ETS2 1.41 photo mode: time and weather controls explained

Euro Truck Simulator 2 update 1.41 expanded Photo Studio with direct control over the scene’s time and weather. SCS Software previewed the revised interface on May 3, 2021, then shipped the update in July. The change made it possible to compose a shot under different lighting conditions without leaving photo mode and waiting for the game world to reach the desired hour.

The key addition is a time-of-day slider. Moving it changes the position of the sun and the overall lighting while the truck, trailer and camera stay in place. Separate weather controls let the player cycle through the available conditions for the current scene. Together, these tools make it much easier to compare dawn, daylight, sunset and night compositions or to choose cloud cover that suits the paintwork and location.

The controls work alongside the existing camera tools rather than replacing them. A practical workflow is to place the camera and frame the vehicle first, adjust field of view and depth-of-field settings, and only then test the time and weather combinations. Lighting can change the apparent contrast of the cab, reflective parts and background, so focus and exposure-related choices are best checked again before saving the final image.

Before 1.41, capturing a specific atmosphere could require returning to the drive, advancing time or waiting for different weather, then reopening Photo Studio and rebuilding the shot. The new controls shorten that loop and encourage direct comparison: the same location can be tested under several conditions without losing the camera position.

Photo mode was only one part of the 1.41 release. The update also introduced the Convoy multiplayer mode, revised quick travel and several map and interface changes. Photo Studio received the new time and weather tools within that wider update.

SCS showed the feature in a development build in May 2021 and included it in the official 1.41 release that July. Newer ETS2 versions may reorganize the interface, while the controls still combine scene composition with time and weather selection.