IBM Maximo is an ERP application used to manage large construction and facilities projects from Airports to the Nuclear Industry.

We provided localization engineering services for the translation of this software into French, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish and Dutch for versions 4.0 to 6.0

The tasks we performed were:

• 1. Analyse regular updates to the JSP source code from the developers
• 2. Extract text from the source code and prepare it for translation
• 3. Provide advice to translators about terminology used
• 4. Check and reintegrate translated files from freelance translators to the source code
• 5. Adjust the User Interface (resizing) to allow for the often longer updated translations
• 6. Recreate User Interface graphics in localized versions where necessary
• 7. Set up complex test systems based on Windows Server, Oracle, BEA Weblogic, Actuate Reporting, and the Maximo application
• 8. Test the software and fix UI errors directly in the JSP files
• 9. Liaise with software developers to fix more complex bugs
• 10. Take new localized screenshots from the software to drop into the translated software manuals
• 11. Generate new User Help using Robohelp
• 12. Check the translated output files for errors and fix in the source files
• 13. Deliver final files to the client

 

 

The Microsoft eLearning Library (MELL) is a Flash-based training tool teaching students how to use various Microsoft operating systems and software packages, such as Office 2003.

We provided engineering services for the translation of these courses into French, German, and Swedish.

The tasks we performed were:

• 1. Install international versions of the operating systems and software onto test machines
• 2. Install special video capture software
• 3. Run through the software in exactly the same way as the English source, and capture a video of it
• 4. Separate and process individual frames of this video to match the source images provided
• 5. Integrate into Flash and adjust clickable areas and hotzones, adding new Actionscript where necessary to update functionality as per client requirements.
• 6. Test and fix any problems

During this project, we designed a special process including writing custom Photoshop CS2 scripts to allow for rapid fixing and reintegration of screenshots where bugs were found, and fixed many bugs which were present in the source files.

Demo2Win and Discovery2Win are DVD based training materials, used to enhance the sales potential of SAP partner companies. The material was available in English, and SAP were looking to localize the content. After considering their options, we were asked to provide multilingual subtitles. Unfortunately we had no source project files to work with, only the shipping English DVDs. As a result we had to use our own ingenuity to devise a process to re-author the discs without losing any image or sound quality.

The services we provided were:

• 1. Rip the source DVD into separate AVI files
• 2. Using a software subtitling tool, watch the whole DVD and type in the English subtitles being spoken
• 3. Break the subtitles into small chunks suitable for displaying onscreen and synchronise them with the actual speech
• 4. Export the subtitle files to a text format and prepare for translation memory handling
• 5. Have the subtitles translated into French, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese
• 6. Demultiplex the original DVD into separate MPEG2 and Dolby digital source files
• 7. Re-author the DVD, recreating all menus to match the original layout - this involved creating more than 200 new menus due to the complex layout of the original
• 8. Import the translated menu files and create separate subtitle tracks for each language
• 9. Update the DVD menu structure to allow for selection of the desired language
• 10. Test and fix the DVD, including fixing some lip-sync errors from the source DVD
• 11. Duplicate more than 200 DVDs
• 12. Print faces for each DVD, clearly identifying each one

Canon provide the User guides for most of their Inkjet printers on a multilingual CD. We tested and fixed the translated HTML files for many languages.

The services we provided were:

1. Review a complex set of instructions relating to the specifications of the HTML Help

2. Check each page of the HTML Help ensuring that it met all specifications, including

• a. All text was translated
• b. All text in hyperlinks were consistent
• c. Official names of buttons and paper types used the correct translation as specified by Canon
• d. All units were written in the correct format (metric vs imperial, sometimes both)
• e. Official names of other user manuals referenced were also given the official translations as specified by Canon
• f. All layout matched the English correctly
• g. For Arabic, the images and layout were changed to right-to-left format

3. When problems were found, we fixed them directly in the HTML files and/or image files

Cisco Systems produce the Cisco Certified Network Administrator (CCNA) courses which are implemented by their partner companies. We were asked to provide engineering and bug fixing services for their Discovery and Exploration courses into French, Spanish, and Russian.

The services we provided were:

• 1. Analyse the XML-based software files and prepare for translation
• 2. Analyse all image files and Flash-based multimedia files, and prepare for translation
• 3. Using Photoshop and Flash, edit all image and multimedia files as necessary
• 4. Using localized software systems, including Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2003, take new screenshots to match the English source images provided, including complex procedures like setting up DNS services
• 5. Integrate the translations back into the XML files
• 6. Test the whole course and fix any errors found by directly editing the XML files
• 7. Handle other format files for their Packet Tracer Activities, and recreate said files
• 8. Fix bugs found by an external testing team
• 9. Handle regular updates to the source from the client

Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional level video capture and editing application

We provided engineering services for the translation of this software into French, German, Italian and Spanish, for versions CS3 and CS4. We also provided services for translation of earlier versions of this software into Italian and Spanish going back to Premiere Pro version 1.0.

The tasks we performed were:

• 1. Convert software kits from the client into Translation Memory capable versions
• 2. Provide advice to translators about terminology used in Broadcast video production
• 3. Check and reconvert translated files from freelance translators to Adobe's internal format.
• 4. Create video recordings of translated software builds for translators to review to check that their translations were correct in-context.
• 5. Functionally test the software on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and Max OS X 10.5 Leopard
• 6. Write bug reports and log them to Adobe's internal bug database
• 7. Regress bugs to make sure that they had been fixed correctly
• 8. Take new localized screenshots from the software to drop into the translated software manuals
• 9. Generate PDF manuals, Online Help, and Web help using Idiom WorldServer system
• 10. Check the translated output files for errors and fix in the source files
• 11. Post final files to Adobe's web server and perform final checking

Adobe After Effects is a professional level video compositing and effects application

We provided engineering services for the translation of this software into Italian and Spanish, for versions CS3 and CS4.

The tasks we performed were:

• 1. Convert software kits from the client into Translation Memory capable versions
• 2. Provide advice to translators about terminology used in Broadcast video production
• 3. Check and reconvert translated files from freelance translators to Adobe's internal format
• 4. Create video recordings of translated software builds for translators to review to check that their translations were correct in-context
• 5. Functionally test the software on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and Max OS X 10.5 Leopard
• 6. Write bug reports and log them to Adobe's internal bug database
• 7. Fix linguistic bugs directly by editing translations and submitting to Adobe's version control system
• 8. Regress bugs to make sure that they had been fixed correctly
• 9. Take new localized screenshots from the software to drop into the translated software manuals
• 10. Generate PDF manuals, Online Help, and Web help using Idiom WorldServer system
• 11. Check the translated output files for errors and fix in the source files
• 12. Post final files to Adobe's web server and perform final checking

Adobe Ultra CS3 is an easy to use compositing application (formerly Serious Magic Ultra)

We provided full engineering services for the translation of this software into French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese for version CS3. We had full access to the source code via Adobe's version control system, fixed bugs directly, compiled the software language libraries, and worked closely with the US developers to resulve issues.

The tasks we performed were:

• 1. Analyse regular updates to the source code from the developers
• 2. Extract text from the source code and prepare it for translation
• 3. Provide advice to translators about terminology used in Broadcast video production
• 4. Check and reintegrate translated files from freelance translators to the source code
• 5. Adjust the User Interface (resizing) to allow for the often longer updated translations
• 6. Recreate User Interface graphics in localized versions where necessary
• 7. Build the software language DLLs using Visual Studio and post builds for the test team
• 8. Watch the Adobe bug DB for bugs reported by the testers
• 9. Fix software bugs, or pass them to the US developers where necessary
• 10. Take new localized screenshots from the software to drop into the translated software manuals
• 11. Generate PDF manuals, Online Help, and Web help using Adobe Framemaker
• 12. Check the translated output files for errors and fix in the source files
• 13. Post final files to Adobe's web server and perform final checking

Adobe OnLocation CS3 is a tool for onsite video recording and monitoring of quality direct from DV and HDV format cameras.

We provided full engineering services for the translation of this software into French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese for version CS3. We had full access to the source code via Adobe's version control system, fixed bugs directly, compiled the software language libraries, and worked closely with the US developers to resulve issues.

The tasks we performed were:

• 1. Analyse regular updates to the source code from the developers
• 2. Extract text from the source code and prepare it for translation
• 3. Provide advice to translators about terminology used in Broadcast video production
• 4. Check and reintegrate translated files from freelance translators to the source code
• 5. Adjust the User Interface (resizing) to allow for the often longer updated translations
• 6. Recreate User Interface graphics in localized versions where necessary
• 7. Build the software DLLs using Visual Studio and post builds for the test teams
• 8. Watch the Adobe bug DB for bugs reported by the testers
• 9. Fix software bugs, or pass them to the US developers where necessary
• 10. Take new localized screenshots from the software to drop into the translated software manuals
• 11. Generate PDF manuals, Online Help, and Web help using Adobe Framemaker
• 12. Check the translated output files for errors and fix in the source files
• 13. Post final files to Adobe's web server and perform final checking

We also worked on OnLocation CS4 in a similar capacity to that done for Premiere Pro. For that release, Adobe had their own internal software engineer to work on the internationalization.

Adobe Soundbooth is an audio editing application, designed primarily for more advanced editing of audio captured with video in Premiere Pro or After Effects.

We provided engineering services for the translation of this software into Italian and Spanish, for versions CS3 and CS4.

The tasks we performed were:

• 1. Convert software kits from the client into Translation Memory capable versions
• 2. Provide advice to translators about terminology used in Broadcast video production
• 3. Check and reconvert translated files from freelance translators to Adobe's internal format
• 4. Create video recordings of translated software builds for translators to review to check that their translations were correct in-context
• 5. Functionally test the software on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and Max OS X 10.5 Leopard
• 6. Write bug reports and log them to Adobe's internal bug database
• 7. Fix linguistic bugs directly by editing translations and submitting to Adobe's version control system
• 8. Regress bugs to make sure that they had been fixed correctly
• 9. Take new localized screenshots from the software to drop into the translated software manuals
• 10. Generate PDF manuals, Online Help, and Web help using Idiom WorldServer system
• 11. Check the translated output files for errors and fix in the source files
• 12. Post final files to Adobe's web server and perform final checking

Adobe Audition is a professional level multi-track audio editing application

We provided engineering services for the translation of this software into Italian and Spanish, for version 3.0.

The tasks we performed were:

• 1. Convert software kits from the client into Translation Memory capable versions
• 2. Provide advice to translators about terminology used in Broadcast video production
• 3. Check and reconvert translated files from freelance translators to Adobe's internal format
• 4. Create video recordings of translated software builds for translators to review to check that their translations were correct in-context
• 5. Linguistically test the software on Windows XP and Windows Vista
• 6. Write bug reports and log them to Adobe's internal bug database
• 7. Fix linguistic bugs directly by editing translations and submitting to Adobe's version control system
• 8. Regress bugs to make sure that they had been fixed correctly
• 9. Take new localized screenshots from the software to drop into the translated software manuals
• 10. Generate PDF manuals, Online Help, and Web help using Idiom WorldServer system
• 11. Check the translated output files for errors and fix in the source files
• 12. Post final files to Adobe's web server and perform final checking

Adobe Premiere Elements is a home level video capture and editing application

We provided engineering services for the translation of this software into French, German, Italian and Spanish, Dutch, and Swedish for versions 1.0 through 7.0.

The tasks we performed were:

• 1. Convert software kits from the client into Translation Memory capable versions
• 2. Provide advice to translators about terminology used in Broadcast video production
• 3. Check and reconvert translated files from freelance translators to Adobe's internal format
• 4. Prepare new DVD template files containing localized content
• 5. Create video recordings of translated software builds for translators to review to check that their translations were correct in-context.
• 6. Functionally test the software on Windows XP and Windows Vista
• 7. Write bug reports and log them to Adobe's internal bug database
• 8. Regress bugs to make sure that they had been fixed correctly
• 9. Take new localized screenshots from the software to drop into the translated software manuals
• 10. Generate PDF manuals, Online Help, and Web help using Idiom WorldServer system
• 11. Check the translated output files for errors and fix in the source files
• 12. Post final files to Adobe's web server and perform final checking