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Need Help Importing Smartcat-Exported TMX into Trados

kushali varma

Hi team, this is important:

I’m experiencing issues when trying to import a TMX file from Smartcat into Trados as an SDLTM. The TMX file is valid and error-free, but Trados still returns errors during import.

I am attaching Trados error screenshot.

We need a solution that works for both of us, one using Smartcat and the other Trados, so the TMX can be converted to SDLTM smoothly and reliably.

Can anyone suggest a workable fix or workaround?

Don't hesitate to reach out to me dTrados error window showing 'Import failed. The file could not be processed.' and 'The translation memory data file engine returned an error.' with OK button and links to Knowledge Base and Community.irectly on Teams.

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[edited by: RWS Community AI at 2:09 PM (GMT 1) on 11 Aug 2025]
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  • 0 in reply to kushali varma

     

    That's not what I asked for at all.  But what you are showing is that you have 7 sdlxliff files, mostly, and 1 TMX, that fail to import.

    Assuming you only want to investigate the TMX as this was your question, can we see the header and a few segments.  So this would look something like this:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<tmx version="1.4">
<header creationtool="Smartcat" creationtoolversion="7.0.0.0" segtype="sentence" o-tmf="ATM" adminlang="en-US" srclang="en-GB" datatype="plaintext">
</header>
<body>

<tu creationdate="20250811T141634Z" changedate="20250811T141634Z">
<tuv xml:lang="en-GB">
<seg>Contents</seg>
</tuv>
<tuv xml:lang="fr-FR">
<seg>Sommaire</seg>
</tuv>
</tu>

<tu creationdate="20250811T141634Z" changedate="20250811T141634Z">
<tuv xml:lang="en-GB">
<prop type="x-context-pre"><seg>Contents</seg></prop>
<seg><bpt i="0" x="0" />Welcome	3<ept i="0" /></seg>
</tuv>
<tuv xml:lang="fr-FR">
<seg><bpt i="0" x="0" />Un mot de bienvenue	3<ept i="0" /></seg>
</tuv>
</tu>

    I just created a TM in Smartcat, exported it as TMX and imported it into Trados Studio by import, and also by upgrading - neither gave me problem.  So that makes me think:

    1. it could be the version of Trados you are working with - 2022 I think based on your screenshot.  Current version should be Trados Studio 2022 SR2 - 17.2.12.19268.
    2. it could be a problem with accessing the files - so where are they stored - the full path please.
    3. it could be a problem with the specific files you have got.  Now that I'm happy a Smartcat TMX imports ok we might need to see the full TMX to check for you.

    Paul Filkin | RWS Group

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  • 0 in reply to Paul

    Hello  

    Firstly, thanks for your prompt replies.

    And we are currently using Trados Studio 2022 SR2 (version 17.2.12.19268), and the translation memory files are stored on our network drive. Could you please advise on the best method to share a TMX file with you? Thanks in advance. 
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  • 0 in reply to kushali varma

    PFA Screenshot of a TMX file showing translation units with English and Spanish segments. Includes phrases like 'Leading Remote Teams When the Stakes Are High' and 'Presenters'.
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    [edited by: RWS Community AI at 2:54 PM (GMT 1) on 11 Aug 2025]
  • 0 in reply to kushali varma

     

    If your TMX is confidential, but you're ok sharing with me, you can send to pfilkin at sdl dotcom by way of a link I can download it from.  Don't attach it to an email as our IT will most likely bounce it.

    Paul Filkin | RWS Group

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    Design your own training!
    You've done the courses and still need to go a little further, or still not clear? 
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  • 0 in reply to Paul

     

    Thanks for sending the TMX.  I upgraded it using Trados Studio 2024 and this worked fine:

    Trados Studio upgrade process showing four steps completed: creating translation memory, importing TMX file, building translation model, and aligning translation units.

    But is does end up being 701k Mb because it automatically aligns the TUs for fragment matching.  So I also ran a powershell import and this also worked ok:

    PowerShell output displaying translation memory processing details, including TUs processed, imported, discarded, and errors. Final stats show 159,633 TUs imported and 159,369 discarded.

    This was much faster and only 227k Mb.

    In both cases around 159k TUs were discarded... probably because they are not needed by Trados Studio at all.  This is not unusual as tools like Smartcat don't have the same level of sophistication wrt duplicates and some types of content that is automatically recognised by Trados.

    In terms of why this doesn't work for you... given the size of the files I'm going to suggest you try copying the TMX to a location that is not on a network drive.  So perhaps create a folder on your c: drive and put the TMX there before you try and work with it.  It could be that it's simply not really available to Trados Studio so it fails before it's fully loaded into memory.

    I'll send the TMs I created for you by email... or a link to them anyway.

    Paul Filkin | RWS Group

    ________________________
    Design your own training!
    You've done the courses and still need to go a little further, or still not clear? 
    Tell us what you need in our Community Solutions Hub

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    [edited by: RWS Community AI at 4:04 PM (GMT 1) on 11 Aug 2025]
  • 0 in reply to Paul

     Thank you so much for assisting me with the translation memory. Your help is greatly appreciated.

    However, I would like to mention that we are currently using Trados 2022. While your solution worked for this instance, we are seeking a more permanent fix. The translation memory is utilized by a colleague based in Brussels, and we rely on uploading the translation memories to our shared drive for accessibility.

    Could you please advise if there's a more lasting solution to ensure compatibility across our systems?
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  • 0 in reply to kushali varma

     

    kushali varma said:
    Could you please advise if there's a more lasting solution to ensure compatibility across our systems?

    You don't have a compatibility issue here at all!  Your problems seem to be around file management.

    A longer-term approach could be to use a cloud solution so that everyone is working from the same resources at all times... and preferably the same tools!  At present, you’re working with a single-user desktop setup and manually keeping resources in sync, which can be challenging.  By adopting a process that ensures your file management is aligned with the tools you’re using, you could maintain consistency across systems and avoid these problems altogether.

    You’re using Smartcat alongside Trados. That’s of course your choice, but you could make this smoother by introducing a small amount of automation.  For example, I used PowerShell to import the TMX quickly, and the same approach could easily be extended to manage the transfer of the TMX files as well.

    Ultimately, this is something that would need to be managed on your side.  In many organisations, this is exactly the sort of process a dedicated localisation engineer would own - and it’s a role that can add a lot of value.  This article might be helpful: https://multifarious.filkin.com/2024/08/31/trados-studio-powershell-trilogy-part-1/

    Paul Filkin | RWS Group

    ________________________
    Design your own training!
    You've done the courses and still need to go a little further, or still not clear? 
    Tell us what you need in our Community Solutions Hub

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