# LUT converter: turning .3dl, .look and 1D LUTs into .cube

> How to convert a LUT to .cube on a Mac: which tools read .3dl, .look and 1D files, how to resize a LUT, and how to check the converted file before you use it.

Canonical: https://batchtone.com/blog/lut-converter

20 October 2026 · 5 min read

To convert a LUT to .cube on a Mac, load it into a LUT utility such as Lattice and export it as a 3D .cube, or load it in DaVinci Resolve as a grade and export a new .cube from there. Check the converted file on a test image against the original before you rely on it, because a wrong input range or size changes the result.

A LUT that will not load is usually a LUT in the wrong format. The colourist sent a `.3dl`, the camera vendor ships a `.look`, the app you use only takes 3D `.cube` files, or the file is a 1D curve where a 3D table is expected. A LUT converter fixes that by reading one format and writing another.

## Why does a LUT need converting?

LUTs come in many formats, and each app reads only some of them:

| Format | Where it comes from | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `.cube` (3D) | Adobe specification, used almost everywhere | The format most apps expect |
| `.cube` (1D) | Same format, a curve per channel | Some apps reject it |
| `.3dl` | Autodesk and some older systems | Integer values, different layout |
| `.look`, `.lut`, `.csp`, `.mga` | Various grading systems | App-specific |
| HALD image | A PNG with colours arranged in a grid | Used to capture a preset as a LUT |

If the app says the file is invalid, it is often a valid LUT in a format the app does not read. [What is a .cube file](https://batchtone.com/blog/cube-file) explains what a 3D `.cube` contains.

## Which LUT converter should you use on a Mac?

| Tool | What it converts | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Lattice | Reads and writes many formats, including `.cube` and Autodesk `.3dl`; resizes and combines LUTs | Most conversions, on a Mac |
| DaVinci Resolve (free) | Applies any LUT it can read as a grade, then exports a `.cube` | When Resolve reads the source file |
| A HALD workflow | A preset applied to a HALD image, turned into a `.cube` | Converting a photo preset into a LUT |
| Command-line tools | Scripts and libraries such as OpenColorIO | Pipelines and automation |

**Lattice** is the dedicated tool. Its App Store listing describes reading and writing DaVinci Resolve 1D and 3D `.cube` and Autodesk 3D `.3dl` among many others, plus resizing a LUT and merging several into one. If a LUT will not load anywhere, Lattice is also where you find out why.

**DaVinci Resolve** works as a free converter for formats it can read: apply the LUT to a clip, then generate a LUT from that grade and save it as `.cube`.

**For a Lightroom preset,** there is no file to convert; you capture the preset with a HALD image. [Lightroom preset to LUT](https://batchtone.com/blog/lightroom-preset-to-lut) walks through it.

## How do you convert a LUT to .cube, step by step?

1. **Identify the source.** Look at the extension, and for a `.cube`, open it in TextEdit and check whether it says `LUT_1D_SIZE` or `LUT_3D_SIZE`.
2. **Open it in the converter.** In Lattice, open the file; in Resolve, apply it to a clip on the colour page.
3. **Choose the output.** 3D `.cube`, size 33 for most looks, 65 for precise technical conversions.
4. **Check the input range.** Most LUTs expect 0 to 1 input. A LUT built for a different range, such as one from a system that uses integer values, must be scaled correctly or the result shifts.
5. **Export.**
6. **Test it.** Apply the original and the converted LUT to the same test image and compare. They should match.

Step 6 is the one people skip. A conversion with the wrong range looks almost right, which is worse than obviously wrong.

## How do you convert a 1D LUT to a 3D LUT?

A 1D LUT adjusts red, green and blue independently, so it can express contrast and colour balance, but not cross-channel changes. Any 3D LUT can represent a 1D LUT exactly, so converting in that direction loses nothing. Lattice does it directly, and Resolve does it by applying the 1D LUT and exporting a 3D one.

Going from 3D to 1D does lose information, and is rarely needed.

## What size should the converted LUT be?

| Size | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 17 | Small files, some hardware monitors; may band on smooth gradients |
| 33 | The common default for creative looks |
| 65 | Technical conversions, where precision matters |

Upsizing a LUT does not add detail that was not there; it only resamples the same curve. Keep the source size unless an app demands another.

## What do you do with the converted LUT?

Use it. For a whole shoot, BatchTone applies a 3D `.cube` to a folder of photos and video at once, on a Mac:

1. Import the converted `.cube` once; it stays in the library.
2. Drop the folder in, photos and clips mixed. Each look is previewed on your own first frame.
3. Set a strength per file where the look is too much.
4. Export JPEG, PNG or H.264 MP4 to a folder you choose. Originals are never modified, and nothing is uploaded.

BatchTone reads 3D `.cube` files of any size and repairs malformed DJI headers on import. It does not read 1D LUTs, `.3dl` or other formats, which is exactly why the conversion above comes first.

Only your own files and LUT pack can show whether it fits, which is why the seven-day trial has everything unlocked: video, unlimited batches, no watermark. After that it is one in-app purchase, not a subscription.

[Download BatchTone free on the Mac App Store](https://batchtone.com/download)

## Common questions

### Is there a free LUT converter?

DaVinci Resolve's free version can export a `.cube` from any LUT it can read. Lattice is paid software on the Mac App Store.

### Can I convert a LUT online?

Some websites convert LUT formats in the browser. Check the result on a test image either way, and avoid uploading LUTs you bought under a licence that forbids sharing them.

### Can I convert a .cube to a Lightroom preset?

Not to a preset, but Lightroom can use a LUT through a profile. [LUTs in Lightroom](https://batchtone.com/blog/lightroom-luts) shows how.

### Why does my converted LUT look different?

Usually the input range, or the source was built for a different colour space. Compare both on the same test image and check the converter's range settings.

**About this article.** Written by the team that builds BatchTone, a macOS app that applies .cube LUTs to whole folders of photos and video. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Write to [support@batchtone.com](mailto:support@batchtone.com).

## Read next

Explainers 20 October 2026 · 4 min read

## [What is a .cube file? Opening and using one](https://batchtone.com/blog/cube-file)

A .cube file is a LUT (lookup table) saved as plain text: a list of numbers that tells software how to change every colour in an image. You do not open it like a document; you load it into a photo or video app such as DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, Photoshop or a LUT tool, and the app applies it to your footage or photos.

[Read it](https://batchtone.com/blog/cube-file)

How-to 28 September 2026 · 6 min read

## [How to create a LUT: four ways, and which to use](https://batchtone.com/blog/how-to-make-a-lut)

The reliable way to create a LUT is to grade one representative clip until it looks right, then export that grade as a .cube file. Resolve does this with Generate LUT on a node, Premiere through Export Color Look, and Photoshop through Export Color Lookup Tables. Grade on neutral, correctly exposed footage and put the creative work on its own node, because a LUT bakes in everything upstream of it, including exposure mistakes you did not mean to share.

[Read it](https://batchtone.com/blog/how-to-make-a-lut)

Explainers 19 September 2026 · 4 min read

## [What is a LUT? The whole idea in five minutes](https://batchtone.com/blog/what-is-a-lut)

LUT stands for lookup table. In video and photo editing, a LUT is a file that says, for a grid of input colours, what each one should come out as. Applying a LUT means looking up every pixel in that grid and interpolating between the nearest entries.

[Read it](https://batchtone.com/blog/what-is-a-lut)

## One look. A whole shoot.

BatchTone applies your .cube LUTs across photos and video at once, with a strength dial on every file. Seven-day trial, everything unlocked.

[Download for macOS](https://apps.apple.com/app/batchtone/id6821727167)