Forget XML: CornerCut Translates Adobe Premiere Pro Projects Directly to DaVinci Resolve

Editing Software

by Johnnie BehiriMay 4^th, 2026

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A new post-production tool called CornerCut promises to eliminate one of the most painful steps in cross-NLE workflows by converting Adobe Premiere Pro project files (.prproj) directly into DaVinci Resolve project files (.drp), with no XML in between. Built by editor and developer Sasha Sibley, the software is currently free during beta and aims to preserve cuts, transitions, speed ramps, audio automation, and keyframes that XML routinely mangles.

Anyone who has tried to round-trip an edit between two different non-linear editing systems knows how badly XML can fall apart in the process. Speed ramps go missing, transitions arrive misaligned, multi-track audio routing collapses, and complex keyframe data either drops out entirely or gets translated into something unrecognizable on the other side. The result is often hours, sometimes days, of manual reconstruction before the colorist or finishing artist can even start their actual job. CornerCut takes a different approach by skipping the intermediate format altogether and translating one application’s proprietary project structure directly into another’s.

What CornerCut actually is

CornerCut is described by its developer as a pure data translation tool. Rather than exporting an XML or AAF and hoping the receiving NLE interprets it correctly, the software reads Adobe Premiere Pro’s native .prproj file and writes out a corresponding DaVinci Resolve .drp project. The intent is that when the editor opens the converted project in Resolve, the timeline appears as it did in Premiere, with automation, keyframes, audio routing, and re-maps intact.

For working colorists and conform artists, that pitch lands directly on a real and recurring problem. XML was never designed for the proprietary complexity of modern NLEs. It was conceived as a generic data-interchange format, and over the years, it has been extended in ways that simply cannot capture every nuance of how Premiere or Resolve handles effects, time remaps, mixed frame rates, and audio routing internally. CornerCut sidesteps the format by writing native code that the receiving application already understands.

Bezier or linearized: two ways to handle keyframes

One of the more interesting aspects of CornerCut is how it deals with keyframe interpolation, an area where Premiere and Resolve genuinely differ under the hood. The tool offers two modes for handling automation and motion data. The Bezier option preserves editable Bezier curves, which keeps things more modular on the Resolve side, with the trade-off that the conversion is less precise because the two applications interpret Bezier interpolation differently. The Linearized option performs a frame-by-frame mapping, generating more keyframes and a higher overall accuracy at the cost of being harder to edit further once it lands in Resolve.

This is a meaningful choice rather than a marketing flourish. Editors who are still iterating and want to grab a curve and reshape it inside Resolve will likely prefer the Bezier path. Conform artists working from a locked Premiere edit, where the priority is matching the original creative intent down to the frame, will probably default to Linearized. Either way, the operator sees the option upfront rather than discovering an interpretation mismatch only after the work has already been done.

A free beta with a clear ask

CornerCut is currently in open beta and free to use. To download a converted project file, users create a free beta account on the CornerCut website. The developer is explicitly asking editors and conform artists to throw real-world, complicated timelines at the engine to help stress-test it. Given the scope of what the software is trying to do, that beta phase looks essential. A project with hundreds of speed ramps, nested sequences, and complex audio sub-mixes is precisely the kind of timeline where an XML pipeline tends to fall apart, and it is also where a direct binary translator has the most to prove.

For now, the only supported pair is Premiere Pro to DaVinci Resolve, in one direction. CornerCut has indicated that additional engines are planned, although which NLE pairings come next has not been confirmed. Avid Media Composer to Resolve, Resolve back to Premiere, or even Final Cut Pro turnovers would all be obvious candidates given how often those round-trips happen on professional jobs.

Where it fits in the wider post-production landscape

CornerCut joins a growing wave of post-production tools that work alongside the major NLEs rather than trying to replace them. We have recently covered Nice Touch’s workflow assistant for Premiere Pro and Resolve, Eddie AI’s dirty multicam support for both NLEs, and the AutoCut plugin’s expanding feature set. What sets CornerCut apart is that it is not an AI-driven assistant, a creative tool, or a plug-in. It is a translation utility aimed squarely at the technical handoff between two specific applications, and that narrow focus is part of its appeal. Most cross-NLE failures are not about creative interpretation; they are about data fidelity, and that is what CornerCut is built to address.

It also arrives at a moment when DaVinci Resolve continues to expand its capabilities into nearly every part of the post pipeline, which means more editors and producers are choosing it as a finishing destination even when the offline edit happens elsewhere. Anything that smooths that handoff has a clear audience.

CornerCut is available now as a free beta from cornercut.com, with the Premiere Pro to DaVinci Resolve engine accessible after creating a free account. The developer is actively seeking real-world projects to stress-test the software.

Have XML round-trips broken your timeline once too often, and which NLE pairings would you most like to see CornerCut support next? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!