This was a series of tools created for my Sherry and Port Bar environment art project. The main tool is a Houdini HDA that creates a picture frame with dynamic parameters that control the style of the frame. These parameters include a Python scripted drop down menu to select from a list of standard frame sizes, along with the ability to customize the width, depth, and shape. The static mesh created by the tool is fully watertight and UV unwrapped.

To decorate my scene I used the picture frame tool to create about twenty unique frames, and then used those as part of both a prop scattering HDA and randomizing blueprint. The scattering HDA works by setting up a defined area to place the frames in, and then uses custom nodes courtesy of Houdini Element (https://www.youtube.com/@vik546) to check for intersections before creating points that instance Unreal static meshes. The randomizing blueprint selects a random color for the frame as well as randomly selecting a photo from an index. Since the index contains half landscape and half portrait photos, the blueprint calculates the dimensions of the static mesh and only selects from the correct set of photos to avoid sideways images. The photos used are a combination of stock photos and AI generated images. To avoid unique draw calls for each picture frame, the blueprint uses custom primitive data for both the color and photo materials.