DITA for translating, PDF output (Gen translation question)

[doc_guy]

I need to translate my Flare project into 30+ languages. My project target is PDF output. My translation group is unwilling to use anything but their normal tool. They tell me, however, that they can translate DITA files.

Here is my plan:

1. Generate DITA target
2. Send to DITA files to translation
3. Create new project for each language.
4. Import translated DITA files for a given project
5. Generate PDF target

Here are some questions I have about this plan:

1. I have text on my Page Layouts. Will that get pulled into the DITA project so it will get translated? If not, is there an easy way to include that text? (I'm considering creating snippets and putting the text in snippets. Will snippets get translated? How does DITA handle snippets? What about variables? Are they in the DITA file if they aren't included in some other location in the DITA output?)
2. Do you think it is better to import each language into its own project, or should I import all languages into a single project and then use variables/etc as needed?
3. How would I use Lingo in this workflow? Is Lingo for the translators, or what is it used for if the translators are using some other tool?

[RamonS]

I cannot answer all your questions, but I'd go with one project per language. If it would be 2 or 3 languages then using one project may be manageable, but with 30+ I see too much danger that down the road some Spanish slips into French and makes it sound Greek to the readers.
Lingo is a tool that can import a Flare project and assist in translating it using translation memory and, of course, a translator. The result is a new Flare project. Since your translators don't want to do anything other than DITA they very likely use a different translation tool. That means you wouldn't use Lingo at all. Once you get the translations back you import them as new projects into Flare.
Can't tell you much about your first question, well, make that 'nothing'.

[doc_guy]

Thanks for the advice.

Maybe I'll ping somebody over in Support for the answer to the first question.

If I get it through some other source, I'll post the answer here.

[ChoccieMuffin]

Ask the translators what they use. You might find they can work happily with Flare files, so you'd be able to send them your Flare project and let them do the assorted bits of fiddling that are needed before delivering a final Flare project to you.