Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What versions of SDL Trados does FireballXL8 support?
A: FireballXL8 has been tested using SDLXLIFF files from SDL Trados Studio 2009 and up. However, we recommend testing the free version before purchasing an annual membership, as there are many configurations of computers, operating systems and Trados environments, and we cannot guarantee that yours will definitely be supported.
Q: Does FireballXL8 support MemoQ/Wordfast/OmegaT/MateCat/etc?
A: FireballXL8 works on SDL Trados SDLXLIFF files. There are a number of conversion utilities, such as Okapi, that may be useful in converting between your file format and SDLXLIFF.
Q: The system doesn’t work properly on Internet Explorer/Edge. What do I do?
A: We recommend using another browser, such as Firefox or Chrome. These are known to work properly with FireballXL8. We are sorry about the inconvenience.
Q: I am a registered member, but I’m getting a “Protected Content” message.
A: The system prevents you from simultaneously logging in from two computers or browser windows. Your password might have been compromised. Log in again (go to My Account) and change your password immediately. Be sure that you keep your password secure, and this problem should no longer occur. Alternatively, you may not have completed the registration process properly, and so are not being recognized by the system as a registered member.
Q: My glossary file uploads fine, but the terms are not being replaced.
A: This is likely due to a problem with your glossary file; perhaps it is not in UTF-8 encoding. We highly recommend using a text editor such as Notepad for Windows or TextEdit for MacOS to create your glossary file (see the example on the Home page). If your glossary is tab-delimited, and two columns (source language and target language), then save it as a UTF-8 file with a .txt extension and you can use it with FireballXL8. Or use a CSV file, but ensure that it is in UTF-8 encoding. You can also save an MS-Excel file as a CSV file.
Q: My existing glossary is in MS-Excel format but I don’t have MS-Excel. Can I use it with FireballXL8?
A: Yes, but first you have to upload it to Google Drive, then download it as a UTF .csv or .tsv file (CSV:comma-separated values, TCS:tab-separated values), then upload that file as your glossary. If .tsv, you need to change the extension to .txt.
Q: How do I prevent Fireball XL8 from changing 100%-matched segments?
A: The easiest way is to let Fireball XL8 do its work, take the resulting SDLXLIFF file back into Trados, and then pretranslate once again, specifying 100% and “Always Replace”. That should fix things.
Q: I have a Full Version membership, and I have an SDLXLIFF file that is larger than 20MB. Is there any way of processing this?
A: Please contact us using the contact form below. We cannot make any promises, but we are sometimes able to make special arrangements for exceptional cases.
Q: I have a huge glossary and a huge SDLXLIFF file, and the system times out while processing them. What do I do?
A: Please contact us using the contact form below. We cannot make any promises, but we are sometimes able to make special arrangements for exceptional cases.
Thank you for using FireballXL8!
Try FireballXL8 Lite for FREE
FireballXL8 Free Version works on small SDLXLIFF files and small TXT or CSV glossaries, but apart from the size of files processed, it is basically identical to FireballXL8.
We believe that you will see how useful FireballXL8 can be in your daily translation workflow. Go on, give it a go!
Reviews
...if you use SDL Trados Studio, as I do, this is a long-awaited dream come true.
...when are you guys going to start supporting formats other than SDL Trados??
...I use find and replace all the time, so being able to automatically do that with a glossary is just perfect for me.
Pricing
FireballXL8 Free Version is completely free, with registration.
FireballXL8 Full Version is available for an annual fee of US$200 for one user, with the condition that you may not use this service to provide your own service to others. This simple annual fee allows not just translation companies, but also freelance translators and students, to use an advanced software system to boost their productivity and increase their translation quality.
Differences:
Free Version: Max size for sdlxliff and glossary files is 5MB each, software may be used up to 60 times per month. Maximum of 500 segments in sdlxliff file, and 500 terms in glossary file.
Full Version: Max size for sdlxliff and glossary files is 20MB each, software may be used up to 1,000 times per month. Unlimited segments and glossary terms. So far, none of our users has reached these limits.
FireballXL8 Free Version: FREE.
FireballXL8 Full Version: Annual fee of US$200.