrow buttons to change it.

• V1 — if your video is on V1 and you want overlays on top
• V2 or V3 — for a dedicated overlay track above your main edit

9. DJ Lower Third Template

TrackID Builder ships with a professionally designed DJ Lower Third template that includes:

• 4 Text Lines: Title (main), Artist, Album, and Label — each fully customisable.
• DarkCard: A semi-transparent animated background panel with smooth reveal animation.
• DJ Logo Slot: Your brand logo displayed on the left side.
• Track Image Slot: Album art or artist photo on the right side.
• Separator Lines: Symmetrical left and right separators integrated into the animation.
• Staggered Animation: DarkCard unfolds first, then text fades in, then images appear (20s, 60fps).
• Taglines: Two horizontally centred taglines below the DJ logo and track image.

The template is a Fusion composition using TextPlus nodes. All values are documented in the internal Style Guide (v1.9 Golden Sample).

10. Branding

DJ Logo

Click the DJ Logo button to select your brand image (.png or .jpg). This image is embedded into every Lower Third in your set. A scaled preview appears in the Build section.

Track Image

In the Edit Track section, click Track Image to assign an individual image to the selected track. This could be album artwork, an artist photo, or any image you want displayed alongside that specific track.

Tip: For best quality, use images at least 400×400 pixels. The template scales them automatically.

11. Font Selection & Styling

The Fonts section lets you customise typography for each of the four text lines: Title, Artist, Album, and Label.

The Fonts section is inactive (greyed out) until you select at least one track. Font changes always apply to specific tracks, not globally.

Font Dropdown

Choose from a curated list of 27 Windows-native fonts guaranteed to be available on every Windows 10/11 system. If you leave the dropdown on "(Default)", the template's built-in font is used.

Style Dropdown

Select the font style: Regular, Bold, Italic, Bold Italic, Light, and more. 9 styles are available. If you change the font but leave the style on "(Default)", the tool falls back to "Regular" to prevent mismatches.

12. Font Size & Preview

Size Adjustment

Each text line has ▲ / ▼ arrow buttons and a percentage display (e.g. "100 %"). This controls the font size relative to the auto-calculated default.

• 100 % — the automatic size (recommended for most cases)
• 80–90 % — for very long track titles that might overflow
• Above 100 % — to make a particular line stand out

Each click adjusts by 5 %. Range: 50 % to 200 %.

Live Font Preview

Below the font controls you see a live preview bar showing the current track title in the selected font and style.

Reset Button

Click Reset to revert all font, style, and size settings for the selected tracks back to the template defaults.

13. Per-Track Editing

The Edit Track section appears below the track table once a track is selected. It shows editable text fields for:

• Title — the track name as it will appear on the Lower Third
• Artist — the performing artist or DJ
• Album — the album or release name
• Label — the record label and year

After making changes, click Apply All Edits to confirm. If you have multiple tracks selected and leave a field empty, that field is not changed for those tracks — only fields with actual content are overwritten.

14. Multi-Select & Batch Edits

• Click — select a single track
• Ctrl + Click — add individual tracks to the selection
• Shift + Click — select a continuous range
• Ctrl + A — select all tracks

When multiple tracks are selected, any text, font, or image change you apply affects all of them at once. This is useful for giving an entire section of your set a consistent look — for example, setting the same label for all tracks in a mix segment.

15. Build & Rebuild

The BUILD button is the main action. Clicking it starts the automated process:

1. A Fusion Lower Third composition is generated for each track.
2. Your custom text (title, artist, album, label) is inserted.
3. Fonts, styles, and sizes are applied (per-track if customised).
4. The DJ logo and per-track images are embedded.
5. All clips are placed on the selected video track in the Resolve timeline.

If you have previously built Lower Thirds and then made changes, the button label changes to REBUILD. In this mode, the tool automatically removes the old clips before inserting new ones.

Safe Rebuild: Only clips tagged with the TrackID: prefix are removed. Your music, video, and other timeline content is never touched.

Build Time

A typical build takes a few seconds per track. You can follow the progress in the Log area at the bottom of the interface.

16. Export & Save

Save

Click Save to persist your current session — all text edits, image assignments, font settings, and the last-used tracklist path. Everything is automatically restored the next time you open the plugin.

Export

Click Export to export the (potentially edited) tracklist as a new file. A Save-As dialog lets you choose the format (CSV or CUE) and location. This is useful if you've corrected track names and want to keep a clean copy.

17. Session Persistence

TrackID Builder automatically saves and restores the following data between sessions:

• All track metadata (title, artist, album, label)
• Per-track font, style, and size overrides
• DJ logo path and per-track image paths
• Selected template and video track number
• Duration setting
• Last-used tracklist file path

Data is stored locally on your machine. No data is sent to any server.

18. Auto-Size Text

Long track titles or artist names are automatically scaled down to fit within the Lower Third's text area. This prevents text from overflowing or being cut off.

The auto-size algorithm calculates the optimal font size based on the text length and the available space in the template. You can further adjust the result manually using the font size controls (section 12).

19. Duration (Still Image Duration)

The Duration setting controls how long each Lower Third clip appears on the timeline (in seconds). The default is 20 seconds.

Critical — DaVinci Resolve Still Image Duration

DaVinci Resolve has its own internal setting for the default length of still images, and the Lower Thirds rely on it. You must match this setting in Resolve:

DaVinci Resolve → Preferences → User → Editing → Standard still image duration

Set the value to at least the same number of seconds as your Duration setting in TrackID Builder. This is a one-time setting — once set, it stays until you change it.

All Lower Thirds in a single build share the same duration. This is a Resolve limitation — the still image duration cannot be set per clip via the scripting API.

20. Silent Auto-Update

TrackID Builder includes a launcher-based auto-update system that keeps you on the latest version without any manual intervention.

How It Works

1. Every time you launch TrackID Builder, the launcher checks latest.json on the server (4-second timeout).
2. If a newer version is available, the installer is downloaded to a temp folder (~2 MB).
3. The installer runs silently (/VERYSILENT) — no dialogs, no admin rights needed.
4. The app starts with the updated version.

Microsoft Store Users

If you installed TrackID Builder from the Microsoft Store, auto-update is handled by the Store instead. The launcher detects this via distribution_channel.txt and skips the self-update.

Offline / Failure

If the update check fails (no internet, timeout, server error), the app starts normally with the currently installed version. No crash, no hang.

21. Pricing & Purchase

Purchase Flow

1. Visit trackidbuilder.com and choose a plan.
2. Complete the Stripe Checkout (credit card, PayPal, SEPA, and more).
3. An account is automatically created and your license key is sent via email.
4. Log in to the Portal to download the installer and manage your account.

Invoice Language

During checkout, you can choose between English and Deutsch for your invoice language. This setting also controls the language of the entire Stripe Checkout page.

22. Portal & Account

The TrackID Builder Portal at trackidbuilder.com/portal/ provides:

• Login: Email + password authentication.
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Optional TOTP-based 2FA for additional security.
• Profile: Update email, password, and personal details.
• Download: Always get the latest installer version (auto-read from latest.json).
• Billing: Access Stripe Billing Portal — view invoices, update payment methods, cancel subscriptions.
• Password Reset: Forgot your password? Request a reset via email.

The portal is available in 4 languages: English, Deutsch, Français, and Español.

23. Troubleshooting

"The Lower Thirds are shorter than expected."

You need to set the still image duration in DaVinci Resolve to match your Duration setting. See section 19 for detailed instructions.

"A font I selected shows as the wrong font on the timeline."

This usually happens when the font style is mismatched. Try setting the style explicitly to "Regular" instead of "(Default)". Also make sure the font is actually installed on your system.

"The text on my Lower Third overflows."

Select the track and reduce the font size percentage (e.g. from 100 % to 85 %). The Auto-Size feature handles most cases, but extremely long titles may need manual adjustment.

"I changed a track but the timeline still shows the old version."

After making edits, click Apply All Edits to confirm changes, then click REBUILD to regenerate and replace the clips on the timeline.

"The Lower Thirds look pixelated in the preview."

This is normal — DaVinci Resolve renders Fusion compositions at reduced quality in the timeline preview for performance. When you render/export the final video, everything will be sharp and full quality.

"My tracklist file is not recognised."

Make sure the file is in a supported format: .cue, .csv, .m3u, .m3u8, or .txt. CUE sheets must follow the standard CUE format. For plain text files, each track should be on its own line.

"The script doesn't open in DaVinci Resolve."

DaVinci Resolve shows no error dialog when a Python script fails to load. Common causes:

• Stale __pycache__ — delete the __pycache__ folder inside the TrackID_Builder directory and restart Resolve.
• Wrong Resolve version — TrackID Builder requires the Studio (paid) version. The free version does not support scripting.

24. Privacy & Security

TrackID Builder is designed with privacy in mind:

• Local Processing: All tracklist parsing, template generation, and timeline operations happen entirely on your machine.
• No Cloud Uploads: Your tracklists, images, and project data are never sent to any server.
• Minimal Server Communication: The only network calls are license validation, update checks, and the optional email download gate on the website.
• Machine Binding: License fingerprints use a SHA-256 hash of system identifiers — no raw hardware IDs are transmitted.
• No Telemetry: No usage analytics, no tracking, no data collection beyond what's needed for licensing.

Appendix A — Supported Formats

31+ tracks from a single CUE file have been verified. The parser handles 100+ tracks per set without issues.

Appendix B — Keyboard Shortcuts

TrackID Builder is a product of mrocon GmbH. All rights reserved.

For support, contact mro@mrocon.at or visit trackidbuilder.com.