LiveTranslator

Free real-time translator for in-game chat — local translation.

Modrinth | CurseForge

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Features

• Translate chat messages in real-time.
• Configurable translation behavior via in-game commands.
• Supports multiple languages.
• Supports Forge and Fabric.
• Free. No need for api-key, as the translator runs locally.

Prerequisites

• Minecraft Java Edition
• Mod loader (Fabric or Forge)
• Python >= 3.8.x
  • Download Python
  • By default, LiveTranslator uses python from your system PATH, can be configured.

Mod Dependencies

• Fabric
  • Fabric API (required)
• Forge
  • None

Installation and Setup

1. Place the jar file into your mods folder.
2. Launch Minecraft with Forge/Fabric.
3. How to test it out in-game:
   • /livetranslator on (This will set up the environment for the translator, download the translation model (~470 MB), and turn on the translator.)
   • type @de Good morning!
   • What you see in chat: [de] <Player> Good morning!
   • When you hover over the text: Guten Morgen!
   • What others see: <Player> Guten Morgen!

Configuration

Configuration file created at: config/livetranslator/livetranslator.yaml

You can configure:

• Python executable path
• Internal server port
• Model storage location
• Auto-start behavior

Changes require restarting Minecraft.

Local vs Cloud Translation

LiveTranslator uses local translation, meaning translations run directly on your computer instead of being sent to an online service.

Mode	Cost	Considerations
Local (LiveTranslator)	Free	Requires a ~470 MB model and uses your CPU and RAM
Cloud (e.g. Google Translate, DeepL, OpenAI)	Free (rate-limited) or paid	Usage limits apply unless you pay

Client vs Server Installation

LiveTranslator behaves differently depending on where it is installed.

Installed on	Behavior
Client only	Translations are handled locally for that player. Incoming and outgoing chat messages can be translated without requiring the mod on the server.
Server only	Players can register their preferred language and enable translation for themselves. The server then translates all chat messages into each player’s selected language.
Client + Server	Supported. Client-side and server-side translation operate independently. Players may use either the client translator or the server translator. (Enabling both will result in duplicate translations.)

Commands

Client-side Commands

Base Command

/livetranslator # Displays the current status of the translator.
/ltc # Alias for /livetranslator (as in livetranslator client)

/ltc on # Turns the translator on
/ltc off # Turns the translator off

Incoming Translation (messages you receive)

/ltc incomingTranslation # Show incoming translation status
/ltc incomingTranslation on # Enable incoming translation
/ltc incomingTranslation off # Disable incoming translation
/ltc incomingTranslation setLanguage <lang> # Set target language (e.g., en, es)

Outgoing Translation (messages you send)

/ltc outgoingTranslation # Show outgoing translation status
/ltc outgoingTranslation on # Enable outgoing translation
/ltc outgoingTranslation off # Disable outgoing translation
/ltc outgoingTranslation setLanguage <lang> # Set target language
/ltc outgoingTranslation useIncomingTranslationLanguageAsSource on # Use incoming language as source
/ltc outgoingTranslation useIncomingTranslationLanguageAsSource off # Auto-detect source language
/ltc outgoingTranslation shortcut on|off # Example, type "@de Good monring!" -> gets translated to German

Model

/ltc model # Shows you the available models, the current model is blue
/ltc model switch <model> # Switch to another model (currently there is only 1 model)

Server-side Commands

Base Command

/livetranslatorserver # Shows translator status, and player-specific settings
/lts # alias for /livetranslatorserver

Translator (Global)

/lts translator # Shows translator status
/lts translator on # Turns on the translator (Admin only)
/lts translator off # Turns off the translator (Admin only)

Player-specific Settings

/lts language # Shows the player's language
/lts language <lang> # Sets the target language for the player

/lts enable # Enables translations for the player
/lts disable # Disabled translations for the player

Translation Model

LiveTranslator uses a quantized m2m100_418M model (int8) developed by facebook.

• The model supports many languages (over 100+).
• It is downloaded automatically the first time you enable the translator.
• The download size is approximately 470 MB.
• The model is stored locally on your system, at (can be configured):
  • Windows: %USERPROFILE%.local\share\minecraft_livetranslator_mod
  • Mac/Linux: ~/.local/share/minecraft_livetranslator_mod

Roadmap

• Feature, to translate previous messages, if translator was off
• Add version number in-game
• Add command to manually translate text
• Add lang suggestion to server
• Make lang suggestion translator model specific
• Show original text, if target lang is the same as source lang
• Add option to disable UX features, such as
  • [lang] prefix
  • original text added on hover
• Feature, to manually translate messages, by clicking on msg in chat?
• Feature, to show original msg by clicking in chat?

Known issues

• When a text is translated, the detected source language may be inaccurate.
• Single player count as both client and server, so when using server side commands, it can be buggy.

Uninstalling

• Delete the mod jar.
• Delete the mod folder in config/livetranslator
• Delete the model, (by default) in a shared folder:
  • Windows: %USERPROFILE%.local\share\minecraft_livetranslator_mod
  • Mac/Linux: ~/.local/share/minecraft_livetranslator_mod

Disclaimer

This mod is provided "as-is" without any warranty of any kind.
By using this mod, you agree that the author(s) are not responsible for any damages, data loss, misuse, or unintended consequences that may arise from its use.
This project is not affiliated with Mojang, Microsoft, or Meta AI.