pmG Worldwide LLC has spent the last two years refining and redesigning its LightWave plug-in project: messiah 1.5 into messiah:animate, its new stand alone animation software. This new version has the ability to run alone or connect to 3D Studio Max, Maya and LightWave. messiah: animate has added new technologies and enhancements including messiah:compose, pmG's non-linear animation editor. "The moment you enter the program, messiah:animate's compose mode allows you to start editing right away with just a single click, from creating clips and blends to mapping motions to multiple characters," said pMG co-founder Fori Owurowa. "You may have seen non-linear animation in other packages, but not with this combination of power, speed and ease of use." animate also has a 100 percent OpenGL custom control environment that allows for future expansion and functionality across a wide array of platforms. With this latest effort, pmG hopes to make a major push into the game development industry, working with developers to incorporate the abilities of messiah into the gaming environment. messiah 1.5 has been used in the production of JIMMY NEUTRON, BUTT UGLY MARTIANS and the animated band Gorillaz. messiah:animate is now available for US$1045 per license. Current owners of project:messiah 1.5 can upgrade to messiah:animate for $395. For more information visit www.projectmessiah.com.

The project:messiah Group, creators of 3D animation's leading software package, amassed rave reviews and hit projects just one year after its software's release. Heather Kenyon reports from pmG's studio.