# Control panel

The control panel can be called from the plugin menu (_Four Seasons -> Control Panel_)

![](https://1546321263-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-Lv_qCKT8yHHpQ-G3_rX%2F-LyJ9lfi09H-qLGO4Iwc%2F-LyJAJbLjav5ibFRRA0r%2Fcontrol_panel_v1_8.PNG?alt=media\&token=bb319ced-e969-4374-aa4b-0b0a8bccff4f)

### Season determination modes

**Automatically determine the season and reload textures as follows:**\
If checked Four Seasons tries to calculate an appropriate [representation of the&#x20;season](season-determination).\
In automatic mode, the textures reload must be confirmed by the user.

* **Always:**\
  Four Seasons detects seasons changes during every flight phase.\
  If the aircraft is flying, the season is calculated every 60 seconds.\
  Since the aircraft could fly through different zones in a short period of time, in order to avoid frequent and undesiderable reloads, after a confirmed reload event, Four Seasons will dynamically calculate a  period without textures reloads based on time passed and temperature difference from the last change.

{% hint style="info" %}
These "no texture reload" periods are suspend if:\
\- The aircraft is relocated to a new airport\
\- The date is changed
{% endhint %}

* **Only with aircraft on ground and stopped:**\
  The reload event is issued only with the plane stopped and on the ground (a tipical situation happens after the repositioning of the aircraft on a new airport).\
  During the flight phase, with this option enabled, Four Seasons still determines seasons changes and reflect them on the control panel, but does not ask for a reload (but the user can apply them using the "Refresh & Reload" button).\
  On the ground the season is calculated every 10 seconds.

| Automatic mode                           | Flight phase        | Calculation interval | Notes                                                          |
| ---------------------------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Always                                   | On ground & Stopped | 10 seconds           |                                                                |
| Always                                   | Flight              | 60 seconds           |                                                                |
| Only with aircraft on ground and stopped | On ground & Stopped | 10 seconds           |                                                                |
| Only with aircraft on ground and stopped | Flight              | 60 seconds           | No textures reload but the expected season is still calculated |

**How the textures reload is handled in automatic mode?**

If one of the above automatic modes is selected and a season change is detected, Four Seasons displays a request to the user (while this request is on screen, the calculation of new seasons is suspended):

![](https://1546321263-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-Lv_qCKT8yHHpQ-G3_rX%2F-Lx1cRMVe8zhl3ln_cnd%2F-Lx1d_x_8NdSvulBxXl7%2Ffour_seasons_ask_for_reload.PNG?alt=media\&token=66ae8c07-d0f4-43b0-8b81-2f74ccb16376)

* Selecting "_Yes_", the new season is applied and the seasons textures are reloaded.
* Selecting "_No_", the new season is applied but the seasons textures are **NOT** reloaded.

{% hint style="info" %}
If the user opts to decline a textures reload, the proposed season still becomes the active season. This means that the user can only refuse to reload the textures, but internally Four Seasons activates the new season.\
If subsequently the user changes its mind, it can start a texture reload using the "Refresh & Reload" button.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
If during a flight you want to stop these requests, just select the "_Only with aircraft on ground and stopped"_ mode, or select a manual season.
{% endhint %}

**Manual selections**\
Selecting one of the listed seasons and pressing "Save & Apply", Four Seasons will use the season of&#x20;your choice.\
The "Disabled" option, will make Four Seasons transparent to the installed sceneries, and the default textures will be loaded.

### Options

**Treat "Winter with Patchy Snow" as "Winter with Snow"**\
With this option enabled, whenever the season (in automatic or manual mode) is "Winter with Patchy Snow", Four Seasons will treats it as "Winter with Snow". \
This option is useful if you are using SAM Seasons wich doesn't have an equivalent season as "Winter with Patchy Snow" (see the [Table showing Four Seasons mappings to SAM Seasons](https://marangonico.gitbook.io/four-seasons/supported-texture-packs-and-plugins/sam-seasons)).

{% hint style="info" %}
Four Seasons is already mapping "Winter with Patchy Snow" to the correspondent season in SAM Seasons, but with this option enabled you won't get the reload request when transitioning from "Winter with Snow" to "Winter with Patchy Snow" and vice-versa.
{% endhint %}

**When summer, use non seasonal/default textures**\
Some texture packages does not provide seasons textures.\
They only have one set of textures that overrides the default X-Plane textures, and they tipically represent a summer set (an example of these packages is SFD Global).\
If the used texture package provides summer textures, the SFD Global textures/objects won't be displayed.

Let's say we are using SAM Seasons (which provides summer textures), but we'd like to use SFD Global textures for summer. Enabling this option, Four Seasons will act accordingly, disabling all seasons and allowing the display of the default/replacement textures.\
Anyway Four Seasons will remain active and will intercept potential seasons changes.\
\
**Feed TerraMaxx datarefs**\
Four Seasons will feed the datarefs used by Terramax compatible sceneries&#x20;and textures packs.

**Feed SAM Seasons datarefs**\
Four Seasons will feed the datarefs used by SAM Seasons compatible sceneries&#x20;and textures packs.

**Pause the simulator on season change**\
When a season change is detected, Four Seasons will pause X-Plane (if not already paused). When the user confirms or declines the texture reload, the previous simulator state will be restored.

**Write debug info to log.txt**\
Four Seasons will write verbose info to log.txt. Useful for debugging on&#x20;request. \
Leave it disable if not needed, otherwise it would flood the log.txt.

### **Buttons**

**Help**\
Open this documentation.

**Refresh & Reload**\
If an automatic mode is selected, Four Seasons will calculate  the correct season.\
After that a reload of the textures&#x20;will be started.

**Calculate Season**\
Four Seasons will calculate the season.\
If an automatic mode is selected and the season is changed, Four Seasons will ask for a textures reload.

**Save & Apply**\
Four Seasons will save current settings and apply them.\
If an automatic mode is selected and the season is changed, Four Seasons will ask for a textures reload.
