Penumbra VS FFXIV_ACT_Plugin

you need penumbra if you don't have it yet and use that to install the mod

You can find various body edits on https://www.xivmodarchive.com/ . In order to use them, the easiest way is to use the XIVLauncher (https://github.com/goatcorp/FFXIVQuickLauncher) which enables the addon system. With that, download the addon "Penumbra" to use those edited bodies ingame (https://github.com/xivdev/Penumbra).

Runtime loader (Custom clothes, animation): https://github.com/xivdev/Penumbra (a year old)

You'll need Penumbra, which in itself requires Dalamud ala the FFXIVQuickLauncher tool. You can install FFXIVQuickLauncher via an installer and here's a video for installing Penumbra.

Download that, also download textools https://www.ffxiv-textools.net/ OR penumbra https://github.com/xivdev/Penumbra (this one also needs XIVLauncher) and then import the file you downloaded from nexusmods, and that's it.

Penumbra

Penumbra is a quicklauncher plugin (link) that allows you to non-destructively apply mods.

From what I understand that was fixed a few versions ago. https://github.com/xivdev/Penumbra/releases/tag/0.4.6.7

Should be this one I think.

Does ACT show you any information while fighting? if you don't see any numbers odds are you aren't launching it before logging into your character. A couple months ago the game updated in such a way that ACT no longer works if it isn't running before logging in. I don't know if that also means you can't turn off and then on again the live logging. You can read more about it over the github page (update from March 7 explains the issue, later updates attempt other ways to make it work as it used to).

FFXIV ACT (Deadly Boss Mods): https://github.com/ravahn/FFXIV_ACT_Plugin

ACT will attempt to update if one is available upon startup. If you wish to know faster as to when it's updated, you can check out the FFXIV ACT Discord. Link available through here: https://github.com/ravahn/FFXIV_ACT_Plugin