No Internet, No SketchUp 2020/21

Like the classic network license, a subscription license could be ‘borrowed’ by an active action by the user in the welcome screen.
A message with time left or a date when you need to phone home again is respectful to the user’s experience.

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Mike, thanks for the helpful comments. I am learning a great deal that has a direct impact on my use of SU.

While we are on the topic of licensing modalities (classic and subscription), you made some excellent points in another post. Specifically these points:

Classic : adding a license will contact the servers and they will send a SketchUp.lic file in return. Upon first activation per machine, internet is required. This .lic file is used to validate upon startup. Once a machine is activated, you do not need internet, anymore.

Subscription With subscription, you will use your Trimble ID to log in. You need internet. It will return a temporary log file with your Plan information and place it somewhere in the User data. SketchUp will use this info to validate upon startup. No internet needed. If it exceeds the 28-days period, then it’s not valid , anymore, you will need to have access and log in , again. (internet required)

My ideal work environment for SU would be a local installation that does not ever require an Internet connection to function 24/7. From your post it appears the “Classic” license is my only choice. The only exception being the one-time connection for license activation.

Since the “Classic” license is an expensive purchase option, I cannot afford to make any costly purchase mistakes. Given the “Classic” license option (and maintenance option) ends Nov 2020, the push is on for a decision.

My question, just to confirm that no changes to licensing policies have occurred: Can the 2020 SU Pro “Classic” license be used 24/7 without an Internet connection (excluding a one-time license activation)? Should have said, without periodic contact with Trimble licensing servers.

Yes. :+1:

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I will ask about whether that is something that can be added.

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If you also mean that the boat is not in a cellular region where a temporary hotspot would solve the problem, then this is another case where a sign out and sign in would be useful. Proactively do that once a week, when you do happen to have Internet, then you will know you have three weeks worth of safety net.

I do need to test that idea though, to see when the four weeks is reset. There are three possibilities:

  1. It resets each time SketchUp notices itself to be online.
  2. It resets at the time that you do a sign in.
  3. It only resets when the previous four weeks runs out.

Clearly #3 is a problem case.

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Colin, in this post:

When Sketchup doesn’t start because of a license issue

Are these startup problems only associated with subscription based licensing?

You indicated:

One of the software libraries we use does a check in with Windows, about machine details

Does the classic license do similar checking?

The error happens with a fresh install of SketchUp, even before the license agreement appears. Long before you have declared whether you have a serial number or a subscription.

It has happened to enough people to make it be a serious issue, but it is still a very small percentage of overall users.

One wonders why software has been successfully sold and used for decades without such concerns. That’s what folks are comparing their SketchUp experience to.

Is the “yes” answer including the proviso that a Classic-license SketchUp Pro installation NEVER needs to perform periodic contact with Trimble licensing servers?

In other words, an internet connection is required the first day, but then NEVER again; Classic-license SketchUp Pro could be used every day for the next year without ever needing to contact Trimble for a license re-check?

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That’s how I understand it to be. A few features do require a sign in, but everything else will continue to work.

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Colin, making a decision to purchase a classic license before Nov 2020 represents a major expense. I cannot afford to make a costly purchasing mistake.

My sole reason for purchasing the classic license is to configure a laptop to be used entirely off-line. For this laptop, I require SU Pro 2020 to be fully functional.

Your response gives me pause. Can you identify which “features” of the classic license that require sign-in. And when you say sign-in, do you mean sign-in with a continuous Internet connection for these “few features”. I can live without access to 3DW and EW for instance.

The items that need a sign in are also the ones that you would need a connection to use, so it isn’t too much of a problem. Specifically, it is Extension Warehouse, 3D Warehouse, and Geo Location.

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Also, you cannot ‘download’ reports with File->Generate Report (V2)

FTR, To be able to use Generate Report you need to have access to the internet. Trimble does not gather or collect the actual data itself,

If offline, you get the old version, which is basically one giant spreadsheet.

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THIS, is one of the reasons WHY, this kind of business model is not very good for Users.
It suits Trimble and AutoDesk but it is not suited to User.

I understand why Trimble would want to minimize piracy or whatever, but this is precisely WHY we do not need to have this kind of software licensing model.
We need to RETAIN, the software on our desktop/laptop computers.

Hey Trimble, if you REALLY must be disruptive to your long lived user base, the very least you can do is look at implementing the Autodesk method where you have to log-in once a month or that is to say, when you open the software, you have to have a long-in at least once a month, otherwise the software stops working - I still think this is total B.S and really unhappy about the whole deal as are tens of thousands of other users around the world.

For goodness sake , this kind of problem should not be happening and the way to get rid of the problem, is to continue to let Users have thew software on their Desktop/laptop / own machine computers.

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With SketchUp, you need to log in once every 28 days, so four weeks. (7 days when you are in trial-mode)

FWIW, even the old licenses (from version 4 and up) needed internet to activate or remove the license.

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.

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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. :wink: