How to Add Expand & Collapse Sections in DaVinci Resolve Fusion Macros

If you’ve ever built a custom macro in DaVinci Resolve, you know how quickly the Inspector panel can turn into a chaotic, unreadable mess. As you pile on color sliders, text inputs, and transform controls, finding the exact setting you need becomes a massive headache.

But what if you could group your controls into clean, organized sections like this?

• 📁 Text Controls
• 📁 Color Grading
• 📁 Animation Settings
• 📁 Global Config

The secret lies in the magical Expand/Collapse arrow! In this guide, I’ll show you the exact code pattern you can copy and paste into any .setting macro file to build beautifully structured, professional-grade UIs.

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⏱️ Time to Complete:

~10 Minutes

🎯 What You’ll Achieve / Learn:

• How to use LabelControl in Fusion to create custom UI elements.
• The exact .setting code pattern needed to generate dropdown/expandable sections.
• How to automatically nest your macro controls underneath these section headers.
• Pro-level troubleshooting tips for custom macro UIs.

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1. What Actually Creates the Expandable Section? 🤔

Under the hood of Blackmagic Design's incredible Fusion engine, .setting files are essentially Lua tables. To create an expandable section header, we need to summon a specific UI element called a LabelControl.

The magic ingredient is this single line of code: LBLC_DropDownButton = true

When Fusion reads this flag, it automatically generates that satisfying little expand/collapse arrow we all love in modern UI design.

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2. Add Your Section Header in UserControls 🛠️

Let's dive into the code. Open your .setting macro file in any text editor (like VS Code). Inside your main controller tool (for example, a TimeSpeed1 node), locate the UserControls = ordered() { ... } block.

Add the following snippet to create your new section:

MySection = {
    INP_Integer = false,
    LBLC_DropDownButton = true,
    LINKID_DataType = "Number",
    INPID_InputControl = "LabelControl",
    LBLC_NumInputs = 4,   -- ⚠️ SUPER IMPORTANT!
    ICS_ControlPage = "Controls",
    LINKS_Name = "MySection",
},

🚨 Crucial Warning!

Pay close attention to LBLC_NumInputs. This number dictates exactly how many controls will be nested inside this dropdown section. If you set this to 4, the next four controls in your code will belong to this folder. If you get this number wrong, your layout will completely break!

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3. Expose the Section in Your Macro's Inputs 🔗

Now that we’ve defined the UI element, we need to tell the top-level Macro to actually display it.

Scroll down to your macro's Inputs = ordered() { ... } block and add the instance input:

MySection = InstanceInput {
    SourceOp = "TimeSpeed1",  -- Replace with your actual node's name!
    Source = "MySection",
    Page = "Controls",
    Name = "MySection",
},

(Pro tip: Make sure SourceOp exactly matches the ID of the node where you built the UserControl!)

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4. Stack Your Controls in the Right Order 🥞

DaVinci Resolve reads these menus sequentially. To nest your controls inside your shiny new folder, you must place them directly beneath the section header in your Inputs block.

Remember when we set LBLC_NumInputs = 4? Here is how it should look in practice:

MySection = InstanceInput { ... }, -- The Folder Header

-- The 4 nested controls:
InputA = InstanceInput { ... },    -- Item 1
InputB = InstanceInput { ... },    -- Item 2
InputC = InstanceInput { ... },    -- Item 3
InputD = InstanceInput { ... },    -- Item 4

-- Controls down here will be OUTSIDE the folder 
InputE = InstanceInput { ... },    

Fusion takes those next N controls and happily tucks them away under your custom label.

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5. Save, Reload, and Marvel at Your UI ✨

You're at the finish line!

1. Save your .setting file.
2. Reopen DaVinci Resolve (or drag the updated macro back into the Fusion node graph / timeline).
3. Click that beautiful arrow in your Inspector panel and watch your controls expand and collapse like magic! 🪄

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💡 Copy-Paste Starter Template

Want to skip the typing? Copy this boilerplate and adapt it for your next project:

-- 1. Drop this into your controller tool's UserControls block:
MySection = {
    INP_Integer = false,
    LBLC_DropDownButton = true,
    LINKID_DataType = "Number",
    INPID_InputControl = "LabelControl",
    LBLC_NumInputs = 3, -- Change this to match your item count!
    ICS_ControlPage = "Controls",
    LINKS_Name = "My Custom Section",
},

-- 2. Drop this into your top-level Macro Inputs block:
MySection = InstanceInput {
    SourceOp = "YourNodeNameHere",
    Source = "MySection",
    Page = "Controls",
    Name = "My Custom Section",
},

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🚑 Beginner Troubleshooting Cheat Sheet

Things not working as expected? Don't panic! Check these common culprits:

• ❌ The arrow isn't showing up at all:
  • Double-check that INPID_InputControl = "LabelControl" is spelled exactly right.
  • Ensure LBLC_DropDownButton = true is present.
• 🤪 The wrong things are collapsing (or the UI looks broken):
  • You miscounted your inputs. Recalculate your LBLC_NumInputs integer!
  • Ensure your target controls are directly below the section header inside the Inputs table.
• 👻 The section is completely invisible:
  • Double-check that Page = "Controls" and ICS_ControlPage = "Controls" perfectly match the page name of your macro's inspector tab.