3D Video Card Movie Software

I’ve seen a couple of short films made using the level editors for 3D video games; basically, you just create a long cut scene without a level. These allow you to make a computer animated film without rendering by using the power of your 3D accelerator card. Is there any software out there dedicated to this purpose, perhaps with a free player plug-in so you don’t have to buy Max Payne II to watch the film?