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flyPadOS 3 Localization Process

This page is pulled externally from the FBW Aircraft repository and describes the processes involved with adding features to the EFB and sourcing translations.

We have partnered with Localazy, who offer top-notch software localization services, bringing multi-language support to our EFB, enhancing the user experience.

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TOC:

Development Process

  • To add something to the localization files simply add the key to the source language files:
  • For flyPad: fbw-a32nx/src/localization/flypad/en.json
  • For MSFS locPak: fbw-a32nx/src/localization/msfs/en-US.locPak
  • Only change the source language file. The other language files are generated automatically from Localazy and any changes will be overwritten.
  • Ping in the Discord channel #localisation to have someone with write permission to Localazy to add the key (several ways to do that - but the permission required is powerful). Adding it is a 2min thing.
  • Do this in good time before it is merged to master
  • Translators can now start to translate this (worst case is the term is not translated and shown in English)
  • Same for removing or changing keys - do the change locally in the English source file and ping in #localisation for someone with write permission to Localazy to remove the key or change the default text.

Remark:

The update could be automated via GitHub actions (as the download is - it's basically one command) but this would require the write key to be available in the GitHub action. As forks have no access to GitHub secrets automating this would not work for forks without making the write key public which is of course a no-go. Alternate solutions are still investigated.

Build Process

Github

Downloading of the latest approved translations happens at every build on GitHub. It is part of the build pipeline but only runs in the GitHub Action context to not update local files for Developers.

build.sh

  ✓ a32nx
    ✓ preparation
      ✓ copy-base-files
      ✓ localisation
        ✓ efb-translation
        ✓ locPak-translation
    ...

Local

To update the language files locally you need to run:

npm run build:efb-translation local

or

npm run build:locPak-translation local

This downloads the latest translations directly from Localazy to the 'downloaded' folder of the flyPad or locPak folder.

It checks the JSON syntax and writes new JSON files for each language to their respective target folder:

flyPad: fbw-a32nx/src/localization/flypad

msfs locPak: fbw-a32nx/src/localization/msfs and out/flybywire-aircraft-a320-neo/

Update Source File

This can only be done by Owners/Managers of the Localazy project - ask in the Discord #localisation channel for support

Although an automatic update could be done we have chosen to manually make changes to the keys (new keys, removal of keys).

ATTENTION:
ANY CHANGES TO THE SOURCE FILES ON LOCALAZY WILL BE IMMEDIATELY BE VISIBLE IN EVER NEW BUILD OF THE A32NX - INDEPENDENT OF EDITION.

Using Localazy CLI

Install the Localazy CLI via npm install -g @localazy/cli and then use the following commands to upload the source.

Localazy CLI Documentation

Use the option -s for a test run. Remove this option to actually upload the file.

The deprecate version of the configuration files will deprecate keys which are not present in the source file. Use this with caution.

flyPad:

cd fbw-a32nx/src/localization

localazy upload -w <writeKey> -c localazy-flypad-upload-config.json -d flypad

MSFS locPak:

cd fbw-a32nx/src/localization

localazy upload -w <writeKey> -c localazy-locPak-upload-config.json -d msfs

The writeKey can be found in the Localazy project settings which are accessible by the Owners/Managers of the project.

Using the English source file and Localazy Website

flyPad:

  • Make the necessary changes to the en.json (adding keys, removing key, changing default English strings)
  • Go to File Management and click on flybywireos3.json
    • https://localazy.com/p/flypados/files
  • Click the three-dots menu on the right of the flybywireos3.json file and select "Update file content"
  • Drag and Drop the en.json to the dialog which came up
  • It should recognize it as English
  • Click "Next Step"
  • Check "Mark strings excluded from this batch as deprecated" to remove keys
  • Uncheck all the other checkboxes
  • Review the changes in the source file - removed keys should show a red and deprecated, new keys should be available
  • These changes now apply to all languages
    • removed keys are deprecated and not visible to translators anymore and should also not be included in any downloads
    • new keys are ready to be translated in all other languages

MSFS locPak:

Same process as for flyPad but within the respective MSFS lokPak project.

Localazy filename is flybywire.locPak.

Manually via Localazy Website

  • Go to the respective project
  • Use the UI to add/remove/change keys
  • https://localazy.com/docs/general/importing-localization-files#add-new-keys-in-ui
Last update: September 4, 2023