Le Mans Ultimate install guide
How to Add a Custom Livery in Le Mans Ultimate
Design a custom Le Mans Ultimate livery with AI, then get it on track: export the TGA from Ailivery, keep it and its customskin_region.tga map together in UserData\Liveries, install with the Ailivery Windows helper or by hand, then press RELOAD in the showroom.
What you'll need
Le Mans Ultimate
The sim installed and the car showroom available — that showroom is where the custom skin loads and reloads.
Somewhere to put two files
The paint and its region map install together into
UserData\Liveries. The Ailivery Windows helper can place both for you.Ailivery export
customskin.tgaplus the matchingcustomskin_region.tga. No paint template of your own needed — Ailivery paints on the car's template for you.
Install a custom livery in Le Mans Ultimate
- 1
Design it and export the TGA
Describe the livery you want in Ailivery, refine it until it looks right, then download the export. Le Mans Ultimate reads TGA, not DDS — so TGA is what you want, and it is what Ailivery gives you. You never touch a UV map or a paint template yourself.
- 2
Name it customskin.tga
Le Mans Ultimate does not scan a folder of named skins the way some sims do. It reads one fixed filename out of its Liveries folder, so the paint file has to be called exactly
customskin.tga. A descriptive name likemy_livery.tgais simply ignored — no error, no livery.Paint filecustomskin.tga - 3
Keep the region map beside it
Alongside the paint, Le Mans Ultimate reads
customskin_region.tga— a flat map whose colours tell the sim which parts of the bodywork get which surface finish. It is material data, not artwork, which is why it looks like blocks of solid colour rather than a design. Ailivery exports it for you next to the paint; keep the pair together and keep them at the same pixel dimensions. Resizing or resaving the region map with a smoothing filter blends its colours into in-between values the sim cannot key on, and the finishes stop working.Region mapcustomskin_region.tga - 4
Place and reload
Let the Ailivery Windows helper install the files into the Liveries folder, or put them there by hand — exact paths can vary by version and install location. Either way, press RELOAD in the in-game showroom. See the official Le Mans Ultimate community resources for current LMU guidance.
Liveries folder...\steamapps\common\Le Mans Ultimate\UserData\Liveries
If the livery doesn't show up
Wrong filename
The paint has to be exactly customskin.tga. Le Mans Ultimate reads that one fixed name and skips anything else silently — a renamed export is the most common reason nothing appears.
Wrong file format
TGA, not DDS. A DDS renamed to .tga is still a DDS inside and will not load.
Region map missing or mismatched
Without customskin_region.tga beside the paint, the sim has nothing to key surface finishes off. If it is there but the finishes look wrong, check it is the same pixel size as the paint and was not resaved through a smoothing resize.
Showroom did not refresh
After placing the files in UserData\Liveries, press RELOAD in the in-game showroom. Swapping the file while the showroom is already open does nothing until you reload.
Wrong folder
UserData\Liveries sits inside the game's own install directory, not under Documents. Exact paths vary by version and install location.
Le Mans Ultimate custom livery questions
How do I make a custom livery for Le Mans Ultimate?
Describe the design you want in Ailivery and it paints it onto the car's paint template — no Photoshop and no UV work. Export the TGA, keep customskin.tga and customskin_region.tga together in UserData\Liveries, and press RELOAD in the showroom using the steps above.
Where do Le Mans Ultimate custom liveries go?
...\steamapps\common\Le Mans Ultimate\UserData\Liveries. That is inside the game's install directory rather than under Documents, and exact paths can vary by version and install location.
Does Le Mans Ultimate use DDS?
No — Le Mans Ultimate reads TGA. That trips people up coming from sims that use DDS, and renaming a DDS to .tga does not convert it.
Why does my livery show up on every car?
Because the custom skin is one fixed showroom slot rather than a per-car folder. There is a single customskin.tga, so that is what the showroom loads. Swap the file to change the design.
What is customskin_region.tga for?
It is a flat region map. Its colours tell the sim which parts of the bodywork take which surface finish, so it is material data rather than a design — that is why it looks like blocks of solid colour. It has to match the paint file's pixel dimensions exactly.
Do I need an LMU paint template to start?
Not to design one. Ailivery paints on the car's template for you and exports the finished files, so you only ever handle the TGA pair. Le Mans Ultimate's own templates are typically under ...\Le Mans Ultimate\Support\LiveryTemplates if you would rather work from one by hand — see the paint templates guide for how templates work in general.
Can I put my team or sponsor logos on it?
Yes — upload your own logo files and place them where you want on the car. They are composited onto the paint rather than redrawn, so the marks stay sharp. See adding logos to a livery.
Is it free to make a Le Mans Ultimate livery?
Ailivery is free to start, so you can design and preview a livery before paying for anything. See pricing for how credits work after that.
Can I design one without Photoshop?
Yes. The whole point is that you describe the livery rather than draw it — see making a custom livery without Photoshop.
Design one with AI
Create original artwork in Ailivery and export it straight into LMU's TGA workflow.