Chapter 2: Localization & Number Systems

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Localization & Number Systems for Prop Concept Artists: Graphics Integration with Labels, Decals, Icons, and Typography

Localization is not a late‑stage translation task; it is a design constraint that begins at sketch and ends at shader. When you plan for languages, scripts, units, and numerals from the start, your props remain legible, lawful, and culturally grounded whether they live in a single screen‑space shot, a print build, or an interactive camera moving at 60 FPS. This article treats localization and number systems as part of graphics hierarchy and information architecture, so concept and production artists can ship assets that survive language swaps, unit conversions, and cultural review without last‑minute surgery.

The first principle is separation of concerns. Design every information element so its semantic content, visual styling, and physical placement are separable. A port label that reads “CHARGE 24 VDC” should exist as a language‑neutral icon for function, an alphanumeric string for text, and a placement anchor on geometry. When production needs to swap voltage, units, or language, neither icon nor anchor should move. This separation enables atlased decals for icons, localized texture layers or mesh decals for text, and stable anchors in UVs and mesh topology.

Scripts and directionality shape both composition and workflow. Latin scripts read left‑to‑right, while Arabic and Hebrew are right‑to‑left with bidirectional behavior for numbers and codes. CJK scripts do not use word spaces and require line breaking rules; some contexts prefer vertical typesetting. Cyrillic, Greek, Devanagari, Hangul, Thai, and others each carry distinct stroke densities and x‑height relationships. When your prop will ship in multiple locales, avoid asymmetric label frames that imply left‑to‑right only, and leave balanced margins so RTL strings can mirror without collision. Icons that imply direction should be physically tied to affordances so mirroring the UI does not invert safety meaning. For multilingual plates, stack lines rather than running long strings that rely on word spacing; this preserves legibility across scripts with different length expansion and breaking rules.

Numbers are a language. Western Arabic numerals (0–9) are common, but many locales prefer native digit shapes. Beyond glyph appearance, formats vary: decimal separators can be commas or periods, thousands separators can be thin spaces or points, and leading zeros are treated differently in lot codes versus dates. Time can be 24‑hour or 12‑hour with AM/PM; dates can be day‑first, month‑first, or year‑first; week numbering and fiscal quarters vary. Temperatures swap between Celsius and Fahrenheit, lengths between metric and imperial, pressures between bar, kPa, and psi. A robust graphic system externalizes these variables as tokens rather than baking them into art. If a battery sled shows “Insert to 45°,” consider an angle icon plus a numeral token so the engine or print pack can localize digits and degree symbol while keeping the graphic grid intact.

Units and standards lend credibility but can also create legal risk if misused. Treat units as part of the brand’s grammar. Define a master unit table for the prop family: voltage presented as VDC or VAC with polarity icons; mass as kg with three significant digits for loads; torque in N·m for engineering contexts, ft‑lb where the fiction calls for legacy tooling; capacity in mAh for cells, L for tanks, and so on. Keep typography for units distinct from numerals with a smaller cap height or a half‑width style to clarify hierarchy. Where the world’s fiction diverges from ours—exotic energy, invented currencies, alien calendars—write conversion logic into the lore bible and provide consistent abbreviations and numerals that can stand next to human units without confusion.

Iconography must be language‑agnostic yet culture‑aware. Power, hazard, recycle, biohazard, and radiation marks feel universal but carry regional variants and legal protections. Build your own icon set inspired by ISO/IEC principles rather than tracing. Pair icons with letter codes to disambiguate where necessary: a lightning bolt plus “HV” conveys high voltage even when color fails or digits localize. For maintenance and service marks, pair wrench or gear icons with numerals that indicate interval, cycles, or sequence. Icons should live on a common grid and match the stroke weight and optical size of your small‑text style so they survive mipmaps and motion blur.

Typography determines whether localization survives scale. Choose font families with broad glyph coverage, consistent metrics across scripts, and clear distinctions between ambiguous shapes like 0/O and 1/I/l. A slashed or dotted zero prevents misreads in serials. Monospaced or tabular figure sets are useful for codes and counters; proportional figures read better in sentences. Enable OpenType features that improve legibility in small sizes, such as contextual alternates that maintain stroke clarity in dense strings. When the fiction requires a custom typeface, also choose a robust fallback strategy; your display face can handle Latin headlines while a technical sans covers body, CJK, or RTL scripts without jarring style shifts.

Encoding and text hygiene prevent invisible bugs. Normalize strings to Unicode, avoid hard line breaks in localized text, and prefer non‑breaking spaces between numerals and units. Use the correct glyphs for multiplication dots, en dashes in ranges, and true degree symbols rather than approximations. Keep serials uppercase to reduce ambiguity and design check digits for realism and error detection. A simple checksum like Luhn metalends credibility to lot codes without exposing modern security protocols. When the prop needs machine readability, select barcode or matrix codes that fit the surface and camera distance; Data Matrix and QR handle dense data and damage better than linear barcodes on curved shells.

Hierarchy must survive expansion. Localized strings often grow thirty to one hundred percent. Build label frames and placards with responsive gutters, not fixed boxes that crop descenders. Keep typographic scale tokens for primary, secondary, and tertiary layers so a locale can drop in the right size without manual retuning. For very small legends, consider replacing full words with internationally understood symbols and two‑letter codes, leaving long translations to tertiary plates or on‑screen help where resolution allows. When a label cannot fit in smaller scripts, escalate to an icon‑first treatment with an auxiliary legend placed nearby at a readable size.

Mirroring and bidirectional behavior complicate arrows and sequences. In RTL locales, interface flow may reverse, but hazard conventions should not. Keep safety arrows tied to mechanical affordances rather than reading order. For sequences like “1‑2‑3” torque patterns, place numbers radially around fasteners instead of in a linear string so mirroring does not scramble steps. Where true mirroring is required by UI standards, prepare a mirrored icon subset and verify that asymmetric symbols retain meaning.

Conlangs and invented numeral systems are powerful but risky if they impede play. If your universe uses a custom script, define an orthography document: stroke logic, x‑height equivalents, numerals, punctuation, and diacritics. Provide both a display cut for bold labels and a technical cut for micro‑type. Decide early whether numerals will be native, Latin, or dual. Pure fictional digits can alienate players if used for critical readouts; a dual system where Latin numerals shadow conlang digits allows immersion without sacrificing clarity. Embed pronunciation or transliteration guides in tertiary zones or lore plates so the world teaches itself diegetically.

Accessibility is localization. Color is unreliable; pair hue with shape, pattern, and text. Dyslexia‑friendly types can be used for small running text, but engineering legibility—clear counters, generous letter‑spacing, open apertures—does the most good. Design states for low‑light, glare, and motion; increase weight and contrast where needed, and add subtle halos or print keylines around micro‑type to hold edges against noisy materials. For embossed or etched treatments, exaggerate depth or bevel at concept so normals carry in production.

Material processes change the letterforms you can trust. Screen print bleeds; pad print softens corners; vinyl decals keep edges razor sharp until they lift; laser anneal darkens stainless with low relief; chemical etch produces crisp shoulders that gather grime; stamping smashes counters and can double‑image on angled hits. Choose weights and tracking to survive the process. For tiny numerals on knurled parts, invert to a recessed plate with filled paint so legibility outlasts wear. When strings must be swappable late, keep text as a separate decal mesh or masked layer rather than fusing it into baked albedo.

Pipeline choices decide how painful localization becomes. In concept, deliver vectors with style tokens and clearly marked localization layers. Annotate which strings are variable and which are fixed. Provide a naming scheme and keys so producers can hand text to translators without screenshots. In production, prefer mesh decals or dynamic text widgets for localized strings that may change, and atlas iconography separately so one texture serves many assets. Reserve unique UV space for dense placards and avoid seams through words. Test mip bias, anisotropy, and LODs with exaggerated motion; if micro‑type shimmers, coarsen it into micro‑glyph textures that imply lines rather than rendering literal letters at distance.

Testing is an art. Pseudo‑localize early by expanding strings with bracketed padding and accented glyphs to force overflow and reveal missing coverage. Flip UI to RTL and verify that numbers, hyphens, and units appear in the correct order. Print prop plates at 1:1, tape them to greyboxes, and view at intended camera distance; adjust weights and contrast before committing to bake. In engine, move the camera through common approach paths and check for temporal stability. In print or practical builds, check under varied light and grime states; ensure primary safety marks outlast weathering and tertiary lore can afford to scuff.

Cultural review is as critical as spellcheck. Numbers can carry taboo meanings; color and icon metaphors shift across regions; use of national standards or regulatory marks can imply legal claims. Avoid real serial formats that could be confused with sensitive identifiers. Where you reference a standard, invent a house equivalent unless the narrative demands real compliance, then get it right. Ensure fictional currencies and calendars avoid real religious or political holidays unless used deliberately. If the story hinges on such references, document intent for localizers and QA.

A good deliverable keeps localization cheap. Provide a graphics bible for the prop family: typographic scales with glyph coverage notes, icon grid and line rules, unit and numeral policies, date and time formatting guidelines, serial schemes with check‑digit logic, and a conlang orthography if applicable. Package vector sources in labeled layers, include mesh decal placements and UV snapshots, and add an intent sheet that lists which strings are tokens. Supply a sample CSV or JSON with keys, example values, and character limits so translators understand constraints. Include a wear plan that defines which strings are allowed to lose legibility and which must stay intact.

Localization and number systems are empathy in system form. They acknowledge that tools are used by people in time and culture, and they give production the structure to keep meaning intact as art becomes asset. When you design for language, digits, and units from day one, you create props that read clean at a glance, reward the close‑up with authentic detail, and hold together when the world speaks back in a different voice.