Skalp Extention not loading on all Sketchup versions

[Thom17043]

@i5963c

I’m currently also facing the issue that my Skalp extension indicates that it is ‘expired’. The error message that I get when launching Sketchup is very similar to the one of the OP, although my versions are different. I use Sketchup Make 2017, in combination with Skalp version 2 (the version that belongs to Make 2017). The combination worked fine for almost 2 years. When I bought Skalp, it clearly indicated that the license was permanent and would keep working as long as it was used in combination with the Sketchup version that was used when buying Skalp.

I just ran into this as well using SketchUp Pro 2017 and Skalp 2.0. I did get a response from the developer, but apparently “permanent” means different things to different people.

We regret to inform you that all Skalp versions running on SketchUp 2020 or earlier no longer work as of January 30, 2025. This is due to a security measure we implemented 10 years ago, which included a hardcoded expiration date in these older Skalp versions. Unfortunately, it is impossible for us to rebuild these versions without this security feature. As a result, there is no longer a working Skalp plugin available for these older SketchUp versions.
To accommodate you, we have upgraded your current license free of charge to the latest version of Skalp. However, to continue using Skalp, you will need at least SketchUp 2021.
We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions or need assistance with the transition, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Best regards,
Guy
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Support Skalp

Followed by:

The Skalp license does not have an expiration date, and I’ve even included free upgrades until January 30, 2026.
However, please note that we only have working Skalp versions for SketchUp 2021 or newer. Unfortunately, all these SketchUp versions are subscription-based, which is beyond our control.
Let me know if you have any questions.

So your license never expires, but the software does…

[i5963c]

Recently, I’ve also been in touch with the Skalp developer about this issue. We’re both living in Belgium, so that’s a bit easier to communicate…
Based on our information exchange, I’ve been able to create a ‘semi-automatic workaround’ (with some assistance of the Skalp people), so that I can continue to use Skalp. However, it should be noted that I’m using Windows PC’s, while your profile seems to indicate MacOS. I’m not sure (actually, I doubt) whether my Windows-based workaround is 100% compatible with the Mac platform, although I assume that it may be feasible to mimic my automated workaround via some manual actions. Or, there might exist similar, equivalent alternatives on Mac.
If you would be interested in our solution for this problem, please let me know how we can get in touch directly.