| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4] > | Problem with recurring error message: ""Object reference not set to an instance of an object" Thread poster: Jon Reynolds
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inkweaver 
Germany
Local time: 18:01
French to German
+ ...
| Same problem | Sep 10, 2010 |
Jon Reynolds wrote:
"Object reference not set to an instance of an object".
I'm currently working with the trial version of Trados Studio and I encountered the same problem yesterday after changing the interface language from German to English.
I then changed it back to German but the problem persisted.
I noticed that the screen looked somewhat different so I tried to change a few settings (unfortunately I don't remember what I changed since I didn't really think it would help) and suddenly the problem was gone.
I did like working with Trados up to that point. What I don't like is the fact that there seems to be a simple solution (at least in some cases) to resolve problems like the one I had yesterday but it is impossible to find any information on how to solve them so it was basically just fiddling around haphazardly that helped me save my project. Don't know what I would have done if it hadn't worked...
I also find the price rather prohibitive, plus the fact that proper training would really be necessary to use the product properly, which would cost another 300 € according to the Trados website. So about 1000 € plus VAT for the use of a CAT tool that many agency use as an excuse to pay even less? Somehow I'm not convinced...
| | | | inkweaver
Germany
Local time: 18:01
French to German
+ ...
It's doing it again!
Right in the middle of a file this error message is appearing again. I didn't change any settings, just translated segment by segment and confirmed.
I'm certainly glad that this is just the trial version and I certainly won't use Trados again. I never had any similar problems with Wordfast Pro so I might as well stick with that and give any projects that require the use of Trados a miss.
| | | | | An alternative | Sep 10, 2010 |
inkweaver wrote:
I'm certainly glad that this is just the trial version and I certainly won't use Trados again. I never had any similar problems with Wordfast Pro so I might as well stick with that and give any projects that require the use of Trados a miss.
Why don't you also purchase a license of MemoQ? It would allow you to deal with SDLXLIFF files (as well as TTX files, although you would need to pretranslate them with Trados 2007, or ask the customer to do it). This way you would not have to lose business here.
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Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote: Jon Reynolds wrote:
I just fail to see why the software cannot be user-friendly. It would not let me resurrect the translation from my TM, or at least I could not wade through the numerous functions in the software to enable me to do it. I have been saying this for so many years that I feel stupid saying it time and time again: Trados is an industrial tool. It is sold as a user friendly product, but in fact it is not. Any translator wishing to use Trados should definitely take a course about how to use it. A 1-day course will save you weeks of frustration and bad mood. If you are staying with Trados, add some euros to the bill and take a crash course about it! I must say that Jerzy is right in one thing: although there are different levels of user friendliness (I feel that my MemoQ is pretty easy to handle), all CAT tools encapsulate an inherent complexity you should grasp and understand before engaging in actual work with them. It is always advisable to take a course (or at least participate in webinars for beginners) about any tool you plan to use intensively in actual work.
I can only agree. As I had often problems with my first Trados version 2007 I now gave this brand their last chance (for me personally). I heard and read so many good things about Studio 2009 that I will give it a try. As the classroom courses are very expensive and additionally far away from where I live, I tried the "Getting Started" webinar which I found very good. I will now work through the course material and do all the exercises and then take the certification exam. After that, I will go on to the next course level and so on. Either this works for me or not. I will see, but I am optimistic.
But it is an industrial tool and you just have to learn to work with it. Give it a try!
Annett
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inkweaver
Germany
Local time: 18:01
French to German
+ ...
| For the time being... | Sep 10, 2010 |
"reset window layout" (Fenster-Layout zurücksetzen) did the trick...
I will certainly consider the MemoQ option, though. Thanks for suggestion, Tomás.
| | | | Jerzy Czopik
Germany
Local time: 18:01
Member (2003)
Polish to German
+ ...
| Funny, I do not have so many errors and problems | Sep 10, 2010 |
I ask myself this question since very long - after the initial problems with Studio now I do not have any significant problems with it at all. So why me not and you do? I wouild really be glad to find out what makes Studio work stable on my computer while it will not do on yours, but besides that my computer is nearly clinically clean from unnecessary software I can't think about any other problems. And to put things right: I have dozens of programs installed here, like InDesign, Quark, Corel an... See more I ask myself this question since very long - after the initial problems with Studio now I do not have any significant problems with it at all. So why me not and you do? I wouild really be glad to find out what makes Studio work stable on my computer while it will not do on yours, but besides that my computer is nearly clinically clean from unnecessary software I can't think about any other problems. And to put things right: I have dozens of programs installed here, like InDesign, Quark, Corel and many others, which I need for work. But no games, no freebies and no utitilities of unknown source.
But if you test MemoQ and find it easier to use, so go with it. Certainly it is a very good tool. But it is not easier to use. Also Trados 2007 or Wordfast Classic are tools not easier to use as Studio. Just different. ▲ Collapse
| | | | inkweaver
Germany
Local time: 18:01
French to German
+ ...
| Errors and problems | Sep 10, 2010 |
Well, Jerzy, I - and I can only speak for myself - had only one error message and one problem with Studio (which occured several times though). Mind you, I have only been using it for a couple of days and without proper training (but I'm self-taught in a number of ways so I thought I'd just go ahead and do it).
For me, this problem has been relatively easy to solve, but what bothers me is the fact that I was unable to find any explanations for that error message along with its fair... See more Well, Jerzy, I - and I can only speak for myself - had only one error message and one problem with Studio (which occured several times though). Mind you, I have only been using it for a couple of days and without proper training (but I'm self-taught in a number of ways so I thought I'd just go ahead and do it).
For me, this problem has been relatively easy to solve, but what bothers me is the fact that I was unable to find any explanations for that error message along with its fairly simple solution. Perhaps I will never have problems with it again. But still I think it is too expensive but I know that others may have different opinions on that as well as different priorities.
I have used MemoQ briefly and I had no problems with that, so I might consider buying that in addition to WF Pro. WF Classic causes Word to crash - on my new system as well as on my old one so I just won't bother with it anymore. I guess I'm just not very patient, but when I spend money on something that is supposed to make life easier for me, I expect it to do just that. I'm just not prepared to spend hours in solving problems I didn't have before. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jon Reynolds
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:01
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
inkweaver wrote:
I guess I'm just not very patient, but when I spend money on something that is supposed to make life easier for me, I expect it to do just that. I'm just not prepared to spend hours in solving problems I didn't have before.
And that sums up my view in a nutshell and is the reason I posted my rant in the first place! I added so much extra time onto my working day yesterday trying (in vain) to deal with the error message that Trados kept generating.
Incidentally, for some clients I use their own customzied translation tools that they provide and they are incredibly simple, user-friendly and, most importantly of all, they help the translator to save time. Maybe I will find that Trados does this too, but how long will it take? I now have no confidence in using it because this seeminlgy random error message pops up when I am least expecting it. I don't want to waste any more of my working day trying to sort it, when I could be earning money doing what I enjoy - translating.
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Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 18:01
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
I have never experienced problems with Trados, except for a few times, but that was more a result of my lack of training than Trados dysfunctionality. Tutorials provide all possible answers - now, the fact it takes a lot of time and effort to read them up and analyze them thoroughly, that's a whole different matter.
Quite contrary to your experience, I found Wordfast not so handy to use.
Also, I have never heard of or seen the type of error that you are mentioning. Sorr... See more I have never experienced problems with Trados, except for a few times, but that was more a result of my lack of training than Trados dysfunctionality. Tutorials provide all possible answers - now, the fact it takes a lot of time and effort to read them up and analyze them thoroughly, that's a whole different matter.
Quite contrary to your experience, I found Wordfast not so handy to use.
Also, I have never heard of or seen the type of error that you are mentioning. Sorry that it happened to you and you had to be late with your work. For all I know, Trados is not the kind of tool you can just buy and start using without any training. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Anja Weggel
Local time: 18:01
Member (2007)
English to German
| don't forget personal preference | Sep 10, 2010 |
I guess we all have to recognize that we are individuals with different ways of looking at things. Different people have different ideas what counts as "user-friendly", "easy" or even "stable". And while one person thinks Wordfast really nice and handy, someone else may not be happy about its interface or some feature. It happens with every software on the planet. People like MS Office or Open Office, IE or Firefox, Windows or Mac and all of them have a right to.
What I am trying to say i... See more I guess we all have to recognize that we are individuals with different ways of looking at things. Different people have different ideas what counts as "user-friendly", "easy" or even "stable". And while one person thinks Wordfast really nice and handy, someone else may not be happy about its interface or some feature. It happens with every software on the planet. People like MS Office or Open Office, IE or Firefox, Windows or Mac and all of them have a right to.
What I am trying to say is, that it all depends on your personal preferences, your situation, your willigness to look into it. You have to have your expectations clear before you start working with a CAT tool (or anything else for that matter). I will not buy myself an iphone because the only thing I want is a phone for calling. So I go and buy something very simple instead.
Having said that, I have been a very happy user of Trados since Trados 5. Now I am using Studio and while it is far from perfect, it is mostly stable and a huge improvement over the previous versions.
Yes, it is certainly not the cheapest tool and yes, you either need some computer/cat experience or you should participate in a course. I like to figure out things by myself so I played around with it until I got the hang of it. But I can certainly understand that some people want to install and start. That will not work with Trados. You will need some time to figure things out. For me it was a good experience. I save a lot of time and learned a thing or two about software and computers. But, every single translator has to figure out for himself/herself if Trados/Wordfast/MemoQ etc is for him/her or not. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Heinrich Pesch
Finland
Local time: 19:01
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
| My first try | Sep 10, 2010 |
Yesterday I had translated a doc-file with Wordfast. Today I thought I would try if I can make Studio use the WF TM and re-translate the file.
I looked at the Help-function and noticed I had to update the tmx-output from Wf. In the first run the update resulted in 4 sdltm-files! The second time I used Custom and got one TM.
Then I opened the original doc, which is in Finnish. Surprisingly Studio automatically detected EN-US!! I selected Finnish and after a second the first segment w... See more Yesterday I had translated a doc-file with Wordfast. Today I thought I would try if I can make Studio use the WF TM and re-translate the file.
I looked at the Help-function and noticed I had to update the tmx-output from Wf. In the first run the update resulted in 4 sdltm-files! The second time I used Custom and got one TM.
Then I opened the original doc, which is in Finnish. Surprisingly Studio automatically detected EN-US!! I selected Finnish and after a second the first segment was translated. When I move the cursor to the next row or if I press Ctrl+down (why not Alt-down??) I get the next match. Studio found all segments. I could save the target or preview it in Word.
So no problem so far. I was surprised that getting started was so easy.
Well, there were no tags, but so far Studio seems 100% compatible to Wf Classic.
Regards
Heinrich ▲ Collapse
| | | | Simone Linke
Germany
Local time: 18:01
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| Hang in there | Sep 10, 2010 |
Regarding the original poster's rant:
There's certainly reason enough to throw out Trados - but there's also reason enough to keep it.
A few months ago, I was working on a project and then left my computer for a while (I probably even shut it down; I don't remember). I didn't install any of those "freebies" or "utilities". In fact, I didn't even open anything else. Then, the next day, I came back to my project, opened Studio and BOOM, there it was: The software told me polite... See more Regarding the original poster's rant:
There's certainly reason enough to throw out Trados - but there's also reason enough to keep it.
A few months ago, I was working on a project and then left my computer for a while (I probably even shut it down; I don't remember). I didn't install any of those "freebies" or "utilities". In fact, I didn't even open anything else. Then, the next day, I came back to my project, opened Studio and BOOM, there it was: The software told me politely that a .NET Framework error had come up and it had decided that it needed to be closed now.
No chance to play around with any settings. No chance to open projects or TMs. No chance for anything. Just a button to click "OK" and agree to Studio being closed now. Nice, huh?
So, I took the usual steps: restart the software, restart my computer, check msconfig for any unwanted applications running in the background, etc. - Nothing worked.
I then uninstalled my .Net Framework and had to go through a lot pages from Microsoft to understand what I needed to do there. In vain.
I reinstalled Studio. In vain.
The result? I ended up formatting my harddrive and had to set up my whole computer from scratch again. Yeah, thanks for that, SDL!
So far, this terrible situation has not occured again, but I've had other equally annoying errors. Luckily, most of them went away by restarting Trados.
And yet, after several months of cursing about this terribly un-user-friendly product, I'm slowly finding a way to live with it. It does indeed save money - but only if you have the right projects. I have a few clients for which I translate simple manuals (for cameras, mp3 players, etc.). For the first manual I translated, I managed to do some 500 words per hour. But now - given all the similar phrases and 100% matches in the manuals from the same client - I can do some 800-900 words per hour, sometimes even 1,000. And luckily, the client doesn't use the Trados discount rates (their rate per word is already pretty low though but with 1,000 words per hour, it becomes a pretty good rate).
So, that's indeed a way where Trados will save you time and make some money for you. I think I have now saved enough time that the product has paid for itself - after approx. 1 year of using it for several dozens of projects (I also have projects where I don't use Studio).
So, I think it's safe to say that the first weeks are indeed a terrible pain in the *** for each new user, particularly if you're completely new to CAT tools. But if you do have the kinds of projects that justify the use of CAT tools, you should just hang in there. It will get better!
[Edited at 2010-09-10 10:59 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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| To me trados IS user friendly | Sep 10, 2010 |
I started using it in 2003 with trados 6 and continued with the other versions,
I learned to use it by my self and never had a single problem, (just problems I was able to solve)
I have no certification but I couldn't work without it.
Note that I am not an expert in IT.
I have downloaded studio as a trial and will try it as soon as I have time.
I am perfectly happy with trados.
So.. no, it is NOT a waste of time but it ... See more I started using it in 2003 with trados 6 and continued with the other versions,
I learned to use it by my self and never had a single problem, (just problems I was able to solve)
I have no certification but I couldn't work without it.
Note that I am not an expert in IT.
I have downloaded studio as a trial and will try it as soon as I have time.
I am perfectly happy with trados.
So.. no, it is NOT a waste of time but it SAVES time.
Best regards!
[Edited at 2010-09-10 11:32 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I don't get it | Sep 10, 2010 |
What I don't get is, you buy a tool, with which you make a living, yet you don't think it's necessary for you to be trained in that product before using it.
CAT Software is not a simple tool for viewing a website. It's professional tools with many features for professional translators. How can one expect to be proficient in a tool after one day of use without any proper training?
I like to compare it to a carpenter (which I also consider in part a form of artist, as do... See more What I don't get is, you buy a tool, with which you make a living, yet you don't think it's necessary for you to be trained in that product before using it.
CAT Software is not a simple tool for viewing a website. It's professional tools with many features for professional translators. How can one expect to be proficient in a tool after one day of use without any proper training?
I like to compare it to a carpenter (which I also consider in part a form of artist, as do many translators with the work of translating). Sure, everyone can be a carpenter, but most professional carpenters have had training to ensure they know how to use the tools to perform their work.
If they didn't the quality and ability of the work is limited. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | the real waste of time is... | Sep 10, 2010 |
Angie Garbarino wrote:
I started using it in 2003 with trados 6 and continued with the other versions,
I learned to use it by my self and never had a single problem, (just problems I was able to solve)
The same here, except I started using it in 2005.
But actually, I am just wondering, what's the point of this discussion and endlessly arguing over loving/hating Trados? Those who prefer using it will always prefer using it, but those who do not prefer using it, won't ever use it anyway, no matter how many arguments are being expressed.
Forgive me my frankness, but I believe the real waste of time is this endless/pointless discussion. Why does anyone has to convince others about his/her preferences? Everybody has it's own point of view and taste, and basically nothing (no one) can change it. As for me, I really like Trados and I use it all the time, but I have no intentions to convince others to start liking it. At the same time, no one would convince me to stop using Trados by saying how much he/she hates the tool and it's functions.
I suggest to respect each other's preferences/experience and continue using whatever CAT tools we like.
[Edited at 2010-09-10 12:22 GMT]
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