Importing and Exporting BPMN2 Files

PowerDesigner can import and export BPMN2 files, with a particular emphasis on supporting SAP® NetWeaver® BPM v7.3 and higher, SAP® StreamWork® tools, and the Eclipse BPMN2 Modeler. The import and export supports business process diagrams only; conversation and choreography diagrams and their objects are not supported.

To import a BPMN2 file and create a new model, select File > Import > BPMN2 File. To export a BPMN2 model, select File > Export > BPMN2 File.

The following BPMN2 objects are supported in import and export:
Supported Objects
  • DocumentRoot, Definitions, Property, Documentation, TextAnnotation
  • Process
  • Task, GlobalTask, GlobalBusinessRuleTask, GlobalManualTask, GlobalScriptTask, GlobalUserTask, BusinessRuleTask, ManualTask, ReceiveTask, ScriptTask, SendTask, ServiceTask, UserTask
  • Transaction, CallActivity, SubProcess, AdHocSubProcess
  • Message, MessageFlow
  • Participant, ParticipantMultiplicity
  • Collaboration
  • Lane, LaneSet
  • SequenceFlow
  • MultiInstanceLoopCharacteristics, StandardLoopCharacteristics
  • Association
  • Group
  • InputOutputSpecification, InputSet, OutputSet
  • DataObject, DataStore, DataInput, DataOutput, DataState
  • DataAssociation, DataInputAssociation, DataOutputAssociation
  • DataObjectReference, DataStoreReference
  • BoundaryEvent, IntermediateCatchEvent, StartEvent, EndEvent, ImplicitThrowEvent, IntermediateThrowEvent
  • CancelEventDefinition, CompensateEventDefinition, ConditionalEventDefinition, ErrorEventDefinition, EscalationEventDefinition, LinkEventDefinition, MessageEventDefinition, SignalEventDefinition, TerminateEventDefinition, TimerEventDefinition
  • ComplexGateway, EventBasedGateway, ExclusiveGateway, InclusiveGateway ParallelGateway
  • Operation, Interface
  • BPMNDiagram, BPMNPlane, BPMNShape, BPMNEdge, Bounds, Point
The following BPMN2 choreography and conversation diagram objects are supported for modeling in PowerDesigner but are not supported in import and export:
Modeling Objects Not Supported in Import/Export
  • ChoreographyTask, GlobalChoreographyTask, Choreography, SubChoreography, CallChoreography
  • CorrelationKey, CorrelationPropertyBinding, CorrelationPropertyRetrievalExpression, CorrelationSubscription, CorrelationProperty
  • Conversation, SubConversation, ConversationNode, ConversationLink, GlobalConversation, CallConversation
The following BPMN2 objects are not supported for modeling or in import and export:
Unsupported Objects
  • CorrelationPropertyBinding, CorrelationPropertyRetrievalExpression, CorrelationSubscription
  • MessageFlowAssociation, ParticipantAssociation, ConversationAssociation
  • ResourceAssignmentExpression, ResourceParameter, ResourceParameterBinding, ResourceRole
  • InputOutputBinding
  • ItemDefinition
  • ImplicitThrowEvent
  • Assignment
  • Auditing
  • ComplexBehaviorDefinition
  • Monitoring
  • Relationship
  • Rendering
  • Expression, FormalExpression
  • PotentialOwner
  • HumanPerformer
  • Category, CategoryValue
  • EndPoint
  • Error
  • Escalation
  • PartnerEntity, PartnerRole
  • Resource
  • Signal
  • Extension, ExtensionAttributeDefinition, ExtensionAttributeValue, ExtensionDefinition Import
Parent topic: Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN)