Being a Mac OS X-native application, TranslateIt! fully supports drag-and-drop. This allows users to save some time on typing in search queries manually and correcting them in case of misspellings.
Note: You can also install new dictionaries by dragging their files from a Finder window and dropping them on the TranslateIt! icon or its main window.
But what if you have a lot of windows open and TranslateIt! window is out of reach? In such cases the Active Zone may come in handy. Active Zone is a tiny bezel-like panel that always stays above all open windows and accepts the same drag-and-drop operations as the TranslateIt! main window. You can also click the Active Zone to reveal TranslateIt! main window.
Note: To hide the Active Zone, perform one of the above actions once again.
TranslateIt! also provides services accessible from any Services-aware application.
Example: When surfing the Internet in Safari, you come across a word you don't know. Not a problem with TranslateIt!: Just select it and choose Safari > Services > TranslateIt! > Translate. And if you want to add it to TranslateIt! history for, say, memorizing it later using TranslateIt! Word Quiz feature, choose Safari > Services > TranslateIt! > Add to history.
And if you prefer using your keyboard rather than your mouse, TranslateIt! allows you to do so via keyboard shortcuts (by default, ⌘⇧A for the "Add to history" service and ⌘⇧M for the "Translate" service). But these keyboard shortcuts have a couple of shortcomings: They only work in Services-aware applications, and their modifier keys are fixed, so users are only able to change the last key in each one of them.
Fortunately, TranslateIt! also sports the global keyboard shortcut feature that is fully customizable and allows accessing TranslateIt! from virtually any application. This feature is disabled by default, so to be able to use it, users have to set it up in TranslateIt! preferences (in the Options pane.)
If you are a proud owner of TranslateIt! Deluxe, you can also enjoy the full power of its Point-and-look-up feature (similar to the one available in Mac OS X built-in Dictionary application.) However, before using it, you should set it up in the TranslateIt! pane of TranslateIt! preferences (available in the Deluxe version only.) Point-and-look-up feature allows users to look up definitions/translations of words not only in main windows of Cocoa-based applications (such as Safari or TextEdit), but also in their menus and toolbars (that makes using non-localized applications a lot easier.)
Point-and-look-up feature has two modes – Scanning and Look up once.
In the Scanning mode TranslateIt! shows translations/definitions of every word you point to until you turn Scanning off. It can be turned on/off in the TranslateIt! pane of TranslateIt! preferences (available in the Deluxe version only) or by pressing the corresponding keyboard shortcut that can be defined in the "Toggle Scanning on/off" field of the TranslateIt! preference pane.
In the Look up once mode users can look up only one word by pressing the corresponding shortcut that can be defined in the "Look up once" field of the TranslateIt! preference pane. To look up another word, the keyboard shortcut must be pressed again.
To make TranslateIt! show translations/definitions of selected words, rather than words under the pointer, check the "Selection priority" option in the TranslateIt! pane of TranslateIt! preferences.
Users can also change opacity of the Point-and-Look-up panel using the Opacity slider in the TranslateIt! pane of TranslateIt! preferences.
Translating with TranslateIt!
Let TranslateIt! suggest
Let TranslateIt! speak
Managing notes