CGI Backgrounds

Happy Holidays!
In the past year, we celebrated 12 Artists of the Month, launched our industry-leading VRED 3D scenes, and expanded worldwide with new operations in Japan and China.

We couldn’t have done it without you — our customers and artist community! We want to take a moment to say thank you for the support and collaboration that makes CGI.Backgrounds' work possible.

Looking ahead to the future, we have several exciting changes coming in the first quarter of 2025.

It’s going to be a big year, and we can’t wait to share all our new announcements with you and support you in your work.

Happy Holidays from CGI.Backgrounds!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=765DSYBozvk

To demonstrate how 3D designers can make the most of our proprietary, industry-leading technology, we collaborated with industry veteran David Baylis.

In two new videos recently released on our YouTube channel, David explains how to use our RAY.HDRi Maps in Unreal Engine and 3dsMax .

In his first video , David walks through the process of using a backplate and RAY.HDRi Map combo in 3dsMax with the Corona Renderer. You'll learn how to set up a backplate, apply shadow catcher materials, and match reflections with the environment.
Following David’s lead, you’ll end up with perfectly accurate shadows and reflections in your 3dsMax renders, quickly and efficiently.

Additionally, in his second video , David demonstrates how to configure ray tracing, adjust post-processing settings, and render scenes using either Lumen or Path Tracer in Unreal Engine.

In both DCCs, our RAY HDR technology simplifies the process of creating accurate lighting, eliminating the need for manual calibration or adding directional lights.
David is an excellent instructor, and he makes it easy to grasp the full potential and versatility of our technology.
Check out his videos on our YouTube channel , and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any of our explainer content.
Want to follow along and try our RAY.HDRi Maps in your own render? Check out our Getting Started page to get access to RAY.HDRi Maps to try for free.

Unreal Engine Set Up with RAY HDR Explore how to optimize lighting in Unreal Engine using Ray HDR and traditional HDR formats. Learn to set up ray tracing, adjust post-process settings, and c...

https://www.behance.net/gallery/206268799/Make-Haste-Corp-The-Zelika-Race

Awesome CGI Work by Carlos Pecino A.K.A ColorSponge, Ash Thorp and Makehastecorp

Make Haste, a design group led by Carlos Pecino Albornoz (who goes by Colorsponge) and Ash Thorpe, recently released a brilliant series of renders of a vehicle they call 'The Zelika - R'.​​​​​​​

Make Haste Corp - The Zelika Race Automotive Design, CGI, Autodesk 3ds Max

https://youtu.be/UVCkMXbvE_E?si=gTtRbcHiDWC68dSc

Once you have your free CGI.Backgrounds account , you can begin to browse our collection of best-in-class HDRi Maps and Backplates.

Our collection is massive, with over 200,000 images captured from 7,000+ real-world locations!

To help you find the perfect HDRi Map or Backplate for your next render, we’ve built advanced search functions into the CGI.Backgrounds interface. This includes a powerful, AI-driven visual search engine.

In his latest video, David Baylis walks you through using our advanced search features to find the perfect content for your project.

Utilize the Search Function : Type in relevant keywords in the search bar to find backplates or HDRIs with matching tags in their metadata. You can view different camera heights for Backplates, and different lighting scenarios for many HDRi Maps.

Explore the AI Visual Search Tool : Enhance your search by using the AI visual search. Drag and drop an image or insert an image link to find similar backplates or HDRIs. You can even upload an image from your device and find similar, licensable materials within the CGI.Backgrounds collection.

Switch Between Backplate and HDRi Search : Easily toggle between searching for Backplates and HDRi Maps to find the perfect match for your project.

Refine Similar Images : Hover over a thumbnail and use the "Refine Similar Images" function to further narrow down your search results.
This uses CGI.Backgrounds’ advanced AI to locate similar images in the collection, based on the visual content and location of your target image. It saves a lot of time!

Chapter 1 - SignUp & Account Introduction In this video, David Baylis guides you through the process of registering an account on CGI Backgrounds. Learn how to sign up, verify your email, access your...