The issue
There are known issues with LUA files not working for some users with DaVinci Resolve. You may experience problems such as:
- Dragging LUA files into Resolve’s console does nothing.
- A plugin using LUA fails to read or write files on your computer.
- Other unexpected plugin behaviors.
How to fix this issue quick (Manual Installation):
Thankfully, manually installing Snap Plugins is easy and quick, all you need to do, is drag the plugin, into the correct folder.
Snap Captions 2
Snap Pod
Common reasons that this issue can occur
Cause 01: Make sure your downloads are Unzipped
This is an easy step to miss on windows, as it can make a file look unzipped, but it’s not actually.
Generally speaking, if you’re on:
Mac
- you can double click the file, and it will unzip (Super easy)
Windows
- Right click the file
- Choose Unzip
The windows unzipping tool can be a bit slow. If that’s the case, we highly recommend using a tool like WinZip to help extract your downloads.
Cause 01: Special Characters In Username
If you use any special characters in your OS username like:
Latin Characters
á, é, í, ó, ú, ý, Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú, Ý
Punctuation
-, -, ., ,, #, @,
Than our plugins cannot automatically install itself due to technical limitations.
Solution 1: Perform a manual Installation
You can manually install our plugins by copying the base files to the correct directory.
Cause 02: (Windows Only) Running DaVinci Resolve in Administrator Mode
If you run Resolve in Administrator Mode, LUA files cannot be accessed through the console.
Solution 1: Restart Resolve
- Quit DaVinci Resolve.
- Reopen it without Administrator Mode.
Solution 02 - Turn off Always Run In Administrator
- Start Windows File Explorer and open the DaVinci Resolve location. Usually, this is:C: > Program Files > DaVinci Resolve
- Right-click the Resolve (.exe) and choose Properties.
- Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
- UNCHECK the option Run this program as an administrator.
- Click Apply, then OK.
- Restart Resolve
Cause 03: Conflicting Applications
Some applications may interfere with LUA plugins in Resolve. Based on user reports, the following programs can cause issues:
- Discord
- Notion
- Spotify
Solution: Close All Other Applications
- Close ALL other applications
- Force-quit stubborn apps if needed.
- Ensure ONLY the following are open when installing LUA plugins:
- DaVinci Resolve
- Finder (mac) or Explorer (windows)
- Restart DaVinci Resolve
- Try dragging the LUA file back into the Resolve console
You may need to force quit some applications, like spotify doesn’t close when you click the red X 😡).
If the plugin loads successfully, the issue is resolved.
Cause 04 - Network Hard Drives
If you have a network hard drive (such as a Synology NAS drive) connected, this can cause issues, even if you’re not actively using it.
Solution:
- Disconnect any network hard drives from your computer.
- Restart DaVinci Resolve
- Try dragging the LUA file back into the Resolve console
If this LUA plugin successfully loads, then your issue is resolved.