Steven Marzuola
Houston, Texas
Overview· Engineering, design, manufacturing, and marketing firms often require translations of AutoCAD drawings into foreign languages.· Conventional methods are slow, expensive, inconsistent, and prone to error.· CAD-Trans rapidly and efficiently produces translations of AutoCAD drawings. |
Conventional translation· Normal process for “human” translation is:< Open each drawing using AutoCAD.< Search for text elements, using pan, zoom.< Manually select and edit text elements.< Save translated file. |
Problems:· Each step requires user intervention, progress tracking.· Each translator must have AutoCAD.· Difficult to locate text on complex drawings.· Low productivity, shortage of existing translators ® delays in other assignments.· Multiple translators ® inconsistent terms, styles. |
CAD-Trans strategy:· Minimize operator intervention and allow computer to handle more tasks; i.e.: searching, panning, file handling, job tracking.· Use translation memory to store and reuse previously translated sentences, terms, and phrase.· Results: Improved productivity and consistency. |
CAD-Trans advantages:· Reduces number of qualified translators required to translate large jobs.· If minor changes in terminology are needed, a complete new set of drawings can often be produced in hours, not days.· Graphic elements are not affected by operator; remain unchanged. |
Translation Memory· Objective: Leverage previously translated words and phrases.· When new document is begun, “pre-translation” step performs all translation possible using translation databases.· Operator translates only sentences and portions not in previous translations. New translations are sent to database for reuse. |
NOT the same as “Machine Translation”!· “Machine translation” attempts to produce target text without human intervention. Technology is improving, but results often stilted. Usually not suitable for presentation-quality work.· “Translation Memory” uses and reuses translations entered by a human translator. |
Case Study· Engineering and construction contractor, required Spanish drawings as part of project deliverables.· In Phase 1:< 100 drawings translated by hand.< Average time: 3 hours per drawing.· Phase 2 requirements (estimated): approximately 1500 drawings to translate< Manpower
required: 1500 x 3 = 4500 total hours
< @
45 hours/week = 100 weeks
Estimate: Approximately 23 man-months · At the client’s request, the translator continued to spend 40 hours per week on a separate assignment.·
Working part-time, average production beginning
mid-February, 2001:
|
Other Capabilities:· Multi-language drawings, by addition of translated text.· Example: store English, Spanish, and Russian text in same drawing. AutoCAD operator selects which language to display, print, etc. |
Other uses:· Can be used for other text conversion tasks. For example:· Company A purchases engineering and drawings from Company B. Change title block in all drawings from:< “John Smith Engineering” to< “XYZ Corporation”· Technical drawing inventory and management· Revise and reuse drawings created for a previous project. Can rapidly convert:< Client name, location, job title, numbers, dates, notes, abbreviations, etc.· Bulk revision and correction of< product descriptions, part numbers, drawing notes, etc.· Convert English / metric dimensions· Rapidly change text attributes: colors, fonts, layers, etc. |
Summary· CAD-Trans rapidly and efficiently produces translations of AutoCAD drawings.· Permits terminology corrections across many drawings in project.· Allows previously unfeasible translation or conversion projects.· Single AutoCAD file can contain multiple language versions of drawing. |
For more information:· Steven Marzuola· Tele: 281-381-9337· Email: marzolian@yahoo.com |