Sketchup Pro 2017 crashing at startup

I just bought / downloaded the 2017 version after trying out the 2016 last year … and it crashes every time I startup Sketchup.

I see the bug, no idea what’s wrong. I see others having had the same issue, how did you solve it ?

Thanks, any lead to solve this is much appreciated.

Your profile says you are on Mac, so nearly all of the discussions about crash-on-launch won’t apply to you, they are Windows-specific. I don’t remember which models use(d) a NVIDIA GeForce8800 GT 512MB. How old is your Mac? If it is old, it’s possible that it isn’t up to the more stringent OpenGL requirements of SU 2017 and you will have to stay with 2016. But if it isn’t so old, there must be another explanation.

How far does SU get when you try to launch it? Does it just vanish without a trace or does it seem to be starting and then crash? What do you see before the crash? Does it generate a BugSplat or simply vanish?

Steve,

Thanks for getting back so fast. The Mac Pro is early 2008, but I don’t think that’s the issue … I guess it is the case sensitive boot disk I have.

I see the first screen where I click on the button “Start using SketchUp”. After that I get the bug.

I am ok with using 2016, but now just paid and downloaded 2017.

I might have a workaround, and it is not the OpenGL … I use a very very old iMac from my wife and guess what, it seems to work. However, now I can’t use the 30” inch screen attached to my Mac Pro, just not convenient.

Reto

Case-sensitive is not supported. What’s the use case for case-sensitive, as I’ve asked others.

Before going into any depth, let me ask: how technically sophisticated are you? If you are not a confident OS X techie, your best answer may be to wait and see whether Trimble fixes this in a maintenance release. A member of the Trimble team has acknowledged that case-sensitive filesystems weren’t considered during the build and can cause SU to crash. So, you know the problem is on their radar…it’s a matter of priority vs the other issues they need to fix.

Edit: Barry posted while I was typing. It is possible that “not supported” will be the answer if they conclude it is too much trouble to fix.

That’s the way the computer came many years ago. It would be great if SketchUp would make it obvious or have Sketchup run a test before I pay and download. Interestingly enough when I did the trial with 2016 it actually worked, despite case-sensitive. So now I have opted for 2017 version to buy the latest version and I am stuck with an application that doesn’t work on my Mac.

Steve,

Thanks, should have copied you on Barry’s replay, he wasn’t very diplomatic with his solution.

I guess I need to wait or make an effort to swap the boot disk with a case-unsensitive disk. It is work but I can do it, unfortunately now I need this specific computer for preparing the accounting system for the upcoming tax
return. So unless you guys have a solution I will not be able to use Sketchup 2017 until the tax return is filed and I can work on the hardware.

Strangely enough when I worked with the 2016 trial version it all worked like a charm, and now I opted to buy the new 2017 in the new year … and I am stuck with an expensive software I can’t use.

Best,
Reto

There are ways around this:

BUT you do need to back up data to another disk…

SketchUp Sage,

Thanks, will remove the case-sensitivity from this specific Mac in spring, currently not possible as the computer is critical until April. So I am stuck with the latest SketchUp and I can’t use it. Wish SketchUp would give you a chance to get the money back or at least a 2016 version for free until they fix their software.

Ciao

This is undiplomatic? “Case-sensitive is not supported. What’s the use case for case-sensitive, as I’ve asked others.” Haha… you haven’t been reading my posts have you?

There is no need for case-sensitive disks: I thought it was stupid too when I was working for NeXT and Apple bought us, but they convinced me. I’m just curious why people see the need for it. We’re not the only app that doesn’t support this.

the only reasons I was ever given was running OS X Server, developing for the Server or developing for iOS…

there where reported problems with v16 and case-sensitivity as well…

the issue seemed to be that some extensions use require 'CamelCaseFileName' when the filename is actually ‘camelcasefilename’ or the reverse…

this isn’t a problem with the ‘normal’ OS X ‘Case Aware’ file system…

john

John,

Thanks, unfortunately that doesn’t help in my case. I am stuck with a 2017 license on a computer that doesn’t like the 2017 version. I hope to get a free 2016 version until they fix the software.

The file system shouldn’t even be offered this way, I got the hardware already formatted this way and now it bites me.

Best, Reto

OK, I get it for servers, or an office with a lot of Unix… but those two cases don’t typically apply. We’ve had a ticket for quite some time about case-sensitivity, but when you look at all the other things we work on, this has never bubbled up far enough to change. I have about 3 cases now out of millions of users, and I’m all for making it case sensitive, but I’ll need a little more ammo to convince anyone it’s a worthwhile effort.

Plus, you’ll get your wish soon, as Apple moves to the newer APFS (Introduction), which IS case-sensitive. But in the short term, that makes an unlikely case-sensitive fix even less likely.

Barry,

First of all a great compliment to SketchUp, it is a great software and makes my projects much easier to plan and execute. You guys did a great job !
I get your point about the priorities, but as a user I am still stuck with a piece of software I purchased - and I bought the 2017 version - which I can’t use.
So until SketchUp made up its mind how to proceed and allocate programming resources I should be able to use the software, and if it is the 2016 version which is working on case-sensitive platforms. I really liked working in 2016 using the trial version, and than bought the 2017 just a few days ago.
A free 2016 version would solve the problem for me for the time being, until you guys figured out how to accommodate the case-sensitivity.
As this specific Mac is used in its current configuration until April I can’t go and switch the boot hard-disk, which I really intend to do, which than allows me to use the 2017, independent of what SketchUp wants to do.

I hope you can understand and support my logic.

Ciao, Reto

Have you actually contacted SketchUp’s Customer Service? Or are you expecting to get the SU2016 license on the forum?

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Dave,

I contacted the customer service and wait to hear back.
It seems I am not the only one with a crash-issue caused by the case-sensitivity of the 2017 release. It would be good customer support if the SketchUp staff supporting the forum point towards a temporary solution with a 2016 download until the issue is resolved.

Best, Reto

Agreed - contact sales, and they’ll take care of you. I’ve converted disks going back and forth from case-sensitive and back. The nice part about APFS is that Apple claims you wont need a second hard drive to do this… more along the lines of encrypting a disk.

I had the same problem. SketchUp technical support told me it was a problem with the Visual C++ libraries and I should re-install. No help but I went into Add/Remove programs and removed all Visual C++ libraries, then re-installed it. That worked! Hope this helps.

I contacted the support desk several times, yesterday I spent 3 hours in the call center/computer system to reach someone … just to experience over and over again as the computer hangs up on me while I listen to their music. Today I enjoyed another half an hour listening to the initial 5 minutes before I get to the music and than left another voice mail.

I can’t use my 2017 version, the 2016 trial version worked like a charm. I have sent over 10 emails to the support desk, … and no solution. To make it even worse from a customer perspective, one support guy tells me I don’t get back to them. Well guess what, if you guys don’t respond to emails there is no communication.

One recommended course of action is to follow … a windows procedure, but I have a Mac and they know that, they didn’t even acknowledge that.

I have never seen a better example of failed customer support, easily outdoing Microsoft or a phone call center.

In my case it is very basic and I wrote it over and over again to Sketchup support … the Mac I use for the time being came pre-installed with a case-sensitive hard drive (don’t ask me why), and for the near future I can’t not swap this specific hard drive. By giving me a 2016 activation code I could at least use Sketchup until I worked on a solution on my side or Sketchup upgrades 2017 to the 2016 software which runs perfectly.