ambientCG vs CGBookcase

ambientCG is a free library of downloadable assets for 3D art, architectural visualization, game development, VFX, and related work. Its collection includes PBR materials, HDRIs, Substance graphs, atlases, decals, photo textures, models, and terrain; the homepage lists 2,895 assets. Downloads are available in JPG and PNG. The assets use the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal license, permitting copying, changes, distribution, and commercial use without permission, and attribution is not required. You can browse and download on the website or use the API to search and download assets with code; its documentation lists v1, v2, and v3 endpoints. The creator cautions that the API may not be stable or reliable enough for enterprise applications. Documentation also covers use with Blender's Asset Browser. Patreon supporters may receive early access and easier batch downloads, and the homepage mentions ad-free browsing. Access to downloadable assets is free at free.

CGBookcase is a free web resource for physically based rendering textures and material guidance. Its catalog lists 566 free textures with filters for 1K, 2K, 4K, 6K, and 8K resolutions. Textures use the CC0 1.0 license, allowing free use without credit, including commercial work. A listed Manhole Cover 16 material includes Base Color, Height, Mask, Metallic, DirectX Normal, and Roughness maps. The site also provides the open-source Texture Tiling Tool, which helps make photoscanned surfaces seamless and repeatable through surface-aware blending, clone patches, and lighting equalization at seams. Guides cover Blender and Unreal Engine setup. The Blender guidance notes that DirectX normal maps need green-channel inversion for Blender’s OpenGL format. Sample Rock and Bark downloads are offered in 4K and 8K, with file sizes from 118MB to 958MB. Patrons can access a Google Drive folder containing all textures.