How to Translate PDF and AutoCAD Drawings into Georgian Without Losing the Format

In this article we explain why copy and paste does not work, how a professional bureau translates DWG and PDF files into Georgian, what problem Georgian text has in AutoCAD, and what you should send the bureau so that your drawing comes back right the first time.

Why copying into Word does not work

• Context is lost - on a drawing, "TYP." or "EQ." sits next to a dimension line. In Word it is just an abbreviation whose meaning the translator has to guess;
• Text falls apart - in a PDF exported from CAD, a single sentence is often split into several separate objects, and when it is copied the words get mixed up;
• Putting it back is impractical - returning 300 labels to their places by hand takes longer than the translation itself, and there is a risk of error at every step;
• Consistency breaks down - the same label on 40 sheets is translated 40 times, and often in different ways.

As a result, the client receives two documents: the original drawing and a separate Word file with the translation. The crew on site has to read both at the same time, which is a direct route to mistakes.

How a professional bureau works: DWG / DXF files

• Inventory - the file is checked for Model and Layout spaces, external references (Xref) and blocks;
• Text extraction - TEXT, MTEXT, block attributes and tables are extracted together with the address of each object;
• Translation in a CAT environment - with a termbase, so that one label is the same on every sheet;
• Return to the drawing - the translation goes back into the same objects, on the same layers, with the same height and alignment;
• Visual check - every sheet is checked on screen and in the PDF export.

Dimensions, lines and geometry do not change, because the translator works only with text objects. The client receives an editable DWG that their team can continue working on in AutoCAD as usual.

Georgian fonts in AutoCAD

The standard AutoCAD SHX fonts do not contain Georgian letters. So if Georgian text is written in such a style, question marks or empty boxes appear on the drawing. This is the most common problem that clients perceive as a "translation error".

The solution: a separate text style is created for the Georgian text, using a TrueType font that fully covers the Georgian alphabet, while the height and width factor of the original are preserved. Such a drawing reads correctly on any computer and in print.

PDF drawings and brochures

• Vector PDF - a file exported from CAD is translated in a graphics editor, and the text is replaced in place;
• Scanned PDF - the original label is masked and the translation is placed in the same spot, while the graphics stay unchanged;
• Brochures and catalogues - a DTP specialist adjusts the text frames, because Georgian text is often longer than English;
• Large formats - A1 and A0 sheets come back in the same format.

If a source DWG file exists, ask the designer for it: working on the CAD file gives a result identical to the original, while working on a PDF gives only an approximation.

Monolingual or bilingual drawing

International projects often need both languages on the same sheet: the original for the foreign engineer and the translation for the Georgian crew. In that case the Georgian text is placed on a separate layer, and the original stays untouched. By switching the layer on or off, you print either the monolingual or the bilingual version.

On a bilingual drawing, you need to agree in advance where the translation goes: below the original, next to it or in a separate legend. The decision depends on how dense the sheet is. On a crowded sheet where the two languages do not fit together, two separate sets are sometimes the better option: one with the original and one in Georgian, with the same numbering and title block, so that the sheets are easy to match to each other.

Typical mistakes in translated drawings

Drawings that reach us after someone else has translated them often repeat the same mistakes:

• A translated dimension value - the dimension value was retyped by hand and its associative link to the geometry was lost. Now the dimension no longer updates when the object changes;
• Text on the wrong layer - the Georgian labels were gathered onto one layer, so layer management and plot settings got mixed up;
• Exploded blocks - a block was exploded (Explode) to change its attributes and is no longer a block: tables and quantity counts stop working;
• Untranslated title block - the sheet name and stage were left in the original language, which makes navigating the set harder;
• Mixed-up units - millimetres and centimetres got mixed up in the notes, although the drawing has only one unit.

All of these mistakes have one cause: the drawing was treated as a text document. In a professional process, blocks, dimensions and layers are off limits, and only the text is translated.

When a separate translated text is enough

Translating inside the drawing file is not necessary in every case. A separately translated text, for example an "original - translation" table with sheet and position references, is enough when:

• the drawing is for internal review and the team only needs to understand the content;
• a lawyer or a manager is reviewing the general notes and technical conditions;
• an engineer reads the original and the translation is only supporting material.

But when the drawing goes to a site, to a public authority or to the client, the translation has to be inside the drawing itself: the crew, the expert and the inspector do not read two documents side by side.

Drawings for Georgian authorities

Under the General Administrative Code of Georgia, the language of administrative proceedings is Georgian (Art. 14), and a document in a foreign language must be accompanied by a notarized translation (Art. 73). So when a foreign project goes forward for a construction permit, an expert review or another administrative procedure in Georgia, the translation has to be planned in advance. In such cases a Georgian or bilingual drawing is better than a separate text annex, so that the reviewer sees every label in its place.

The final check

Before the file is handed over, every sheet is checked visually: text must not cross lines, run outside the frame or cover dimensions. Numbers, units, sheet numbering and the title block fields are checked separately.

If the drawing comes with an explanatory note or a specification, the terms must be the same in all three documents. This is checked against a single termbase.

Finally, a PDF export is produced with the same plot settings as the original: line weights, colours and sheet size. The client uses this PDF to check the result without opening AutoCAD.

What to send the bureau

• the source file (DWG/DXF), if you have it, and not just the PDF;
• if there are Xrefs, all linked files - the AutoCAD eTransmit function does this automatically;
• whether you need a monolingual or a bilingual drawing;
• the project glossary, if the client or the designer has one.

TARGMANEBI translates drawings directly in the CAD file and returns them in editable form the same or the next day. Details: engineering drawing (AutoCAD / DWG) translation.

In short: the right process

Frequently asked questions

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