[citation needed] Messiah was developed as a commercial plugin for Lightwave 5.5 to 7.5, by principal programmers Fori Owurowa, Dan Milling and Lyle Milton.
Messiah also allows for the output of .rib files for use with RenderMan and offers network rendering via the ButterflyNetRender (BNR).
Messiah can import and export motion capture, via .bvh files, and can transfer datasets using the host API suite.
[6] Messiah has been used for character animation and the creation of VFX shots in several feature films and shorts, including Ghost Rider, Harry Potter, Hellboy, Into the Deep, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Syriana, The Triplets of Belleville, X-Men, and Zambezia.
Messiah has been used in television productions, including The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Robbie the Reindeer, Andy's Airplanes and Plankton Invasion, as well as commercials.