5 Key Takeaways From Randal Cumming’s Appearance on the Connected in 3D Podcast

Here are my five key takeaways from the interview:

1. HDRi Maps Are a Powerful, Established Tool

During the episode, Randal shared how he got started with CGI.Backgrounds as an automotive photographer over 20 years ago.

At the time, HDRi Maps were just beginning to be used for 3D visualization in the automotive space. Randal described how he saw an opportunity, worked with others in the stock media space, and launched CGI.Backgrounds, recruiting photographers to contribute.

Since then, HDRi Maps have evolved into an industry-wide standard for visual and lighting data in 3D renders.

The biggest takeaway here is that HDRi Maps are a long-established, widely used technology. They’re supported by nearly all DCCs, allowing designers to quickly add visuals and lighting data to their 3D renders.

However, Randal emphasized that an HDRi Map is just a container. Simply presenting something as an HDRi Map doesn’t necessarily guarantee high quality visuals or accurate lighting data.

2. Accurate Lighting and Quality Visuals Are Essential

To ensure an HDRi Map lives up to its potential, it’s crucial to select high-quality, calibrated maps from trustworthy sources, Randal shared.

Randal and Ashley discussed how some free HDRi Maps can be usable, and HDRi Maps generated entirely by AI also have a place (more on that below.)

However, for the highest-quality renders, it’s essential to use HDRi Maps that take full advantage of the format’s 32-bit dynamic range and include properly calibrated lighting data.

It’s also important to ensure HDRi Maps are captured using high-quality cameras and professional practices. As Randal noted, not all HDRi Maps are created equal. Lack of experience or resources can lead to maps that miss critical details like accurate lighting calibration.

The best maps are captured with medium format cameras, are assembled by professionals, and are configured to take full advantage of the format’s 32 bit capability, so that designers don’t need to add their own 3D light sources during production. Calibration adds even more power to the format.

Because HDRi Maps are just containers, and their actual content is sometimes sub par, choosing a reputable supplier is important for achieving the best rendering results.

3. AI Will Impact the Space, but Slowly

Ashley asked Randal how AI might impact the 3D rendering space, particularly in the creation of HDRi Maps.

Randal explained that CGI.Backgrounds already uses AI to streamline processes and improve efficiency across the company. However, while AI-generated HDRi Maps are useful for ideation and visual search, the technology is still evolving.

For now, production-ready, high-quality HDRi Maps are still created primarily by human photographers.

Both Randal and Ashley agreed that rapid advancements in AI mean it’s likely that AI-generated HDRi Maps will become eventually comparable to those created by humans. Companies like NVIDIA are doing groundbreaking work in this space.

4. HDRi Maps: A Need-to-Have, Not a Nice-to-Have

In some industries, HDRi Maps and 3D rendering are considered “nice-to-have” technologies—they offer benefits but aren’t strictly necessary.

However, in industries like automotive, Randal emphasized that HDRi Maps and digital twins are absolute “need-to-have” tools.

Accurately showcasing a single vehicle for a customer means visualizing a massive number of combinations: trim levels, paint colors, wheels, accessories, and more.

One customer might want blue paint with premium wheels and a large spoiler. Another might want matte gray paint with no spoiler, standard wheels, and a Sport or GT package.

Capturing all these vehicle combinations through traditional photography would be mathematically impossible.

Ashley pointed out that the number of combinations would grow exponentially–the combinations that a photographer would need to set up and photograph would ultimately exceed the number of stars in the Milky Way!

Instead, automotive companies rely on digital twins, 3D rendering, and HDRi Maps to create virtual configurators. Customers can explore countless combinations in near real time, directly in their browser.

This approach also allows design teams to create virtual photographs for catalogs, marketing materials, and TV commercials without physically configuring and photographing each vehicle and each trim level/paint color/accessory combination separately.

Ashley shared that the average lead time for traditional product photos is 12 weeks, whereas photos produced using digital twins and HDRi Maps can take as little as one day.

5. 3D Is Becoming Essential for Ecommerce

Towards the end of the episode, Ashley and Randal discussed how digital twins and 3D are changing ecommerce.

For online retailers like Ebay and Amazon (and the third party brands that use them), allowing customers to virtually interact with products before purchasing leads to measurably higher conversion rates and lower returns. That directly boosts companies’ bottom lines.

Ashley shared that in one study, including 3D assets on an Amazon listing boosted conversion by 300% or more–a massive benefit for sellers.

In addition, including 3D assets in web search often leads to higher click-through rates, better SEO performance, and increased leads

In other words, 3D technology isn’t just a high-tech add-on to the buying journey—it’s a powerful way to engage customers, increase sales, improve margins, and enhance every customer interaction.

Watch the Full Episode

You can watch the full episode on YouTube.

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