AAC import/playback and export for DaVinci Resolve Studio on Linux x86-64. The default build packages two plugins: the experimental decoder bridge and the existing FDK-AAC export plugin with our ESDS descriptor correction. Resolve extracts compressed packets; the plugin decodes them with statically linked FDK-AAC. Guarded startup hooks connect the MP4/MOV and MKV readers to Resolve's plugin decoder interface in memory. Application files remain unchanged.

This repository contains source only. Build output belongs in a separate directory. No Resolve binaries, SDK files, user media, projects, diagnostic recordings, or machine-specific installation state are included.

You need Python 3.8+, a working Podman or Docker Linux container engine, internet access, and the codec SDK shipped with Resolve. No host compiler packages are installed. On macOS/Windows the container engine needs its Linux VM; the result is still a Linux x86-64 plugin. Cross-host builds have not been tested.

python3 build.py --output ../aac-plugin-release

Use --sdk /path/to/CodecPlugin/Examples/x264_encoder_plugin for a different SDK location, --runtime docker to choose Docker, or --jobs 4 to limit compilation. Both decoding and encoding are included by default. Use --decode-only if you explicitly want to omit export support; --with-encoder is also accepted.

The builder fetches checksum-pinned FDK-AAC source, compiles in a digest-pinned Rocky Linux 8 container, runs codec tests, checks ELF runtime requirements, and produces a release directory plus .tar.gz and checksum. Temporary sources, compiler packages, and the container are removed. A base image downloaded by this build is removed too; pre-existing images are preserved. The release keeps dependency source archives so binary recipients receive the corresponding source.

For an existing local toolchain, build FDK-AAC as a position-independent static library, then run CMake with -DRESOLVE_SDK=... -DFDK_ROOT=.... This native route uses the host's runtime baseline; prefer the container for redistribution.

Fully quit Resolve, then run these from the built release directory:

python3 install.py check --root /opt/resolve
python3 install.py install --root /opt/resolve

Relaunch Resolve. The installer preserves earlier copies and supports python3 install.py uninstall. It never replaces Resolve or its FFmpeg libraries. Do not combine this bridge with executable-patching AAC fixes.

tools/check-resolve /opt/resolve/bin/resolve --test additionally checks that the scanner rejects changed instructions, duplicate signatures, and incorrect RTTI, and can find synthetically relocated code. It does not modify the file.

Validated locally with Studio 21.0.4.0005, Linux x86-64, AAC-LC stereo at 48 kHz in MP4/MOV, and a missing-AudioSpecificConfig export. The ordinary SDK decoder also worked in an MPEG-TS control. MKV AAC track discovery was checked with 44.1 kHz mono and 48 kHz stereo test files; stereo PCM output was checked, and a user confirmed import/playback of an actual MKV with the updated decoder. MKV MP3, AC3 and FLAC control tracks still import through their native paths.

For MKV, the bridge retains A_AAC tracks that Resolve otherwise drops, reads the track's AudioSpecificConfig, and selects the plugin decoder. Resolve still handles the container and video; compressed AAC packets are decoded on demand during import, waveform generation and playback. No remux, transcode, sidecar audio file or system FFmpeg process is used. This does not add new video codecs. Malformed or unsupported AAC metadata leaves that track disabled.

The scanner discovers addresses from instruction patterns and verifies class RTTI and the expected PCM implementation. Unknown or ambiguous layouts leave the bridge inactive. This is an unofficial hook, not a promise of support for other Resolve versions. Other AAC profiles and multichannel layouts need tests.

PCM is converted from the native plugin host's integer format to the float format requested by the QuickTime and Matroska playback paths. Seek preroll is measured in PCM samples, so two AAC frames request 2048 samples for the tested AAC-LC media. When Resolve supplies a probe packet, the plugin can report FDK's measured decoder delay. The tested QuickTime/Matroska paths supply no probe bytes. Empty packets at end of stream drain FDK's remaining audio a bounded number of times, then terminate the host read; returning success without output can make Resolve spin forever while generating an MKV waveform. Sample-accurate delay, tail trimming, multiple AAC tracks and other profiles still need validation. Do not describe this as a production-qualified replacement for Resolve's native codec support.

• src/decoder.cpp: codec registration, AAC configuration, decoding and PCM output.
• src/bridge.cpp, bridge.S, bridge.h: validated memory hook and PCM adapter.
• src/aac_config.h: bounded MKV AAC metadata parser.
• src/diagnostics.h: optional logging via RESOLVE_AAC_LOG.
• tests/: compatibility scanner and synthetic AAC codec/flush tests.
• build.py, scripts/: isolated, source-fetching build and artifact validation.
• packaging/: recipient instructions, installer and optional encoder correction.
• sources.lock.json, licenses/, NOTICE.txt: dependency provenance and notices.

The internal bundle name remains aac_decoder_probe so upgrades replace the earlier experimental bundle without loading a duplicate codec registration. The encoder bundle is aac_fdk_plugin.dvcp.bundle. It offers stereo AAC-LC export in MP4/QuickTime at 44.1/48 kHz and 96–320 kbit/s. Both plugins contain FDK-AAC and do not require the system's FFmpeg.

The original code in this project is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2 only (GPL-2.0-only). See LICENSE for the full text.

Third-party components retain their own licenses and attribution, as documented in NOTICE.txt and licenses/. Dependency source is included in binary releases.