Ukrainian Translation

[Boobuh]

Ukrainian (uk-UA) localization for PSBBN Definitive Project

Hi @CosmicScale — we'd like to contribute a Ukrainian translation for PSBBN and the project installer scripts.

Translators: @Boobuh (and collaborators welcome)

Plan:

• Follow the Translation Onboarding Guide
• Start from PSBBN-translation-pack-v3.5.zip (issue PSBBN Multilingual support #299)
• Translate PSBBN XML/HTML + textures using the standard workflow
• Add installer UI strings under scripts/assets/lang/ukr.txt
• Handle Cyrillic font support (similar approach to Hungarian/Russian — see Hungarian translation #524 / Russian Translation #627)
• Test via network-based bnupdate.tar.gz install before opening a PR

Related: Ukrainian uses Cyrillic; we'll reference Hungarian font-merge guidance in #603 and coordinate with other Cyrillic translators if useful.

Work will happen on fork: https://github.com/Boobuh/PSBBN-Definitive-Project (branch feat/ukrainian-translation)

Questions and progress updates will be posted here. Thanks for this amazing project!

[Emertels]

Welcome. Cosmic should get back to you soon.

It's good that you've already found my tutorial; that will really help you out. I was completely lost at the beginning.
#603

GIMP tip for saving files quickly (you’ll really need this).
-To save and overwrite .xcf files: press Ctrl+Shift+S
-To save and overwrite .png files: press Ctrl+Shift+E
I don't recall exactly, but I think you have to select the save format the first time; after that, it happens automatically.

At this link, you can find all the language files for the PowerShell script, as well as the changelog; you can also download the English files and translate them into your own language.
https://github.com/CosmicScale/PSBBN-Definitive-Project/tree/main/scripts/assets/lang

[CosmicScale]

Welcome onboard! PSBBN natively support Cyrillic so you can make a start without a custom font. However, what you will find is that for some reason, the letters will be spaced far apart.

There's a Russian translation already in the works, they have a custom Cyrillic font that renders correctly. They should be making that available soon.

[Boobuh]

Hi @CosmicScale — quick progress update and a question about upstream integration.

Status (fork feat/ukrainian-translation):

• Installer UI: scripts/assets/lang/ukr.txt (+ OPL lang_Ukrainian.lng, POPStarter ukr/man.xml)
• Console UI: XML translation complete (EN + Japanese feega/edclient/guide passes)
• Glossary: 4,284 entries; language pack language-pak-ukr-v1.1.0.tar.gz (Cyrillic fonts via Noto fallback)
• Auto-install wired into Definitive Patch, PSBBN-Installer, Extras language change, Game-Installer
• Helper scripts for workspace setup, translation, font prep, and pack build

Fork: https://github.com/Boobuh/PSBBN-Definitive-Project/tree/feat/ukrainian-translation
Commits ahead of upstream: 4 (6a4e56b … d4d3e8a)

Question: Would you be open to merging this into the main repo? Happy to follow whatever process you prefer — e.g. open a PR against main, split into smaller PRs (installer strings vs language-pack tooling vs tarball hosting), or coordinate Archive.org hosting first (like other language packs) before merging installer URL changes.

We can also hold off on a PR until after a hardware test on PS2 if you'd prefer that first.

Thanks again for the welcome — let us know how you'd like to proceed!

[CosmicScale]

This is how it usually works:

1. The translator provides their translation in the bnupdate.tar.gz format. I check everything over, make any necessary changes, and create a language pack from those file. The language pack is then uploaded to archive.org. I would not recommend hosting the language pack on GitHub as they include PSBBN system files. They are hosted on archive.org for that very reason.
2. When the PSBBN translation is complete, you can provide a PR including:

• ukr.txt
• changelog_patch_ukr.txt
• changelog_main_ukr.txt
• PSBBN-Launcher-For-Windows.ps1
• man.xml
• 1.png
• 2.png
• IGR_BG.TM2
• IGR_NO.TM2
• IGR_TES.TM2
• README-UKR.md

I can make the necessary changes to the other scripts.

[CosmicScale]

I've just been looking at translate-psbbn-xml.py 🤯 That will definitely speed up the translation work!

With the automated process there's a few things to be aware of:

1. The space available in the UI for text is not taken into account. Everything will need to be checked on PS2 hardware to ensure it fits.
2. The user guide probably won't be very readable in places as it's being translated one line at a time instead of one sentence, or one paragraph at a time. It will need to be read through, corrected and improved.
3. PSBBN reduces font size when attempting to display long lines of text in the user guide. This can cause each line of text to be displayed in a different size, making it very messy looking. If the text is too long it also gets cut off. The guide will need to be manually checked on PS2 hardware with text split into multiple lines where necessary.

I'm currently working on improving some of the other translation packs. There will be an improved English version soon. It will be best to base your translation on that.

[Boobuh]

Hi @CosmicScale — thank you for the clear process and for looking at the automation script. We’ll follow your workflow (not push for a full-fork merge).

Plan (from your replies)

From reply 1 — fonts

• We know stock Cyrillic works but letters can be spaced too far apart.
• We’ll keep testing with the current fonts, and will adopt / align with the Russian custom Cyrillic font once the Russian Translation #627 team shares it (much preferred over a one-off approach).
• Happy to re-export the pack after that if needed.

From reply 2 — your distribution process

1. Console UI → bnupdate.tar.gz for your review (you build the official language pack + Archive.org). We will not treat GitHub-hosted language packs as the official path (understood re: PSBBN system files).
2. Later PR (when you consider the PSBBN translation ready enough), only the assets you listed:
   • ukr.txt
   • changelog_patch_ukr.txt / changelog_main_ukr.txt
   • PSBBN-Launcher-For-Windows.ps1 (Ukrainian strings already in our fork)
   • scripts/assets/POPStarter/ukr/ — man.xml, 1.png, 2.png, IGR_BG.TM2, IGR_NO.TM2, IGR_YES.TM2 (assuming IGR_TES was IGR_YES)
   • README-UKR.md (not done yet)
   • You’ll handle the other script wiring — we’ll stay out of that in the PR.

From reply 3 — quality + base English

• We’re treating the automated XML pass as a first draft, not final:
  1. Hardware QA for UI string length / overflow
  2. User guide will need human re-read/edit (line-by-line MT issues)
  3. Guide line splits so font scaling doesn’t look messy / cut off
• We’ll rebase the translation on your improved English pack when you release it — better to redo against that baseline than polish the wrong source.

---

What we have ready now

Item	Status
Installer ukr.txt + changelogs	Done (draft)
Windows launcher Ukrainian block	Done (draft)
POPStarter man.xml	Ukrainian labels
POPStarter 1.png / 2.png / IGR *.TM2	Still English art (byte-identical to eng) — textures next; open to handing XCF to you if easier
README-UKR.md	Todo after improved EN / when closer to PR
Console XML (EN + JP/feega/guide auto-pass)	First draft ~complete in workspace
bnupdate for your review	Built with tar --format=ustar per #509; bn / player.so are 755

Review download (WIP prerelease on our fork — not an official pack):
https://github.com/Boobuh/PSBBN-Definitive-Project/releases/tag/bnupdate-ukr-v1.1.0

File: bnupdate-ukr-v1.1.0.tar.gz (rename to bnupdate.tar.gz on a FAT32 USB if testing).

No hurry on your side — whenever you have time to glance at the pack or once improved English is out, tell us how you’d like us to proceed (e.g. wait on EN base first vs early hardware review).

Thanks again for the onboarding and for the note about the guide lines!

[CosmicScale]

You can download the custom Cyrillic font below and test it with your translation. I'm still waiting on the improved English translation, I'll let you know when it's ready.

fonts.zip