Contrail / Weather issue

[Squad69780]

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Are you using Developer Mode or made changes in it?

No

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No. Issue occuring with FSLTL AI planes

Brief description of the issue:

With live weather On, no issue, everthing looks good.
But, with live weather Off, FSLTL AI Planes’ contrails are shortened and look strange.

Provide Screenshot(s)/video(s) of the issue encountered:

Provide coordinates (DevMode > Options > Display position)

Provide time & date of the observed Weather issue

Detailed steps to reproduce the issue encountered:

Using FSLTL and flying high altitude, switch Live weather Off.

PC specs and/or peripheral set up if relevant:

i9-13900k + 64Go RAM + 3080Ti

Build Version # when you first started experiencing this issue:

last version

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Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:

[DementedCorn327]

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?

yes. FSLTL must be installed and sim started in normal mode in order to replicate

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:

1- issue happens not only with FSLTL but also with MSFS Real-Time online Traffic (if you start the sim in normal mode)
2- Issue does not happen with MSFS Real-Time online Traffic when starting in safe mode. Looks like FSLTL folders must be taken in account to be able to reproduce the issue.
3- issue does not happen with your airplane, but contrail looks like very short, like the AI one under custom weather setup. What should be the right contrail length then ?, not too short and not too long (also depends of outside temperature/humidity/pressure). See a related wish to improve your own aircraft contrail length: Please extend & enhance engine smoke trails

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:

FSLTL Live Weather

FSLTL Custom Weather (same AI plane as previous screenshot), contrail length is reduced:

MSFS Real-Time online Traffic Live weather:

MSFS Real-Time online Traffic Custom weather (same AI plane as previous screenshot), contrail length is reduced:

[ConsularBuckle4]

Maybe the length of contrails reflects the ambient air temperature and humidity, after one of the latest updates?

[Squad69780]

I remember that FSLTL AI planes’ contrail lengh is randomly rendered. So i suppose that weather does/can not affect directly their lengh (even if it should).
Thus, activating or disactivating live weather option shouldn’t have any impact…
I prefer rendering with live weather activated and fly most often with it activated. However, using REX WEATHER FORCE, leads to contrail deterioration as live weather option must be desactivated.
Hope Asobe, FSLTL and/or REX teams would solve this issue !

[DementedCorn327]

I did more tests today and in safe mode I cannot reproduce the issue using MSFS Real-Time online Traffic. (cannot test FSLTL in safe mode since corresponding folders are deactivated). Contrails lengths are not too short and not too long neither. So maybe it is something that FSLTL need to have a look at on their side. Could you test on your side in safe mode to confirm ?
Also tried different temperatures/humidity as suggested by ConsularBuckle4 but it does not affect the contrails length.
Safe mode, custom weather, MSFS Real-Time online Traffic activated.

[DementedCorn327]

I have made the question over the FSLTL Discord (you can look for my question on the FSLTL Discord forum, I am using the same user than in this forum) and the answer is that it is not a MSFS or FSLTL bug but more likely a MSFS limitation related to custom weather that does not set the correct simvars used by FSLTL contrail logic. That is why only contrails in Live Weather works with the expected logic and not with custom weather. Looks like a technical request has been placed through Asobo dev portal, so need to wait for having it implemented.
They also provided provided following tip, could be a workaround for your issue:
Read the readme file in \Community\fsltl-traffic-base\VisualEffectLibs\contrail\VisualEffectLib. It’s says how you can switch to permanent longer trails.

[Squad69780]

Thank you very much for your tests and inputs !