What FCPXML is
FCPXML is the interchange format Apple introduced for Final Cut Pro X; DaVinci Resolve reads it too. Resolve has supported FCPXML 1.10 import for years, and it is the most reliable way to hand a structured edit (clips with in/out points, named, on a timeline) into Resolve from an external tool.
It is XML, human-readable, and version-pinned. Mixing 1.9 and 1.10 features in one document confuses Resolve; pick a version and stick with it.
What goes in the XML
A minimal FCPXML for a Twitch clipping workflow has: a `resources` block declaring the asset (the source VoD or the per-clip MP4s), an `event` containing a `project`, and a `sequence` inside the project listing each clip as an `asset-clip` element with `start`, `duration`, and `offset` attributes.
All time values use rational-number notation: "1001/30000s" for one frame at 29.97fps. Decimal seconds break Resolve's parser even though the spec accepts them.
Chat-overlay alignment
A chat overlay is a transparent MOV the same length as your gameplay sequence. In FCPXML, it goes on a higher track (`lane="1"`) above the gameplay clips on the main track, with the same start time as the first clip.
Resolve respects the lane assignment and stacks the overlay above the source video. The alignment is exact if both assets have the same frame rate. Mixed frame rates work but Resolve will resample, which is slow on long timelines.
Common Resolve gotchas
First gotcha: Resolve will reject an FCPXML if the asset paths are relative and the assets are not in the same directory as the XML. Use absolute paths or place files alongside the XML.
Second: Resolve has a 1000-clip practical limit per FCPXML import. Splitting a long highlight reel across multiple imports is unavoidable for very long sessions.
Third: Resolve's "Import using imported sequences" toggle must be enabled for the XML to land as a timeline rather than as raw assets. Default is off.
What about Premiere and Final Cut?
The export is built and tested for DaVinci Resolve only. Premiere reads FCPXML only intermittently, and round-trips often lose track assignments or clip names. Final Cut Pro reads its own format, but we do not test against it. For Premiere users, exporting per-clip MP4s and dropping them on a track manually is often faster than fighting an FCPXML import.