Translate
This tutorial shows how to set up Translation Manager, the connector between SDL Tridion and SDL's translation management systems, with SDL BeGlobal, also known as SDL Language Cloud.
Background
The following exercise can be accomplished within an hour to quickly demonstrate at least machine translation with SDL Tridion 2013 SP1.
Estimated Effort
- 60 minutes or less to start an account, create an API key, optionally install Translation Manager, and configure SDL Tridion for translation
- Tasks are appropriate for a CMS Administrator, though a Tridion-trained business analyst or "power user" could set up SDL Tridion with SDL Language Cloud
Prerequisites
- SDL Tridion 2013 SP1
- SDL Tridion Translation Manager installed (included with 2013 SP1)
- SDL ID (optional)
- Basic understanding of SDL Tridion BluePrinting
Documentation
The tutorial adds screenshots and additional background on the setup. You can quickly get set up by following the documentation:
- Start on the SDL Documentation Center
- Go to SDL Language Cloud and sign up (updated 2015-08-12)
- Set up Translation Manager (for SDL BeGlobal)
Step 1: Create an SDL Language Cloud Account
Start with the Sign Up button.
Create an account or use your SDL ID:
- For Tridion customers and partners, this is typically your support account (OOS), which can connect with SDL Community (this site). This is not related to the older SDL Tridion World community login (read about the differences between the old and new sites).
- For SDL employees, this is typically your sdl email address.
Choose between a 30-day trial or free account or sign up for a package for a production setup. I chose the free option for this example.
Step 2: Generate a BeGlobal API Key
From the summary page seen below, go to the Integrations section in the slide out navigation.
Choose the option to "create an API Key."
Give the Key a name and optionally restrict allowed IP(s). For testing across Content Manager instances you might choose to leave this blank otherwise enter the IP address for the machine that will send translation jobs (typically your Content Manager).
Get the key from the API Keys screen or in your email if you chose the "Send the API Key to this email address."
Step 3: Confirm or Install Translation Manager
Be sure Translation Manager is installed on your SDL Tridion 2013 Content Management System, which includes the database as well as the software.
The installation is part of the SDL Tridion 2013 SP1 installation executable. Be sure to not remove features, otherwise the installer will uninstall parts you may want to keep.
Choose BeGlobal as the Translation System. Remember that Translation Manager is the "connector" between Tridion and one of the Translation Systems, which can be LanguageCloud (BeGlobal), TMS, or WorldServer.
With Translation Manager installed, configure SDL Tridion for translation.
Step 4: Configure SDL Tridion for Translation
Configure Tridion Source and Target Publication settings as well as Schema fields before creating translation jobs.
Source Publication Settings
In the properties for a content Publication (e.g. 020 Global Content), go to the Translation tab and set the following:
- Item is configured for translation [Yes]
- Configure Item as: (*) Source for translation
- Translation Management System: SDL BeGlobal
- API key: [enter the key or create one now]
- Source language: [choose a source language]
Tip: clear browser cache if the translation tab does not appear in a few seconds.
After selecting Source language, you will have a few options for Quality Level including:
- Specify quality level for each job
- Machine translation*
- Human translation
- Reviewed human translation
- Specialist human translation
*Choose machine translation if using one of the free accounts.
Save and Close the Publication then continue to the Target Publication.
Note that the machine translation options only include "region-" or "country-agnostic" languages such as Spanish, which means the translation quality is not a high as if choosing human translation, which has options for Spanish for Spain and Spanish for Mexico.
Target Publication Settings
Next configure a Target Publication for translation. In the Electridion Training example, I chose the Spanish translation Publication as an example. From Publication properties, go to the Translation tab and set the following:
- Item is configured for translation [yes]
- Configure Item as: Target for translation
- Optionally set a notification e-mail
- Choose a Target Language
Set Schema Fields for Translation
As a final configuration, set which fields should be translatable in one or more Schemas. This screenshot shows the description field is translatable, meaning it will be included in Translation Jobs.
Note on terminology: Not to be confused with the database term, SDL Tridion Schemas are the .xsd files that determine the structure for content, as entered in the Component forms.
Step 5: Create and Send a Translation Job
The final step is to create and send a Translation Job.
From one of the configured Publications, use the right-click context menu to choose BluePrinting > Translate or select Translate from the Organize tab (Translation Management is for the translation jobs list view). The user must have Translation Management rights for at least the target Publication (the screenshots below are based on a CMS Administrator).
Push Translation Job Example
If starting translation from a Source Publication, choose the target Publication in the Translation Job. This type of "push" translation is appropriate for a centralized team that wants to request translation for multiple source, child Publications.
Pull Translation Job Example
If starting from a Target Publication, you can "request" or "pull" translation from sources. This is a good scenario if the CMS users managing the child, translation Publications mostly work independently in their Publications rather than in a "Global Content" Publication.
Optionally Save the jobs or Send them for translation. Translation jobs are "one-time" use only, but can be resent in case of any issues as well as copied to create separate jobs. For production translation scenarios also consider Bundles to group items for translation. After saving or sending the jobs, revisit the Translation Job list view to see the list of jobs.
View Translation Job Status
Within Tridion, you can view the Translation Jobs from the shortcuts menu.
After a few minutes the jobs will transition from authorization (if configured) to "in progress," and eventually completed. Copy and paste jobs from this view or open them to see detailed status.
Translation Result
In translated items you will see the results of the machine translation.
You can also confirm the translation status at the bottom of an item's Info Tab.
Finally, from your Language Cloud login, you can also view statistics on machine and human translation use.
Language Cloud Statistics
View your translate usage on the Language Cloud site.
Also explore additional options such as revisiting the subscription options to try higher quality translations.
Additional Thoughts
Author's note: this configuration took about an hour to complete with another hour to gather and share the screenshots. Except for an installation needed for a given Electridion Training setup, everything was done in a browser through configuration. I'd recommend choosing to install Translation Manager as one of the out-of-the-box features for your next Tridion install.
Consider Language Cloud's machine translation option as a quick way to get started with Translation, prove out BluePrinting scenarios, or maybe train others on how Translation Jobs work. You now have a way to explore Translation Manager's resolving rules and maybe answer Tridion Stack Exchange questions on Translation Manager, from a Translation System agnostic perspective.
Indeed, after the initial setup, the translation process is very similar between the Translation System options. See other community posts on SDL Tridion with:
Regardless of your long-term translation strategy, you can get quickly get started with SDL Tridion and the Language Cloud today.
Edit: For faster polling for sending and retrieval in training and demonstrations, optionally change the TranslationManager.xml in %TRIDION_HOME%\config\ and adjust the TcmPollingInterval and TmsPollingInterval nodes respectively. The minimum value for either is 60, which will check each minute. For production setups, only check every hour or two (i.e. use at least <TmsPollingInterval>3600</TmsPollingInterval>) as checking each item against the Translation System can be performance intensive.
Update (2015-08-12): updated language cloud url.
