Available Now for macOS
LUT Tuner for Mac
Directly edit, preview, resize, compare, and export .cube 3D LUTs with still-image, video, and generated-pattern previews. Create tunable DCTL approximations from your edited LUTs for DaVinci Resolve—all in a focused macOS tool built for colorists, editors, finishing artists, DITs, and post-production workflows.
Built for focused .cube LUT inspection and adjustment
LUT Tuner is designed for post-production teams that need to inspect, directly edit, compare, and export .cube 3D LUTs without opening a full grading project. The app displays the LUT's response curve, previews edits against still images, video clips, or generated test patterns, and exports a clean .cube file. Edited LUTs can also be converted into tunable DCTL approximations for DaVinci Resolve.
Curve-based editing
Adjust RGB response points with gang, red, green, and blue modes, radius-based neighboring influence, undo, redo, reset, and keyboard nudging.
Image, video, and pattern preview
Preview LUT behavior with generated ramps, test patterns, still images, or supported video files opened through one Open Media workflow.
Compare and inspect
Use Original LUT and Bypass LUT to compare edits against the loaded baseline or inspect media without LUT processing. Pause video to sample source and processed RGB values.
Tunable DCTL export
Create a tunable DCTL approximation from your edited LUT, preview its fit and error measurements, then export the .cube LUT, Resolve DCTL, or both.
Workflow
Open a .cube LUT, choose a generated preview pattern or open media, inspect the LUT response, make targeted curve edits, compare against the original LUT, and export the edited .cube file.
Take your edited LUT into Resolve as a tunable DCTL
After directly editing the response curves inside a .cube LUT, LUT Tuner can convert the edited LUT into a tunable DCTL approximation for DaVinci Resolve. This LUT-to-DCTL conversion workflow approximates the edited look with adjustable DCTL code rather than simply embedding the original LUT inside a DCTL.
- Create a forward DCTL approximation from the current edited LUT.
- Preview the approximation before export and review mean, p95, and maximum RMSE fit metrics.
- Export the edited .cube LUT, the Resolve DCTL, or both.
- Adjust tone strength, color strength, exposure, input contrast, contrast pivot, range handling, Invert, and Global Blend in Resolve.
- Preserve extended-range image data beyond the bounded range of a LUT when the DCTL is configured for extended-range handling.
For an inverse workflow in Resolve, place an Invert-enabled copy of the exported DCTL on the upstream node, followed by a normal copy on the next node, and keep their adjustment settings matched.
LUT support
LUT Tuner opens and exports standard .cube 3D LUT files that conform to the .cube 3D LUT structure. It supports common identity, creative-look, display, and technical transform LUTs. The app previews LUTs using tetrahedral interpolation by default, with trilinear interpolation available for comparison. LUT resize and export use the current sampled size shown in the LUT Size field.
Media support
LUT Tuner can preview generated patterns, still images, and supported video files. Still-image formats include common formats such as PNG, JPEG, TIFF, EXR, DPX, and HEIC.
LUT Tuner supports .mov, .mp4, and .mxf video files that it can preview and decode. Common compatible codecs include ProRes, DNxHD/DNxHR, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-2, AV1, VP9, CineForm, JPEG 2000, and uncompressed video. Codec support may vary by container. ProRes RAW is not supported.
Video preview and picking
Video preview includes centered playback controls below the viewer, pause-and-frame-step inspection, and left/right arrow frame stepping. When paused, picker readouts report source and processed RGB values for the current frame.
Local processing
LUT Tuner is a native macOS application. LUT files, preview media, and adjustment work are processed locally on your Mac during normal operation.
Common uses
- Inspecting .cube LUT behavior before use in a finishing or color pipeline.
- Making targeted tone or channel adjustments to existing LUTs.
- Comparing edited LUT output against the original loaded LUT.
- Checking LUT behavior with neutral ramps, generated patterns, representative still frames, or video clips.
- Resizing, resampling, and exporting .cube LUTs for downstream workflows.
- Creating a tunable DCTL approximation from an edited LUT for use in DaVinci Resolve.
See LUT Tuner in Action
Watch LUT Tuner inspect and adjust a .cube 3D LUT, preview the result, compare processing modes, resize the LUT, and export the finished file.
Watch more demonstrations on the Cutpoint Labs YouTube channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is LUT Tuner used for?
LUT Tuner is used to inspect, edit, resize, compare, preview, and export .cube 3D LUTs on macOS for color, DIT, finishing, editorial, and post-production workflows.
Does LUT Tuner open and export .cube files?
Yes. LUT Tuner opens and exports standard .cube 3D LUT files with a declared LUT_3D_SIZE and RGB value rows.
Can LUT Tuner preview LUTs on images and video?
Yes. LUT Tuner can preview LUT behavior with generated test patterns, common still-image formats, and supported .mov, .mp4, and .mxf video files.
What interpolation modes are available?
LUT Tuner previews LUTs with tetrahedral interpolation by default and provides trilinear interpolation for comparison.
Can LUT Tuner convert a .cube LUT to a DCTL?
Yes. After you directly edit a .cube LUT, LUT Tuner can create a tunable DCTL approximation for DaVinci Resolve and export the edited LUT, the DCTL, or both.
Is the exported DCTL an exact conversion of the LUT?
No. LUT Tuner creates a tunable approximation of the edited LUT rather than embedding the original LUT inside the DCTL. You can preview the result and review mean, p95, and maximum RMSE fit metrics before export.
Which DCTL controls can be adjusted in DaVinci Resolve?
The exported DCTL provides controls for tone strength, color strength, exposure, input contrast, contrast pivot, range handling, Invert, and Global Blend.
Can an exported DCTL preserve extended-range image values?
Yes. When configured for extended-range handling, the DCTL can preserve image data beyond the bounded range of a conventional LUT.
Is LUT Tuner a full grading system?
No. LUT Tuner is a focused tool for .cube LUT inspection, targeted curve adjustment, comparison, resizing, and export rather than a full grading system or video editor.
Does LUT Tuner upload my LUTs or media?
No. LUT files, preview media, and edits are processed locally on your Mac during normal operation.