SketchUp 8 Network activation

Technical Problems SketchUp
1

Hello,

We’re moving our network license server and I need to create a new license file for SketchUp 8. After entering the required license information, SketchUp uses a “Browse to Folder” dialog to select the network location of the license file. Trouble is, the server is not listed. Is there a way to enter the name of the server manually?

Thanks,
FWSchreck
KMD Architects

2

On Windows don’t server and share names begin with “\\” (double slash) ?

So if the server name was “zeus”, then a path like:

"\\zeus\ProgramData\SketchUp\SketchUp 8\SketchUp8.lf"

3

Hi Dan,

The licensing app doesn’t give me the option to type in the server path manually. The server we want to use doesn’t have the WINS service running currently, I think that’s why I can’t see the server name.

Fred

4

you can try the following:

  • do the product activation at a local drive resp. a network drive accessible for you
  • copy the SU license file “SketchUp8.lf” from the directory used above to the desired destination directory
  • Open the file “server.dat” with a text editor (Notepad) from the following path:
  • XP: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Trimble*\Trimble* SketchUp 8"
  • Vista+: “C:\Users\USER_NAME\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Trimble*\Trimble* SketchUp 8”
    (* older versions may use “Google” here)
  • enter the path to the license file in UNC naming convention, e.g. “\\zeus\SketchUpLic” and save.

this obviously will work only if the clients can access the shared directory and also do have full rights (read/write/delete).

5

So the SketchUp8.lf file that is created during the activation is not tied to the file location recorded in server.dat?

6

dunno but probably not, try it out and report here.

7

Simply linking to your moved license file with the “Set license” command will create a server.dat file with the correct license path. If I remember right, the latter displays a standard Windows file open dialog where you can also type the full UNC path. We used to link our license via a mapped network drive, and that also works OK if the path to the drive stays the same.

SU 2015 and 2016 use an internet-based license system instead.

Anssi