maancheno

Then, indirect way will be the only one. Now, first and last steps are already OK: decoding, using a (working) command-line tool extracted from XCC Mixer's C++ source code, which extracts .PCX frames and .WAV audio; encoding, using command-line version of Gordan's VQA Encoder, which takes .PCX and .WAV input and builds final .VQA file. The rest to be written is... the actual subtitler, which will take a .SRT file and a sequence of .PCX files as input, to produce a new list of subtitled .PCX frames. I'm choosing C# as programming language, because writing GUi will be easier, as image manipulation: I've already found a way to write text on images, so the hard part will be only converting subtitle time intervals to 1/15 second rate, and computing exact position of text on frames. First goal is "batch" subtitling, then an "interative" mode could be added, like Subtitle Workshop does... but this will be hard. Also data input for subtitler is almost complete: I've written all Italian .SRT files for videos... at last. And, before it, a text file with all original English voice transcripts, based on data from http://forums.cncnz.com/topic/17046-translating-td-videos-to-spanish/, the main source the old document with Spanish transiations (re-translated to English and refined by hearing) some help from Youtube automatic subtitler last but not least... this forum! The full English transctipt is in the file attached. Some videos are missing, but only because the part to be subtitled is not in speech, but written as text on frames, like in VISOR.VQA, OBEL.VQA and so on. There are only two "holes" in this file, marked by ???, which I could not transcribe... can you help me? MOVIES_SPEECH_TRANSCRIPT.rar

Ok, so in-game subtitling seems to be hard. Instead, I'm trying the other way... writing an external subtitler. My ideas are essentially two: Writing a "direct" subtitler, capable of writing white pixels (shaped as text) into frame data. It seems to be VERY difficult... I'm still stuck at frame data decoding, and palette problem will still be a problem. It will be a VERY long work. But quality loss of original video will be ZERO. Writing an "indirect" subtitler, which (using existing command-line tools) converts VQA into PCX+WAV data, writes text on PCX frames (e.g. taking it from an .SRT file and converting timing to 1/15 second intervals), and rebuilds the VQA from modified PCX+WAV. It seems much simpler, but a bit quality loss will occur. But not so much as converting VQA -> PNG -> AVI -> subtitled AVI -> PCX -> VQA like I'm doing now. And there's a problem: I've already found a command-line VQA encoder, but not a decoder. I can perhaps extract it from XCC Mixer... Both approaches could have a great advantage: they require a .SRT file, which is a text file. If a list of English .SRT files could exist, a translator could take them, translate their content, and apply them to videos, like .INI files now. P.S.: I'm still writing Italian .SRT files, but there's always my problem with spoken English... for example, what's saying Kane in this video (Nod mission 12, Capture the Communications Center) C&C Tiberian Dawn - Nod Mission 12 - Capture Communications Center when he says "As you ???????????, GDI has begun field testing his satellite based ion cannon despite your previous success" ?

I thought it was simpler... like adding a new transparent "label" over the screen without altering video data... Another solution could be creating an external video subtitler, capable of editing video data (so adding white pixels for text) without decoding and re-encoding video. The XCC Mixer tool is already capable of extracting frames from videos, so it's not impossible... and perhaps I could try. It could become a translation-specific tool, for example. But... perhaps this problem is simpler: where can I find ALL the English transcripts of videos? I've already downloaded TDTranscribed.txt and TDTranscribedII.txt from http://forums.cncnz.com/topic/17046-translating-td-videos-to-spanish/ about Spanish translation, but they contain only some of them... for example, other videos like nod2.vqa are missing.

Tests... they're never enough! I've corrected the INI file with missing string, I've attached the result. I've also replaced the abbreviation of billion,"BLN", with its Italian translation, "MLD" (miliardo). For installer strings, their translation is this: WelcomeLabel1=Benvenuti nella procedura di installazione della traduzione in italiano per C&C95! WelcomeLabel2=Questo programma installerà la traduzione in italiano dell'applicazione C&C. AppName=Componente aggiuntivo italiano per Command & Conquer Gold 1.06c nogame=ERRORE: Il gioco non è stato trovato nella cartella selezionata.%nSelezionare la cartella in cui è installato Command & Conquer. EnableLanguage=Abilita lingua italiana I'm still subtitling videos... it requires a lot of time... and experimentation. A solution could be modify the application, by overlaying text on original video screen, and introducing a INI-like file format for subtitles, but I suppose it's not so easy as it seems. But also I'm a programmer, and I could give it a try. It would be a great challenge. Or perhaps, a Mission: Impossible. text_ita.ini.rar

Mmmmh... so hard to express it using the same spill=spill wording. And idioms... I had to translate it like this: "Se non parli, qui ti ci spalmo!" ("If you don't speak, I'll splatter you here!") But... I also made an improved version of text_ita.ini, with Portuguese encoding, and the lang_ita.mix containing it. With this files, Italian translation of texts and audio is complete... except bugfixes, if needed. I'm still working on video subtitling, using this algorithm: - XCC Mixer: convert VQA to list of PNGs and WAV - VirtualDub: convert PNGs + WAV into Old Format AVI (with 15 frames per second) - Subtitle Workshop: create .SRT subtitles for video - VirtualDub - TextSub plugin: add subtitles to video - RADVideoTools: convert subtitled video to PCXs - VQA Encoder - old-enc.exe, ugm2vqa.exe: convert PCXs + WAV to VQA Keeping in mind original resolution, results are not so bad. For example, I've attached resulting GENERIC.VQA to this post (it's the smallest one I've made till now ) GENERIC.vqa..rar text_ita.ini.rar lang_ita.mix

I'm trying to translate RETRO.VQA. I've found a Youtube video, C&C "Rescue Mission" cutscene in which a transcript exists. But I don't understand some parts of it. The transcript is this: I don't think you understand what's happening here. If you don't spill it, I'm gonna (=going to) spill it! You! All over the damned floor, now! Give me everything I want, and give it to me now, or it's over for you! it's... That's really funny, tough guy, really funny! Here you go! Ok, the literal translation is not difficult, but: What does "If you don't spill it, I'm gonna spill it" mean? Or it actually is "If you don't spit it, I'm gonna make you spit it", or something similar? Is "You! All over the damned floor, now!" exact? What it's referred to? Not to the victim, because he is still sitting after this sentence...

Whoops You're right, I forgot the last step. speecita.mix

Yes, please... I need ALL transcripts, not only those mentioned in that thread; for example, I can't find retro.vqa and intro2.vqa in it...

I'm starting video subtitling task. It's heavier than it seems. As a starting point, I'm looking for English transcripts of videos. I've found a document from another forum about development of 1.06c patch, http://forums.cncnz.com/topic/13910-106c-development-topic/page-36#entry211071, which contains a document named "Spanish subtitles and frame numbers.docx", written by Nyerguds, which contains most of transcripts, but in Spanish. Does a version of this document exist with original English transcripts? Because translating by hearing, or from another translation, would be error prone, and I know English but not Spanish...

The last audio part: talkita.mix (the translated version of talkeng.mix), with the Italian unit voices. I've taken all audio material from Tiberium Wars. Now... time for video subtitles! talkita.mix

Ok, the speech.mix for Italian is complete. Obviously, for lack of material, some translations are "almost exact"... but not perfectly exact. But I've managed to translate ALL audio samples, except Kane's speech (sigh!). Next step will be talkeng.mix, and all the "audio" part will be finished. speecita.mix

If all text translation is now OK, I have a new question: how can I add subtitles to movies seen in the game? I see a "subtitles=0" option in conquer.ini... so, can a subtitles text file be used? Or that option has another purpose, or it was never used? Or I must physically edit frames, and add subtitles manually to them? If so, how? Last question about this... where can I find a transcript for every movie (including the long introductory one)? After this, the last challenge will be in-game speech... it must be re-dubbed, of course. Options are two: take Italian audio from other games, or using an Italian speech synthesis engine. But... only after having subtitled movies.

Ok, I've fixed remaining translation string issues. The only problem I've found is using the uppercase "à" character used in some words like VELOCITA' (i.e. speed), which does not exist in DOS table, but it's not a big problem. There are only some wrong plurals in expanded version, but most of your work was OK. Some info: "billions" in Italian is "miliardi". Its abbreviated form is "MLD". "Chemical trooper" missing tralslation is intentional. For example, in C&C3 there is an untranslated "Zone Trooper" in Italian version. Translation of music track names is intentional... if it's not a problem for game engine. "DELLA" can be left off without problems from "RICERCA COORDINATE PROSSIMA MISSIONE". In italian, "della" is the translation of "of the". Yes, "Barra laterale" is correct. About "Music Factory", I admit my ignorance about it. I thought that label was a building name, i.e. a factory producing musical instruments. What exactly is "Music Factory" in the game? The attachments contain the previous RAR files with the corrections. addon_italian.rar addon_italian_expanded.rar

Ok, no problem for videos position... let's go further with the translation. I've made a first attempt, it's attached here. I think I've followed all directions written in the translation guide, but if I choose "Ita" from CConfig, if I start the game it crashes with an application error. What's wrong? I'm using the Ultimate Collection version, with the unofficial patch for TD. I've also tried to uninstall and reinstall all, but nope. CNC_IT.rar

I've installed the new INI files, setting resolution at 800x600... all problems seem to be solved. Only a small one: initial screen and videos appear at left side of the screen, can they be moved to the middle?