Which CAT tool is the best (for both soft/games localization and general texts)?
Thread poster: Sergiy Butkov
Sergiy Butkov
Sergiy Butkov
Ukraine
Local time: 04:19
Member (2014)
English to Russian
+ ...
Aug 4, 2019

Hi everyone.

I am sure that this question has been discussed tens or even hundreds of times here, but translators' software is being continuously improved and upgraded, so the last year's leader is not necessarily the best tool today.

So, what CAT tool in your opinion is the most versatile, comfortable and feature-rich?

* by "versatile" I mean that it should be suitable both for software/games localization and general texts. For example, in SD
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Hi everyone.

I am sure that this question has been discussed tens or even hundreds of times here, but translators' software is being continuously improved and upgraded, so the last year's leader is not necessarily the best tool today.

So, what CAT tool in your opinion is the most versatile, comfortable and feature-rich?

* by "versatile" I mean that it should be suitable both for software/games localization and general texts. For example, in SDL Trados 2017 I haven't found any possibility to see the string ID, which is very important for software localization.

* "comfortable" is the most subjective factor, so it's up to you to share why you think that specific tool is comfortable to work with. But at least some basic translation/term management/quality management functions should not become a headache.

* by "feature-rich" I mean that at least it should support the most of popular file formats, have a well developed and convenient term management function, file alignment tool (desirable), functionality for soft/games localization, possibility to view the previous translations and edits for each string, and a good QA functions (spelling (ideally for Russian/Ukrainian), tags issues, terms consistency, etc.).

Please share your thoughts, as I'm looking for the best CAT tool to buy and really appreciate the help of the professional community on this matter.

Update: If you think it's not possible to combine all these features and qualities in one tool, then what is the best localization tool in your opinion?

[Edited at 2019-08-04 11:26 GMT]

[Edited at 2019-08-04 11:27 GMT]
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Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 03:19
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Rather get separate programs Aug 4, 2019

Sergey Butkov wrote:
So, what CAT tool in your opinion is the most versatile, comfortable and feature-rich?


If you want to do more than one type of translation or offer more than one type of service (e.g. both translation *and* editing), it may be best to simply use separate programs.

It may even depend on your file types... for example, in OmegaT I can view the contextual and comment information of PO files, but not of XLIFF files. I have not been able to get Trados to show me any non-translatable information of segments in either PO or XLIFF files except if they specifically relate to the Trados workflow (for example, I can't see alternative translations in Trados, nor does Trados show me non-subsegmented source segments).


 
Sergiy Butkov
Sergiy Butkov
Ukraine
Local time: 04:19
Member (2014)
English to Russian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
How do you manage TMs and TBs while using different tools? Aug 4, 2019

Samuel Murray wrote:


If you want to do more than one type of translation or offer more than one type of service (e.g. both translation *and* editing), it may be best to simply use separate programs.

It may even depend on your file types... for example, in OmegaT I can view the contextual and comment information of PO files, but not of XLIFF files. I have not been able to get Trados to show me any non-translatable information of segments in either PO or XLIFF files except if they specifically relate to the Trados workflow (for example, I can't see alternative translations in Trados, nor does Trados show me non-subsegmented source segments).


Thank you Samuel. Well, my primary concern about multiple tools (except higher costs) is that you have to manage separately all the projects, translation memories and glossaries. I think it's great to have the one translation memory for all the projects. Doest OmegaT support SDLTM and TMX?


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 03:19
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Sergey Aug 4, 2019

Sergey Butkov wrote:
...you have to manage separately all the projects, translation memories and glossaries. I think it's great to have the one translation memory for all the projects. Doest OmegaT support SDLTM and TMX?


TMX yes, SDLTM no.
https://closedtags.com/trados-studio-resource-converter/

Yes, that is indeed the problem of using multiple tools.


 


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Which CAT tool is the best (for both soft/games localization and general texts)?






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