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Localization

Multi-Language Maps & Translation

Translate markers, boundary shapes, info cards, custom structured fields, category filters, and media into 16 languages with instant public language switching and graceful fallback.

16 Native Languages with Zero Compromise

Layerpin is engineered for global audiences, international architectural firms, universities, museums, theme parks, and hospitality venues. Instead of relying on unpredictable browser auto-translation plugins that mangle spatial labels, alter technical terminology, or shift canvas layouts, Layerpin maintains structured, canonical translation dictionaries stored directly with your map. You can translate content manually or let Pinny AI Copilot translate complete maps in seconds.

  • 100% Pre-Translated UI Chrome: All 16 supported languages include native translations for every interactive viewer control: search inputs, filter drawers, zoom tools, reset view, interactive compass, media gallery slideshows, and info card action buttons. Zero manual setup required.
  • Canonical Fallback Safety: Partial translations never break the visitor experience. Any field, marker, or filter option not yet translated automatically falls back to your original source language without missing keys, errors, or empty boxes.
16 Supported Native Map Locales
English
English
en
Deutsch
German
de
Français
French
fr
Italiano
Italian
it
Español
Spanish
es
Português
Portuguese
pt
Polski
Polish
pl
Русский
Russian
ru
Türkçe
Turkish
tr
Bahasa Indonesia
Indonesian
id
Tiếng Việt
Vietnamese
vi
ไทย
Thai
th
简体中文
Chinese Simplified
zh-CN
繁體中文
Chinese Traditional
zh-TW
日本語
Japanese
ja
한국어
Korean
ko

Language Setup & Picker Controls

You configure which languages appear on your public map in the editor under Customize (brush icon) → Initial View & Styles → Map Language. This section governs the public language picker, visitor ordering, and fallback defaults:

Show Language Picker

Toggles the public language button on published and embedded maps. Requires at least two languages (the original source language plus at least one target translation).

Switch: language.enabled
Custom Display Order

Drag and drop languages in the reorder list using the vertical grip handle. The exact order you set is the order presented to visitors inside the public language dialog.

Component: ReorderList
Source Language Protection

Your map's primary authoring language is permanently tagged with an Original badge. It cannot be removed, ensuring your baseline coordinates and pins are always safe.

Permanent Baseline: sourceLanguage
Safe Language Removal & Retention

Removing a language with the X button only hides it from the public selector. It never deletes saved translations from your database. If you re-add that language later, every previously saved translation immediately reappears intact.

Default Language Selection

Designates which language is served first when a visitor opens the map without an explicit URL parameter (e.g. ?lang=) or when their device locale does not match any of your supported languages.

You can add target languages and author all your translations in private while keeping Show Language Picker turned off. Once your translated copy is thoroughly reviewed and complete, toggle the switch on to make multilingual navigation available to visitors.

The 4-Tab Translation Editor

To author translations, click the Translate icon () on the editor sidebar rail. The translation panel opens alongside your map canvas:

The Translation Direction Bar
FromTo
FromOriginal Map Language (e.g., English)
ToTarget Translation (Select from dropdown)

Untranslated fields fall back to original content automatically.

Items Tab (Markers & Shapes)
Canvas Hotspots

Select any marker or vector shape from the dropdown list, or click directly on any item on the canvas to instantly focus its translation fields. Learn how to drop pins with the Marker Tool or draw boundary zones with Interactive Editor Tools.

Name / Title: Multiline heading support.
Description: Formatted rich copy / Markdown.
CTA Button Label: Action buttons (e.g. "Book Tour").
Shape Text: Vector labels & textboxes.
Custom Fields: Both Title & Value per field.
Modal Buttons & Media: Popup buttons & attached images configured in Info Cards.
Details Tab (Map Metadata)
Map Overview

Localizes top-level metadata visible in public map headers, shared previews, and search engine metadata.

Map Name: Displayed on the public banner and browser tab.
Map Description: Displayed in the map summary drawer and search index.
Filters Tab (Categories & Legends)
Filter Dimensions

Translates interactive filter dimensions and legend options so international visitors can filter items in their native language. Explore our Categories & Legends Guide to structure multi-dimensional filters.

Filter Name & Description: Dimension header text.
Value Names: Category option labels (e.g., "Level 1" → "1. Etage").
Value Descriptions: Explanatory tooltips per option.
Media Tab (Global Media Library)
Image Metadata

Translates reusable image metadata in your map media library, ensuring high accessibility and image gallery localization. Learn how gigapixel image tiling works in the Deep Zoom (DZI) Architecture Guide.

Image Name & Caption: Title shown in the lightbox.
SEO Alt Text: Crucial for screen readers and localized image SEO.
Media Tags: Tags used to filter media within galleries.
Buffered Input & Real-Time Save Status

The editor uses intelligent input buffering to preserve draft state while you type long descriptions. A real-time status pill displays Saved (green checkmark), Saving…, or Unsaved changes, preventing full-object write races and ensuring zero lost edits.

Graceful Fallback & Storage Optimization

Managing multi-language content across hundreds of pins requires both flexibility and performance. Layerpin implements three core architectural principles:

1. Safe Cascade Fallback

You never need to translate every item before going live. If a pin has no translated text in German, the German viewer simply renders the original English text. No broken layouts, no missing boxes, and no raw dictionary keys.

2. Automated Pruning

When you delete a marker, boundary shape, custom field, or category option on the canvas, Layerpin's translation engine automatically prunes orphaned translation records on save, preventing ghost data bloat.

3. Shared Tag Deduplication

Identical tags (e.g. "Restroom", "Exit") and button labels (e.g. "More Info") are deduplicated into shared language dictionaries, keeping your map JSON payload feather-light for instant mobile loads.

Public Viewer & Deep Linking

When published, international visitors enjoy a seamless, localized interactive experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices:

Zero-Reload Client Hot Swapping

Switching languages instantaneously swaps all marker titles, drawer descriptions, and filter chips in memory. The camera position, zoom factor, active item selection, and open modal state are 100% preserved without jarring page reloads.

Browser Locale Auto-Detection

When a visitor opens a shared map without URL parameters, Layerpin automatically inspects navigator.languages to match exact dialects (e.g. zh-CN) or regional bases (e.g. fr-CA → fr).

Deep Linking with the ?lang= Parameter

You can force a specific language by appending the ?lang= query parameter to your share link or embed iframe. Ideal for linking from language-specific marketing landing pages or tourist brochures. Learn more in our Website Embedding & Security Guide:

Direct Share Link:
https://layerpin.com/map/tokyo-expo-2026?lang=ja
Embedded iframe on a German Landing Page:
<iframe src="https://layerpin.com/embed/map/floorplan?lang=de" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe>

AI-Powered Bulk Translation

Manually translating dozens of pins, custom fields, and categories can take hours. With Pinny, Layerpin's conversational AI copilot, you can translate your entire map in seconds using natural language. See our full High-Impact Prompts Cheatsheet for ready-to-use prompts:

Prompt Example 1
Full Map Multi-Language

"Translate this entire map into Japanese, French, and German."

Prompt Example 2
Category & Filter Translation

"Translate all floor categories and availability filters into Spanish."

Prompt Example 3
Targeted Zone Translation

"Translate the descriptions and custom fields for all VIP lounge markers into Vietnamese."

Side-by-Side Review & Safety

Pinny never writes directly to your published map without your approval. It produces a structured proposal card displaying original vs. translated text for every item. You inspect the diff, refine any terms, and apply changes directly to your draft with a single click.

Language Limits & Plan Capacity

Language allowances scale with your Layerpin subscription plan:

Plan TierMonthly PriceMax Languages per MapPublic Language PickerAI Bulk Translation
Trial
$01 (Source only)DisabledPreview only
Basic
$15/mo2 LanguagesEnabled (Up to 2)Full BYOK Copilot
ProPopular
$39/mo5 LanguagesEnabled (Up to 5)Full BYOK Copilot
Premium
$99/moAll 16 LanguagesEnabled (All 16)Full BYOK Copilot
Plan Downgrade Resilience: If you ever downgrade your subscription, Layerpin preserves all your previously authored translations safely in the database. The public map viewer will simply cap active picker options to your plan's current allowance, ensuring you never lose authored multilingual copy. For billing and subscription details, refer to the Troubleshooting & FAQ.