Home / how to / Creating a multi-language project with Kwik – Part 3

Creating a multi-language project with Kwik – Part 3

In the past tutorials, we checked how to configure a multi-language project and how to setup images and audio. In this posting, I will cover how to defined animations and buttons.

Working with animations

First of all, I created a simple linear animation for the kwkwitch layer (the witch in black, which needs to appear only in the English version of the storybook. These are the parameters I set:

Screen shot 2011-12-11 at 1.30.56 PM

Still in the same layer, I used the Tools->Set language to a layer button and created a new group:

Screen shot 2011-12-11 at 1.14.03 PM

After that, I selected the layer witchspa (the witch in white, to show up only in the Spanish version). Without creating a new animation for it (this witch will “consume” the same animation from its counterpart kwkwitch), I simply used the Tools->Set language to a layer button again and associated it to the kwkwitch group, entering Spanish as the correct language now:

Screen shot 2011-12-11 at 1.33.34 PM

After another preview, this is how the project looks like:

Setting the buttons

I selected layer butBuy (the light blue button) and created a button using Interaction->Add Button, setting it to Show/Hide the layer with the text:

Screen shot 2011-12-11 at 2.12.40 PM

As this button will show up only in English pages, I set the Multi-layer parameter to ** NEW **, meaning it will create a new group for me, and set the Languages to English.

Now that I set the English button, I do not need to set the same button for Spanish. I simple select the butCompre (the light orange button), and used the Tools->Set language to a layer, now setting the Multi-layer to butBuy and the Language to Spanish.

  Screen shot 2011-12-11 at 2.13.15 PM

To complete the project, I previewed it again. The results are the same shown in the first tutorial post:

As always, your comments are appreciated! Hope you liked the tutorials!

Alex

2 comments

  • That’s great. With regards your comments about people not using the multi-lingual feature much, remember there’s a lot of work and development time in translation. Into Japanese can add three times as much text. Then there is the recording and editorial decisions and work needed. Then the translator and actor needs to be found. It’s OK for the bi-lingual users with their on gear, but for professional publishers they will want to do it in many languages – the work is doubled each time. And this isn’t just 2 page builds I’m talking about. A 32 + page picture book has a lot of design and editorial decisions to make. I got a print publishing deal in the summer on a book and it wont be available till 2013. 18 months to two years is a normal turn around in publishing. There’s a reason for this. It takes a lot of time to get things right. So what I’m saying is well done for making multi-lingual features available. It will help get Kwik noticed, but it may take a while before multi-lingual projects are ready to go.

    • My comments in the post were not about people not using multi-language (in fact there are several users already working with them), but mostly in-app purchase. For professional work, I totally understand the issues of adding different languages to the scope. What I think will change (probably we are going to start another thread here :)) is the share of professional publishers versus self-publishers (majority of Kwik users). Professionals will need to adapt to the digital area and, 18mo of development seems to be a huge time and expensive project (time is money, right?).

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