Let's make one prop work. The right colors, the right direction, and a clean off at the end—that is a useful first Light-O-Rama goal. You can build the rest of the yard from a setup you understand.
This guide follows S6. Check your installed release against the official download page, because menus and features can change. We checked the linked documentation on October 29, 2026.
Put one manageable setup on the bench
Use a short pixel string or a prop you can inspect without climbing. Write down its actual pixel count, voltage, protocol, connector pinout and controller output. Disconnect power before changing connections.
Our EVO pixels, for example, are a 12V WS2811 product. That gives you requirements to match; it does not make every controller or connector suitable. Check the selected variant and the exact controller before connecting them.
- Compatible controller and pixels.
- Correct power supply and protected wiring.
- A Windows computer running a compatible LOR release.
- The data connection that controller actually supports.
- A simple test: red, green, blue, movement and off.
Check what your license includes
Do this before spending an evening looking for an unavailable effect. The current Basic license includes limited pixel control and Motion Effects; Pro supports larger pixel displays. Advanced does not include Motion Effect sequencing. Compare your license and release with the official feature chart.
You can learn a lot from one prop within your current limits. Decide what a larger show needs after you have proved the first connection.
Build a preview that matches the real prop
Create a named preview in the Previews area and add your test prop. For this first pass, the light count and wiring order matter more than a perfect photograph of the house. Follow Preview Design for the controls.
Use a suitable built-in shape for a simple string. For a detailed prop, import the supported vendor model and verify the result. Our CoroWorks model hub helps you find the correct source file; LOR's supported model import still needs its own count, shape and addressing checks.
Name the prop something useful, such as Front Arch 01. In Prop Definition, select Pixels RGB for individually controlled RGB nodes. Dumb RGB controls an element together, and RGBW has a separate white channel. Those are different configurations. The Prop Definition guide explains them.
Match the complete address
For an LOR protocol connection, select the LOR device type and match the network, Unit ID and circuit. For an E1.31 Ethernet controller, select DMX and match the universe and starting channel. A prop left as Undetermined can look fine on screen while controlling no real lights.
Set up the corresponding connection in Control Panel > Networks. A serial LOR connection needs the right adapter and COM port. E1.31 needs the intended controller destination and universe range. Use the Networks documentation and the controller's own instructions.
Keep the address, physical port and prop name together in your notes. That makes a swapped cable much easier to find.
Make a short animation before choosing a song
Check the prop's Default Motion Rows and add a whole-prop row if needed. Default rows belong to the preview and carry into sequences using it; see Motion Effect Rows for the distinctions.
Create a short sequence through File > New > Animation Sequence, choose your preview and use a convenient duration, such as 15 seconds. No music is required, which leaves fewer things to troubleshoot. The animation-sequence guide walks through the dialog.
Select a few seconds on the motion row, right-click and choose Insert Motion Effect. Start with an uncomplicated color or movement effect, save and play the preview. The effect-entry instructions show the available methods.
Now prove it on the lights
Run the Control Panel, stop scheduled show playback and leave the Hardware Utility before testing from the Sequencer. Enable Control Lights and the intended network. Motion Effects require Enhanced LOR or a supported DMX output path; standard non-enhanced LOR does not carry them. Follow the Control Lights checklist.
At a brightness suitable for the hardware, check red, green and blue separately. Run a slow chase, watch the first and last pixels, then send off. The physical prop needs to follow all of it.
If the preview works but the lights do not, use our LOR troubleshooting checklist before changing effects. If the colors are wrong, note whether every pixel is wrong in the same way or the problem starts partway through.
Save the win, then add the next prop
Back up the working sequence, preview and controller configuration. Label the cable and port with the prop's software name. Record any color-order or brightness adjustment so you do not have to rediscover it.
Then repeat the process for the next prop. If you need help choosing parts, send us your controller model and pixel details through Mattos support. A clear parts list lets us give you a useful answer.
