Skinning the Cat ― Using the Tools You Like and Moving Beyond the Basics

This presentation will take a look at various CAT tools and some problems encountered by translators collaborating with clients and each other. It will move from basic features to a discussion of interoperability among tools and the features of some tools that make collaboration easier. This interoperability will be discussed from two points of view. First is the exchange of data among various packages, and second is the ability to work with projects from one package in others. The former will involve a translator’s “in-house” sharing among programs, while the latter will focus on dealing with client projects, starting with SDL Trados (both legacy and Studio) projects and outputs and will branch out from there to other packages a translator might receive. The discussion will also deal with how small groups can collaborate, and will touch upon what is available on a larger scale. This means a focus on freelance versions of software with some mention of server based versions. A range of available CAT tools, from free ones to commercial ones will be introduced, and the rapidly
developing advanced features of some will be presented.