PanelView Chinese Conversion?

jkrom · Aug 15, 2005

We are currently building a machine that will be used in one of our plants in China and will need to display in both English and Chinese.

We have done plenty of equipment for Mexico in the past, and have simply had someone from the plant translate all of the pertinent English verbiage to Spanish, and we set up to toggle between the two languages. I am deeply concerned, however, about accomplishing this with Chinese, since it uses an entirely different character set and, from what I understand, text is written top to bottom - instead of left to right.

We are using a SLC 5/05 and an Ethernet PanelView 600, which tells the operator what to do and has various screens for plant personnel to set up the machine. We have built several of these exact same machines in the past, and changing to different hardware is not an option.

I have found AB KnowledgeBase article #G19620, which details how to include the Chinese font into PanelBuilder, and have already ordered the required ATA memory card. I think that I would prefer, however, to farm out the whole language conversion process to someone else. Are there companies that do this sort of thing? Have any of you had to do something similar? How complicated is it?

Thanks in advance.

jkrom · Aug 15, 2005

Zero responses, only 17 views and already relegated to page 2!

Surely someone out there has had to deal with Asian fonts before?

MartB · Aug 15, 2005

I used to work for a company in the UK that did dual language displays almost all of the time. We used a local company that did all the translation for us, much easier and quicker then trying to do it yourself.
However, we never had to use Chinese, but in saying that I would definitely recommend getting a professional translator to do the conversion for you. We decided to cut corners one time in Brazil and it cost us an extra week on site just to get the translations right.
I've not used a service like this for a few years and only ever in the UK, but I'm sure someone out there can recommentd a service in the USA.

StanleyZhou · Aug 15, 2005

Hi Jim,
I did this kind of project before using Panelview pLus 600. the panelview plus 600 support the Chinese Languages displaying. so the only thing you need to do is find someone to transfer your English words to corresponding Chinese Words, and then typing it into your Panelview Plus 600 project using resview Studio, one importanting thing need to keep in mind is that your windows system need to have the Chinese font installed, and you need to know how to type Chinese in your windows

.

jkrom · Aug 15, 2005

Thanks, Stanley - but I'm actually using a "non-plus" PanelView 600.

I have already figured out that you can display Chinese font in the PV, but I'm looking for help with the actual translation.

Martin,
Did the service that you used actually program into your HMI for you, or just supply you with written translation that you then had to follow through with?

I guess what I'm really looking for would be a bilingual programmer that can work in PanelBuilder - any thoughts?

StanleyZhou · Aug 15, 2005

jkrom said:
I guess what I'm really looking for would be a bilingual programmer that can work in PanelBuilder - any thoughts?

absolutely right, that's the way to go . or maybe you should look for help from AB China Branch, they have guys to do this kind of service job.

BTW, the way to change the languages display are the same in Panelview plus or panelview, you need to download the Chinese Fonts to the Panelview(with ATA memory Card) or panelview plus, and then you need to type the Chinese fonts in your project with panelbuilder or rsviewstudio.

martyh · Aug 15, 2005

Couldn't you have a list of phrases / words used on your HMI and have them listed in a tabled format by the translating firm, in a word document? Then, all you would do is cut and paste the Chinese text where you need it in the PanelView.

We recently did something similar to this, except it was SCADA software that didn't support both English and Chinese fonts at the same time. So, we made the Chinese text into bitmaps, and had a button that toggled the Chinese bitmaps on or off. When on, they covered the English text.

We tried using a web based translator (like Google or BabelFish), but it is incredibly unreliable. Definitely hire a professional translator to ensure nothing is "lost in translation".

Marty

jkrom · Aug 16, 2005

This is looking worse...

It appears that I can not cut/copy/paste Chinese symbols from Windows into PanelBuilder.

I have set up the Chinese font in PanelBuilder and I have added a Chinese IME (TwinBridge), which works fine for inputing Chinese directly into PanelBuilder (and Windows). When I try to copy/paste Chinese characters from Excel / Word / Internet Explorer / Etc., however, it comes in as question marks.

I have also set up a spreadsheet with the verbiage that I need translated, which has been sent to our plant contact for translation. Without Cut/Copy/Paste, however, it seems like a fruitless endeavor.

So, does anyone know of a bilingual (English/Chinese) Controls guy in the Detroit area that wants to set up a PanelView? ☯

martyh · Aug 16, 2005

I know it adds time, but you can copy and paste the text into MS Paint from Word, Excel, etc.. and then save each word or phrase as a .bmp bitmap. Wouldn't be very easy to implement for alarms and such though.

Marty

Seagullplayer · Aug 16, 2005

I had to do a project like yours a few years ago. I contacted a local collage for help with the translation. I was lucky, no display was used, it was just Push Button lables, and electrical documentation. BTW there are about 70 different dilects of Chinese! With it being your plant, you may already have a handle on that.
Good luck.

StanleyZhou · Aug 16, 2005

jkrom said:
This is looking worse...

It appears that I can not cut/copy/paste Chinese symbols from Windows into PanelBuilder.

I have set up the Chinese font in PanelBuilder and I have added a Chinese IME (TwinBridge), which works fine for inputing Chinese directly into PanelBuilder (and Windows). When I try to copy/paste Chinese characters from Excel / Word / Internet Explorer / Etc., however, it comes in as question marks.

I have also set up a spreadsheet with the verbiage that I need translated, which has been sent to our plant contact for translation. Without Cut/Copy/Paste, however, it seems like a fruitless endeavor.

So, does anyone know of a bilingual (English/Chinese) Controls guy in the Detroit area that wants to set up a PanelView? ☯

Hi Jim,
the twinbridge using its own Chinese font library,when you run it, right, you can type the Chinese Charactors, but when u copy it from Excel and paste it in to Panelbuilder, they won't be recognized by the windows and will all change to question marks. If your windows system is a Chinese version ,than you won't have any problem with it.
since you are in Detroit area, maybe I can help u a little bit. just check your personal messages.

solidtext · Feb 21, 2017

jkrom said:
We are currently building a machine that will be used in one of our plants in China and will need to display in both English and Chinese.

We have done plenty of equipment for Mexico in the past, and have simply had someone from the plant translate all of the pertinent English verbiage to Spanish, and we set up to toggle between the two languages. I am deeply concerned, however, about accomplishing this with Chinese, since it uses an entirely different character set and, from what I understand, text is written top to bottom - instead of left to right.

We are using a SLC 5/05 and an Ethernet PanelView 600, which tells the operator what to do and has various screens for plant personnel to set up the machine. We have built several of these exact same machines in the past, and changing to different hardware is not an option.

I have found AB KnowledgeBase article #G19620, which details how to include the Chinese font into PanelBuilder, and have already ordered the required ATA memory card. I think that I would prefer, however, to farm out the whole language conversion process to someone else. Are there companies that do this sort of thing? Have any of you had to do something similar? How complicated is it?

Thanks in advance.

Only in the ancient time the Chinese text was written top to button - as it was firstly written on bamboo slips. Nowadays the modern Chinese is written left to right, exactly like the English. Basically you could simply get your text translated and directly replaced. Hire a professional language translation company and they will do the job for you.

PanelView Chinese Conversion?

jkrom

Member

jkrom

Member

MartB

Lifetime Supporting Member

StanleyZhou

Member

jkrom

Member

StanleyZhou

Member

martyh

Member

jkrom

Member

martyh

Member

Seagullplayer

Member

StanleyZhou

Member

solidtext

Member

Similar Topics