SS
Rather late to the party, but my Boeing 744 training manual indicates re. max altitude - 'the calculations include the approx. fuel burn-off in climb from current to max operating alt; max altitude is limited by max certified alt and the max alt at which a 1.3g manoeuvre can be accomplished (1.2g for the FAA) at the planned cruise and climb speed; the max altitude is constrained by the more limiting of,.. a rate of climb of 100fpm at planned climb speed and max climb thrust,... or same rate of climb at planned cruise speed and max climb thrust.
(The max climb thrust may be max cruise thrust if so specified on the CDU PERF FACTORS page.)
The max alt calculation is (obviously) used for Optimum altitude and Step Climb point calculations. It is used internally to generate a message indicating that a cruise alt too high for corresponding cost-index, weight, speed limit and R o C. If too high a cruise alt is entered, the fuel predictions are suppressed.
Ther is no specific mention in this particular section of the book of wind and temp inputs to the equation.