(UPDATED) Playing custom/modded Bikini Outfits also in missions (not only in Croft Manor)

This guide makes two things possible wich aren't possible in the normal way of Tomb Raider Legend.

1) Play with community made custom modded bikini outfits.
2) Play with them also in single player missions (not only in Croft Manor)

All you have to do is to use and combine 2 tools, named "TexMod" and "SCU"

Introduction

Be sure to read this guide carefully. If you skip a step it will not work.

In Tomb Raider Legend we can play 2 Bikini outfits, but in croft Manor only.
With a nice tool we can play with custom modded community outfits.

(In Legend there are a lot of outfits playable, but they are divided into four basic categories:
dress outfits, short outfits, pants outfits, bikinis. This guide is dedicate for bikini outfits cause they are not playable outside Croft Manor and more interesting if you know what i mean, but the following "TexMod" tutorial is for other outfit categories the same)

This guide describe how to do both:

• Play with custom modded community outfits
  
• Play them in the Single Player missions and not only in Croft Manor.

All you need is 2 program tools and have to combine them (in a tricky way)

Part one (TexMod)

PART ONE:

First download the tool "TexMod" mod the Tomb Raider HUB website
http://archive.tombraiderhub.com/index.html
Then download the outfits you like from the Tomb Raider HUB website
This link is direct link to the Bikini outfits
http://archive.tombraiderhub.com/tr7/modding/bikini_outfits01.html

NOTE! In the Tomb Raider Legend game are two graphic games modes
1st: Standard/Original
2nd: NextGen Graphics
Only the outfits marked with a "+" are supporting NextGen graphics
Most NextGen outfits are also supporting Standard/Original mode,
but you can't choose a non NextGen Outfit and play it in NextGen mode.
Nothing will happen.
Pros of NextGen outfits are that they are higher quality and much more polygons.
Cons of NexgGen outfits are that approximately 80% are only for Standart/Original mode.
You have to choose of bigger selection (Standard/Original) or higher quality (NextGen)

Once you have downloaded "TexMod" and some outfits, here is a short tutorial how to use "TexMod"
http://archive.tombraiderhub.com/tr7/modding/texmod/running.html
But this short tutorial will not work for steam version, only for old CD releases.

Here is a short workaround for use "TexMod" in Tomb Raider Legend for Steam version.

(First of all you have to choose in wich graphics you wanna play Legend, NextGen or Original/Standard.
Start Legend in Steam, choose Setup, then click or unclick NextGen graphics. If you wan't to change graphics mode you have to undo following steps, therefore i say it right now)

Put the "Texmod.exe" into the Tomb Raider Legend install folder (STEAM\steamapps\common\Tomb Raider Legend)
Rename the "trl.exe" to any name of your choice, for e.g. "trloriginal.exe".
Rename the "Texmod.exe" to "trl.exe"

Now open Tomb Raider Legend in steam, click on play, then "TexMod" instead of Tomb Raider will start.
In "TexMod" click on target application, choose the renamed "trloriginal.exe"
Click on the first mode "Package Mode", the other two modes are only for modders.
Click on folder icon and load the modded outfits you've downloaded into "TexMod".
File extension is alway ".tpf". Second time i draw attention to load NextGen outfits only when you play in NextGen mode.
Otherwise nothing will happen.

(You can load more outfits into "TexMod", but that doesn't make much sense, because you can only choose one outfit before starting Tomb Raider)
Now click on the outfit you want to play and click on "Run" and Tomb Raider Legend will start.

Note that the outfits will be replaced with the standard outfits and not added, thats not permanent, only for the time you run it.
Sometimes in "TexMod" there is a short description of what outfit the modded outfit will be replaced.
Be sure to know what outfit category the modded outfit is, otherwise you have to search though the Tomb Raider Levels the outfit she is wearing.
Tip: Be sure you have unlocked all outfits or load a 100% savegame into the game. The best trick to test and look at the outfits is to play croft manor and use the wardrobe in bedroom, otherwise you have to search though the Tomb Raider Levels the outfit she is wearing.
This guide has focus on bikini outfits and they are usually anyway only in Croft Manor playable.

Third and last time i want to mention the difference for outfits between Original/Standard and NextGen mode.

Congrats, now we can play custom outfits in Tomb Raider Legend. But wait a minute, we want to play the Bikini outfits also in the single player missions and want a general (partial) outfit freedom for the single player.

Part two (SCU)

PART TWO

There is a tool called "SCU" (Legend Startup Configuration Utility)

In "SCU" you can start a Tomb Raider Legend mission directly with choosable outfits. The level dependend outfit limitations are bypassed.
So you can play also the bikini (or other) outfits in the missions as it was not intended.

"SCU" is as old as the original Tomb Raider Legend Game (2006). About the tool isn't much in google to find, most web threads a 10 years or older old. Everything was deceptive that this tool is an outdated Abandonware. But no!

The programmer "ANoDE" made 2018 some little updates and now its also compatible with the steam version.
This is the actual (2018) main thread for "SCU", download it and read the tutorial:
http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=72117
You can download the tool on GitHub:
https://github.com/ANoDE85/PyTR7SCU/releases/tag/v0.0.10.1
If the thread or download link is offline in future, search the web for version v0.0.10.1 (released 24/Jul/2020)

Olthough "SCU" is working for me i have to point out that its not very advanced and a little buggy.
- Custom outfits for the Japan mission are not possible
- Lara's lips have buggy animations
- When you die, the map is reloading but not the mission (with all events and NPC's)
- i dont know what happen when you complete a mission.

Start "SCU", maybe you need to install a .NET Framework version before to get it to work.
First on start, error warning will appear, ignore that.
Select path to the "trl.exe"
Choose advanced settings (developer hacks), i recommend god mode, cause when you die in "SCU" the mission is as mentioned not loading the right way. Other settings haven't testet.
Choose your outfit. For bikini outfits as described in part one of guide, in most cases "Bikini (white)" is the right choice.

Click on save settings, then click on start, then (as described in part one) "TexMod" instead of Tomb Raider Legend will start. Load your custom outfit in "TexMod" and start.

Conclusion

Congrats, when all is done the right way, Tomb Raider Legend will now start with the parameters of "SCU" and the selected outfit of "TexMod".

You can now play custom modded community bikini outfits in single player missions in Tomb Raider Legend!

enjoy ;)

PS: My favourite custom bikini outfit you also see in the guide pic is called "06_bikini_dress_by_tkone". It's not for NextGen graphic mode, but still very nice.

[Manu]

Find more hot mods hear {LINK REMOVED}Website link

[iTzRaDiaNT ™]

that YT video was VERY helpful for the TEXMOD loader/injector thing never heard of it but now i have and its as easy as the video!

[Malau]

Thanks for all your efforts in compiling this.