Smartling’s Adobe Workfront Connector allows Workfront users to send files for translation directly from within Workfront - without the need to register a Smartling user account or access the Smartling dashboard.
Creating a New Translation Job
Follow a simple three-step process to initiate a translation request in Adobe Workfront.
Step 1: Create a new project or task in Workfront
Depending on your preferences, translation Jobs can be created for new Workfront projects or new Workfront tasks. Based on the configuration which has been set up for your Connector, begin by creating a new project or task in the Workfront environment which has been connected to your Smartling account.
The name of the new project or task is not relevant to the translation process. Simply enter any project or task name that helps you keep track of your translation request.
Step 2: Attach the file(s) to translate and optional reference material
The source file(s) to translate then need to be attached to the newly created project or task.
From the menu on the left side, access the "Documents" for your project or task.
Here, a folder needs to be created for the file(s) to translate, as well as a separate folder for any reference material to be uploaded as a Job attachment, if required.
During the Connector configuration process, a naming convention is established for the Workfront folder that will contain the source file(s) to translate, as well as the folder containing any reference material to be uploaded as a Job attachment. In order for the Connector to recognize the files properly, it is important to follow the exact naming convention that has been established.
In the above example, the folder named "source" contains the source files to translate. The folder named "materials" contains files to be uploaded as a Job attachment for reference. This same naming convention needs to be followed for all translation requests.
Supported File Formats
The Workfront Connector supports the translation of all file types and formats that are compatible with Smartling.
During the Connector configuration process, your Smartling representative can set up templates using file directives to ensure that the uploaded files will be parsed correctly. For example, it is possible to customize which elements within your files should remain untranslated, or parsed as metadata or placeholders.
Alternatively, inline directives can also be added directly to the source file where applicable. For a full list of available directives, please refer to our documentation for the relevant file type.
Step 3: Change the Workfront status to "In Progress"
To kick off the translation process, change the status of your Workfront project or task from "New" to "In Progress".
All files uploaded to the source file folder will now be sent to Smartling and bundled up into one translation Job. All files uploaded to the folder for reference material will be appended to the same translation Job as a Job attachment (e.g. to facilitate the DTP process).
The translation Job appears automatically in your Smartling account, where it can be monitored from the Jobs Dashboard. The Job name depends on the naming convention established during the configuration process and includes the timestamp of when it was created.
Depending on your Connector configuration, the translation Job may be automatically authorized for translation, using the default workflow for each target language that was established during the Connector setup, or it may need to be authorized from the Smartling Jobs Dashboard.
Monitoring the Translation Status
The translation status can be checked in real time directly from within Workfront.
When a translation request is initiated, the Smartling Connector automatically creates subtasks in Workfront to keep track of all events related to the translation of your files.
From the project or task which was used to initiate the translation request, access the "Subtasks" from the left-hand menu. Here, you can see a status summary for each target language.
Access the subtask "Job Created" to see all details for the Smartling translation Job.
From the left-hand menu, click into the "Task Details" to view the Smartling Job details.
Here, you can access details like the Smartling Job name and number, the Smartling project ID, the source locale, the locale codes of all requested target languages, as well as a direct link to the Job in Smartling.
Alternatively, users with access to the Smartling dashboard can monitor the translation Job, its due date and status, as well as any Issues directly from the Smartling Jobs Dashboard.
Delivery of Translated Files to Workfront
Once a file has been fully translated and completed for one of the requested languages, the status of the Workfront project or task changes to "Complete" and the translated file is automatically delivered back to Workfront.
In the "Documents" list of the same project or task that was used to initiate the translation request, a "translations" folder is created automatically by the Smartling Connector. As soon as a file is fully translated and completed for one of the requested languages, the translated file is downloaded automatically to this "translations" folder.
The locale code of each target language is added to the file name, allowing you to identify each language version.
Cancelling or Updating a Translation Request
When a translation Job is created, the status of the associated Workfront project or task changes to "In Progress" and is automatically locked. The status cannot be changed in Workfront before the translations are completed in Smartling.
If a file was uploaded by mistake, or a new version of the source file needs to be translated, the original translation Job needs to be cancelled from the Jobs Dashboard in Smartling. Workfront users without a Smartling user account will need to reach out to their localization team to complete this step, as this cannot be done from within Workfront.
A new project or task can then be created in Workfront for the translation of the new or corrected file.
Updating Completed Translations
If translations that have already been completed and delivered back to Workfront are later updated in Smartling, a new version of the translated file with the updated translations will automatically be delivered to your translation folder in Workfront.
Updating Job Due Dates
If the completion date for a translation task needs to be amended, the due date of the corresponding translation Job can simply be updated in the Smartling Jobs Dashboard by a Smartling user. The change will automatically be reflected in Workfront.