Hello Everybody, I am working on a multilanguage project and I need some help to undersatnd better how that can be implemented on Pcs7. It seems that the string on faceplates can be translated directly on graphis designer since when I change the language from menu View-Language I am able to translate the string and it works. My question is if those strings (in different languages) are stored on the graphic itself (pdl) or not. Then,we havealarm strings, I understand that those are stored on the Text Library, and they have to be translated there, is that right?
And finally, opening Text Library I've seen that after record 500 (+/-), alarms texts from our blocks have been inserted in one language (I suppose the 'active' language). One more thing, has anyone used the Text Distributor? Is it a good tool for that purpose?

What I am trying toestablish is a reasonable procedure to manage multilingual projects. If you have some experience or ideason this topic, I will apprecciate it.

Thanks in advance

MemoGG

Hello Everybody, I am working on a multilanguage project and I need some help to undersatnd better how that can be implemented on Pcs7. It seems that the string on faceplates can be translated directly on graphis designer since when I change the language from menu View-Language I am able to translate the string and it works. My question is if those strings (in different languages) are stored on the graphic itself (pdl) or not.

Well, it depends. If the text strings are static then they are only stored in pdl files. However, most of the strings used in standard face plates are not static. They are derived from attributes of the IOs of your concerned FB (like shortcut, S7_string, unit etc.) These become a part of WinCC Text library.

MemoGG

Then,we havealarm strings, I understand that those are stored on the Text Library, and they have to be translated there, is that right?

Yes they are stored in text library, but I don't believe that you have to translate all of them there.

MemoGG

And finally, opening Text Library I've seen that after record 500 (+/-), alarms texts from our blocks have been inserted in one language (I suppose the 'active' language).

Yes because, you did not translate the text in CFC itself. However I would recommend translating your personal block in the master library in all the required languages, before compiling your OS.

MemoGG

What I am trying toestablish is a reasonable procedure to manage multilingual projects. If you have some experience or ideason this topic, I will apprecciate it.

I will share my experience and a procedure that I think is reasonable. This is a procedure for PCS7 v7.0 (Text distributor is not available, and may be few of the menu options have different names in v7.1)

1. Install your desired languages in your Master Data Library and project. (Simatic Manager -> Options -> Language for Display devices... In the popup add/delete your desired language)
2. Simatic Manager -> Options -> Manage Multilingual texts -> Export. Select your target language (which you installed in step 1). Select the text types that you wish to export. By default all are selected. (But for me S7UserTexts and Block Titles are satisfactory.)
3. You will get excel or csv files in your target location. Translate the texts in your target language, without manipulating the structure or name of the file.
4. Simatic Manager -> Options -> Manage Multilingual texts -> Import. Use this to re-import the files. The best part is, you have to translate texts for each block type and not every instance that you used in your project.
5. Repeat the above steps for more languages.
6. Now, compile your OS. You should get most of the text in desired languages in text library.
7. In TextLibrary, typically, I have had to translate only the "Block comment" of the FB instances called within the CFC) Rest all was done from within Simatic Manager as described above.

Content
In this document, the following main points are discussed:

• Windows Installation and Settings
• General Rules and Settings at Texts and Languages in PCS 7
• Language settings in PCS 7 at AS Engineering
• Language settings at OS Engineering
• Language settings using the example of various configuration scenarios
  • Monolingual configuration: English (US)
  • Multilingual configuration: English / German
  • Adding a language
  • Monolingual configuration: Chinese (Simplified)
  • Converting projects from English to Chinese (Simplified)

Link

http://support.automation.siemens.com/WW/view/en/56248153