Epic MegaGrant

CGI.Backgrounds Receives Epic MegaGrant, Launches CGI.B Connect App in Closed Beta

CGI.Backgrounds is thrilled to share that we’ve received a MegaGrant from Epic Games. Epic provides MegaGrants to the most creative, noteworthy, and innovative companies in the 3D graphics ecosystem.

Our Epic MegaGrant helped to fund the creation of our soon to be released CGI.B Connect App, which allows 3D designers to integrate our premium HDRI maps, skies, and backplates directly into the Unreal Engine. The app is currently in private beta–if you want to apply for access, feel free to contact our team.

It’s amazing what a talented designer can create using our high-resolution HDRI maps, a powerful system like the Unreal Engine, and 3D objects from sources like Quixel, Humm3D and TurboSquid.

Thank you EPIC for this Mega opportunity!

CGI.Backgrounds provides the best HDRi content for my automotive work. The integration with Unreal makes it very convenient, and allows me to focus on Look Development with accurate lighting on my models for achieving photorealistic renderings.

David Baylis

Technical Marketing Consultant at Epic Games

Epic Games

Pro-Quality Virtual Productions for Everyone

Designer Allan Portilho created this entire video within one of our HDRi virtual environments, combining our environment capture with 3D assets from a variety of other places.

To shoot it, Allan loaded one of our HDRi environments into the Unreal Engine, added a virtual vehicle model of a Hummer vehicle from TurboSquid (with approval from GM), and enhanced the scene by adding objects from Quixel and other sources.

The result is a video that looks incredibly real, but was built entirely in a virtual environment.

Here’s the most amazing part–Allan created this entire video in only four days! You can read more about his full process and get a behind-the-scenes look at one of his renders here.

Using the CGI.B Connect App

This kind of professional-level video–and Allan’s remarkably short timeline–are made possible by tools like the Unreal Engine, as well as the new CGI.B Connect App that our Epic MegaGrant funded.

Direct Implementation

The app acts like a bridge, allowing Product, 3D, Arch-Vis, Automotive and Game designers to quickly download our premium HDRI Maps and skies into the Unreal Engine. But it also goes several steps further, performing all the basic configuration steps required to begin using those HDRi Maps for actual rendering.

It even loads the real-world lighting data from our HDRi Maps, allowing designers to automatically light their models realistically and in a way that matches the creative look and feel they want to achieve.

Our goal is to take care of the basics for you, so that you can dive right into play, experimentation, and creation.

Before, powerful tools like our library of premium HDRis were only used by big global brands. We’ve worked with many of them, from Mercedes Benz, to General Motors, to Lucid Motors. We’ve also worked with agencies within the umbrella companies of Omnicom, Publicis, WPP, IPG, and independent agencies of all sizes.

Thanks to work funded by our MegaGrant, though, our entire collection is now available for easy use by small teams, freelance designers, and even students or hobbyists.

Alongside the launch of our CGI.B Connect app, we’re also launching a new subscription-based pricing model for our content. Prices begin at as little as $9 per month for students or individuals, and there’s even a Free tier for hobbyists or designers who want to try out our HDRi Maps and Backplate Images before committing to a paid plan.

Want to learn more about our MegaGrant? Check out our full press release about the grant and our new app.

We’re grateful to Epic Games for their support and excited to expand our reach to a whole new set of 3D designers and creators. Feel free to reach out to contact@cgibackgrounds.com with any questions about our new app, or try us out by signing up for our Free tier today.

9$ a month for non-commercial access to your library? That is amazing!

Andrej Timotic