I occasionally use DaVinci Resolve when working with ISO recordings from my streams via the ATEM Mini Pro Extreme. Despite not being a frequent user, I recently encountered a frustrating limitation in the software: the lack of a Shift Horizontal scrolling feature, which is pretty standard in other video editing applications. Switching between FCPX and DaVinci = habits die hard. This was particularly bothersome as Blackmagic Design hasn’t provided a workaround, as indicated in a forum thread dating back to 2020.

Determined to find a solution, I came across a post on the Keyboard Maestro forum that provided the inspiration I needed. With the help of ChatGPT, I modified the example from the post and crafted a custom script to remap my keyboard keys specifically for DaVinci Resolve using Karabiner Elements.

Here’s the process I followed:

I opened Terminal on my Mac and typed:

nano ~/.config/karabiner/assets/complex_modifications/davinci-swap-cmd-shift.json

Then, I pasted in the code that ChatGPT and I cooked up:

{
  "title": "Remap keys only in DaVinci Resolve",
  "rules": [
    {
      "description": "Left Command to Shift",
      "manipulators": [
        {
          "type": "basic",
          "from": {
            "key_code": "left_command"
          },
          "to": [
            {
              "key_code": "left_shift"
            }
          ],
          "conditions": [
            {
              "type": "frontmost_application_if",
              "bundle_identifiers": [
                "^com.blackmagic-design.DaVinciResolve"
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "description": "Left Shift to Command",
      "manipulators": [
        {
          "type": "basic",
          "from": {
            "key_code": "left_shift"
          },
          "to": [
            {
              "key_code": "left_command"
            }
          ],
          "conditions": [
            {
              "type": "frontmost_application_if",
              "bundle_identifiers": [
                "^com.blackmagic-design.DaVinciResolve"
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "description": "Caps Lock to Shift in DaVinci Resolve",
      "manipulators": [
        {
          "type": "basic",
          "from": {
            "key_code": "caps_lock"
          },
          "to": [
            {
              "key_code": "left_shift"
            }
          ],
          "conditions": [
            {
              "type": "frontmost_application_if",
              "bundle_identifiers": [
                "^com.blackmagic-design.DaVinciResolve"
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

After saving and closing the file, I opened Karabiner Elements, navigated to the “Complex Modifications” tab, clicked on “Add Rule,” and enabled each rule. My keyboard was now perfectly customized for my occasional DaVinci Resolve editing sessions.

By the way, remapping keys for horizontal scrolling in DaVinci Resolve has its downsides; it disrupts the default Shift-based shortcuts. However, by reassigning Caps Lock to serve as Shift within the app, I’ve bypassed this issue. Plus, these changes are app-specific, preserving the original key functions elsewhere.

This small tweak to my setup has made a significant impact on my editing efficiency, and I hope it helps you as well.