Setting up an invisible control figure works fine. 3DWorldz is an environment figure that is built that way, the only body part is a dummy, and the rest is parented props. Alternate materials can be set up, actually, you use alternate geometries that have the same vertices but different materials. A dirty trick, but it works.

The pen is mightier than the sword. But if you literally want to have some impact, use a typewriter

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