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Dr.
Tom's Independent Software Reviews
presents:
Short Reviews
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Introduction:
schaudin.com was founded in 1993 as a software designer company developing
custom-made applications running on Microsoft Windows. Since 1995 they
have focused on translation software for the multilingual localization
of MS Windows software. Besides their flagship RC-WinTrans, they also
offer custom development for special needs that cannot be met with standard
products (usually the translating of nonstandard file types or special
translation requests). With their central office located in the Frankfurt
Rhein/Main high-tech area in Germany, schaudin.com is also supported by
employees in Londonderry ( NH, USA), Seattle (WA, USA) and Berlin (Germany).
Fig.
1: Translation of a RC-File using RC-WinTrans. Upper panel:
Main Project Window - left: resources tree view - right: text table view
with source and target languages (please note that recheck markers have
been placed next to some translations). Lower left: Translation edit bar
- lower right: Multi-View bar - here showing a list of glossaries used
in the project.
Please click on the image for a closer look!
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Features:
RC-WinTrans
supports the localization of the Graphic User Interface (GUI) of Microsoft
Windows software consisting of dialog boxes, menus, stringtables, accelerator
tables and bitmaps. RC-WinTrans conveniently translates Windows resource
script files (.RC, .DLG, .RC2), Program files (.EXE, .DLL and .OCX) as
well as Java .PROPERTIES files, simple C/C++ text definition files (.H),
Windows INI files (:INI) and InstallShield stringtable files (.SHL). The
application presents the source text and additional columns for each target
language in a clear table view. It is also equipped with a built-in dialog
box layout editor to adjust dialog boxes and dialog box items according
to the requirements of the target text.
One specialty of RC-WinTrans is the support of ActiveX controls used in
dialogs. After extracting all text out of the ActiveX controls, there
is no need to distribute and install the ActiveX controls in a distributed
translation.
Another advantage of using RC-WinTrans is the Change Control which tracks
changes in the source file and points out where they affect existing translation(s).
Changes are made visible to the translator and only the modified or new
text elements need to be translated.
Fig.
2: Menu translation in a RC-File using RC-WinTrans. Upper panel:
Table view of the menu resources with icons for double mnemonic keys (hotkeys)
and color-coded translation status (white: not translated - green: finished).
Lower left: Translation edit bar - lower right: Multi-View bar - here
showing the results of a string search.
Please click on the image for a closer look!
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For
a decentralized translation process, RC-WinTrans has export and import
capabilities to distribute and merge translation data. Direct import and
export capabilities are supported for text files, RC-WinTrans translation
databases, resource files and program files. During the translation process
(translating a source text, finding a translation), the translator can
use integrated RC-WinTrans resource text glossaries as well as existing
translation projects. The Auto-Translate function of RC-WinTrans allows
an automatic translation based on the data of one or more glossaries and/or
one or more already existing translation projects. An existing translation
project can be used like a glossary, meaning that you do not have to translate
a text twice, and with an increasing number of translated projects the
data available to translate a current project increases as well.
- Binary
resource files (.RES) cannot be translated with RC-WinTrans.
- RC-WinTrans
supports localization of 32bit program files (.EXE, .DLL and .OCX).
16-bit program files are not supported.
-
Borland Delphi programs cannot be translated with RC-WinTrans.
- Windows
95/89/ME has a technical restriction on writing (creating) translated
program/executable files. RC-WinTrans uses Windows API functions to
write localized resources to an EXE, DLL or OCX target file. API functions
are only supported for Windows NT and Windows 2000 operating systems.
Since the required function is unavailable for Windows 95/98/ME, the
"Write Target Files" function can only be performed on a Windows
NT or Windows 2000 operating system. The "Write Target File"
function for program files is the only restriction for Windows 95/98/ME.
- Program/executable
files must be based on (created with) Windows resource script files
in order to be localized with RC-WinTrans. These are, for example, programs
developed with the C/C++ programming language. Strings in Visual Basic
programs can be translated if a resource script file has been used to
separate the text from the program code.

Fig.
3: Dialog Box translation in a RC-File using RC-WinTrans. Upper
panel: Dialog box view of the dialog box resources with the size &
position bar for the marked (yellow rectangle) resource. The blue icon
indicates resized dialog elements - the green dots display the translation
status (green: finished). Lower left: Translation edit bar - lower right:
Multi-View bar - here showing the results of a string search.
Please click on the image for a closer look!
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System Requirements:
Windows
9x, ME or NT, 2000; 400 MHz x86 CPU or above; 25 MB HD. Optional Microsoft
Excel (import/export), Microsoft Visual SourceSafe (version control),
TRADOS Translator's Workbench (translation memory), Microsoft Access 97
(data storage.
Editions &
Prices:
- RC-WinTrans
6.0 Standard Edition. 840 US $ (930 €).
- RC-WinTrans
6.0 External Translators' Group License. The external translators
group license is intended for companies that use a number of internal
or external translators in their business. A translator is provided
with the RC-WinTrans Translators Edition which can be used to
translate a files translation database. The Translators
Edition is for translation/localization purposes only, and cannot write
(create) translated target files. This task can only be performed with
RC-WinTrans Unlimited Standard Edition, located at the companys
home office. The external translators' group license includes: 1 RC-WinTrans
6.0 single-user license (full functionality); designated number of copies
of the Translator's Edition; 1 copy of the RC-WinTrans 6.0 -- CD-ROM
+ General Guide; 2 copies of RC-WinTrans 6.0 Translators CD-ROM + General
Guide with additional translator's CDs and General Guides available
upon request. 2410
US$ (2720 €).
- RC-WinTrans
Lite Edition: Full featured version of RC-WinTrans with a limitation
in the maximum size of a translation project. Mainly thought as a free
trial version to see how RC-WinTrans works.
Fig.
4: The RC-WinTrans Translation Statistics Property Page displays
information about the source file and the translation database
Please click on the image for a closer look!
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Company
Information:
schaudin.com; Ritterseestrasse 29, D-64846 Gross-Zimmern, Germany; Phone:
+49 (6071) 951706, Fax: +49 (6071) 951707; email: info@schaudin.com;
URL: http://www.schaudin.com.
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Usage & Evaluation:
- RC-WinTrans
is a powerful and well organized tool for the localization of RC-files,
executables (EXE), link libraries (DLL and OCX) as well as Java .PROPERTIES
files, simple C/C++ text definition files (.H), Windows INI files (:INI)
and InstallShield stringtable files (.SHL). As the name indicates, RC-WinTrans'
specialty lies within the translation of RC-files for which it offers
the most powerful parser in this test. Another nice feature is the ability
to extract text components from ActiveX controls.
- RC-WinTrans
does not support Help files and web formats. It can therefore afford
to lack an own translation memory. However, by providing a thoroughly
developed interactivity with the TRADOS Translator's Workbench, extended
features of the TM such as concordance search can be used within RC-WinTrans.
- The
tool only covers some basic statistic functions. Much better developed
is the validation and inconsistency checking and the extended import/export
features (e.g. CSV and TMX) whose value is however limited due to only
marginal project management abilities. RC-WinTrans satisfies by automatically
updating translated files whenever the source file is changed.
- Together
with STAR Group's Transit Satellite PE, Alchemy CATALYST's QuickShip
Environment and PASSOLO's Translator Edition, RC-WinTrans is now also
offered in a free version for freelance translators working for a company
that uses the Standard Edition.
- RC-WinTrans
is the only product in this comparative review which does not use a
hardware key (dongle) for licensing protection. As dongles often create
inconveniences for the user, this is a minor advantage of RC-WinTrans.
Alternatives:
- Specialized
Software Localization Tools:
- Translation
Memory or Computer Aided Translation (CAT) Applications:
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