ANSWERED Seasonal change

[tonyc1946]

I am wondering if FTX changes seasons automatically within itself or if it is linked to the FSX seasonal options.

 

Presently FSx still classifies November as Fall whereas in many parts it is definitely winter.

 

I noticed that there is "winter" and "hard winter" options spoken of in some FTX software advertising but I don't see it anywhere in my FTX manual options.

 

How does this work?

 

Thanks as always!

[Wolter van der Spoel]

fsX determines the seasonal changes, which is pre-coded with the calendar

[tonyc1946]

Thanks Wolter

 

So when does it distinguish between Autumn (Fall), Winter, Hard Winter, presumably Winter again, then Spring?

 

I assume that the Latitude also helps determine the "Hard Winter" appearance but I wondered how and to what level (latitude) this happens. Obviously there has to be a gradual lessening of the "hard winter" snow the further south you fly.

 

I am curious how they have achieved this and whether it is possible to influence it when for instance snow happens in the UK in March or April (it can and has happened many times).

[Wolter van der Spoel]

to my knowledge it can be altered , but the how and with what is out of my field, one of the Developers should be able to answer that

[Holger Sandmann]

Hi there,

 

for more information about our custom seasons files (delivered with the FTX Regions) and limitations of the default seasons control file please see

 

http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/18695-pnw-textures/?p=162697

 

http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/86437-season-transition-problems/

 

Cheers, Holger

[tonyc1946]

Hi there,

 

for more information about our custom seasons files (delivered with the FTX Regions) and limitations of the default seasons control file please see

 

http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/18695-pnw-textures/?p=162697

 

http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/86437-season-transition-problems/

 

Cheers, Holger

Thanks so much Holger that is really interesting.

 

Just so I have this right,  Winter and Hard Winter can happen together depending on Latitude, Altitude and so on, or by month/time or all the above? Plus is there any way for the user to bring hard winter say to the low lands of Southern UK if the weather there produces snow for instance?

 

Many thanks

 

Tony

[Holger Sandmann]

Hi Tony,

 

any one of the seasonal variants can be called to display next to any other, assuming it makes sense climatologically. Usually mild/hard winter boundaries would primarily placed at specific altitudes to model advancing or retreating snowlines. 

 

There is one condition that overrides the seasons control file and that is a weather situation with active snowfall, like the "winter wonderland" weather preset. If you load a flight with snowfall the landscape will display the hard-winter variants; if the current season is not hard winter but snow begins falling during the flight then the sim will automatically switch all ground and autogen textures to their hard winter variants. That often looks weird because you can see individual texture tiles switching rather than having some gradual transition. Also, it's a one-way street in that the textures won't get changed again when the snowfall ends.

 

In short, if the local weather in the southern UK includes falling snow then you will eventually see hard winter textures. 

 

Cheers, Holger