Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

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Dave Gehman
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Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

After finding out that DeepL hits all the languages we are going to need (save one) in the next few years, my boss asked questions that I didn't see the answer to on the H+M 8 product pages.

Q1: Are you contemplating a similar plug-in for Japanese, Chinese and/or Korean? (DeepL is clearly focused on Europe... is there a virtual Far East DeepL that you're looking at?)

Q2: How super-fast is the translation process? Yes, we select the text and spawn the plug-in, but he wants to know if

(a) Can we, with one- or two-clicks, select all the text in an entire topic? Of course, CTRL+A selects all, but graphics are included... does the inclusion of graphics cause the DeepL plug-in to choke?

(b) Can we, with one- or two-clicks, select all the text in a total project?

(Forgive him, he always looks for more. Reminds me of a friend of mine who excitedly called his dad to say the he, the friend, was quoted in an interview in the New York Times. "Oh," his dad said, "front page?")
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Tim Green
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Re: Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Dave,

DeepL is an academic European organization and they are ramping up slowly and carefully. As you have probably already discovered, their translation quality is exceptional. I was a professional technical translator for years myself, and I can confirm that it is the first system anywhere, at any price, that produces results that can be taken seriously.

All this being said, the DeepL organization is ramping up slowly and carefully, and they are tight-lipped about their plans for the future. They are also being careful about expansion. At the moment, for example, the API keys needed for integration with third-party applications like Help+Manual are only available to European customers. Because of all this, we have also decided to integrate the system in stages. We have started with the interactive translation plugin on a per-topic basis, for example, rather than providing an option to process an entire project. This is more responsible, because even with DeepL it should be operated by a native speaker who should check the results carefully as they go.

When DeepL is going to implement new languages, and which languages those are going to be, is not known at the moment. They are very reserved about things like this and are not providing detailed information at the moment.
(a) Can we, with one- or two-clicks, select all the text in an entire topic? Of course, CTRL+A selects all, but graphics are included... does the inclusion of graphics cause the DeepL plug-in to choke?
This isn't a problem. Help+Manual knows its own XML and only gives DeepL the text to translate. What gets pasted back in includes all the original images and formatting.

(
b) Can we, with one- or two-clicks, select all the text in a total project?
No, only the interactive topic mode is available at the moment. And even if a full project mode becomes available in the future I wouldn't recommend using it. There will be errors then and they won't get noticed. The only responsible way to do it is for a native speaker to do it interactively. It would be like going to sleep in a Tesla and allowing Tesla Autopilot to take over completely. It will be surprisingly effective for much of the time, but it will crash. :?
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Ga Bowen
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Re: Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Ga Bowen »

I to am excited by the DeepL plug-in. A couple of questions;

I would like a full project translation because I would like to have a project translated and then give the translation to a native speaker to proof-read. The author won't be a native speaker, so whether the text is translated in parts or in a whole chunk will make no difference to us except the huge time consumption involved in doing each of the hundreds of topics individually.

Also, do you know if we need the API subscription on top of the regular subscription? A regular subscription is 19.99 pm and the API 4.99 pm.
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Re: Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Gareth,

Full project translation isn't available yet but is planned. You only need an API key to use DeepL with Help+Manual, not the regular key. 8)
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Dave Gehman
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Re: Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Thanks. One further question, asked only to be absolutely sure...
Tim Green wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2020 7:55 am .... At the moment, for example, the API keys needed for integration with third-party applications like Help+Manual are only available to European customers. Because of all this, we have also decided to integrate the system in stages. ...
By this, you mean EC Software as the customer of DeepL -- not us, your customer, right?

Or are we, as a US-based customer of EC Software, unable to use the DeepL plug-in?
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Re: Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Dave,
By this, you mean EC Software as the customer of DeepL -- not us, your customer, right?
Or are we, as a US-based customer of EC Software, unable to use the DeepL plug-in?
Unfortunately, the latter is the case. You need the API key to be able to use DeepL in Help+Manual and currently they are only licensing these to European customers. You can still get the normal keys for using DeepL via their website, but not the API keys.

I think you can imagine how we feel about this. We would suggest contacting DeepL directly, in the hope that customer demand speeds up extension of this program to the US as well. :?
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Dave Gehman
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Re: Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

That's an issue for us. Do you have a suggested contact at DeepL we can email directly?
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Re: Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Dave,

I'm afraid that the only publicly-available contact information for DeepL is what they publish on their website:

DeepL GmbH
Maarweg 165
50825 Cologne
Germany
Tel.: +49 221 570 894 - 0
info (at) deepl.com
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Dave Gehman
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Re: Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Tim Green wrote: Sat Feb 15, 2020 7:57 am Hi Dave,

I'm afraid that the only publicly-available contact information for DeepL is what they publish on their website:

DeepL GmbH
Maarweg 165
50825 Cologne
Germany
Tel.: +49 221 570 894 - 0
info (at) deepl.com
Thanks, Tim. We'll add our voice to a (hopefully) growing clamor for US licensing.
Gerold Krommer
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Re: Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Gerold Krommer »

Just to make you more eager:

I personally haven't seen or used it, but...

My daughter (living here ein Austria) is an engineer for medical devices (e.g. eye surgeon roboter) and she does approvals with the US FDA. She 1000% (no zero too much!) backs up the statement that DeepL is the only usuaable automatic translation software on the market... Full stop.

best regards,

/Gerold
Dave Gehman
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Re: Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Dave Gehman »

Here's what we emailed to info (at) deepl.com:
We are a developer and marketer for advanced engineering software and use Help + Manual for our documentation.

As a small company, we appreciate your restraint in delaying global licensing, and understand the issues around resource allocation... but... your product's capabilities would be a tremendous help for us.

We sell globally and have a great need to localize our help documentation.

Please make H+M DeepL plug-in licensing available to US customers of Help and Manual
And, of course, many thanks for what appears to be a great product,
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Re: Massively interested in the DeepL plug-in - questions

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Dave,

I'd recommend emphasizing that what you need is the "API Key" because that is specifically what is needed for use of third-party applications like Help+Manual., :)
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