Change Pro behavior once trial period ends

Given the numerous threads I’ve seen with people who try Pro 2018, then decide to go with Make and try to use the 2018 version files they created during the trial, a small change in what happens when the Pro trial ends might be in order.

Instead having zero function, allow only the following

  1. File → Open (through menu or double click on file)
  2. File → Save As

Thus creating the ability to use the files that were created without involving either SketchUp Free or the 3D Warehouse.

Also, preserve this in all future Pro versions.

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I think the ability to save files in older versions could be added to the free desktop version of SketchUp Viewer. (Just like the DWG TrueView from Autodesk that can convert files between DWG versions)

Or in incremental maintenance update to Make 2017 that just adds the ability to read in v2018 files?

That one is extremely unlikely at this point.

I figured, but I thought I’d throw it out there anyway.

And then another Make 2017 update when 2019 Pro comes out? And again in for 2020?

Seems easier to me to just build it into each new version of Pro instead of having to update Make every year. After all, isn’t NOT having to update make at least a small part of Trimble’s decision to go to SketchUp Free?

I like this, and Steve’s idea of having Pro revert to a Viewer in expired state.
It also would give the old idea that Dynamic Components should function in a viewer.
(All other editing extensions should not load however.)

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The essence of my suggestion is that people who already have Make 2017 (or, perhaps earlier) who try 2018 (and later) Pro have a means at their disposal to convert their orphaned (saved from Pro Trial, but trial now expired) files down to 2017 without having to resort to a cloud based solution.

To date, I’ve seen 3 ways recommended to convert orphaned 2018 files to earlier versions:

  • Upload to 3D Warehouse, then download earlier version
  • Open in SketchUp Free, then download from within program (2017 version downloads, no options for earlier versions)
  • Ask on this forum if someone with Pro will do the conversion

All of these rely on the cloud. And that is what I think isn’t a good thing.

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I get it, but the result (if this feature is implemented) is that expired Pro would operate in “view and save” only mode, making it essentially a Pro viewer.

I’d rather see developmental time spent on speed increases, bug fixes and added features.

Not arguing with you. Just emphasizing that I’d like to see Trimble supply a graceful, non cloud reliant solution to working with orphaned 2018 files. Will your solution do the trick? Absolutely. Does it require the “essentially a viewer” function to accomplish my purpose? No. Should Trimble choose the go this route, I’ll be just as happy as I would be if they implemented my specific suggestion: My purpose will be accomplished.

Just for the record, I remind readers of all the previous FRs having to do with a Pro Viewer that this would solve.

https://forums.sketchup.com/search?q=viewer%20category%3A25

In form me: Is it possible to upload a file to 3D Warehouse that can’t be accessed by anyone but yourself? Does Trimble Connect do the same translation function?

From my point of view, a bigger problem than relying on the internet for an solutions, my clients have a reasonable expectation of privacy that prohibits me from spreading their project and associated metadata with the world at large.

Yes. You can set them to be private. Here’s an example from my collection. All of my models in the Warehouse are private.

That is a great idea… The office was considering buying a license after trying it out for 30 days… Right now, we have files that are completely useless… but we have been able to import them into FormIt by Autodesk and continue working on them…

What an oversight from the makers of SketchUp… locking the user from using the files in a free version of SketchUp. Being resourceful, we have made the switch to FormIt…

If you’re using SketchUp you would need to be using the Pro version anyway and to buy a license now, you’d be getting SketchUp 2018 so your issue is moot.

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