First question -I’m still having difficulty understanding the whole subscription license business. If I have a subscription license and do not renew it in the future does that mean I can’t open the file anymore in Sketchup because I don’t have access to Sketchup?? If that is so, would it not be wise to save it as an earlier version which I can open because it was a Classic license?
Secondly I have 2021 activation code which I must use before 29/01/21 as that is when my maintenance and support ends and as yet I haven’t installed it. I am assuming if I do it will stay on the computer but not get any upgrades after this date. what happens to any files created in it?
Finally I have looked at the info on new features and can’t see anything apart from the tag upgrade that will make any difference to me. On first impressions these upgrades feel somewhat underwhelming again. I don’t want to miss out on future upgrades that may be operationally significant but I really don’t want to be dragged into a fear purchase. Keep upgrading or lose out. Is it sensible to carry on or not?
Your 2021 license should work even if you don’t get around to activating it before your support ends.
One of the new things in 2021 is that the file format was changed to be future proof. If you were to try the subscription for a couple of years, and made files in the 2022 or 2023 versions, those files would still open in your 2021 Classic license version. You could test to make sure that is true as you go along.
Thank you Colin. Does that also mean that from 2021 onwards those files can’t be opened by earlier versions?
No new versions of just about any software can be opened by earlier versions.
But, you can back save so things created in new versions can be opened in earlier versions.
And all versions can be opened in the web version,
2021 is the start of the future proof file format. As Box says, in any version you can save as to an older format, but starting with 2021, or 2022 to be more exact, you won’t need to save as. 2021 will be able to open a 2022 or 2023 (etc) version file.
This is why it gets confusing, if the file is 2023 you say you can open it with 2022 but by then your subscription to 2022 will have run out …
I currently model in SU 2020 and send it to someone else who renders it. The latest version they have is 2014 so I save my drawing as 2014 and send that to them. If I do it in 2021 if I understand this correctly, I can still save it in say 2014 and send it out to the same person to render it. I still have a perpetual license on 2014. I thought I understood it until Box said gave the above 2023/2022 example!
No, it works the way you say. You have perpetual now, it will change going forward. But your perpetual doesn’t change.
The new ‘future proof’ format reverses to the old style for saving purposes in that version? The new future proof example means that from 2021 it can only be only be opened if you have a current subscription, or failing that, the web version will open it? I am asking this as I am not far off retiring and need to now that any work I do over the next year or two can be accessed if I need to do so and at that time I may no longer be a subscriber.
If you model something now, going by the current history of the software, in 20 years you should be able to open and view the model.
Thank you box.
Thank you