Titan Icon: Unlock Your Potential

[Codewalker]

This post will always have the link to the latest version along with instructions, and is the best place to link to.

Icon Version 1.2

What is Icon?
Titan Icon is a small program that unlocks the City of Heroes costume creator for offline use. You can create, edit, load and save costumes, as well as preview power animations.

Download
http://repo.cohtitan.com/icon/icon.exe

Requirements
You must have either the latest Issue 23 (version 2320.201207182341.1) or Issue 24 (version 2400.201208211101.1) game client installed. The NCSoft launcher is not required. The Issue 24 client has more costume parts available and is recommended if you have it.

If you deleted City, or you're returning after a long absence, the Issue 24 client is available from savecoh.com. You must have either a torrent program or a SugarSync account. Both are explained on the download page.

Instructions

• Save icon.exe into your City of Heroes program folder. On a default install, this may be in C:\Program Files\City of Heroes, or C:\Program Files (x86)\City of Heroes on 64-bit systems. It should have a cityofheroes.exe file in it as well.
  
  
• Use Explorer to browse to that folder, and double click icon.exe. You can create a shortcut to it if desired.

Instructions for Mac Users
Thanks to TheManga for figuring this out! Original post here.

IMPORTANT:  MAKE A COPY OF YOUR CITY OF HEROES FOLDER.  Since we'll be modifying it irrecoverably, it's best to work with a copy.

• Download icon.exe from the link above.
  
  
• Toss the NCSoft Launcher in the trash.  Not really necessary, but it's fun.  Laugh while the trash empties.
  
  
• Use the finder's Go To Folder command and select ~/Library/Preferences.
  
  
• Delete com.ncsoft.* (anything beginning with that) and City of Heroes preferences.
  
  
• Right click on the City of Heroes application and select Show Package Contents.
  
  
• Go to Contents > Resources > transgaming > c_drive > coh  ....  or that last part might be Program Files > City of Heroes.
  
  
• Drag the icon.exe into the path above.
  
  
• Back up to Contents and select MacOS.  Click slowly twice in the name "cider" to rename it.  Change the name to "cider_die".
  
  
• Right-click on cider_noui and choose "Duplicate". Click slowly on the name "cider_noui copy" to rename it.  Change that name to just "cider".
  
  
• Backup to Contents again.
  
  
• Download this Icon.plist file:  http://repo.cohtitan.com/icon/Info.plist
  
  
• Go to Contents again, and drop the Info.plist there, replacing the existing one.
  
  
• Close everything up and launch the City of Heroes application.  It will go directly into the costume creator!
  
  
• (OPTIONAL) Change the name of the City of Heroes application to something like "CoH Costume Creator" to differentiate it.

[Codewalker]

Version History

Version 1.2

• After completing character creation, you can "Enter Game" to load a map relevant to the character type that you selected, so that you can see your costume in action in the various running animations. There are a total of 6 maps currently accessible, based on your choices when entering the game.
• This is an experimental feature, so many things won't work. Notably, doors are not usable and will freeze the client momentarily as it waits for a reply from a nonexistent server.
• You can press '1' to toggle flight mode. This isn't quite the same as the true Fly, as without a functioning powers system I had to make '1' change the laws of physics to something reasonably close to what it provides.
• You can press '2' as a reminder to certain corporate entities that we're still here -- we never left.
• The previously dev-only no-clipping mode has been made available so that you can reach indoor sections of these maps (since the doors don't work). Type /nocoll 1 in the chat window to turn it on; /nocoll 0 to turn it off.

Version 1.0

• Icon now has an icon!
• If cityofheroes.exe is not found in the current directory, a file browser window is opened to allow you to locate it manually. This should help people who run it from the Internet without reading the directions, and possibly give Mac users a workaround for Cider issues.
• Most in-game unlocks such as the Ascension set, Incarnate auras, etc. should now work without having to use NPC mode.
• 'Show free costumes only' checkbox is now forced off by default.
• Patched the game's NPC editor to not skip the origin, archetype, and powers screens. This will allow you to get back to the login screen in NPC mode, as well as preview powers.
• Icon is now slightly less of a stupid client hack and no longer uses a temporary file.

Known Issues

• Certain weapon unlocks (Rularuu weapons, Romulus weapons, etc) still don't work. Space in the exe is getting really tight so I don't know if there's a way to fix this. You can still use NPC mode to access them.

NPC Edit Mode

To launch the game in NPC Edit mode, you need to run Icon with a -n switch.

On Windows, the easiest way to do that is to create a shortcut to icon.exe (right click on icon.exe and use "Create Shortcut"). Once its created, right click on the shortcut and go to properties.

In the first box, "Target", go to the VERY end of the line, after everything else. Add a space, then type -n

Hit OK. You can then rename the shortcut so that you know it's for the NPC editing version, or move it to your desktop if you want.

[Codewalker]

Running Windows 7 x64 and getting a black screen and the error:

"Fatal Error"
File: bin/clientmessages-en.bin
Last Author/Status:Perforce.cpp failed to connect to Perforce

Unable to locate bin clientmessages-en.bin"

I miss something?

(I should add this is using the i23 live folder, last updated on That Final Day; I don't have Beta on this PC.)

That sounds like it's not being launched from the correct directory.

Try creating a shortcut to icon.exe. Then go to the properties for it and check the "Start in" box. It should say something like C:\Program Files\City of Heroes. If it doesn't, make sure it matches the path above -- up to the last \ before icon.exe.

[Codewalker]

This is awesome, but one issue. My post apocalyptic set is solid white, with no textures at all.

I see people posting pics that have textures on them. What am I missing? If it's a non-updated file, can someone send it to me?

Are you running the I23 or I24 client? I think an early work-in-progress version of post-apocalyptic may have been in I23, but only on beta was it finished.

Also, you may want to try going in to the graphics settings (if you hit the back button you can get back to the logon screen) and making sure that the Ultra mode options are turned on.

[Elias]

I just wanted to say thank you so much for this, Codewalker. I think I speak for much of the community when I say that this really means a lot to us. I bow before your awesomeness!

[Deck72]

Codewalker, I can't thank you enough for doing this, I just have one question from a software illiterate. Where exactly do I put the -n at? Thanks.

[Codewalker]

Codewalker, I can't thank you enough for doing this, I just have one question from a software illiterate. Where exactly do I put the -n at? Thanks.

I just added some instructions for that here. Let me know if those work or if there's some way that I can make the procedure more clear.

[Tacitala]

Thanks, [profanity].  I have both laundry and dishes to do today and now I'm all distracted. <3

[spindisc]

Pure Awesome! 

Now, if I only could remember the command line parameters to start CoH in larger resolution than 1280*1024. I want to see this in my full 1900*1200.

Anyone who can help me out here?

[Codewalker]

Just hit the 'back' button on the first page and you'll be at the login screen. From there you can hit the Settings button and tweak all your graphics options.

[Elias]

Unrelated to Icon itself, but is there a way to take screenshots inside the costume editor? Print screen doesn't seem to work as it did in-game, unfortunately. Is third party software the way to go on this one?

[GuyPerfect]

Alt+Enter switches to windowed mode.

Also, you can Paste after a Print Screen using a program like Paint, GIMP, Photoshop, etc.

[Kistulot]

Unrelated to Icon itself, but is there a way to take screenshots inside the costume editor? Print screen doesn't seem to work as it did in-game, unfortunately. Is third party software the way to go on this one?

Alt+Print screen does the trick

This is not only useful for CoH, its a command to copy whats in that exact window. Using that, and pasting it into any graphics program, you'll get what you're looking for

[spindisc]

Just hit the 'back' button on the first page and you'll be at the login screen. From there you can hit the Settings button and tweak all your graphics options.

Ah! I run it with the -n parameter and then it jumped all the way to the Body tab and I if I clicked in Origion to Powers tab they all sent me back to Body.

But now it worked, although after setting it up I could not select the 'server' to enter the editor again. Had to restart, but it remembered my settings.

[Artillerie]

Many thanks Codewalker, this is really helping to keep me cheerfull

One question please - i have gone for the NPC edit version on my CoH beta. When i run it i go straight to the character gender/dimensions page, skipping power selections completely - is this as intended?

Cheers again for this, amazing stuff!

[Elias]

Thanks for the swift and handy reply guys!

[psicotic]

Hello Codewalker i just wana say gratz and thanks for made this for the community of CoH.

If you Have some paypal account i happy donate some for you, you really deserve it!.

[Codewalker]

One question please - i have gone for the NPC edit version on my CoH beta. When i run it i go straight to the character gender/dimensions page, skipping power selections completely - is this as intended?

I think so. The NPC edit mode was created by the Paragon devs for making NPCs to export -- Icon just gives you access to use it.

Since NPCs don't really have the normal things like Archetype and player powers, it makes sense that it would skip over those.

[Keen]

Just tested this with the Steam client. Works flawlessly. Thanks, Codewalker!

On a related note, I'm part of the bunch that didn't download the latest Beta Client Any public download sources available?

[Leandro]

Those of you who don't have the i24 client, email me at leandrotlz@gmail.com and I'll send it over to you.

Edit: check out the download options at http://www.savecoh.com/p/download-issue-24-beta.html