Localization

Introduction

Localization is the process of adapting your world to different languages and regions. By localizing your world, you can reach a wider audience and provide a more inclusive experience for players around the world. This guide will show you how to add localized text to your world and use it in your UIs.

Adding Localizable Text

Accessing the Localization Editor

1. Open the Localization Editor by navigating to the Highrise menu and selecting Studio > Localization Editor.
2. Press the + button in the bottom-right corner of the window to add a new string.

Creating a new Localization String

The key must be unique and cannot contain spaces or special characters.

• Key: The key is how yhou will reference the string in Lua or UXML files.
• Rich Text Tags: The text supports rich text tags. For a list of supported tags, refer to Unity's documentation. Buttons for common tags (Bold, Italic, and Color) are available. Highlight text and click a button to apply the tag.
• Placeholders: You can add placeholders to the strings for dynamic values(e.g., player names or currency).
  1. Place the cursor in the text where you want the placeholder.
  2. Right-click and select Add Parameter, then choose the parameter slot number.

Saving Strings

When you save a string for the first time, the following files are created in the Assets/Localization folder:

• LocalizationDatabase.asset
• LocalizationStrings.hrstrings
• LocalizationStyles.stringstylesheet
• LocalizationStrings-en.stringtable

The LocalizationDatabase.asset will be automatically added to the Localization Databas slot in World Settings.

Adding Languages

Steps to Add a Language

1. Make a copy of LocalizationStrings-en.stringtable.
2. Rename the file, replacing en with the language code (e.g., de for German).
3. Select the file in Unity and change the System Language in the Inspector to the corresponding language.
4. Open the file in a text editor and replace the text for each string with the translated version.

Supported Languages and Codes

• de: German
• es: Spanish
• fr: French
• hi: Hindi
• it: Italian
• zh: Chinese (Simplified)
• ja: Japanese
• ko: Korean
• nl: Dutch
• ru: Russian
• ar: Arabic
• fa: Persian
• pt-BR: Portuguese (Brazilian)
• pt-PT: Portuguese (European)
• tr: Turkish

Default Language

If a player's Highrise app language does not have a corresponding file, the English version will be used as the default.

Using Localized Text in Your World

Using Localized Text in UI

The following classes are available for localized text in UIs:

• UILocalizedLabel
• UILocalizedButton
• UILocalizedTextField

Example: Using UILocalizedLabel in UXML

<hr:UILuaView class="my-hud">
    <hr:UILocalizedLabel name="_testLabel" key="test"/>
</hr:UILuaView>

Example: Setting Text in Lua

--!Type(UI)

--!Bind
local _testLabel : UILocalizedLabel = nil

function self:ClientStart()
    -- Using Strings global
    _testLabel:SetText(Strings.test)
    
    -- Using Localization.TryGetString
    local found, text = Localization.TryGetString("test")
    _testLabel:SetText(text)
end

Filling Placeholders

To insert placeholders into localized text, you can:

1. Pass parameters to SetText.
2. Use LocalizedString.Format to get a string for non-UI purposes.

Examples:

-- Format with player's name
local helloString = Strings.hello_player:Format(client.localPlayer.name)

-- Set text with dynamic values
_testLabel:SetText(Strings.your_coins, currentCoins)

Helper Functions for Placeholders

• LocalizedValue.Numeric: Adjust the number of decimal places for numbers.
• Date and Time Formatting:
  • DayAndMonth, TimeAgo, TimeIn: Format os.time() values.
• Duration Formatting:
  • TimeSpan, TimeLeft, HoursMinutesSeconds: Convert seconds into readable formats.

Conclusion

By localizing your world, you can provide a more inclusive experience for players around the world. Remember to test your strings in different languages to ensure they display correctly and make sense in context.