Forge's Language

[Takhen]

Hi, I like forge, and I would like to have it in Italian
I am not able in programming, but if you want to add more languages too and someone make it possibile to me I would be grateful to translate the words at least for the program (Cards are too much and need some automatic program as the Localised application made by a programmer of Dotp2013)

Someone likes?

[Chris H.]

Requests for new features should be posted on the Feature Requests Thread topic.

[Max mtg]

I would also love to have Forge translated into Russian, but it looks like we lack developer resources.
Someone has to find all texts in code, replace them with a key for localizable text and also develop some knid of a framework to take care of numbers and grammatical cases conjunction.

Also, as soon as forge codebase undergoes significant changes, the localization will always be delayed from current features.

[Takhen]

Requests for new features should be posted on the Feature Requests Thread topic.

I'm sorry, I am new in forums yet
Could you move it in the correct subforum or should I copy paste the message there?

I would also love to have Forge translated into Russian, but it looks like we lack developer resources.
Someone has to find all texts in code, replace them with a key for localizable text and also develop some knid of a framework to take care of numbers and grammatical cases conjunction.

Also, as soon as forge codebase undergoes significant changes, the localization will always be delayed from current features.

If we only translate the source our game will be ONLY in our language, so it won't be updated when the english version becomes
The best way is to add the option "Select Language" so that our translation become an option that enlarge the official program and not a modified version
About translation if the programmer/s gives us the source code maybe we could translate and return the translated code, then he/they have to put it in the "Select Language:Italian" or "Select Language:Russian"
The final problem would be to find all the word to translate: I don't know if it easy to find them between the rest of code or it becomes lost in a moooountain of codes

[Max mtg]

The source code is avaliable to everyone. Find more into at http://www.slightlymagic.net/wiki/Forge

Sure thing, a propper localization process means adding support for multiple languages at once, so that translated texts are stored in their external files, and never in code.
To add the language options is an easy task. There used to be such an option in one of config files, and I remember a dedicated language file for Deutch texts.

You're right, there's no modified version going to exist. All text constants scattered throughout java sources have to be replaced with calls to language module to obtain that text (in the currently selected language), identified by key to be passed as parameter. So the 'official' version has to hold that feature.

The very process of adding localization is quite clear, but there is noone to willing to do that job.

It's usually possible to find the string you see on screen by searching the source code. So besides there's a large amount of code, you are unlikely to go astray there.


@Chris, I am not sure if each request has to be appended to that'feature request thread. Answers to different requests will get interleaved in a single thread and that'll make it harder to fins which message was for who. (that's my personal opinion)

[Chris H.]

I would also love to have Forge translated into Russian, but it looks like we lack developer resources.
Someone has to find all texts in code, replace them with a key for localizable text and also develop some knid of a framework to take care of numbers and grammatical cases conjunction.

Also, as soon as forge codebase undergoes significant changes, the localization will always be delayed from current features.

 
We not only need one or more proficient java programmers for the coding we would also need a group of capable translators that are proficient in their native language and English.

And we would also likely need User Interface designers that can modify the existing code to handle the translated text. Many of the labels, text panels, etc are coded with a set of constraints, co-ordinates that provide enough space for English text. Languages other than English can require more space to display their localized version. This text would then be truncated and would require additional UI coding for the entire text string to be displayed.

Once the required amount of work and man-hours have been invested how many people would benefit from our results. This may be one of those labor intensive projects that would be best to be put off for some time. This would allow the current group of developers a chance to work on other areas of the project that in turn may benefit a larger group of people.

Moving the messages over to the appropriate topic can be somewhat difficult as I tend not to do it very often and do at times find it to be somewhat confusing.

[Max mtg]

Chris, That's what you are right about. It's fun to rush into input system, reassemble it to straighten the code flow and not care about texts or words' grammatical cases. If one would be obligated to correct texts in the code he produces, that would slow down such development or even make it boring and decrease a desire to carry it out.

What I mean about feature request thread: the very idea of asking everyone to append their suggestions to a single topic is not as good. Sometimes people repeatedly come with same ideas, and noone will be able to find a similiar request (and what has been answered to it) on page 25 of feature requests topic.

[Takhen]

We not only need one or more proficient java programmers for the coding we would also need a group of capable translators that are proficient in their native language and English.

I'm not a programmer, I am only an Italian player with some free time (my english is not so great but translate single-word buttons should be easy, less for in-game phrases, but to take a look is gratis )
If I find the source code (I am looking at the wiki but I see a lot of things I can't recognize maybe useful to programmers only) and open it I will try

But the great language's problem is about the cards
I don't know if you use full images or cropes (and I never fould fulls in italian before Shadowmore), otherwise, if you use cropes or add a text out from the card, it could be translated automatically by linking to the site magiccards.info that has more translations

If you can't do it the application I talked before, Localized for Dotp 2013, does this to help in card coding of that game, we could do something similar

[myk]

if localizing the card images is the most important element, we might be able to add a lot of value for non-English players relatively cheaply as long as we can algorithmically determine how to overlay the full pics with localized text crops. It would be much easier to integrate and and require very little maintenance compared to localizing the rest of the UI. Are localized crops (or fulls) readily available and would they be easy for Forge to fetch and use?

[moomarc]

if localizing the card images is the most important element, we might be able to add a lot of value for non-English players relatively cheaply as long as we can algorithmically determine how to overlay the full pics with localized text crops. It would be much easier to integrate and and require very little maintenance compared to localizing the rest of the UI. Are localized crops (or fulls) readily available and would they be easy for Forge to fetch and use?

The crops are available from the various HQ releases but are only localised in the sense that they are only the artwork - text crops aren't available (not as far as I've seen at least). Depending on the card era, the size and placement of the text frame varies, and we'd also have to consider the fact that some image downloads have the black edging while others remove it (and some even have the full border including corner curves). But I suppose that all depends on how accurately you want to replicate the card.

[myk]

That is a bummer. In that case, I vote not to do localization for now (sorry, Takhen). Given the state of flux of the UI, the effort required for maintenance would just be too high.

[Takhen]

But I suppose that all depends on how accurately you want to replicate the card.

I think that the problem of border or others are not so hard if using cropes: always for Dotp there are the template of the card, so only cropes should be added, and text automatically added from the site after the link

[Max mtg]

There is no absolutelly no chance to substitute card picutre framnets.
It is much easier to display translated names over card panels

It is hard to display current card types and abilities on a propper langauage - since texts are composed programmatically.
It's a bit simplier to translate the UI but also lots of work.

But as I already told, noone is interested in that branch of development.

Source is here: http://www.slightlymagic.net/wiki/Forge ... e_checkout

[moomarc]

But I suppose that all depends on how accurately you want to replicate the card.

I think that the problem of border or others are not so hard if using cropes: always for Dotp there are the template of the card, so only cropes should be added, and text automatically added from the site after the link

The developers made the decision early on to use full card images instead of crops with constructed frames and text. We wanted to keep the cards looking authentic and true to life to create the immersive feel (and nostalgia for some of the older devs and sets). We wanted each set to use its original art and frame. You should be able to use an app to create full card images though if you already have the crops. I can't think of the name of any at the moment, but I'm sure that there's at least one designed for making proxies with a choice of language output. Then just replace the images in Forge with those ones (the filenames will still have to use the English name though).

[Takhen]

Good idea to replace the images of the cards, I had not noticed this possibility

I'm sorry but I can not find a source file, I see many links and many files
There would be a single text file or database so that I have what I need to try to translate the program and nothing else?
Opening can not remember where, and can not be changed the words, I saw pieces of code where the part to be translated was written in green, if possile I would like to use this same thing, you know, opening the file with Notepad + + for example, it would greatly facilitate