Comparison
Generic translator vs CADlingua
A text translator does not understand drawing entities. CADlingua analyses DXF/DWG, classifies prose and applies rules to omit dimensions, tolerances, symbols and codes. It preserves the delivery format and requires a final CAD validation.
What happens to each part of the drawing
| Generic translator | CADlingua | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (Ø50, R5) | Rewrites the dimension text; may alter the value or symbol | Excluded through classification and rules; validate the result in CAD |
| Tolerances (±0.1, H7) | Treated as translatable text and may be altered | Detected patterns are excluded and reviewed in the resulting file |
| Symbols (Ø, °, ±) | Risk of substitution or encoding loss | Rules detect these symbols; final review confirms encoding and appearance |
| Part codes | Translated as if they were words | Configured patterns are excluded from translation |
| File format | Often forces a PDF conversion — the CAD is lost | DXF/DWG in and the same format out; DWG uses ODA conversion |
| Language coverage | Uneven results with CJK, Cyrillic, Arabic | Six targets covered; extendable to the scripts DeepL supports |
The problem: a drawing is not a document
Anyone can run a PDF through a translator and get reasonable text. A drawing is different: figures like "Ø50" or "R5" are not prose — they are geometry with meaning. A general-purpose translator cannot tell a descriptive note from a dimension, so it rewrites both. The result is a drawing where measurements have changed, part codes have been "translated" and technical symbols are lost. For a workshop that is not a minor annoyance: it is a drawing that cannot be manufactured, and a dimension error that reaches production costs material and time. Translating drawings requires understanding the structure of the drawing, not just its characters.
What CADlingua does differently
CADlingua is a CAD-aware pipeline built on DeepL Pro. It parses DXF directly and processes DWG through ODA conversion, separates translatable prose and applies configurable rules to omit dimensions, tolerances, symbols and codes. It returns the same format for review in SolidWorks, AutoCAD or a compatible viewer. Glossaries and company rules are enabled per organization.
Verifiable fact, measured while the tool ran in production: it translates with DeepL in non-mock mode, accepts DXF and DWG, and limits the file to 25 MB. DWG is processed through ODA conversion. There is no hosted service to get access to: what you see here is the demo, and real work is agreed case by case. Autodesk DXF ↗