Quick Guide: How To Localize ARK!

[Jeremy Drake Stieglitz]

Please contribute to our Work-In-Progress Localizations @ https://crowdin.com/project/ark-survival-evolved , the ARK Community thanks you!!

As of v235, ARK now supports user-created localizations and custom fonts!

1. In the Windows game, you'll find a new app here:
\Tools\LocalizationManager\LocalizationManager.exe

Run it, check the languages you wish to work on, and then click "Update Archives from Manifest" to update your language's set of strings with the latest global strings from the game, then click "ArchiveFiles->XLS" to generate an Excel spreadsheet of all the localizations (separated by Tabs if you wanna work on more than one language at a time). This export process takes a couple minutes, so give it time and it will eventually say "completed" on the status panel.

Then you can upload that XLS to Google Docs or whatnot for easy group editing.

2. When you're ready to reimport new localizations, click "XLS->Archive Files" and then choose your XLS, and it will import and integrate the localization data for the checked languages.

(Alternatively, you can skip the XLS phase entirely and iterate directly on the localization text files here: "\ShooterGame\Content\Localization\Game\YOURLANGUAGE\ShooterGame.archive", but they're pretty awkwardly formatted so spreadsheet is easier typically for translators to view. You must still do the "Generate Game Files From Archives" in the next step anyway,.)

3. Next, click "Generate Game Files From Archives" and it will actually prepare the corresponding shipping binary localization data for the checked languages for display in-game. (this "\ShooterGame\Content\Localization\Game\YOURLANGUAGE\ShooterGame.locres" binary file is what is actually used in-game for speed)

The localization files themselves are located here, in whatever language subfolder you want to specify:

"\ShooterGame\Content\Localization\Game\YOURLANGUAGE\"

There are no hardcoded language directory names, so whatever language subfolder name you want yours to be, you just then run the game with the following commandline:

\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\ShooterGame.exe -culture=yourlanguage

(Ideally yourlanguage is the corresponding two-character language code from the standard here: http://www.lingoes.net/en/translator/langcode.htm )

For example, for Spanish (which we've not yet translated!):
\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\ShooterGame.exe -culture=es

Finally, to implement custom fonts, just replace any TTF (from "\Engine\Content\Slate\Fonts\" ) with a same-named TTF in your language's subdirectory, and they will override the corresponding Font. There are also some "distance field" UASSET fonts that can be be reimported cooked out of the DevKit to be overriden:

/ShooterGame/Content/OldAssets/UI/HUD/Roboto18.uasset
/ShooterGame/Content/OldAssets/UI/HUD/Roboto51.uasset
/ShooterGame/Content/OldAssets/UI/HUD/SansationBold18.uasset
/Engine/Content/EngineFonts/Roboto51SlateFont.uasset
/Engine/Content/EngineFonts/RobotoDistanceField.uasset
/Engine/Content/EngineFonts/HandwritingDistanceField.uasset

Specifically grab the latest ARK Dev Kit from GitHub (v235), and open each of those Font assets in the Dev Kit. Goto the "Import Options" properties of each Font, change the "Font Name" to whatever Font you want to reimport as, and change the Unicode range to whatever is appropriate for your font (for Russian, it's 0-451 for example). Then right-click the Font asset the Content Browser and select "Reimport". You can iterate on how the Font looks by playing the game in PIE while you Reimport, adjusting the settings until it looks good with some test language text. After the Font has reimported satisfactorily, save it, and then right-click and choose "Quick Cook Single Asset". Select an output folder, and then go ahead and copy the Font Asset from the Output folder (it'll export into a \Output\ShooterGame\* subdirectory, so ignore all the subdirectories and copy the Font asset file directly) into your Localization Language's folder (without any further subfolders). That Font UASSET will then override the corresponding one from the original game!

To distribute your localization, just zip up your Localization language's subfolder and then be sure to tell your players where to extract it, namely into here:

"\ShooterGame\Content\Localization\Game\"

You're welcome to rename the multi-line string in the Join Session menu to give credit to the people doing the localizing. We forgot to add a dedicated Credits text field for that, but we will soon :)

Once enterprising groups get going with localization, we'll edit this post with sticky links to good work-in-progress localizations!

Have fun and soon we'll be providing some big bounties for quality localizations in every (real world :) language under the sun! Good luck all, and happy multi-lingual surviving to you!

-Drake

----
ARK v237 fixes the problem with custom Fonts UASSETS being loaded for Localized language!

Also as of v237, you can now Add custom Main Menu Credits to your Localization. Just "Update Archives from Manifest" for your language, and then the first string in your localization archive file, fill out your Credits, like so:

"Subnamespaces": [
{
"Namespace": "Content",
"Children": [
{
"Source":
{
"Text": " "
},
"Translation":
{
"Text": "Авторы и редакторы:
Anton Shikhov (aka AsH)
<RichColor Color=/"0.1,0.5,1,1/">crowdin.com/profile/ash4resh</>
Vitaliy Shirokov (aka SileNTViP)
<RichColor Color=/"0.1,0.5,1,1/">crowdin.com/profile/SileNTViP</>
Roman Sultanov (aka Regul)
Daladin <RichColor Color=/"0.1,0.5,1,1/">crowdin.com/profile/daladin</>
Avessup <RichColor Color=/"0.1,0.5,1,1/">crowdin.com/profile/avessup</>
Pavel Nozdrin (aka BerlingX7)
<RichColor Color=/"0.1,0.5,1,1/">crowdin.com/profile/BerlingX7</>
Yana Masur
Ilya Kurilov"
}
},
----

[Vlasovas]

Nevermeow eredeti hozzászólása:

While I'm sure translations are a great thing for a lot of people, I'm not exactly thrilled about the fact Ark automatically changed my language to German without even asking and no menu option to switch back to English. -culture=en

first of all always have a backup at hand is the first thing to do
while translating, it will be all messed up, until stopped playing while working on it

[xJeanny]

Vlasovas Ark Survival eredeti hozzászólása:

Nevermeow eredeti hozzászólása:

While I'm sure translations are a great thing for a lot of people, I'm not exactly thrilled about the fact Ark automatically changed my language to German without even asking and no menu option to switch back to English. -culture=en

i dont mind a german translation but they should offer the possibility of changing the language yourself so you can chose if you play in german or english

[Garall]

I'm doing the french translation ^^. Just wondering, do I need to translate the part in []?
For example :
A [description of material] railing that acts as a simple barrier to prevent people from falling.

[Jeremy Drake Stieglitz]

Nevermeow eredeti hozzászólása:

While I'm sure translations are a great thing for a lot of people, I'm not exactly thrilled about the fact Ark automatically changed my language to German without even asking and no menu option to switch back to English. -culture=en

Ah yes, added a launch option to switch back to English. Btw later tonight we'll be fixing the GUI 'Labels' to allow long texts in them shortly, to not clip the text length. That'll help a lot :)

Cheers,
Drake

[Jeremy Drake Stieglitz]

Aurrock eredeti hozzászólása:

I'm doing the french translation ^^. Just wondering, do I need to translate the part in []?
For example :
A [description of material] railing that acts as a simple barrier to prevent people from falling.

Haha yes, translate everything :-)

(technically that translation isn't actually used, but might as well translate everything to be on the safe side! ;)

[Neizan D Senpai]

joselyr eredeti hozzászólása:

If you guy's need help with Spanish im glad to help!

Agregame a Steam, estamos utilizando Google Drive

--Spanish 60%

[Finsterwolf]

echt tolle sache, ein häkchen-kasten wo man wieder auf englisch stellen kann wäre noch nett, denn seit dem eindeutschen ist das bemalen per pinsel an manchen modgeständen nicht mehr möglich und man fliegt aus dem spiel....

[Orca00]

I'd like to help translate to Japanese but how should I contact you??
If you need help from MOD editer I can ask to them who made Japanese MOD by koko :)

[Neizan D Senpai]

We are translating to Spanish!

The first version 1.0 is almost ready!

Group Translation GDrive:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KNY6aY7YTzo07yge1H6Xjyf2zm3Fa0aogMQc0_sn46s/edit?usp=sharing

Download translation files of ARK in Spanish: https://mega.nz/#!A0tD0DyC!eCvMnNtJxUEzvUiUGdaS-u1ZYTuJd8S2_6t_nYp3ZkQ



It may contain errors that we hope to correct with the expected arrival of the translation project to Crowdin.com has confirmed to us by Skype, Dave Loyd, thank you, we are waiting for the announcement of Crowdin ready =)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Estamos traduciendo al Español!

La primera versión 1.0 parece estar completada!

Traducción en grupo con GDrive:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KNY6aY7YTzo07yge1H6Xjyf2zm3Fa0aogMQc0_sn46s/edit?usp=sharing

Descarga archivos de traducción de ARK en Español:
https://mega.nz/#!A0tD0DyC!eCvMnNtJxUEzvUiUGdaS-u1ZYTuJd8S2_6t_nYp3ZkQ


Puede contener errores que esperamos poder corregir con la esperada llegada del proyecto de traducción a Crowdin.com que nos ha confirmado por Skype, Dave Loyd, gracias, estamos esperando el anuncio de que Crowdin está listo =)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[TomberWolf]

Uhm... what about a quality check before adding languages?
The German translation is HORRIBLE!

[Vlasovas]

ESP | Neizan Translating ARK eredeti hozzászólása:

We are translating to Spanish!

The first version 1.0 is almost ready!

Group Translation GDrive:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KNY6aY7YTzo07yge1H6Xjyf2zm3Fa0aogMQc0_sn46s/edit?usp=sharing

Download translation files of ARK in Spanish: https://mega.nz/#!A0tD0DyC!eCvMnNtJxUEzvUiUGdaS-u1ZYTuJd8S2_6t_nYp3ZkQ



It may contain errors that we hope to correct with the expected arrival of the translation project to Crowdin.com has confirmed to us by Skype, Dave Loyd, thank you, we are waiting for the announcement of Crowdin ready =)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Estamos traduciendo al Español!

La primera versión 1.0 parece estar completada!

Traducción en grupo con GDrive:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KNY6aY7YTzo07yge1H6Xjyf2zm3Fa0aogMQc0_sn46s/edit?usp=sharing

Descarga archivos de traducción de ARK en Español:
https://mega.nz/#!A0tD0DyC!eCvMnNtJxUEzvUiUGdaS-u1ZYTuJd8S2_6t_nYp3ZkQ


Puede contener errores que esperamos poder corregir con la esperada llegada del proyecto de traducción a Crowdin.com que nos ha confirmado por Skype, Dave Loyd, gracias, estamos esperando el anuncio de que Crowdin está listo =)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Congratulations !!!

[Vlasovas]

Alguém ai do Brasil tem intereçe em ajudar na tradução pt-BR ?
se dividir entre ao menos 3 pessoas ou mais vai rápido, intereçados avisem aqui, já devo estar a uns 40 % já, ou pouco menos

[Neizan D Senpai]

Tom eredeti hozzászólása:

Uhm... what about a quality check before adding languages?
The German translation is HORRIBLE!

I spoke with the developers on a well-known possible solution: crowdin.com
Crowdin perform translations to avoid those horrible translations. Now cross your fingers and wait for CROWDIN. Crowdin use vote-system translations with comments and possible community moderators.

[Vlasovas]

ESP | Neizan Translating ARK eredeti hozzászólása:

Tom eredeti hozzászólása:

Uhm... what about a quality check before adding languages?
The German translation is HORRIBLE!

I spoke with the developers on a well-known possible solution: crowdin.com
Crowdin perform translations to avoid those horrible translations. Now cross your fingers and wait for CROWDIN. Crowdin use vote-system translations with comments and possible community moderators.

I do not believe this site make miracles, I trust more on the willingness of people who want to translate, mistakes happen, but you have to revise and check out, little by little, it also has a vast library of ARK
http://ark.gamepedia.com/ARK:_Survival_Evolved_Wiki
only with a lot of research to make sure, many things within the texts, had to check the ARK library, but I will take even, translation takes weeks to do, you end up giving a 5 or more conferred

[TromboneSteve(양키)☺]

My first language is English, but I speak other languages. I want to be able to use text chat in Korean and Chinese so that I can talk to my friends. Will this be possible while running the English version of the game? Also, why can't I change input methods in the Steam overlay? I have to alt+tab out of the game to do so.