Trados 2009: Double TM files? Why?
Thread poster: J. Ilukowicz
J. Ilukowicz
J. Ilukowicz
Poland
Local time: 20:52
Polish to English
+ ...
Dec 7, 2009

Hello all,

I've encountered a funny issue lately when working in Trados 2009 Studio Freelance Plus.

I've set up a new TM for a new customer, translated the file and saved the target. It was the time to export the TM into a .tmx file. I clicked the 'Translation Memories' button in the lower left menu, then I right-clicked the TM in the tree to the left (the left nav pane) and selected 'Export' from the context menu.

To my surprise, the memory for the project
... See more
Hello all,

I've encountered a funny issue lately when working in Trados 2009 Studio Freelance Plus.

I've set up a new TM for a new customer, translated the file and saved the target. It was the time to export the TM into a .tmx file. I clicked the 'Translation Memories' button in the lower left menu, then I right-clicked the TM in the tree to the left (the left nav pane) and selected 'Export' from the context menu.

To my surprise, the memory for the project was... empty.

Anyway, I discovered that Trados 2009 actually stores TWO .sdltm files. Let's say that my project is named 'Project_1'.
Let's say that the first TM file, displayed in the 'Translation Memories' menu, is named 'Project_1_TM.sdltm'. This file is stored here (I'm using Windows 7):
C:\Users\MyUserName\Documents\SDL Trados Studio\Translation Memories\

The other one is, strangely enough, named 'Project_1_TM_Project_1_TM.sdltm'. This one is stored here:
C:\Users\MyUserName\Documents\SDL Trados Studio\Projects\Project_1\pl-PL\
(The \pl-PL\ subfolder is called so because the target for this project is in Polish.)

The file 'Project_1_TM_Project_1_TM.sdltm' actually stores what I did in the project, but the file 'Project_1_TM.sdltm' does not store any translation pairs, hence I can't export anything from it - I have to export from 'Project_1_TM_Project_1_TM.sdltm'.

Why is it like that? Why are there two TM files? Why do they have different names? The longer name, 'Project_1_TM_Project_1_TM', is also displayed in the Editor menu, upper pane, where the translation pairs are. What happens if I import an existing TM into 'Project_1_TM.sdltm'? Will the file 'Project_1_TM_Project_1_TM.sdltm' also contain the imported content?

I am puzzled and would be glad for some answers.
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Henry Zhang
Henry Zhang  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:52
English to Chinese
+ ...
main TM and project TM Dec 7, 2009

Hi, Zvyrtec, I've also found the problem, or can I say, the feature of Trados 2009.
Basically, the translation memory you added for a project is the main translation memory, you can add as many main translation memories as you can. The main translation memory you added to a project will not be updated automatically during translation. Instead, Trados 2009 will automatically created a project translation memory for you, as you already discovered. The name of this project tanslation memory
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Hi, Zvyrtec, I've also found the problem, or can I say, the feature of Trados 2009.
Basically, the translation memory you added for a project is the main translation memory, you can add as many main translation memories as you can. The main translation memory you added to a project will not be updated automatically during translation. Instead, Trados 2009 will automatically created a project translation memory for you, as you already discovered. The name of this project tanslation memory would be the name of the project plus the name of the main translation memory. For example, if your project is called project1, the translation momory you added called memory1, that project translation memory's name would be called project1_memory1. Now this project translation momory can be updated automatically. If you find it and double click it, you will see all your translation units are there. So if you wanna export your translation memory into .tmx file, you need to find the project file first.
You might feel that SDL's gone mad to do this. At least I thought so at first. Then I realized that it's actually a great feature.
When you do a project for your client, he or she would probably give you a translation memory, which would be useful for the project, now you can add that translation memory as the main translation memory and during your translation, the main translation memory will give you suggestions. Meanwhile, a project translation memory would be generated. So when you finish your translation, you will have a project transaltion memory fully related to the project, from which you can export to .tmx. You will also have a main translation memory, which is still the same as the one the client gave you. Of course you can manually update this memory when you finish translation. Go to batch task, choose update main translation memory and it will be updated. Manually updating the main translation memory gives you much more freedom.
So if you have a translation memory you think you can also use it for your new translation project, add it as a main translation memory.
If you don't have a TM useful for your translation project or if you want to set only one TM for your project, you can also do that.
First, follow the project setup wizzard to set up the project as you normally do, when the translation memory window pops out, ignore it. Do not create or add any translation memory at this stage. Click Next. Next..You project will be set up. Now go to the project view, right click the project you just created, choose project settings-Language pairs-translation memory and automated translation to add a translation memory. Still, the translation memory you added is the main translation memory. If you use this method to add a translation memory, Trados Studio 2009 will not populate a project translation memory.
And if you choose this method, you will be dealing with only one translation memory: the main translation memory. And you will find in this situation this main translation memory will be updated automatically.
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J. Ilukowicz
J. Ilukowicz
Poland
Local time: 20:52
Polish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
A-hah! Dec 7, 2009

Thank you for your truly exhaustive reply.

Indeed, this functionality is quite helpful when fully understood. Now I know how to tackle this issue.


 


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Trados 2009: Double TM files? Why?







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