Translate your game.
Keep control of every word.

GETTING STARTED

Installation

LocDoctor 1.0.0 supports Unreal Engine 5.5, 5.6, 5.7 and 5.8 on Windows 64-bit. Use the package that matches your engine version.

Install through Fab

Install the plugin for the matching engine using your Fab Library in the Epic Games Launcher. Open your project, enable LocDoctor in Edit > Plugins if needed, and restart the editor.

Install from a ZIP

1. Close Unreal Editor.
2. Extract the package so that LocDoctor.uplugin is directly inside <YourProject>/Plugins/LocDoctor/. If the ZIP already contains a LocDoctor folder, place that folder inside Plugins.
3. Open the project. Enable LocDoctor in Edit > Plugins if needed, then restart the editor.
4. Open Tools > LocDoctor.

YourProject/
  YourProject.uproject
  Plugins/
    LocDoctor/
      LocDoctor.uplugin
      Resources/
      Source/

A package with compiled files also contains a Binaries folder. If you use a source-only package, Unreal needs a compatible C++ build toolchain to build the editor modules.

GETTING STARTED

Your first translation

Start with one language and a small set of game texts. Plugin button labels match this guide's language. Unreal Editor's own menu names are shown in English.

1. Choose your languages. Open Tools > LocDoctor. Choose the language in which your game texts were written and at least one translation language. On first use, click Create settings and continue. Keep the advanced settings at their defaults unless your project needs a different asset folder or text target.
2. Collect your texts. On the Texts step, click Collect texts. Save changed game assets if Unreal asks. Check that the project summary contains the texts you expect.
3. Choose a translation method. Use On my computer, In my chat or Through an API. For automatic methods, select a model and click Check connection. This tests a short translation. After a successful test, the main button becomes Translate texts.
4. Review the result. AI translations are saved as drafts. On the Review step, check each translation, edit it if needed, and save your selected translations.
5. Prepare the game. On For the game, click Prepare for the game. Test the game in each language and include those languages in your packaging settings.

Languages and game text

Original language, translation languages and interface language

• Original text language: the language in which your source game text is written.
• Translate into: the languages to work on in the current translation job. Untick a language to leave it out of this job.
• Interface language: the selector at the top of LocDoctor. It changes the plugin interface only. English is the default.

A text target, usually named Game, is Unreal's localization configuration for a set of texts. If your project has several targets, select the one you want to translate.

Add or remove a language

The first suggestions are 12 popular translation languages. Click Add language to find another language by name or Unreal culture code. Click Remove language to remove a language from the text target's configuration. Saved translation files are kept so that you can add the language again later.

Which texts can be translated?

LocDoctor works with localizable FText and String Tables collected by Unreal's localization system. Ordinary FString values and texts marked as culture invariant are not automatically localizable. Use Tools > Project check to look for these cases.

TRANSLATION METHODS

On my computer

Use a downloaded text model through an application running on your computer. LocDoctor connects to the application's API server. It does not install applications or download models.

1. Install your preferred model application. Download a text generation model that fits your computer's memory and supports your translation languages.
2. Start the application and enable its local API server. Keep it running while you translate.
3. In LocDoctor, choose On my computer, then Choose a model. Click Find models to refresh the list.
4. Select a model. Click Check connection if a test has not already started, and wait for the short sample translation to finish.
5. When the connection is ready, click Translate texts.

Set up your local application

Use the address shown by your application if you changed its port. LocDoctor asks local servers for their model lists and also checks saved local connections. It does not scan your disks or need your installation folder.

Official setup guides: OllamaLM StudioJanGPT4All

Another application or a custom port

Use Other application or Other service / My server in the connection settings. Enter its API address, choose Ollama or OpenAI compatible as the API format, and enter the exact model name. A server such as llama.cpp, LocalAI or vLLM can work if its endpoint supports the selected format.

TRANSLATION METHODS

In my chat

Use an AI chat that accepts pasted text or file attachments. You send the request yourself, then bring the reply back to LocDoctor. This method does not require an API key.

1. Choose In my chat. Read the Current request or First request label to see which language and part you are working on.
2. Click Download request file. For your first attempt, choose TXT: instructions and texts together.
3. Attach the file in your AI chat. Ask it to follow the included instructions and return the complete requested translation response.
4. Click Load reply to import the reply file. Alternatively, paste the complete JSON reply into the reply field and click Check reply, or use Paste and check reply.
5. Read the preview. If all checks pass, click Apply translations. They are saved as drafts.
6. Download or copy the next request and repeat until no pending requests remain. Then review the translations.

Which file format should I use?

Reply files can be JSON, TXT containing the complete JSON reply, or CSV with the columns batch, culture, i and t. Use Copy request if your chat cannot accept attachments. Sending a file does not remove a chat's context or upload limits.

What does Check reply validate?

LocDoctor checks the request identifier, language, text identifiers and formatting placeholders. Every requested item must appear exactly once. The game texts and glossary must still match the exported request.

If you changed the source, translation or glossary after exporting, prepare a new request. If the reply is incomplete or changes a placeholder, ask the chat to correct it. The active request is saved locally in your project so you can continue after reopening the editor.

TRANSLATION METHODS

Through an API

LocDoctor sends translation requests automatically to the service you configure. Create an API key in that service's account dashboard and check its model availability and billing before starting.

1. Choose Through an API. Select a service preset such as OpenRouter, OpenAI, Google Gemini or Groq.
2. Open Advanced settings. Enter your API key, if required. For a custom service, select Other service / My server and enter the service's documented API address and format.
3. Click Find models and select one, or enter its exact Model name in the API if the service does not list models.
4. Enable Allow sending game texts to this server for a server outside this computer.
5. Click Check connection and wait for the short sample translation. Once it succeeds, click Translate texts.

Custom service connection

API keys are saved in local user settings under the project's Saved/Config folder. These settings are not encrypted. Keys are excluded from LocDoctor's chat request files, translation history and reports.

REVIEW AND SHIP

Review translations

AI translations start as Drafts. Automatic checks help preserve formatting, but you still need to review meaning, tone and context.

1. Open the Review step or the Texts page. Click Refresh if needed.
2. Use the language and status filters to narrow the list. The guided review works with your selected translation languages.
3. Compare the original and translation. Edit the translation field where a change is needed. Check names, terminology, placeholders, line breaks and any reported issues.
4. Select the rows you want to save and click Save selected translations.
5. Check the translated screens in your game before release.

Understand the progress count

Progress counts text and language pairs. One source text translated into four languages means four translation tasks. Processed shows how many tasks have been handled; inspect the saved results and any reported errors to confirm what succeeded.

Stopping automatic translation keeps completed work. Unfinished work can be resumed where the saved task is available. Existing human translations are protected in normal automatic jobs.

Formatting placeholders

Keep variables such as {Player} and {Count}, Rich Text tags and line breaks intact. Chat requests may replace formatting with protected tokens such as ⟦LD0⟧; the model must copy those tokens exactly. LocDoctor restores the original formatting when it applies a valid reply.

Complex plural and gender expressions require manual review. Translate the text inside each branch without changing the expression's structure.

Glossary and history

Keep your terminology consistent

1. Open Glossary and click Add term.
2. Enter a term. Choose Do not translate for a name that should stay unchanged, or Required translation to set an exact translation.
3. Set a translation for the needed languages and choose case matching if appropriate.
4. Click Save glossary before preparing new requests.

For example, keep a character's name unchanged, or give a gameplay term a specific translation in each language. The glossary is included in new translation requests. Changing it can invalidate an already exported chat request.

Restore an earlier change

Open History, find the saved batch by target, language and time, and click Restore. LocDoctor checks for newer edits before restoring older data. If those edits conflict, review them before trying to restore.

If a write was interrupted, the next opening may show Restore interrupted changes. Use its Restore action to recover the saved originals before continuing.

REVIEW AND SHIP

Prepare for the game

This step compiles your saved translations into Unreal's localization resources. The finished game uses these resources; LocDoctor's editor interface does not run inside the shipped game.

1. Finish reviewing the translations you plan to ship.
2. Open For the game, select the text target, and click Prepare for the game. Wait for Localization resources compiled.
3. Select a Preview language. This updates the project's text sample and localized game text in the editor. Run your game in the editor and check its screens.
4. Click Original language to end the preview.
5. Open Project Settings > Packaging > Localizations to Package and include every language you want to ship. Check that the project's internationalization settings support those languages, then test a packaged build.

Compile again after saving new translations. If a language works in the editor but not in a packaged build, check that its localization resources and culture data were included in the build.

If characters appear as squares or are missing, use Tools > Fonts and check your game's font assets and fallback fonts for that language.

Tools and file exchange

Project check

Open Tools > Project check and run a check. Review the reported locations for text patterns that can prevent localization, such as hardcoded strings, culture invariant text, conflicting keys or phrases assembled from fragments. The first check can take longer while Unreal loads assets.

Fonts

Open Tools > Fonts to check whether your selected game fonts contain the characters in your translations. Review missing characters and incomplete checks, then verify the result on actual game screens.

Work with a translator

Open Tools > Import and export to exchange translations through CSV or PO files.

1. Export the selected target and language in the required format.
2. Let the translator edit the translation values while keeping text identifiers, source values and placeholders intact.
3. Import the returned file and review the proposed changes.
4. Resolve conflicts by choosing Keep project translations or Use file translations, then click Save imported translations.

Chat request CSV and translator exchange CSV serve different workflows. Import a chat response through In my chat > Load reply. Spreadsheet XLSX and XLIFF are not supported in this version.

Troubleshooting

Common questions

Version and support

This guide covers LocDoctor 1.0.0 for Unreal Engine 5.5, 5.6, 5.7 and 5.8 on Windows 64-bit.

1.0.0

Game text translation through local models, browser chat files and compatible APIs. Includes language setup, draft review, glossary, history, localization compilation, project checks, font checks, and CSV / PO exchange.

When reporting a problem

Contact support: nexusforgeuesupport@gmail.com.

Include your Unreal Engine version, LocDoctor version, translation method and exact error message. For connection problems, include the application or service name and model name. A full-size screenshot helps show the current step.

Remove API keys and other private information from screenshots and logs before sharing them.