FX Home, creators of EffectsLab Pro and CompositeLab Pro, announced that HitFilm 2 Ultimate is currently in development and will see a release later this year, boasting that it will be a massive leap forward in every area including editing, visual effects and compositing, however, one of the most enticing aspects of the low-cost but powerful layer based compositor is the fact that HitFilm 2 is slated to have the ability to import, animate and use 3D Models directly.

HitFilm 2 Ultimate is the only video editor & compositor with integrated 3D model support at this level: Shadow casting and self-shadowing, motion blur, depth of field, animation groups and editable materials

HitFilm always had a “true 3D” environment in the application, unlike After Effects. Now, expanding on that, they have a really elegant solution for incorporating and interacting with 3D models right in Hit Film 2. FX Home have previously provided a look at 3D renderings that were created in Hit Film2, but we have never seen a look at using 3D models in Hit Film 2. This video not only provides a good look at how 3D model import is integrated and used, but it also provides a look at the performance on a standard consumer grade video card.

It is interesting to see all the animation capable attributes of 3D models in the timeline, as well as how 3D models integrate with the standard Hit Film suite of effects, and the 3D features in Hit Film 2 are impressive, including:

  • Import .3ds, .lwo and .obj formats.
  • Full shadow casting and self-shadowing using HitFilm’s 3D lights.
  • Ambient occlusion.
  • Automatic motion blur and depth of field.
  • Define multiple animation groups.
  • Environment maps.
  • Integrates with HitFilm’s effects and compositing tools.