SU 2021 Extension Warehouse being DISABLED in January 2024

SketchUp Pro
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su
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Now this was a bit of a shock to me… is Trimble seriously DISABLING a fundamental feature of Sketchup on a release only 2 years old! ? Surely it is a typo ! I can accept Trimble might be not supporting it (even though that is pretty poor customer support) but DISABLING it? How do I maintain all my paid for extensions? what if my PC crashes and I need to install extensions again?

I am aware of the 3d Warehouse warnings, but I have the option of accessing through my browser…

Will other “web services” in 2021 be lost?

Is the security risk to only the user? - I can accept that risk… I have pretty good computer security!

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It’s been like this for some years now, only the current and two previous releases are going to be fully supported.

You can still download extensions from the website and install them using the extension manager, or use sketchucation plugin store, the same for models from the 3D warehouse, you can download them from the website, the file format is the same for 2021,2022 and 2023 so you can still download models as skp format and not as collada and import them from sketchup, in the future if the files aren’t compatible anymore you can use eneroth extension Open Newer version to be able to open sketch up files that aren’t supported by your sketchup version.

Also other features like generate report won’t be working on sketchup 2021.

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Thanks… the keyword here is DISABLED… unsupported or alternatives I can live with until Trimble gives me a compelling version worthy of a subscription license… the trimble warning gives no mention of the workaround for extensions… only the update option… to disable functionality in any software after 3 years is pretty lousy support so I hope Trimble is just being commercially vague… can you image the outcry if software companies disabled features after only 3 years of use without offering workarounds?

A truly customer orientated company would clearly outline alternative workarounds to their users.

Lets hope the EU establishes codes of practice for software companies to protect users soon much like they are setting phone manufacturer requirements

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SU21 was released late 2020. 17/11/2020
it’ll loose direct access to the web services after 3 years and 3 month.

As Francis said, it’s been this way for a few years now, web services are directly available on the last 3 versions. For older versions, you have to go to the browser version.

https://extensions.sketchup.com/

the company’s goal is to have all its customers on a subscription.
actively giving you solutions to help you NOT buy a subscription is not in their interest.

See, all these web services inside SU are just that, webpages accessible from a browser. and designed as such.
Now, webdesigners and developpers, when they make a website, make sure it’s compatible with the last few years of technologies and browsers, so even a computer stuck with a 2y-old browser will still read the website. or most of it. but with every browser release, you’ll be more and more stranded on a shrinking internet.

but considering you can always update your browser and/or your machine, they don’t need to make sure all the techs they used are compatible with older ones. Try reinstalling a browser version from 3 years ago and use it, you’ll have some weird surprises, because devs rely on recent techs and our ability to easily keep updated.

SU contains a piece of chromium to access the web tools.
Chromium 88 was released 5 days before SU21. safe to say therefore that SU21 had a pre-88 version onboard.
Current version is 118.

Asking SU21 to remain compatible with all webtools is asking the devs to maintain and develop a set of websites compatible with a 30 version gap of chromium or more. Basically asking them to keep working with the tools from 3 years ago to ensure compatibility, instead of using the current ones.
They could. but just like the vast majority of webdevs, they decided to draw a line in the sand. 3 SU versions, in their case.

It’s not just a SU thing. it’s a web thing. it’s how internet is managed now, it has been for quite some time.
Check out Netflix’s requirement.
They require Chrome 102, from june 2022. turns out Sketchup has a broader support than netflix.

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to go a step further, someone will probably say “yeah but you can update your browser, you can’t update the chromium inside SU, so we’re stuck”
true.

Well just like bug fixes and the update for the stuff like chromium in SU comes in the form of SU updates. Updates are not just about shiny new icons and new tools, they are also about updating all the things that makes SU work so it remains compatible and up-to-date with the rest of technology.

From time to time, someone points out a bug in 20, 21 or 22 and asks “when can we expect a fix?” and the answer is often “well it has been fixed in this or that more recent version”.
Taking SU21 and incorporating a more recent chromium in it is possible. they actually did it. they tweaked a few things and released it as 22. and again as 23. and soon as 24.

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Well I guess I come from a generation that expected more than 3 years before the product I bought was hobbled by a manufacturer… such is life!

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Well, technically that generation moulded internet the way it is today so… jokes on you :clown_face: :clown_face:

and you’re not exactly left in the mud. your SU will still run as it used to be. you’ll just have to go to your browser for both warehouses.
SU could simply turn the key off on the older versions, they don’t. And they also don’t cut your access to the warehouses. anyone with a free account has access.

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Hey yeah man…lol,
I still use an 11 year old ACAD program that was bought and paid for since ACAD 2.0 and it still works quite well, just sayin’

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well… good for you. here is a gold star. :star:

Fun fact, you could run a Sketchup 3 or 4 your bought 20 years ago, it would run quite well too.

Just sayin’

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SketchUp 3 does run perfectly today. I just had it open a few minutes ago. Just sayin’ :wink:

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yeah, I saw :slight_smile:

Fun thing is, people often seem to think that the warehouses are part of the pro package they paid and therefore removing in-app access is a breach of contract.

First, I wonder how many read the whole contract. and how many understood it. I’m not part of that small group

Second, anyone with a free account can access and use both warehouses in a browser. Therefore I wouldn’t say it’s part of the PRO package but rather the standard free one. And even if you needed a PRO account to access them, well there you are, you can still access them, they are not gone :slight_smile:

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Don’t really have a serious need for the warehouses, usually go to Sketchucation, specifically Fredo. He’s a flipping genius; don’t mind paying him. Glad he finally chose to speak on his demo vids.
I am, however, pretty much a native tool guy, most components are either screwed up or are way too complex. Don’t need all that detail…My rule is KISS.
Don’t need no Stars, prefer a nice single malt.
Please fax or email one bottle when you can.

Thanks

BTW: I have SU 2 as well and you’re right, it kinda works.

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You sages sure are a weird group, just sayin’