Sunrise/Sunset Season Offset (More Realistic Sun Times!) [UPDATED]

Update 2024-08-07: I have added a new option for this mod, EA adjusted, that isn't as extreme as my older versions but still accomplishes a more realistic offset than the game default.



Ever since I started playing The Sims 3 in 2009 I thought sunrise and sunset times in the game were not very realistic. This led me to create the Longer Days Mod three years ago (hosted here at MTS: http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=421863) but when the Seasons EP released I felt there was more to be done. EA had coded a sunset/sunrise offset that changed the sun times over the seasons but it just wasn't right. The default was still daytime between 6 and 18 in summer and then shorter days all the other seasons, which made no sense to me. So here's a mod changing the offsets, without changing the INI files.

There are three versions of the mod, and you should only use ONE at a time:

EA adjusted [NEW]
This version keeps the relative difference between seasons as EA intended but shifts the default time from summer to spring and fall, so that those two seasons get equally long days and nights while summer now has slightly longer days and winter has slightly shorter days. This makes for these sunrise/sunset times*:

Spring - 6:00/18:00
Summer - 5:00/19:15
Fall - 6:00/18:00
Winter - 7:00/16:45

Stockholm
This version changes the sunrise/sunset times to ones matching a more northern climate based on Stockholm, Sweden. I used the Stockholm sunrise/sunset data from 2013 for spring equinox, summer solstice, autumn equinox and winter solstice and applied these to the four seasons. This makes for these sunrise/sunset times*:

Spring - 5:30/18:00
Summer - 3:30/22:00
Autumn - 6:30/19:00
Winter - 8:30/15:00

Polar
This version changes sunrise/sunset times to reflect midnight sun and polar night, having these sunrise/sunset times*:

Spring - 6:00/18:00
Summer - Sun never sets**
Autumn - 6:00/18:00
Winter - Sun never rises***

* These are the sunrise/sunset times if the game uses INI files specifying standard sunrise and sunset at 6 and 18, if these values are changed the game will offset from the modified values.
** In-game this will work as such that the sun sets at midnight, then suddenly flips over to the other side of the world and rises the minute after.
*** In-game this will work as such that the sun rises at noon, then suddenly flips over to the other side of the world and sets the minute after.

If you wish to modify the package to make your own sunrise/sunset offset I have written a short guide on how to do it yourself, you can find it further down.

Requirements and Compatibility
This mod does not require the Seasons EP, but since all the changes are to Seasons related code it will do nothing useful if you don't have the EP.

This mod does not change any INI files and is therefore compatible with all lightning mods making changes to sky colours etc.

This mod makes changes to the SeasonsManager_0xda46c4abc19a24ff.xml file and is not compatible with any mod making changes to the same file.

This mod is made and tested with game version 1.57, and confirmed compatible for all patch versions up to and including 1.67, but should probably work with all patches down to the Seasons patch. I doubt they have made any changes to the XML since the EP release.

It has also been brought to my attention that you should be able to customize these settings yourself with NRaas Retuner, so if you have that mod you might not need this.

How to modify Sunrise/Sunset Season Offset mod to have your own times