AEM: How to supply additional PDF files to the AEM instance from XTM Cloud

Owned by Damian Rozmiarkowski (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jan 03, 2024
6 min read

Introduction

You might sometimes want to send some additional files through XTM Cloud, as reference for AEM end users, along with standard translation items. This is unusual, but it is possible. Those files are not meant to be translated, as they only contain subsidiary material (guidelines, descriptions, etc.).

One of the constraints imposed by the AEM connector is that every file/job in an XTM Cloud project must have its corresponding job in AEM. The connector itself stores job pairs (AEM job ID/XTM Cloud job ID) and only a specific pair can be imported back into AEM. It is therefore not possible send additional files of this kind by, for example, uploading them to an existing project in XTM Cloud, as “reference materials", since they do not originate from AEM, so there are no relevant jobs there.

The only solution is to create an extra folder on the AEM side with a dummy file (with the same format as the dedicated file!), which will act as a sort of "container" for our dedicated file from XTM Cloud, add that folder to a project and send the project for translation in XTM Cloud. During the translation process, our dedicated file is uploaded as the target to replace the dummy file. Finally, when that particular job is completed in XTM Cloud, our additional/dedicated file is delivered to AEM.

At this point, there is yet another constraint, imposed by the connector, that we need to be aware of. The source and target files must be in the same format. What this means is that, if an AEM source file is in "DOCX" format, its XTM Cloud target file also needs to come back as a “DOCX" file. While this does not pose any problem for formats as "DOCX" or "TEXT", things are different for PDF files. Once XTM Cloud receives a file in PDF format as a source file, the system automatically converts it to "DOCX" to extract text for translation correctly. However, once the job is finished, XTM Cloud does not convert generated target back to "PDF" so the target file is still in "DOCX" format. As a result, it cannot, and will not, be retrieved correctly by AEM.

For PDF files, there is a workaround for this problem that consists of sending a non-analyzable file and employing a workflow for non-analyzable files. This is a special feature in XTM Cloud. The whole process is described step-by-step in the next section.

IMPORTANT!

To avoid setting an additional workflow for non-analyzable files on the XTM Cloud side, and to take this XTM Cloud constraint into account, we recommend that you use a different file format instead of “PDF". Example: "DOCX".

Guidelines

The guide below describes how to create a new translation project and add a dummy file. XTM Connect – AEM needs this dummy file to retrieve a dedicated additional file, in PDF format.

  1. On the XTM Cloud side, go to Configuration → Settings → Workflow → Workflow options, check Workflow for non-analysable files, and save the changes (administrative privileges required!).

  1. On the AEM side, go to Adobe Experience Manager → Navigation → Assets.

  1. Go to Files.

  1. On the right-hand side, click Create, and then select Folder.

  1. Enter a Title, and then click Create. Both Private and Orderable options can be deselected.

  1. Check a newly created folder, click on Create, and then select Files.

  1. Upload a PDF file without content (this is our dummy file). XTM Cloud will treat it as a non-analyzable file.

  2. Go back to Adobe Experience Manager → Navigation, and go to Projects.

  1. Click on Create, and then select Project.

  1. Select Translation Project, and then click Next.

  1. Fill in the project details in the Basic and Advanced tabs, and then click on Create.

  1. Click Open.

  1. In the Translation Job pane, click on three dots at the bottom.

  1. Click on Add, and then select Assets/Pages.

  1. Add the source content that is to be translated and the dummy file you created in the previous steps.

  2. Once the files have been added, click on Translation Job in the middle of the tab screen, and go back to your project.

  1. Expand the dropdown in Translation Job and send the project to XTM Cloud in your usual way.

  1. On the XTM Cloud side (Project editor → Workflow), you will see that the dummy file was not analyzed. Such a file is not present in the Files section, and we cannot manually upload target to it.

  1. By enabling “workflow for non-analazyble files”, we can make use of the Set workflow option. Since this is a file without any translatable content, the Set workflow option will “bypass” the process of converting it into editable “DOCX” format, so it will remain in “PDF” format.

  1. Choose the required workflow, and then click OK.

  1. A newly created workflow for this dummy file is displayed.

  • If you will want to finish that job immediately after uploading a file, you need to assign some resources here, immediately.

  1. Go to Files. In the Target column, you will see that the actual target file can now be uploaded.

  1. Search for your file and then click Upload.

IMPORTANT!

The name of your uploaded file must be the same as the name of the dummy file in XTM Cloud!

  1. You should receive a confirmation message.

  1. Go back to Workflow, and finish the job by going through all the workflow steps.

  1. On the AEM side, go back to the relevant project, and, in the Translation Job pane, click three dots.

  1. Your PDF file has already been returned to AEM. Select the file, and then click on Reveal in Assets.

  1. Click on Download.

  1. Enter a name, select desirable options, and finally click on Download to confirm the process.

  1. Congratulations! You should now receive your additional PDF file from XTM Cloud.