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Processing Across projects with other CAT tools?
Thread poster: Gyula Erdesz
Gyula Erdesz
Gyula Erdesz
Hungary
Local time: 14:19
Member (2009)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
Jun 25, 2012

Dear colleagues,

One of my favorite clients notified me that they would migrate from Trados to Across in the near future and asked me to use this tool in the future projects. As Across is not the most convenient and powerful CAT-tool I know, I am currently searching for a bypass solution.

Do you happen to know how to process Across projects package with any other CAT software? Any inputs, hints and ideas are welcome.

Kind regards,

Gyula


 
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.)  Identity Verified
Thailand
Local time: 19:19
English to Thai
+ ...
Proz forum on CAT Jun 25, 2012

Proz forum on CAT gives good hints on this issue.
In summary, Across files can be used in other CAT via TMX format TM only since Across concepts are based on database, not bilingual files.

Soonthon Lupkitaro

[Edited at 2012-06-25 12:07 GMT]


 
Dominique Pivard
Dominique Pivard  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:19
Finnish to French
Across lacks interoperability by design Jun 25, 2012

Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.) wrote:
In summary, Across files can be used in other CAT via TMX format TM only since Across concepts are based on database, not bilingual files.

It's more that Across has been specifically designed not to interoperate with other tools. For instance, memoQ is also based on databases, yet it can import and export a number of bilingual formats from and to other tools.


 
Gyula Erdesz
Gyula Erdesz
Hungary
Local time: 14:19
Member (2009)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
tying hands Jun 25, 2012

Dominique Pivard wrote:

It's more that Across has been specifically designed not to interoperate with other tools.


I will never understand this weird concept.

This is a really simple-minded behavior to tie the hands of your clients. It clearly indicates your fear from the competitors.

Regards,
Gyula


 
Dominique Pivard
Dominique Pivard  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:19
Finnish to French
The hand that feeds you Jun 25, 2012

Gyula Erdész wrote:
I will never understand this weird concept.
This is a really simple-minded behavior to tie the hands of your clients. It clearly indicates your fear from the competitors.

Remember where Across gets their money from: not from you and me (translators), but from corporates and agencies. I believe they use the lack of interoperability as a selling point: you (corporates who pay a high price for our product) can rest assured your precious translation assets won't be disseminated everywhere and fall into the hands of untrustworthy translators, everything will remain under tight control within our closed system.


 
Gyula Erdesz
Gyula Erdesz
Hungary
Local time: 14:19
Member (2009)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
double edged sword Jun 25, 2012

Lack of interoperability is clearly a double edged sword.

As far as I see, Across is one of the most dividing CAT-tool in the business. I know plenty of colleagues who automatically turn down all incoming Across projects. This can be quite frustrating for an LSP, too.

Let's put this ting in other words: if you, a CAT-tool developer constrain the interoperability and the free choice of the freelancers (i.e. the end user of your product), you inevitably constrain the free
... See more
Lack of interoperability is clearly a double edged sword.

As far as I see, Across is one of the most dividing CAT-tool in the business. I know plenty of colleagues who automatically turn down all incoming Across projects. This can be quite frustrating for an LSP, too.

Let's put this ting in other words: if you, a CAT-tool developer constrain the interoperability and the free choice of the freelancers (i.e. the end user of your product), you inevitably constrain the free choice of the translation agencies in terms of available workforce.

But yes, these are only my thoughts and we do not know the business model of Across.

Regards,
Gyula
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Dominique Pivard
Dominique Pivard  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:19
Finnish to French
Business model of Across Jun 25, 2012

Gyula Erdész wrote:
Let's put this ting in other words: if you, a CAT-tool developer constrain the interoperability and the free choice of the freelancers (i.e. the end user of your product), you inevitably constrain the free choice of the translation agencies in terms of available workforce.

Their reasoning is probably that there are plenty of freelancers whose main concern is to find money to pay the rent and feed their children, which is why they will accept Across projects even if they dislike the tool.
Gyula Erdész wrote:
But yes, these are only my thoughts and we do not know the business model of Across.

Their business model is pretty clear to me: sell a limited number of expensive server packages to high-paying corporates and give the client software away to freelancers.


 
MikeTrans
MikeTrans
Germany
Local time: 14:19
Italian to German
+ ...
Use the free version of Across to pretranslate TMX Jun 25, 2012

Hi Gyula,

like in any CAT tool migration, the procedure is usually:

- Work in the CAT tool you judge is most appropriate after importing only in plain text format;
- Export the translation memory in TMX

At this point, you import the TMX into the free version of Across (I don't know if still available) and pre-translate your project documents.

The disadvantage is: If your client persists in obtaining an Across file, then you must deal wit
... See more
Hi Gyula,

like in any CAT tool migration, the procedure is usually:

- Work in the CAT tool you judge is most appropriate after importing only in plain text format;
- Export the translation memory in TMX

At this point, you import the TMX into the free version of Across (I don't know if still available) and pre-translate your project documents.

The disadvantage is: If your client persists in obtaining an Across file, then you must deal with and adjust all formating codes in Across and export your project from there. There is no turn around for this.

Greets,
Mike



[Edited at 2012-06-25 18:53 GMT]
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Dominique Pivard
Dominique Pivard  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:19
Finnish to French
How to you get content to be translated out of Across? Jun 25, 2012

MikeTrans wrote:
- Work in the CAT tool you judge is most appropriate after importing only in plain text format;

But before importing plain text into your favorite CAT tool, how do you get that out of Across? As far as I understand, Across is designed so as not to allow you to export anything out of it.


 
lidija68
lidija68  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 14:19
Italian to Serbian
+ ...
across free version Jun 25, 2012

MikeTrans wrote:


At this point, you import the TMX into the free version of Across (I don't know if still available) and pre-translate your project documents.



Greets,
Mike



[Edited at 2012-06-25 18:53 GMT]


Across is completely free for freelancers (you can install it on 2 computers, after you've obtained free activation code).
I've installed it on one of my pc's a couple of weeks ago.

-english is not my working language-


 
MikeTrans
MikeTrans
Germany
Local time: 14:19
Italian to German
+ ...
Across: good interface for translations, but a closed system... Jun 25, 2012

Dominique Pivard wrote:

(...) Across is designed so as not to allow you to export anything out of it.


Well, I was assuming that Gyula or anyone else would start with a broadly commnon file, say MS-Word, XLIFF, HTML etc. which all can be imported by most CAT tools. In that case, you can go to the TMX route.

Sometimes it happens to me to work first in a tool because some program features are better suited for my purpose; I then export my project (mostly like above) to go on in another CAT which has better tag handling, or where an exact document preview is important etc. etc. There are indeed a lot of reasons for working with different CATs.

Unfortunately, if you start out with only an Across project file, then you are probably stucked, as far as I remember: you must use Across all along, unless you find some tricky ways to extract the text.
I had a closer look on Across last year, but personally I didn't like the unique big SQL database for storing everything in one place without much control, and the huge management-oriented features that I would never use. It's a closed system, though the translation editor is a good one.

Mike


 
Gyula Erdesz
Gyula Erdesz
Hungary
Local time: 14:19
Member (2009)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Question: how to export information from Accross Jun 26, 2012

@MikeTrans:

Dominique Pivard wrote:

MikeTrans wrote:
- Work in the CAT tool you judge is most appropriate after importing only in plain text format;

But before importing plain text into your favorite CAT tool, how do you get that out of Across? As far as I understand, Across is designed so as not to allow you to export anything out of it.


This is what I need to know.


 
MikeTrans
MikeTrans
Germany
Local time: 14:19
Italian to German
+ ...
@Gyula Jun 26, 2012

You can't do that.
I don't have Across installed anymore, so I can't ttell you for sure, ask in the Across forum.

Mike


 
Gyula Erdesz
Gyula Erdesz
Hungary
Local time: 14:19
Member (2009)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Bad news Jun 26, 2012

MikeTrans wrote:


You can't do that.
I don't have Across installed anymore, so I can't tell you for sure, ask in the Across forum.

Mike


Dear Mike and Dominique

Thank you for your answers. You spared me a lot of time.

It seems I must work work in Across. I am not happy.

Best regards,

Gyula


 
Egidijus Slepetys
Egidijus Slepetys  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:19
German to Lithuanian
most of us made this mistake once upon :) Jun 26, 2012



It seems I must work in Across. I am not happy.



you probably have to make this mistake too
I made it twice and since then I always state clearly to my new clients: NO Across an NO Lionbridge's Translation Workspace!

These tools are for noobs and masochists.

[Redaguota 2012-06-26 16:09 GMT]


 
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