Localization and Internationalization (i18n)

The Blender Development for PyCharm plugin aims to provide a native-feeling experience for Blender developers around the world. To achieve this, we have integrated a comprehensive internationalization (i18n) framework.

Supported Languages

The plugin is currently translated (partially or via placeholder) into 11 languages:

  • Spanish, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese.

How Localization Works

We use the standard IntelliJ Platform i18n mechanism. All user-facing strings are stored in .properties files within the src/main/resources/messages/ directory.

  • Primary Source: LangManager.properties (English)

  • Language Bundles: LangManager_<lang>.properties

The plugin code uses LangManager.message("key") to retrieve the correct string based on the user’s IDE language settings. The LangManager extends DynamicBundle and provides standardized resource bundle key management.

Assistance Needed

Many of our initial translations were generated with the help of AI and may lack technical precision or natural flow. We are actively looking for community members to help us improve these translations.

What We Need

  1. Human Review: Verify that technical terms like “Run Configuration”, “Add-on source directory”, and “Sandboxing” are translated correctly and consistently.

  2. Missing Translations: Help us translate the remaining English placeholders in localized bundles.

  3. Consistency: Ensure the tone of the plugin remains consistent across different sections.

How to Help

If you would like to contribute a translation or improve an existing one, please refer to our Localization Contribution Guidelines.

  1. Find a key in the LangManager.properties file that needs translation or correction.

  2. Locate the corresponding file for your language (e.g., LangManager_ja.properties for Japanese).

  3. Submit a Pull Request with your changes!

Localized Wiki

Localized wiki links are available in WIKI_LOCALIZED.md within the project documentation directory.

Standardization

We have standardized all resource bundle keys and migrated from BlenderBundle to LangManager to improve maintainability and support for dynamic bundle loading.

We appreciate every contribution that helps us make this tool better for everyone.

Note

If you have already contributed to localization, thank you! Your name will be added to our contributors list.