Comparison
TranslateCAD Alternative — Translate DWG Drawings Online
TranslateCAD extracts DXF text for a professional translator's CAT tool. docuredo translates the DWG itself, with a mandatory human review before anything is written. Which one fits depends on who is doing the translating.
TranslateCAD is a 29.95 USD Windows tool that pulls translatable text out of a DXF file into plain text, lets a translator work on it in Trados, memoQ or any other CAT tool, and re-joins the result into a translated DXF. It has served technical translators for years, and for a CAT-tool workflow it does exactly what it says.
The conversion round trip
The practical difference shows up before any translation happens. TranslateCAD works on DXF, and its published documentation targets DXF versions from the AutoCAD 2000-2008 era — so a DWG drawing set means converting every file to DXF, running the extraction, translating, re-joining, and converting back. Each conversion is a step where fidelity is on you.
docuredo opens the DWG itself with the genuine AutoCAD engine in the cloud: text is read out, every unique line gets a proposed translation, you review the whole list, and approved text is written back into drawings that keep their original DWG version. Geometry, layers, numbers and measured dimensions are never touched.
| Feature | TranslateCAD | docuredo |
|---|---|---|
| Type of tool | Windows shareware for professional translators | Browser-based service for drawing owners |
| Price | 29.95 USD one-time | 3 credits per drawing, from prepaid packs |
| Input format | DXF (published docs target AutoCAD 2000-2008 era versions) | DWG directly — any version, edited by the genuine AutoCAD engine |
| DWG handling | Convert DWG to DXF first, convert back after | No conversion; original DWG version preserved |
| Who translates | You, in a CAT tool (Trados, memoQ, Wordfast, ...) | Machine proposes each unique line; you review and edit every one |
| Translation memory | Your CAT tool's TMs and glossaries | Built-in per-account memory of lines you approved; no TMX import |
| Repeated text | Handled by the CAT tool during translation | Deduplicated across the whole drawing set before translation |
| Safety rails | Translator manages codes and numbers in the extracted text | Numbers and codes never sent; MTEXT formatting must survive or the line is kept |
| Verification | Open the result and check | Review list before writing, audit report and optional PDF plots after |
Honest note: docuredo does not integrate with CAT tools or read TMX memories. If your process is built around Trados or memoQ, TranslateCAD's extraction approach serves that requirement; docuredo's CSV export is the bridge if you want a translator to check its proposals in a spreadsheet.
Which should you use?
Use TranslateCAD when
- a professional translator with a CAT tool does the work;
- existing Trados/memoQ memories and glossaries must be used;
- converting DWG to DXF and back is acceptable;
- you want a one-time 29.95 USD tool on Windows.
Use docuredo when
- the drawing owner runs the process, start to finish, in a browser;
- drawings must stay DWG in their original version;
- you want machine proposals with a line-by-line human review;
- repeated text should be translated once across the whole set.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is TranslateCAD?
A 29.95 USD Windows shareware tool aimed at professional translators. It extracts translatable text from DXF files into plain text, which you translate in a CAT tool such as Trados or memoQ, and then re-joins into a translated DXF.
Does TranslateCAD work on DWG files directly?
No — it works on DXF, and its published documentation targets DXF versions from the AutoCAD 2000–2008 era. A DWG has to be converted to DXF first and converted back afterwards, which is an extra round trip through a conversion step.
How is docuredo's translate mode different?
docuredo edits the DWG itself — no DXF conversion. Drawings are opened by the genuine AutoCAD engine in the cloud, every unique line gets a machine-proposed translation, you review and edit the whole list, and the approved text is written back into drawings that keep their original DWG version.
Can a professional translator still do the translating with docuredo?
Yes. Export the review list as CSV, have a translator or native speaker work through it in a spreadsheet, then import their edits back — rows are matched on the original text, so a reordered or partly-filled sheet cannot corrupt the project.
Does docuredo integrate with CAT tools or Trados translation memories?
Not directly. docuredo keeps its own per-account memory of lines you have approved and reuses them on later drawing sets, but it does not read TMX files or plug into CAT software. If a CAT-tool workflow is mandatory, TranslateCAD's extraction approach may suit that requirement better.
What does translating a drawing cost with docuredo?
3 credits per drawing — each drawing is opened twice, once to read the text out and once to write approved translations back. Text repeated across the set is translated once and applied everywhere, and failed drawings refund automatically.
Translate a drawing set
Upload up to 20 DWG drawings, pick a language, and review every line before it is written back.
No AutoCAD installation required. Files delete automatically within 48 hours.
AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT and DWG are trademarks or registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. TranslateCAD is a product of its respective owner, referenced for factual comparison purposes. Trados and memoQ are trademarks of their respective owners. docuredo is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.