Hi Creators,
Today, we’re sharing two updates for localization tables :
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We’re deprecating the older real-time ingestion system for Automatic Text Capture, as we’ve had two capture systems running simultaneously. We will now only be using the offline process in experiences, but you will still be able to capture strings in real time while playtesting in Studio.
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All localization table assets are now private. This update automatically applies to all existing and future experiences and is separate from the asset privacy beta we announced for other asset types earlier this year.
Below, we’ll dive into more details about each update, so please continue reading!
Automatic Text Capture
Read more about Automatic Text Capture:
As we’ve shared, we have had two capture systems running simultaneously:
- A real-time ingestion system, which adds strings to your localization table within 1-2 minutes of you or a player encountering them in your published experience.
- An offline process, which checks your experience on a daily basis and updates your localization table when it identifies strings that should be added or removed.
While the real-time ingestion system works quickly, it often ends up over-scraping and filling localization tables with content that should not be translated, such as usernames.
As a result, we are deprecating the real-time ingestion system and will only be using the offline process in experiences. However, we understand that there may be situations in which you need to capture and add strings to your localization table immediately. You will still be able to capture strings in real time while playtesting in Studio.
New Automatic Text Capture Settings
Like before, ATC can be enabled in your localization settings page in Creator Hub. ATC evaluates over time which strings should be added to your translation table, so it may take a few days for new strings to appear in Translator Portal.
ATC also checks your experience for strings that no longer exist, such as usernames or strings related to a past event. By default, the tool will remove these stale entries when it identifies them. Only auto-scraped strings with automatic translations will be removed; strings that were manually added or that have manual translations will not be impacted.
If you do not want ATC to clean up your localization table, navigate to your localization settings and disable the second ATC toggle:
Studio Text Capture
You can use the text capture tool in Studio to capture strings while playtesting. These strings will be added to the localization table within 1-2 minutes of encountering them.
You can start text capture in Studio with the following steps:
- In Studio, go to Plugins > Localization > Tools.
- Enable the toggle under Automatic Text Capture.
Note that text capture will stay on if you start and stop playtesting within the same Studio session, but it will need to be enabled again when you start a new Studio session.
Next Steps
The new ATC settings will mirror your previous settings. This means ATC will stay on if it was previously enabled, and it will stay off if it was previously disabled. Note that if ATC is on, the localization table cleanup setting which removes stale entries will also be enabled by default. This can be disabled at any time in your localization settings page.
You can learn more by reading the localization guide docs. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks!
Asset Privacy for Localization Tables
Read more about asset privacy for localization tables:
All localization table assets are now private. You can now add source strings and translations to the localization tables of experiences without being concerned that they will be discovered before your experience is ready to be made public. This update automatically applies to all existing and future experiences, and is separate from the asset privacy beta we announced for other asset types earlier this year.
There are some restrictions to localization table privacy:
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External users can still gain access to your localization table if your experience is public and they obtain the table’s asset ID. Because the localization table asset is downloaded by the client upon game join, users who join your game can get access to your localization table which may include strings for unreleased content. The Creator Translation team is looking into a fix for this issue; in the meantime, if you have sensitive strings that you need to test for a public experience, we recommend that you use a separate, private test experience.
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Localization table privacy is not configurable. We currently do not have plans to enable creators to open up access to their localization tables, but we are open to feedback if creators have use cases for making them public or shareable.
We’ll continue sharing updates as we innovate our translation systems, with more to come in 2025. As always, please let us know if you have any questions or feedback!
Best,
Creator Services Translation Team