MadCap SoftwareExternal link has announced that MadCap Lingo 3.0 is now available. MadCap LingoExternal link, the XML-based, fully integrated translation memory system (TMS) and authoring tool solution, eliminates the need for file transfers in order to complete translation-preserving valuable content and formatting to deliver a consistent experience across multiple languages. With version 3.0, MadCap Lingo adds a new Project Packager function that bridges the gap between authors and translators who use other TMS software. Using the Project Packager in MadCap Lingo, authors should be able to work with translators to streamline the translation process, track the status of completion, and obtain more accurate project cost estimates. MadCap Lingo 3.0 also features a new TermBase Editor for creating databases of reusable translated terms, and enhanced translation memory. Through integration between MadCap Lingo and MadCap’s authoring and multimedia applications, MadCap hopes to offer a powerful integrated authoring and localization workflow. Project Packager in MadCap Lingo 3.0 is designed to make it easier for authors who need their documentation translated into another language but work with a translator who relies on a TMS tool other than MadCap Lingo. Using Project Packager, the author can create a MadCap Lingo project with all the files that require translation, and bundle it in a ZIP file and send it to the translator. MadCap Lingo displays a list of all files that need to be translated, going beyond text to include skins, glossaries, search filter sets, and much more. As a result, the author can ensure that the translator receives all of the files requiring translation. This should streamline the process while enabling more accurate translation project estimates, helping translators to avoid accidentally underestimating project costs based on an incomplete file count-and protecting authors from unexpected cost overruns. Once the translation is complete, the translator sends a ZIP file with the content. The author then simply merges the translated file in MadCap Lingo, which is used to confirm the completeness of the translation. The author can then run statistical reports showing information for each project and file to determine what has/ has not been translated, how many words/segments have been translated and/or still need to be translated, and much more. The author can then export the MadCap Lingo project to a range of outputs, such as a Flare project file for online and print publishing, Word document, or even a Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) file, among others. The key new features of MadCap Lingo 3.0 are: the new TermBase Editor which enables translators to create and manage concept-oriented, multilingual terminology databases, “termbases,” making it significantly easier to reuse translated terms; the ability to import and export Term Base eXchange (TBX) files, an open, XML-based standard used for exchanging structured terminological data; translation memory – Apply Suggestions to Project function, which makes it possible to view and automatically apply translation memory suggestions to an entire project, rather than just one segment, saving hours of effort; dynamic help window pane lock lets the translator keep the current help topic frozen in place while moving around in the MadCap Lingo interface, making it easier to follow steps or other information placed in the Help topic; minimize to system tray option; multiple file support allows multiple files to be selected when creating a new MadCap Lingo project, for example HTM, HTML, XML, DITA or DOC files. http://www.madcapsoftware.com/