I want to make sure my Extensions are compatible with Sketchup Pro 2018 but if I upgrade to the SketchUp Pro 2019 Subscription model then I will no longer have access to SketchUp Pro 2018 right?
How can I upgrade to SketchUp Pro 2019 and still be able to test my extensions in SketchUp Pro 2018?
Will Classic be a better option for us developers?
I don’t have problem testing with SketchUp 2017 because of MAKE but it will be nice for us developers to have SketchUp Make 2016, 2015, 2014, etc for testing Plugins.
Sometimes I am asked if my extensions are compatible with SketchUp versions below 2017 and the best thing I do is ask them to try SketchUp Make 2017.
WRONG. Your Pro 2018 license is perpetual. It can operate side-by-side with other SketchUp versions on the same computer.
However, if you install a newer version on a computer with an older versions installed, you afterward cannot move older versions to another computer. (Basically the license model is a one seat license, and M&S upgrades should not be misused to run on more than one seat.)
I would think so, especially if under the subscription model that older versions cease to operate after the latest version is installed and activated.
Yes. Each version of SketchUp is installed independently of others. I currently have versions back to SketchUp 8 installed so that I can check compatibility with old versions. The only risk is that it is not assured that an old version of SketchUp will work correctly on an OS version that was released later.
If your M&S agreement is going to expire, you will need to renew it to continue to get support and upgrades. You might contact customer support directly if you are unsure whether yours will expire.
Dan that is almost correct. Legally, the license is for the latest version received under the M&S program. As you stated when someone upgrades under the M&S program, they do lose the ability to install new instances of the older versions. However realize that there are lots of circumstances where folks have legitimate reasons to use an older versions so we are flexible here and we do not explicitly deactivate older versions after M&S upgrades. End users who need to install an older version should call us if they cannot license due to upgrading.
Developers should sign up for our developer program and can get access to older licenses for testing. Let me know if you need help signing up.
Jack, that’s an excellent question. I had assumed the subscription would mean that you are always running the current version, that there would be no such thing as a second or older version under a subscription license. But maybe that’s wrong?
Correct, M&S is an element of the Classic license system. At this time there’s no automatic upgrades for the desktop apps for either subscriptions or classic. Upgrades & updates are effectively “opt in”.
The plan is to get to a point where subscribers are always on the latest and greatest version while classic customers will be prompted to install updates only. Upgrades = major version iterations while Updates = minor version iterations. We realize that lots of people rely on extensions so we’re not going to do anything that breaks anyone’s workflows. We’ll also be coming at this from both ends. Meaning technology on the application side and changes to our developer program to help keep extensions working as we release upgrades. That said, I’m a bit out of the loop as to what the plan is for extensions and how we’ll navigate this shift in upgrades. @ChrisFullmer is there anything you can add at this time?