This was a welcome change in the completely green screen environment created in the prequels, but now it appears that CGI was used in some unexpected places in The Force Awakens.
The Star Wars franchise obviously uses quite a bit of CGI, which J.J. Abrams coupled with practical effects for The Force Awakens.
These days in Hollywood filmmaking CGI is a regular part of the lexicon.
The technology has become so advanced that we don’t even notice its being used anymore, even when a movie is being crafted completely through the use of CGI like the live action Jungle Book movie.