Should I avoid Passolo Thread poster: Samuel Murray
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Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 01:24
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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Hello everyone
A client asked me if I'm available for translation in Passolo. Should I say "no"? I have Passolo 2009 on my computer and the client says he will send me a link to a version of Passolo that I can use, but... I've never worked in Passolo and I have no idea what it is or does. Is this a time-waster tool? Is this the type of tool for which I have to increase my rate ten-fold just to break even? Or is it a very nice tool that would actually help me make money?
<... See more Hello everyone
A client asked me if I'm available for translation in Passolo. Should I say "no"? I have Passolo 2009 on my computer and the client says he will send me a link to a version of Passolo that I can use, but... I've never worked in Passolo and I have no idea what it is or does. Is this a time-waster tool? Is this the type of tool for which I have to increase my rate ten-fold just to break even? Or is it a very nice tool that would actually help me make money?
Thanks
Samuel ▲ Collapse
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Hi Samuel,
It's another one two-column CAT tool with TM and glossary support.
It's not worse compared to other mid-level tools. Passolo Translator version is free.
I suggest you to try it in order to have personal opinion.
Regards,
Oleg
| | | | Selcuk Akyuz
Türkiye
Local time: 02:24
English to Turkish
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| localisation tool | Apr 3, 2013 |
It is a CAT tool but mainly for localisation projects. IMO, it is not so difficult. One familiar with other CAT tools can learn to use its basic functions in 15 minutes.
| | | | | Some background information | Apr 3, 2013 |
Hello Samuel,
The workflow is similar to the workflow when you receive a SDL Trados Studio package. In SDL Passolo these packages are called translation bundles. No need to do localization engineering or to prepare the software files from your client. The corporate client already prepared the project using a licensed version of SDL Passolo. The translation bundle can be opened and translated using the free Translator Edition, some corporate clients are providing download links to th... See more Hello Samuel,
The workflow is similar to the workflow when you receive a SDL Trados Studio package. In SDL Passolo these packages are called translation bundles. No need to do localization engineering or to prepare the software files from your client. The corporate client already prepared the project using a licensed version of SDL Passolo. The translation bundle can be opened and translated using the free Translator Edition, some corporate clients are providing download links to their translators to ensure that the lastest version is used. You can also download it from the SDL website for free.
The Translator Edition of SDL Passolo offers visual localization. For various software file formats the user interface of the software you are translating can be visualized and adapted (i.e. resize buttons). Visual localization adds helpful context information to software strings that are usually very short. The tool has special QA features for software strings and UI and you can connect it to existing Studio TMs and MultiTerm termbases.
Achim Herrmann
SDL Passolo Business Consultant ▲ Collapse
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 01:24
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | About pricing | Apr 3, 2013 |
Achim Herrmann wrote:
The Translator Edition of SDL Passolo offers visual localization. For various software file formats the user interface of the software you are translating can be visualized and adapted (i.e. resize buttons).
If we ignore the effect of not knowing a new program, by how much do you think should I raise my rate for Passolo work? I mean, if I usually charge e.g. USD 0.10 per word for translation in a normal CAT tool, and I want to make the same amount of money per hour with Passolo, what should my rate be? Hypothetically speaking, of course. I understand the advantages of being able to see things visually and being able to see context etc, but processing all of that extra information takes extra time, surely, so a Passolo job at the same per-word rate would be a loss-leader unless I raise the rate to compensate, right?
| | | | Selcuk Akyuz
Türkiye
Local time: 02:24
English to Turkish
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Short or long segments? Software commands, menus with/without context? Character limitation? Shortcut keys, e.g. R&efresh. It may be a challenging job
| | | | | Indeed, but... | Apr 3, 2013 |
Selcuk Akyuz wrote: Short or long segments? Software commands, menus with/without context? Character limitation? Shortcut keys, e.g. R&efresh. It may be a challenging job
Usually, the translator's role in localization jobs is simply to translate the strings. All other tasks, such as assigning hotkeys, checking for double hotkeys, checking for truncated strings (and resizing GUI elements) etc. are usually handled by the agency.
| | | | Selcuk Akyuz
Türkiye
Local time: 02:24
English to Turkish
+ ...
| In an ideal world | Apr 3, 2013 |
Stanislav Pokorny wrote: Selcuk Akyuz wrote: Short or long segments? Software commands, menus with/without context? Character limitation? Shortcut keys, e.g. R&efresh. It may be a challenging job Usually, the translator's role in localization jobs is simply to translate the strings. All other tasks, such as assigning hotkeys, checking for double hotkeys, checking for truncated strings (and resizing GUI elements) etc. are usually handled by the agency.
Agree but to be on the safe side one should be aware of all tasks and discuss it with the client beforehand.
Many agencies prefer sending xml, xliff or mostly xls files. An xls file should be the easiest one with Wordfast Pro or MemoQ (new multilingual filter).
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Selcuk Akyuz wrote: Stanislav Pokorny wrote: Selcuk Akyuz wrote: Short or long segments? Software commands, menus with/without context? Character limitation? Shortcut keys, e.g. R&efresh. It may be a challenging job Usually, the translator's role in localization jobs is simply to translate the strings. All other tasks, such as assigning hotkeys, checking for double hotkeys, checking for truncated strings (and resizing GUI elements) etc. are usually handled by the agency. Agree but to be on the safe side one should be aware of all tasks and discuss it with the client beforehand.
Sure, Selcuk, I couldn't agree more.
| | | | Jorge Payan
Colombia
Local time: 18:24
Member (2002)
German to Spanish
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| That is what Passolo is for | Apr 4, 2013 |
Stanislav Pokorny wrote: Selcuk Akyuz wrote: Short or long segments? Software commands, menus with/without context? Character limitation? Shortcut keys, e.g. R&efresh. It may be a challenging job Usually, the translator's role in localization jobs is simply to translate the strings. All other tasks, such as assigning hotkeys, checking for double hotkeys, checking for truncated strings (and resizing GUI elements) etc. are usually handled by the agency.
"...assigning hotkeys, checking for double hotkeys, checking for truncated strings (and resizing GUI elements) ...." is what the customer (at least my customers) expects from the translator when they request Passolo to be used.
| | | | | Not a big deal | Apr 4, 2013 |
Just in case this is useful. I have done several localisation projects based on Passolo, but never translated in Passolo, or better said, have translated about a dozen strings in Passolo itself.
What I did all the time was use a macro for Passolo developed by TEK, called "Passolo2Xliff". You can download it from here. The macro lets you extract all translatables from a Passolo file so that you can transl... See more Just in case this is useful. I have done several localisation projects based on Passolo, but never translated in Passolo, or better said, have translated about a dozen strings in Passolo itself.
What I did all the time was use a macro for Passolo developed by TEK, called "Passolo2Xliff". You can download it from here. The macro lets you extract all translatables from a Passolo file so that you can translate it as a XLIFF file in any CAT tool, and then puts the translations back into the Passolo project. ▲ Collapse
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Jorge Payan wrote: Stanislav Pokorny wrote: Selcuk Akyuz wrote: Short or long segments? Software commands, menus with/without context? Character limitation? Shortcut keys, e.g. R&efresh. It may be a challenging job Usually, the translator's role in localization jobs is simply to translate the strings. All other tasks, such as assigning hotkeys, checking for double hotkeys, checking for truncated strings (and resizing GUI elements) etc. are usually handled by the agency. "...assigning hotkeys, checking for double hotkeys, checking for truncated strings (and resizing GUI elements) ...." is what the customer (at least my customers) expects from the translator when they request Passolo to be used.
Jorge, that may of course be the case, but if it is, the pricing will be different from pure translation. That was my point. And Selcuk has correctly added that this should always be clarified with the client before a go-ahead is given.
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 01:24
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thanks, everyone | Apr 4, 2013 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
A client asked me if I'm available for translation in Passolo. Should I say "no"?
It would seem that some clients who want Passolo simply want a straight translation, and others would want me to also check for truncation and assign hotkeys. I guess it becomes "wait and see" what this particular client wants.
| | | | | Problems with workflow... | Apr 17, 2013 |
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
Just in case this is useful. I have done several localisation projects based on Passolo, but never translated in Passolo, or better said, have translated about a dozen strings in Passolo itself.
IMO, the biggest problem with Passolo in not Passolo itself but the fact neither the project managers translate in Passolo and don't really realize how it works...
IMO, frankly speaking, probably some of them are simply idiots.
I.e.:
The Passolo use makes sense mainly if the file content can be visualized in Passolo.
It worked perfectly e.g. with .rc files (C++) but e.g. all the .resx (C#) files I ever received could not be displayed in a graphic environment, they're just a string list.
If no preview is available, Passolo gets automatically worse than most CAT tools.
In fact, at the basic level, Passolo has probably only one sound feature other CAT tools lack i.e. the way it handles ampersand (and, generally, the software localization related QA) but normally the translation itself is far easier and faster on exported files, especially if the content is not suitable for Passolo (e.g. HTML).
So why, for larger projects, I almost always worked in a manner similar to the Tomás' workflow, then I made the QA in Passolo.
The project managers like Passolo because their workflow control is easier but they should rather export the file to an external format, then reimport it, especially for bigger projects, it would be far easier for translators in case of jobs without preview which are a massive majority now.
Personally, I always liked Passolo but I think it's becoming obsolete because of the lack of content which could be previewed...
Some tasks simply can't be done in a human way and are extremely time consuming
E.g., recently, I revised a big Passolo project divided into several bundles.
Of course, at the last moment, the customer decided to make some global terminology changes but refused to create an unified package containing all the bundles.
In this way, a reviewer must open a gazillion of files, search for these terms (separately in every bundle...), then save all the bundles one by one (Passolo is not transactional, unlike e.g. memoQ, DVX etc.).
The same if inconsistencies are detected in several bundles, it's no way to deal with 'em using the default and easily accessible functions, every bundle is a separate universe.
Basically, a lot of these problem can be avoided but one must have an intelligent PM.
As I see, it's not frequent.
So, always take a closer look on the workflow...
It the workflow may get crazy, one should pay attention...
Cheers
GG
[Edited at 2013-04-17 10:05 GMT]
| | | | | At least double the pricing | Jul 31, 2015 |
Samuel Murray wrote: Achim Herrmann wrote:
The Translator Edition of SDL Passolo offers visual localization. For various software file formats the user interface of the software you are translating can be visualized and adapted (i.e. resize buttons). If we ignore the effect of not knowing a new program, by how much do you think should I raise my rate for Passolo work? I mean, if I usually charge e.g. USD 0.10 per word for translation in a normal CAT tool, and I want to make the same amount of money per hour with Passolo, what should my rate be? Hypothetically speaking, of course. I understand the advantages of being able to see things visually and being able to see context etc, but processing all of that extra information takes extra time, surely, so a Passolo job at the same per-word rate would be a loss-leader unless I raise the rate to compensate, right?
In my experience, working with Passolo usually means about 2-3 times longer processing time. It's a very cumbersome and ineffective tool.
Thomas
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