SCFLicense: Extension Licensing on Sketchucation

Rich O Brien · 9 Mar 2023, 19:22

is this a bug?

No, it means either your versions are outdated or Sketchucation Tools is outdated.

Consider that on your https://sketchucation.com/webshop/my-licences.php page your have activated on 7 separate devices.

Are all these devices running the latest releases? If not then you can't online release if the device holding the seat is not updated. Oly devices running the latest licensing version has online release enabled at https://sketchucation.com/webshop/my-licences.php

Dave R · 9 Mar 2023, 19:24

@cadfather said:

thanks Dave, it's hit and miss, these ones for example don't show the option

ClothWorks
ToolsOnSurface
FredoSpline
RoundCorner
Curviloft
Curvizard

CadFather · 9 Mar 2023, 23:38

yes but that's not what I mean,

when i try to clear a seat from the SCF License page, the option is missing.

say i want to clear all the seats - it is not possible

Rich O Brien · 10 Mar 2023, 00:38

@cadfather said:

yes but that's not what I mean, when i try to clear a seat from the SCF License page, the option is missing. say i want to clear all the seats - it is not possible

The option is missing because the device is not running Sketchucation Tools 4.3.0

You have validated licenses on devices that used a version of Sketchucation Tools that didn't have online release at that time.

All devices needs Sketchucation Tools 4.3.0 for it to be releasable at https://sketchucation.com/webshop/my-licences.php

So you need to go to the devices and release the seat or update Sketchucation Tools and Libfredo on those device.

You can't update at an unrelated device and have the online release propagate around to other devices.

RayW · 10 Mar 2023, 02:42

I don't understand this at all. I've been using what I thought was the 'free' basic version of round corner for years. Why all of a sudden do I need a licence for it? I'm a pensioner, SKP is just a hobby for me, I can't afford this.

cotty · 10 Mar 2023, 07:38

Fredo changed the license for some of his plugins in March 2022:
https://forums.sketchup.com/t/more-fredo6-plugins-becoming-paid-extensions/191090

If you use the plugin a lot, approx. 7 USD should not be too much even for a pensioner, right? Fredo has also put a lot of work into the plugins and deserves recognition for it.

CadFather · 10 Mar 2023, 09:59

@rich o brien said:

@cadfather said:

yes but that's not what I mean, when i try to clear a seat from the SCF License page, the option is missing. say i want to clear all the seats - it is not possible

The option is missing because the device is not running Sketchucation Tools 4.3.0

perhaps i'm missing something, but it seems to happen with latest SKtools and libfredo (which is what I'm running) - for example I have 2 fredospline seats, one of them activated in january and yet it cannot be released.

shouldn't all plugins have a release checkbox in any case?

Rich O Brien · 10 Mar 2023, 13:12

@cadfather said:

shouldn't all plugins have a release checkbox in any case?

Yes, if every device the activation happened on is using Sketchucation Tools 4.3.0

You've lots of device activations. Different devices. 7 to be accurate.

Can you say for certainty all 7 are currently running the latest Sketchucation Tools? And is any associatted licensed extension also the latest release?

filpiw · 10 Mar 2023, 14:04

I am trying very hard to purchase a license for Thru Paint but cant seem to do it. I have latest plugin store and latest thru paint installed. Always landing on pare with error "ERROR: Unknown plugin identifyer." the tool is locked out as of march 4th. can you help please.

All the best

Dave R · 3 Oct 2023, 14:16

@filpiw said:

I have latest plugin store and latest thru paint installed. Always landing on pare with error "ERROR: Unknown plugin identifyer." the tool is locked out as of march 4th. can you help please.

Help us help you. What version of SketchUp are you using? What operating system? Complete your forum profile please.

Do you have the current version of LibFredo6 installed?

TIG · 10 Mar 2023, 14:24

As Fredo said in this recent post ThruPaint is currently free, but it does need the latest LibFredo version etc to run properly...
https://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=688111#p688111

CadFather · 10 Mar 2023, 15:54

@Rich,

I refresh OS fairly frequently (3/4 months) - so that's what you may be seeing.. that's why I was trying to clear the seats.

I'm only using plugins on one machine anyway. as far as I'm aware, I'm all up to date

to be clear, if the activation happened before 4.30, no way to reset the licenses?

Rich O Brien · 10 Mar 2023, 18:59

@cadfather said:

@Max
to be clear, if the activation happened before 4.30, no way to reset the licenses?

To be clear there's no way you can release. But we can release server side.

Send a mail to support@sketchucation.com with a list of frozen HWIDs or the HWIDs you can online release and I can sort the rest.

I just want to emphasize that online release works when there's synergy across devices and versions.

Once you break the synergy its like a guitar missing a string. Only Pros can play a tune!

CadFather · 10 Mar 2023, 21:45

ok thanks Rich, will be in touch in the next few days as the new system settles down - I'll probably start from scratch.

i've played a few solos with broken strings before, way easier than having to remember to release those licences before upgrades...

maheraro1961 · 12 Mar 2023, 09:23

Hi ....I want to know how much coast of fredo SCFLicense...thanks

Dave R · 12 Mar 2023, 14:35

@maheraro1961 said:

Hi ....I want to know how much coast of fredo SCFLicense...thanks

See the first post here: https://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=74668

RayW · 12 Mar 2023, 23:42

@cotty said:

Fredo changed the license for some of his plugins in March 2022:
https://forums.sketchup.com/t/more-fredo6-plugins-becoming-paid-extensions/191090

If you use the plugin a lot, approx. 7 USD should not be too much even for a pensioner, right? Fredo has also put a lot of work into the plugins and deserves recognition for it.

If the plans were changed in March of 22, how is it that I was still able to use it until last week?

And no, $7.0 isn't a lot, but how would I pay for it? I don't use internet banking at all, only cash. Would he give me his home address so I could post it to him? No I don't think so. My point is, that particular plug in was advertised for a number of years as the secondary, low grade freebie. The better version you paid for. I'd gladly pay such a small amount, but I am unable to.

dalebailey · 16 Mar 2023, 14:20

license update issues!!

This is an update to an earlier post that we never got a response to. First off we are starting to get tired of messing with the license issues with the Fredo6 plug-ins. We have been having issues for almost a year now. These are great extensions, but the issues are starting to outweigh their use.

First, the licensing says that the extensions are available offline; they just need to be activated online first. This is not true. At least for us. We get them activated, and they only work for 4 days, then on the 5th day, they say they aren't activated and need to be activated again. We work in an offline environment, and can only get on once a month to ping our SketchUp license and updates. So either something is wrong or there needs to be a clearer definition of "works offline" saying "works offline for only 4 days". I have included a screen shot of our activation history showing time and time again that the license keeps being activated with no deactivation, even though it stops working and says it needs to be activated again. (There are even time we activate it, go to use it, it says its not license, click to activate, it reads the license IS activated already, so we just close out and then it works.... for maybe 4 days that is)

Second, a couple of our extensions say we have used all 3 of the seats available. We only have one version of SketchUp running, and only 1 seat. We have tried releasing the seats and nothing happens. I have released the seats on SketchUcations website, and only one of the 3 have check boxes next to them. Now, we have had to reinstall windows a couple times, SketchUp a couple of times and even updated our SketchUp version over the year. Could this be a reason the seats wont allow us to release? Can these please be reset back to 1 or even to 0 and we can just re-activate each seat 1 time? Is there a reason our HW Id keeps changing? (I have included a screen shot)

THANK you for any help

Rich O Brien · 16 Mar 2023, 15:33

@dalebailey said:

First, the licensing says that the extensions are available offline; they just need to be activated online first. This is not true. At least for us.

The licensing does periodically check for correct activation.

@dalebailey said:

Second, a couple of our extensions say we have used all 3 of the seats available. Now, we have had to reinstall windows a couple times, SketchUp a couple of times and even updated our SketchUp version over the year. Could this be a reason the seats wont allow us to release?

This highlights the source of your problem. Multiple OS changes. If you reinstall an OS without releasing a seat it remains linked to that OS. If the seat was activated on Sketchucation Tools prior to 4.3.0 then online release is not available to you either.

Another thing to consider is your SketchUp install. Does it have the correct privileges to write to directories? If not you need to repair the install using the context menu on the installer .exe and use the Run as Admin command.

I've released your seats. So the process for you is to create the environment you need to activate and release with ease.

numerobis · 18 Mar 2023, 09:17

@dalebailey said:

We get them activated, and they only work for 4 days, then on the 5th day, they say they aren't activated and need to be activated again.

Yes, very annoying and the point why i haven't bought the full package yet. Being forced to reactivate FredoCorner every few days is enough. When i imagine that i would have to do this routine every few days for all the plugins... not possible.
I would've bought them all right away, but with this limitation it's just not working for me.
It's annoying to be forced to work without them again, but there are workarounds. Really sad and beyond my understanding that Fredo did it this way after all his outstanding work.