Web translation service for HM projects

[Tim Green]

The ICanLocalize web-based translation service now directly supports Help & Manual projects. You can locate translators through the service in an open bidding process or work directly with your own chosen translators through the service. The system consists of an online platform and a locally-installed translation tool, which is completely free. The online platform handles communication with translators, the bidding process and billing, which includes an escrow service. The translation tool comes in two flavors, one for the client and one for the translator. The client version is used to prepare the project and add instructions for the translator. The translator version is used for doing the translation and comes with a WYSIWYG preview and translation memory.

More information:
http://www.ec-software.com/partner_translation.html

Tutorial for Help & Manual users:
http://www.icanlocalize.com/site/tutori ... -projects/

This service is ideal for users working with translators who are not familiar with Help & Manual. The ICL Translation Assistant protects the structure of your project, only allowing the translators to edit the text while enabling them to apply the formatting as necessary to suit the requirements of the new language.

How it works

The ICanLocalize platform combines the advantages of a good translation agency with those of freelance translators, with seamless translation workflow for Help & Manual projects.

The translation system keeps track of changes in the H&M project, so that whenever you update the help files in the original language, the translations can also update. The system will tell the translator which sentences in what pages are new or updated and only those will need to be translated. Then, all the translated help projects will update automatically. The output is a Help & Manual project in uncompressed XML (.hmxp) format. If you translate to several languages you will get multiple projects as your output.

If you already have a translator you just need to choose the "Private Translator" option in your ICanLocalize account and invite them to translate the project. Alternatively, you can put a up a tender for public bids. ICanLocalize only accepts certified translators to avoid fake bids.

Costs

Another advantage of ICanLocalize is that you know in advance what it will cost. The bid is your price, there are no hidden expenses. The local Translation Assistant software is free for both the client and the translator. Creating an account with ICanLocalize, uploading your project and opening a tender for bids are also all free. If you accept a bid from the translator, that is the final price you will pay. ICanLocalize gets a share of the translator's revenue and acts as trustee with an escrow service for the billing process. When you use private translators, you will be charged a small percentage fee based on the amount of text actually translated in the project (text not translated is not billed). Please check directly with ICL for information on the current fees for working with private translators.

More information:
http://www.ec-software.com/partner_translation.html

[glenndavies]

Hi Tim,

I am new to getting translations of manuals done and have read various threads on the forums.

I have a very technical product, which will need to be translated by specific product dealers in various languages. These guys will have no idea about translation software, so I thought I would try the I Can Localize Service you suggest on the forums and website.

I thought I would try this as it means the people performing the translations will not have to learn H&M and each dealer will only translate one manual, so it would be an expensive exercise for them all to have to download and learn H&M.

I tried to import an uncompressed project into the translation manager software from my H&M5 Pro project, but it only recognised about 8 of around 40 -50 topics for some reason. Would you have any suggestions as to why this may have occurred?

Regards,

Glenn

[Tim Green]

Hi Glenn,

You'll have to contact ICanLocalize support for this directly, we can't provide support for their product, as we don't have access to the source code and it is programmed and maintained by them.

[Guido Leenders]

For your information: the open source product OmegaT supports in the latest revision also Help & Manual.

Regards,

Guido

[Tim Green]

Hi Guido,

We just heard about this and will be testing it over the next few days. We'll contact you shortly, thanks for the information!

[Hermann Hild]

If you already have a translator you just need to choose the "Private Translator" option in your ICanLocalize account and invite them to translate the project.

Does "Private Translator" mean there is an option where I can use the ICanLocalize framework to translate the texts myself, i.e. without public bids and costs?
I fully understand if not, after all they need to earn some money somewhere ... But that would be very helpful, because I have to translate into my own native language.


Thanks, Hermann

[Tim Green]

Hi Hermann,

Does "Private Translator" mean there is an option where I can use the ICanLocalize framework to translate the texts myself, i.e. without public bids and costs?
I fully understand if not, after all they need to earn some money somewhere ... But that would be very helpful, because I have to translate into my own native language.

When you use a private translator you don't have public bids because you have already chosen your translator. However, you do have to pay a small fee for using the system, it is calculated as a percentage of the translator's payment. Contact ICanLocalize directly for details.

[Hermann Hild]

For your information: the open source product OmegaT supports in the latest revision also Help & Manual.

Regards,

Guido

Hello Guido,

thanks for the hint. However, I just downloaded the latest version of OmegaT (2.0.5), but could not find any support for Help&Manual Files (i.e. xml Topic Files?). Do you have any further information on how to use OmegaT with H&M?

Thanks, Hermann

[Hermann Hild]

Ok, after some research I can answer my own question above: Version 2.1.7-Beta of OmegaT, which is somewhat hidden on the OmegaT download page, allows to translate Help&Manual files. I spent a few hours playing with it, and it seems to be a nice and relatively easy to handle tool which pretty much works as I expected. I will follow this path and let you know my experience upon request ...

[emiliedavis]

After saw this discussion I searched about this and I found very inserting and positive view about this as I used to work with manual translation so it's very hard to accept machine translation technique and I think it's not accurate as manual .

[Tim Green]

Hi Emilie,

After saw this discussion I searched about this and I found very inserting and positive view about this as I used to work with manual translation so it's very hard to accept machine translation technique and I think it's not accurate as manual .

There's a misunderstanding here: None of these services has anything to do with machine translation, which is still completely useless for professional results, no matter whether the software costs $50 or $200,000. All of the services discussed here are for professional translation by human translators.