What is the full form of CGI?

CGI stands for "Computer-Generated Imagery".

What is the meaning of CGI?

This technique is the amalgamation of other graphics-related techniques that all together combines to create 2D or 3D pictures. The biggest example of CGI is animation. This technique has gained popularity in the movie industry, video games, and other simulations.

This technique is widely used in the movie genres like Sci-Fi. The CGI work ranges from animating entire locations to adding subtle props for the detailing. In recent years, CGI has picked up fair popularity after the technique has been used in some of the famous movies of large production.

For example, the critically acclaimed scene in the movie inception has for most of the part has been CGI, or the Marvel movies have also used this technique quite fairly.

How does CGI work?

• Two-dimensional imagery such as text, objects, backgrounds, and environments.
• Three-dimensional objects, including figures, spaces, and environments.
• When successful, it creates composite imagery that tricks the eye into believing in the illusion presented.
• When unsuccessful, it creates obviously fake imagery that shatters the illusion presented.

Oftentimes, CGI is replaced by VFX, both the techniques have almost the same grounds. CGI has progressed to the point where live-action scenarios are also generated such as car blowing, explosions, and even monster’s makeup is also done through this technique.

Since it is comparatively expensive, so the CGI technique is only used by high-profile productions mainly.

CGI History:

The question of “when was CGI invented?” can be traced back to the 1960s. Various inventors and companies experimented with the new and evolving world of computer animation. Most of this was two-dimensional in scope, but all of it was being used in disciplines ranging from science to engineering and even medicine.

As CGI evolved, so did the ways filmmakers sought to use it in the first CGI movies. They could create digital viewpoints in Westworld (1973) and wire-frame models in Alien (1979), but those were still relegated to computer screens and the like. Here's a quick history of how they used imaging technology from NASA to create the computer-generated imagery in Westworld.