Language Availability:

The user interface of the Windows version of FinishLynx is available in thirteen languages: English, Spanish, French, Arabic, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Swedish, Chinese (Simp.), Chinese (Trad.), Japanese, Finnish. Languages which are not covered by the standard version of the software can be custom-translated to fit your needs as detailed below.

Customization:

In addition the user interface is fully customizable within each language. This means that all the text shown in menus, dialog boxes, etc. can be easily pre-programmed to meet your specific needs. For example, in the results zone the standard format text string "LANE" can be changed to "FRAME NUMBER" for cycling, or "FIRST NAME"  can be changed to "TRAINER" for horse racing, etc..

If you have a sport-specific customization that you think may be of interest to other customers, please contact customer service. 

Updates and Modifications:

On occasion, some recently added software features may not be fully translated into every language by the time the software is released, and instructions are given below for the user to complete this process themselves. If you find English text in a foreign language version of FinishLynx and you want to contribute to the translation process, contact us. We are constantly striving to keep our software complete, and as globally available as possible, so we welcome any assistance our customers can provide us with the. We have a large range of really COOL FinishLynx clothing items in our on-line store that we are happy to let our customer-translators select from as a reward for their labors!

How do I Create a New FinishLynx Language File?

Using Windows Notepad, or some other simple text editor, create a new FinishLynx language file as described here. The instructions in this example are given for a language called Custom.

• Open a new file in Notepad.
• Type the following text on the first two lines.

• Save the file as cu_CU.lng in the active Lynx directory (usually C:\lynx)
• Run FinishLynx as usual. In File>Options>General>Language) you should now see an option in the drop down listing named Custom.
• Select the Custom option. 
• EXIT FinishLynx and then re-start it.
• FinishLynx is now running the Custom language file.
• Hold down the SHIFT and CTRL keys and EXIT the program again. This will write all the strings to the file you created earlier. If you open it in Notepad again you should see something that looks like this:

How do I Update the Translation of a FinishLynx Language File?

Before beginning any translation, make sure a language file is complete (i.e. contains all the translatable phrases from the English version of the software). To do this, people should do the following:

·         Make a backup copy of the language file you are going to use. Either copy the file to a different directory or rename it.

·         Run FinishLynx. If the language file you are going to use isn't selected in the Language field (File>Options>General) select it and run FinishLynx again to confirm that the language you want is loaded.

·         Hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys when you Exit FinishLynx File>Exit. This will cause FinishLynx to re-write the current language file to include all available strings.

NOTE: The resulting language file will be a combination of the pre-existing language file and all of the latest strings. Strings that were already in the language file, but have since been abandoned, will still be in the file. These 'abandoned' strings can be safely left in the file.

·         Either make any necessary changes in Notepad, or change the required strings as described in "How do I Customize a FinishLynx Language File?" below. 

·         Translate the new strings and save the file.

How do I Customize a FinishLynx Language File?

Before beginning any customization, make sure a language file is complete (i.e. contains all the translatable phrases from the English version of the software). To do this, people should do the following:

·         Make a backup copy of the language file you are going to use. Either copy the file to a different directory or rename it. If need be, create a new one as described above. 

·         Run FinishLynx. If the language file you are going to use isn't selected in the Language field (File>Options>General) select it and run FinishLynx again to confirm that the language you want is loaded.

·         Hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys and select Options... from the File menu. This will call up the dialog box shown below:

·         Click on the + sign in front of the Strings option. The list will expand as shown below:

·         Click on the + sign in front of any of the available options and amend any of the strings as desired.

NOTE: The settings are not saved unless you hold down the Shift and Ctrl keys and Exit the software. The changed settings will appear the next time the software is run.