Is that written down somewhere, or have you found that out empirically ?
thanks
Here is an article about various errors that could occur, and it does talk about the being offline for too long error:
For a desktop scenario, this may not be an issue. Where it does become an issue is with a secondary pc, like a laptop. My laptop sits unused between field trips. If I am lucky, I will remember to charge it before I leave. Otherwise, charging in the car.
I use other software that requires a periodic connection. When the software is launched or left running, after not being connected for an extended period of time, the software issues an on-screen message providing a 7-day grace period before the program becomes unusable. The program is still usable.
In the case of SketchUp, the 28 day clock is running with no feedback provided for the customer. One might pickup the laptop, travel to a destination without internet connectivity, open the laptop and find SketchUp unusable. No grace period, no warning, just unusable.
A toolbar display showing status of the 28 day clock, or a display message during launch, would be a helpful reminder.
I think a number of days left display would be nice, but would it have helped your example situation?
If I failed to power on the laptop and launch SU before I hit the road, probably not. But, now, with my updated travel check list, it might save the day. Being provided an emergency grace period would be additional insurance. 
- “You have been offline too long” SketchUp Pro for Desktop requires a periodic check-in with the authorization server. If you are offline longer than 28 days then you’ll need to re-connect to the network to continue using SketchUp.
This shouldn’t be considered an error this is poor implementation of an anti piracy device at the expense of the user.
Many users have non internet connected locations and they shouldn’t have to move their computer to a network just to continue using the software.
I can completely understand that you need a connection to install and license the software, or unlicense it, or use the warehouses etc. But just to use the software should be possible without a connection. I have an old tower computer that I have buried in a small space on my boat, the screens, mouse, keyboard etc are all remote, if I didn’t have a phone that can connect to the very flaky internet I would have to dig that tower out ever four weeks just to take it somewhere so it can Phone Home. Ridiculous. I’m often well out of range of any cell towers and so are many other people, mine is not an unusual case.
I was writing a longer reply, but started to realize I was giving a few ways to use SketchUp without paying anything to us. One easy example, you buy SketchUp Pro subscription, within 14 days you get it onto some number of machines that you don’t mind being offline, then you ask for a refund. As things are, you managed to get 28 days of free use per machine. If it could work offline until the end of your subscription, you get a year’s worth of use per machine, for free.
28 days is a reasonable compromise. You can get that much time just by doing the free trial.
I still plan on finding out more about whether the 28 days starts when you last signed in, or when the previous 28 days ran out. That makes a big difference to the argument.
Or you buy a cracked version and have full unlimited use.
Thou shalt not…
I have had to work with computers that are required not to be connected to the Internet as a client requirement, not even temporarily. I understand that SketchUp has a solution for that but you have to contact the team for it.
It’s highly likely that it would be me with a solution!
For Classic licenses we are able to make an offline version of the license. It uses the same serial number and authorization code, but we hand enter the MAC address of the computer that will be using the license. Then it’s the same as if the computer had been online to get the license approved.
There are times when a subscription user has a case where they know for sure that they will be completely offline for a few months. I can make a classic license that lasts that long, but I don’t want to be doing that for people just to save them remembering to be online once every four weeks.
Antartica? The moon? Visiting with UFO’s in the 9th dimension?
I’m guessing the vast majority of users are like me, haven’t been offline for 30 days since 1994.
well. the British Antarctic Expedition is a thing…
Likely that the Antarctic bases have more reliable internet connectivity than vast parts of regional Australia. 1 million + users, vast majority 90%?, (off line 100,000? or without reliable internet). Just tough luck if in the 100,000, or simply have no internet at the time when time you need to do work.
Suggesting that nearly everyone has reliable permanent internet is naive.
What I actually suggested was…
haven’t been offline for 30 days since 1994.
Having unreliable Net access is one thing. Being offline for more than a month is another.
Hi Colin, do you need to wait until the 28-day period passes in order to know what’s the behaviour of license checking? Can’t you just ask to the dev team (and add a corresponding article in the KB)?
I asked a product manager and a developer about this, and they said the same thing. Signing in does reset the 28 days, if you are going on a long trip offline, and want to be sure that you can still use SketchUp, signing out and in again before you disconnect from the Internet would give you the full 28 days.
I’ve asked Jody if it would be possible to edit the places where we mention 28 days, to say that signing in resets that period.
It will never extend past the end of your subscription though. If you go on your trip one week before your subscription is due to renew, you only have 7 days of offline time. That would go back up to 28 days after you had renewed.
Thank you for your support, @colin