Using Voice Volume to Drive More Than Just a Mouth

The value is generic

The compat mod exposes your speaking volume as an animation input. Nothing forces you to use it only for a jaw. Once you understand that, you can build expressive models that react to how loud you are.

Ideas and how to build them

1. Blinking or squinting — bind eye parts to the volume value so you squint when you shout.

2. Ear or antenna movement — small parts that perk up or flatten based on volume read as very lively.

3. Body bob or lean — a subtle lean-in when you speak loudly makes conversation feel physical.

4. Glow or emissive parts — if your model has parts that can change appearance, drive them from volume for a "powering up" effect.

For each one, the process is the same: create the animation in the Customizable Player Models editor, then bind its driver to the voice value instead of a keybind. Keep movements small — large motions on many parts at once look chaotic and are distracting in multiplayer.

Layering with other animations

You can run a voice-driven animation alongside idle, walk, and gesture animations. If two animations fight over the same part, the result will stutter, so assign each part to only one driver at a time. Test in a voice channel after each change rather than building everything at once.