A coro prop can do more than change color as one shape. Submodels let you target details such as a scarf or wreath. Face definitions tell xLights which pixels form each mouth position. Put those pieces together with vocal timing and you can build a character performance.
Reviewed October 29, 2026. This walkthrough uses definitions inspected in the current CoroWorks Classic Snowman download. Check the downloaded file and physical prop revision before applying the example.
Start with the matching model
Download the Classic Snowman from our CoroWorks model hub. The supplied file is named Snowman Shovel 46.xmodel. In the file reviewed for this guide, we found 23 submodels and two node-range face definitions: Mouth Only and Mouth and Eyes.
The model download describes the prop. It does not include a finished song sequence or music. Keep a backup of your show, unzip the download and import the model into your own Layout. Confirm orientation, node count and wiring against the prop before assigning its controller and output.
Run a simple chase first. A detailed face effect cannot correct a physical string wired in a different order. If you need that initial setup, use our first coro build guide.
Understand the three separate jobs
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Part | What it does | Snowman example |
|---|---|---|
| Submodel | Selects existing pixels within a prop for separate effects. | Scarf, Wreath or Hat. |
| Face definition | Maps mouth shapes, and any defined eyes or outline, to node ranges. | Choose the supplied face definition that fits the result you want. |
| Vocal timing track | Places phrases, words and speech sounds along the music. | A short spoken line timed to your own recording. |
These controls reuse the parent model's pixels. Adding a submodel does not add a new physical string or require assigning those same nodes to a second controller output.
Try one existing submodel
- Select the Snowman in Layout and open its Sub-Models setting.
- Select one named detail and inspect the highlighted nodes. Confirm that they describe the intended part of the character.
- Add that submodel to your sequencing view. xLights identifies submodels beneath their parent model.
- Place a short On effect on that row, choose a visible color and render it. Test that only the intended detail responds.
Example exercise: make the scarf blue for two seconds, then let the wreath respond for the next two. Start without whole-prop effects so you can see exactly what each selection controls. These durations and colors are suggestions for a test, not a supplied sequence.
For a new submodel, use the node-selection preview or known node ranges to choose the intended pixels, name it clearly and test it alone. The order and arrangement of nodes affect how moving effects render. Preserve the supplied definitions while experimenting.
Test mouth shapes before adding lyrics
Open the model's Faces setting and inspect the imported definition. The supplied mouth-only option leaves eyes to other sequencing choices; the combined definition includes eye mappings. Select the required definition in a Faces effect, then use a fixed phoneme to test a mouth shape. A phoneme is a speech sound represented by a particular mouth position.
Try a few distinct positions and the rest position. Watch the actual prop at a comfortable test brightness. If the wrong pixels illuminate, resolve the model/wiring or face-definition mismatch before editing vocal timings. If the shape is right but its color ignores the palette, check whether the definition forces custom colors.
Build one short vocal phrase
For practice, record your own brief greeting, such as “Welcome to our show,” and create a media sequence using that exact recording. A short original clip gives you a manageable first exercise.
- Add an empty timing track and name it for the voice.
- Mark the phrase's start and finish and enter its words.
- Use Breakdown Phrases to create word timing, then Breakdown Words to generate phonemes.
- Listen at a slower playback speed and adjust word and phoneme boundaries to the recording. Generated divisions need a listening check.
- Add a Faces effect to the parent model, select the intended face definition and choose that vocal timing track.
Use a separate timing track for another singer. If a word has no generated phonemes, check the word or user dictionary rather than stretching neighboring mouth movements across the gap.
Combine the character details deliberately
Once the face works alone, bring the scarf and wreath effects back. Render again and watch where effects share pixels. A whole-model wash can compete with a face or detail effect depending on render order and blending.
Keep the first combined test simple: one face effect, two detail rows and a small color palette. Add broader group effects one at a time. That makes it easier to identify which layer or model assignment changed the result.
Before sequencing the full song
- The chase follows the installed pixel path.
- Each chosen submodel lights the expected detail by itself.
- Several mouth shapes and the rest position look correct.
- The short phrase follows the actual voice at normal playback speed.
- Eyes, outline and other effects behave correctly together.
- The current render plays correctly from the real show player, and the working layout is backed up.
For help, send Support@MattosDesigns.com the prop name, model filename, xLights version and a short video of the failing test.
