| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Which server based CAT Tool(s) do you use (and prefer)? Thread poster: jokerman
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jokerman
Germany
Local time: 21:31
Member (2008)
English to German
+ ...
Hello everyone,
one of our clients wants us to create a server based solution for his translation projects, i.e. to have an online server with all TMs (as tmx-files) and to allow acces to any relevant TMs for all translators who are working on a project. Ideally, the TMs on the online server should be accessable with any CAT-tool (or at least with the most popular ones, e.g. SDL Studio, MemoQ, memsource, Deja Vu, etc...).
As an agency we have not yet worked with an onli... See more Hello everyone,
one of our clients wants us to create a server based solution for his translation projects, i.e. to have an online server with all TMs (as tmx-files) and to allow acces to any relevant TMs for all translators who are working on a project. Ideally, the TMs on the online server should be accessable with any CAT-tool (or at least with the most popular ones, e.g. SDL Studio, MemoQ, memsource, Deja Vu, etc...).
As an agency we have not yet worked with an online server based CAT tool, for different reasons - one of them being that I think that is not something translators really like or prefer to do (as a translator I myself never really liked to work in such server based environments, but always prefered the pure/classical desktop (and offline) version of CAT tools (usualy MemoQ, and sometimes Trados)). But now this particular client would like such a solution and thus I would like to be able to provide it for him.
I understand that several CAT-tool providers offer server-based solutions for project management that include TMs stored on an online server so that individual traslators can access these TMs with their corresponding CAT-tool (e.g. I think that MemoQ offers online-server solution that you can acceess with your MemoQ-software, but you can not access it with your SDL Trados). However, our client would prefer to have an online server solution that allows acces with any CAT-tool.
So, my first question to you all is: Does anyone know a provider or a solution that offers this?
And my second question is: which server based CAT tools do you use, and which is your preferred one?
Kind regards,
Igor ▲ Collapse
| | | | James Salter 
Spain
Local time: 21:31
Member (2011)
Spanish to English
The only one that I have actually enjoyed using is Smartcat. It has quite a simple interface and I like that. This is as a translator, not as a project manager.
| | | | jokerman
Germany
Local time: 21:31
Member (2008)
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you for your reply, James.
I have not worked with Smartcat yet, but will take a closer look at it now.
And yes, I am actually mainly interested in the CAT tools that are most convenient for translators (not for project managers) because the solution I am planning to suggest to our client should be convenient and easy for translators. [Only so would the translators be happy to work with it, and only happy translators make happy clients ... See more Thank you for your reply, James.
I have not worked with Smartcat yet, but will take a closer look at it now.
And yes, I am actually mainly interested in the CAT tools that are most convenient for translators (not for project managers) because the solution I am planning to suggest to our client should be convenient and easy for translators. [Only so would the translators be happy to work with it, and only happy translators make happy clients ] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Purely theoretical answer | May 22, 2023 |
As you understand, there is a big difference between browser-based online CAT tools and desktop CAT tools with online TMs. Many translators (including yours truly) loathe the former but not necessarily the latter. Some desktop CAT tools (e.g. MemoQ) support online TMs natively, but even those that don't can be networked by placing the TM on a Webdav file server and mounting that Webdav folder on the local computer where the CAT tool is installed. However, in this case, there can on... See more As you understand, there is a big difference between browser-based online CAT tools and desktop CAT tools with online TMs. Many translators (including yours truly) loathe the former but not necessarily the latter. Some desktop CAT tools (e.g. MemoQ) support online TMs natively, but even those that don't can be networked by placing the TM on a Webdav file server and mounting that Webdav folder on the local computer where the CAT tool is installed. However, in this case, there can only be one user working with a given TM at any given time.
Before deploying an online solution, it is important to test it for speed in the worst possible case: connect a remote computer to the server via a very slow channel (say, 0.2 Mbps) and see if the CAT tool will suffer from lags between segments.
[Edited at 2023-05-22 13:03 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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jokerman
Germany
Local time: 21:31
Member (2008)
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Anton, thank you _very_ much for this reply! Indeed it might be very helpful for my case and actually perhaps just the perfect option/solution that I am looking for.
I do not know anything about Webdav really (just started reading some initial general information about it), but from what I understand from your reply, there is a possibility to store several TMs (preferaby as tmx-files) onto a Webdav server and then to connect the translators' CAT Tool (e.g. MemoQ, Trados, or alike) t... See more Anton, thank you _very_ much for this reply! Indeed it might be very helpful for my case and actually perhaps just the perfect option/solution that I am looking for.
I do not know anything about Webdav really (just started reading some initial general information about it), but from what I understand from your reply, there is a possibility to store several TMs (preferaby as tmx-files) onto a Webdav server and then to connect the translators' CAT Tool (e.g. MemoQ, Trados, or alike) to that Webdav server so that they can use those TMs while they are working on a project? If so, that would probably be just the ideal option for our client.
And if so, may I send you a PM through your profile, with some further questions and perhaps even to discuss possible options of your professional/technical support within this 'project'? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Here are the limitations | May 22, 2023 |
from what I understand from your reply, there is a possibility to store several TMs (preferaby as tmx-files) onto a Webdav server and then to connect the translators' CAT Tool (e.g. MemoQ, Trados, or alike) to that Webdav server so that they can use those TMs while they are working on a project?
More or less, but keep in mind that TMX was conceived as an interchange format: it can be imported and exported by CAT tools, but cannot be used as a working database during a translation session because it lacks indexing and update-in-place functionality. So, a translator can import a TMX from the server, do some translations, then re-export an updated version of the TMX. This will be OK for low-intensity work where all you need is long-term consistency, but not for real-time collaboration in a team. However, this issue only exists with TMs but not with terminology databases.
Feel free to message me if you need.
| | | | | No indexing needed | May 22, 2023 |
Anton Konashenok wrote:
More or less, but keep in mind that TMX was conceived as an interchange format: it can be imported and exported by CAT tools, but cannot be used as a working database during a translation session because it lacks indexing and update-in-place functionality.
Actually it can.
| | | | | To be strict... | May 22, 2023 |
Yes, it can, but on a network it will be a performance bottleneck that gets worse as the file gets bigger.
[Edited at 2023-05-22 16:32 GMT]
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Anton Konashenok wrote:
Yes, it can, but on a network it will be a performance bottleneck that gets worse as the file gets bigger.
Why, if the clients load the TMX to RAM?
| | | | | It's OK for reading but not for writing. | May 22, 2023 |
Why, if the clients load the TMX to RAM?
Sure, you load it into RAM and index it in RAM, but it only addresses the reuse of existing TM entries. As you translate, you need to add more segments to the TM and write it back to the server for every single segment because otherwise you will lose your work in case of crash, power loss, etc. You can get away with it if you just add a new segment to an existing TM, adding a few hundred bytes to the end of the file, but if you update an already existing segment, you need to rewrite the entire TMX, potentially many megabytes for a single segment.
[Edited at 2023-05-22 17:00 GMT]
| | | | James Salter
Spain
Local time: 21:31
Member (2011)
Spanish to English
| Yes, big difference between Wordbee and Smartcat | May 22, 2023 |
Anton Konashenok wrote:
As you understand, there is a big difference between browser-based online CAT tools and desktop CAT tools with online TMs. Many translators (including yours truly) loathe the former but not necessarily the latter. Some desktop CAT tools (e.g. MemoQ) support online TMs natively, but even those that don't can be networked by placing the TM on a Webdav file server and mounting that Webdav folder on the local computer where the CAT tool is installed. However, in this case, there can only be one user working with a given TM at any given time.
Before deploying an online solution, it is important to test it for speed in the worst possible case: connect a remote computer to the server via a very slow channel (say, 0.2 Mbps) and see if the CAT tool will suffer from lags between segments.
[Edited at 2023-05-22 13:03 GMT]
Yes, for example I loath Wordbee, but Smartcat is a much better user experience. I seem to recall Memsource was more like Wordbee.
| | | | Recep Kurt
Türkiye
Local time: 22:31
Member (2011)
English to Turkish
+ ...
| Phrase (formerly Memsource) | May 22, 2023 |
I suggest looking at Phrase. It does everything you describe, except accessing it from any other CAT tool. But it makes up for that by offering you a desktop client that your translators can install on their computers and access whatever project(s) you assign to them. From within the client app you have access to the TM and TB assigned to the job in question. Phrase also gives you the option to export the job in bilingual file, which you can open and work on in your CAT tool.
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jokerman
Germany
Local time: 21:31
Member (2008)
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you very much for all these thougths and details, Anton and Hans! They are very helpful to give me an idea of what would be possible and to try to offer the ideal solution to the client. And yes, that seems to go exactly into the direction of what the client wishes (basically, all TMs stored on his server and the possibility for all our translators to acces the TMs and to work with them during a project, regardless of the CAT tool they use). Especially the Webdev server solution sounds ver... See more Thank you very much for all these thougths and details, Anton and Hans! They are very helpful to give me an idea of what would be possible and to try to offer the ideal solution to the client. And yes, that seems to go exactly into the direction of what the client wishes (basically, all TMs stored on his server and the possibility for all our translators to acces the TMs and to work with them during a project, regardless of the CAT tool they use). Especially the Webdev server solution sounds very promissing, as we do not need several translators in one TM at the same time, and we would actually like to avoid translators downloading and/or uploading the entire TMs (but only to access them so that thay can use them while doing the translation). I will certainly take a closer look into this option.
And thank you James and Recep for your notes about memsource/Phrase as well! Indeed, it's is quite a large disadvantage that this solution does not offer the possibility to work with all CAT tools, but requires a proprietary Desktop client (although I just read a few days ago that the latest version of MemoQ is compatible with memsource/Phrase files and that it can be used - however I do not know yet whether MemoQ can then access the TMs on the Phrase server or not...). I would actually like to avoid any additional 'hassle' (or additional software, or installations) for our translators, and rather just enable them to work as they are used to and with the software they personally prefer. I understand that the server solution is reasonable and helpfull for the client (for many good reasons, especially the increased speed, the uniformity of the translations and the terminology, etc.) and I agree that he should go for it, but I'd prefer to not have our translators burdoned with any additional/new requirements. However, Phrase certainly might be a good solution if we do not find a better/ideal one, so it is now on my shortlist as well indeed. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | An additional consideration | May 22, 2023 |
we do not need several translators in one TM at the same time, and we would actually like to avoid translators downloading and/or uploading the entire TMs (but only to access them so that thay can use them while doing the translation).
By the way, do you need translators to update your server-based TM as they translate, or just use it as a reference but send their own translated segments to their local TM (possibly to be checked by the senior editor/terminologist at a later time)? In the latter case, you can set up the server TM as a secondary (read-only) one, and you will have no problems with TMX performance I was talking about.
| | | | Stepan Konev
Russian Federation
Local time: 22:31
English to Russian
| How to share a TM between three translators | May 23, 2023 |
You can try this article: https://multifarious.filkin.com/2014/12/08/with-a-little-help/
However, it is rather a toy horse. If you need a serious solution, I would go with Memsource too. It has more functions than Smartcat but still remains much more simple than Trados, memoQ or other bulky programs.
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