Terramaxx season setting by temperature

[JRBarrett]

I have been having good results with the winter seasonal textures at airports in the northern US. However, I had an issue at Albuquerque, NM (KABQ)

 

The airport is only at 35 degrees latitude, and it appears TM is coded to set summer textures no matter what. I was using real-world time in the sim (04 January), and real weather provided by ASXP. The weather was very cold (-14 C), and it was snowing heavily, yet TM insisted on setting “summer” textures. I know that in the product description is says that it should take the in-sim date and weather into account. Perhaps that only affects the division between “mild” and “hard” winter.

 

Is there a specific latitude below which TM will always set summer in auto mode? I can, of course, force-load winter textures for any location through the menu. There are many locations in the US at approx 35 degrees latitude that can nonetheless occasionally get heavy snow in the dead of winter.

[Cameron]

I don't believe we advertise anywhere that weather is taken into account.

It's a matter of best plausibility for the latitude and longitude you're in for a given time of year.

Frank can respond further, but I want to clear that air.

[JRBarrett]

I don't believe we advertise anywhere that weather is taken into account.

It's a matter of best plausibility for the latitude and longitude you're in for a given time of year.

Frank can respond further, but I want to clear that air.

From the description page for Terramaxx:



“Automatic swapping of X-Plane’s default scenery with seasonal representations of summer, autumn, mild winter, and deep winter based on your simulated location, date, and temperature.”

I know there is a temperature setting to control the switch from mild to hard winter -perhaps that is what is being referenced.

[Cameron]

1 minute ago, JRBarrett said:

 

From the description page for Terramaxx:



“Automatic swapping of X-Plane’s default scenery with seasonal representations of summer, autumn, mild winter, and deep winter based on your simulated location, date, and temperature.”

I know there is a temperature setting to control the switch from mild to hard winter -perhaps that is what is being referenced.

 

Right, but temperature alone is not good enough to say "hey, there's snow here!"

Even Florida can get below freezing a couple of days throughout the year on occasion, but it doesn't mean there's actual snow falling from the sky.

I would say TerraMaxx likely saw the temperature, but dismissed the plausibility of snow because it's not a constant common in the region you were flying for the boundaries setup within the plugin.

[JRBarrett]

Right, but temperature alone is not good enough to say "hey, there's snow here!"
Even Florida can get below freezing a couple of days throughout the year on occasion, but it doesn't mean there's actual snow falling from the sky.
I would say TerraMaxx likely saw the temperature, but dismissed the plausibility of snow because it's not a constant common in the region you were flying for the boundaries setup within the plugin.

If I may suggest as a consideration for future improvement of the product that perhaps elevation could also be taken into account? Though ABQ is at latitude 35N, it is also at over 5,000 feet elevation. It’s not as frigid there by any means as someplace like northern Minnesota - but it can get quite cold. Overnight lows below freezing are the rule from Dec to Feb, and snow is possible at any time in the city during the winter months - and the surrounding mountains typically always have snow cover in winter.

This is even more the case farther west over the Colorado Plateau of northern Arizona, which is at even higher elevation. Even at latitude 35 north, snow on the ground is the rule in mid winter, not the exception in this part of the state.

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what you have done with this product, working within the current limitations of X-Plane, but taking ground elevation into account might help bring more realistic winter depictions in mountainous plateau parts of the world (where latitude alone might otherwise suggest non-winter textures).

[ikanber]

My hometown in izmir - Turkey, I haven't seen any god damn snowflakes for over 15 years but in TM/XP auto mode always set deep winter?!