Valve has made its in-engine film creation toolset available to the public.
Source Filmmaker was used in the creation of the popular "Meet the Team" series of trailers for Team Fortress 2.
The last of these – the hotly anticipated "Meet the Pyro" – was released today to celebrate the Filmmaker launch
This comes just a few weeks after it was revealed that Brown Bag Films was using technology based on the Source Engine for the production of its upcoming animated short film "Deep".
"Because the SFM uses the same assets as the game, anything that exists in the game can be used in the movie, and vice versa," reads the announcement.
"By utilizing the hardware rendering power of a modern gaming PC, the SFM allows storytellers to work in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get environment so they can iterate in the context of what it will feel like for the final audience."
Those interested in using the tool can sign up for a beta key at the Source Filmmaker website.