Cross-reference tag errors in Trados preventing MIF creation

Question

Our Spanish translator provides files from translation memory with unresolved cross-reference text in English; when we update the book the cross-references are translated to Spanish and the page numbers are also updated within the cross-reference text. After our DTP process, when we return the files to the translator to update the translation memory, he gets a misalignment in the tags and Trados prevents him from creating a MIF file. Trados won't let him ignore the cross-references. We're using unstructured FrameMaker 2009 and he has Trados 2007. We're in the midst of a deadline for a project due next week and he wants to charge us an enormous fee to fix the tags manually. Can anyone suggest a solution the translator can use? I'm a newbie forum user, but I checked the FAQ and did not see anything. Thanks! Sue

Answer 1

As far as I know, FM cross-references (which came into Trados via MIF and S-Tagger) are handled as placeables. I suppose the mismatches stem from a "placeables differences penalty", which by default is 2%, even for otherwise exact matches.
A possible solution could be to impose no penalties for placeables in Trados, i.e. set the placeables differences penalty to 0%. But be careful, this may overshoot the mark, as there might be relevant differences in placeables that must be reviewed. I'm not aware of a setting in Trados where you could specify this more selectively.
Johannes