Desktop versions?

I am new to the community. I have been using sketchup make on my desktop for years. I guess that is not available anymore on my desktop. I don’t always have internet access so I want to stay with a desktop version. Are my only options for a desktop version to go to pro? Is the desktop version sketchup classic for $700. Is the classic version the same as my make version or is it the pro version? If I buy the desktop version is it just a one time charge or are the other fees? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks for any advice.

I’m not sure why your message was hidden, I’ll answer your questions without quoting you. Hopefully your questions will reappear later.

SketchUp Make 2017 is still available from the downloads page that everyone who is using SketchUp is given:

https://www.sketchup.com/download/all

There hasn’t been a 2018 version of Make, and since 2017 the trial of the desktop Pro version does not fall back to become Make when the trial ends. You could download Make 2017 and then update your profile to show that version.

The ongoing developed alternate to Make is the Free version. It does function offline, except for when you need to do a save. Your changes are saved in cache files, so in theory even if your browser crashed while you’re offline, you should be offered the model you were working on when you reopen the page.

If you did get a desktop version of Pro there are now more choices. The $695 ‘Classic’ version is the desktop app we’ve know all this time. It would give you a permanent license to use whatever version is released while you still have a maintenance and support contract. So, getting Classic now would give you the desktop application, and the rights to get all updates for the next 12 months. After that there is an optional $120 per year to keep getting updates, and to be able to contact support.

The next alternative now is SketchUp Pro subscription. It’s $299 per year, which if you stopped subscribing to, the application would no longer run. The $299 includes the same desktop application you get for $695, and also includes the Shop version of the web SketchUp application (that would cost $119 per year on its own). You also get unlimited Trimble Connect storage, and support for AR, VR, Hololens, and Windows mixed reality headsets, that on its own used to cost $1500.

One thing to know while thinking about this, if you intend to use SketchUp as part of your business, where you create income by using SketchUp, the licenses dictate that you would need the Shop, Classic, Pro, or Studio versions. Using Make or Free for commercial use isn’t covered in the license, even if those versions can do everything you need to do.

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I must be doing something wrong. I tried to download 2017 make. It prompted me to uninstall the expired trial of Pro. I did that and then installed the 2017
make but when I try to open the program it is asking me to choose between a free pro trial or try sketchup free. I chose no thanks / exit rather than to agree but every time I try to open 2017 make it goes back the this same screen. I don’t want the free
pro trial or the sketchup free just the 2017 desktop make version. Do I need uninstall the program again and reinstall? I am not sure what I am doing wrong.

Thanks again for helping with this.

With 2017 Pro, you would use it during the trial and then it would no longer work. With 2017 Make, it starts off as Pro, and when the trial ends it falls back to being Make.

In the case where you had run through the trial in the Pro version, then uninstalled and installed Make, I’m not sure if Make sees that you have run through the trial period. If you’re given the option to trial Pro again, you could do that. If you’re not given that option, you are asked to agree to something.

Best we can tell is that you are agreeing to use Make for non-commercial purposes. You’re not agreeing to buy Pro. So, as soon as you use the Agree button, you will then have Make 2017 running.

The trial he finished was the 2018 Pro trial. So naturally the 2017 Make installation cannot see this and offers him a 2017 Pro trial period. No harm, no foul. After 30 days it’ll revert to Make functionality.

Yes it is asking if I want to trial Pro again. That is what I was doing before but the trial ran out so I tried to download Make and that is when it told me
to uninstall the program I already had. Every year when I updated to the newest version it would trial pro first but it always allowed me to roll into Make after the trial. I am not sure what I am doing wrong this time. I will try the Pro Trial again if
it will let me. Thanks again. You have been very helpful.

Thanks for noticing that.

As said above, this workflow (Pro trial reverting to Make) ended with the 2017 releases. Since there is no 2018 Make, there can be no reverting to Make.

So you start again with the 2017 installer, and you get another trial this time a 2017 Pro trial for 30 days. Enjoy.

Cool thanks. I am a big fan of sketchup!

OK downloaded 2017 make to my desktop again. Set up my preferences and drew a cabinet. Saved it to the desktop and when I tried to open it asked me how I wanted
to open the file? Then prompts me to look for an app in the store. I have never had the problem before. What am I doing wrong? It saved is as an skb file. I am not that computer savvy but I have gotten relatively proficient with Sketchup make over the
years.

That would be the backup file, which is saved in the same folder were the SketchUp (*.skp ) resides

ok thanks. I will see if someone around here can help me find the main file. I saved it to my desktop but the only files on my desktop are the backup files
now

The standard location to save models is set under Window->Preferences->Files

If you have override that during a session via File->Save and choose a different location, do another save and when the windows explorer pops up, check the mame and location of that folde…