BPMN Import Wizard

Purpose

The BPMN Import Wizard takes you through the steps necessary for importing BPMN data where the data to be imported and target location in the model will be set.

You import BPMN model elements from BPMN XML files that you have exported from Innovator or other tools.

Diagrams are also supported upon import. Original node positions and edge points are imported, as long as you have not set a scaling.

BPMN diagrams exported from Innovator do not look identical after import as structure definitions and text wrapping is not adopted.

Participants, processes, lanes and subprocesses are minimized in size and aligned top-left for diagrams from other tools. Node colors, fonts and font sizes are not supported.

Note

Unlike when creating elements in the diagram editor, existing create defaults are ignored upon import. All imported process elements are contained in the model's selected structure element upon import.

You can verify the import and then rearrange the assignment to structure elements from the Model Element List using drag-and-drop.

Prerequisites

You can only import model elements defined by the BPMN standard.

You require a role with access rights for the model to be imported if you wish to import BPMN data.

The Business Modeling method must be assigned to at least one profile that is imported in the model.

Call

Select Import/Export>Import>BPMN.

Step 1 of 8: Select files

Context

Select the BPMN files with the content you want to import as process elements in the model.

How to proceed

Click on Select....

The standard dialog for opening files appears.
Select one or more files for import in the Open standard dialog using the [Ctrl] key. Use the search in the standard dialog to import files from different directories.
Confirm your selection with Open.

The selected files are listed.
Click on Next.

If the model has import configurations, then proceed with step 2 Select configuration; otherwise, proceed with step 3 Select settings.

Step 2 of 8: Select configuration

Context

If you have already saved configurations for import in step 8 Ready to import, then you can automatically use these settings for all further steps by selecting the configuration and then continuing with step 8 Ready to import.

It is also possible to make the settings individually for the subsequent steps.

How to proceed

If you want to use an import configuration stored in the model, then select it in the top area.

The wizard adopts the configuration settings and continues with step 8 Ready to import.
Click on Select settings to make the import settings yourself in the following steps.

The wizard continues with step 3 Select settings.

Step 3 of 8: Select settings

Context

Multiple create templates for model element types to be imported can exist in the importing model when BPMN elements are adopted. You can select which create template should be used in the Stereotype selection section for all element types with more than one create template in the model that you have the execution right for.

Note

Template selection depends on the execution rights of the current role. Use precisely the role which should also import when setting-up and saving as user-specific configuration.

Only create templates with a stereotype that has a stereotype of a BPMN diagram as assigned element for the package element type.

You can set which create template should be used for the event definition, task, gateway, data object and definition of a logical expression element types, depending on the respective type of the element type.

The stereotype’s name is exported when exporting from Innovator into a BPMN file and used when possible upon import, independently from the stereotype selected here. Creating process elements in the original state is supported here.

You also have various import options available to you in the Import options section:

Use sequence flow name as condition

If set, the name of a sequence flow is used as local condition, if there is no condition set and if the sequence flow comes from a gateway or an activity. The direction of the gateway must be diverging or there have to be several outgoing flows.
Name event definition only

If set, an event with an event definition is unnamed. A newly created event definition is always named according to the associated event.
Create event definition

For an event without event definition a new event definition is created.
Create business object

For a data object without business object a new business object with the same name is created.
Use global state

At a data object a global state is used if there is a business object.
Reuse global elements

A global element (business object, data store, definition of a logical expression, error, escalation, event definition, global condition, global task, message, service operation, service interface, signal) is reused if there is an element of the same name. The elements are searched in the system model in which you import.
Import empty sub-process as call activity

A sub-process without content is imported as call activity. Hints: A sub-process with lanes is always imported as process and call activity calling it. A sub-process which is triggered by an event is always imported as sub-process. A sub-process which has incoming or outgoing message flows is always imported as sub-process.
Import sub-process as call activity

A sub-process is imported as call activity. A new process is created from its content and the call activity calls the process. Hints: A sub-process with lanes is always imported as process and call activity calling it. A sub-process which is triggered by an event is always imported as sub-process. A sub-process which has incoming or outgoing message flows is always imported as sub-process.
Complete call activity

In the importing system model an already imported call activity without a called element is completed by setting the imported process as called element.

Activating the option modifies Innovator diagrams upon import.
Scaling (from 100% to 300%)

The imported diagram is enlarged. The distances between nodes are enlarged.

How to proceed

To select a specific create template for a listed model element type, open the drop-down list and select the template.
To use a sequence flow's name as a condition if a condition is not already set, activate the Use sequence flow name as condition check box.
To use the event's name for a newly-created event definition instead of for the event, activate the Name event definition only check box.
To assign a "none" event definition to an event without event definition, activate the Create event definition check box.

The name of the event is used for the event definition.
To create a business object with the same name for data objects without a business object, activate the Create business object check box.
To use the global state of an assigned business object instead of the local state for a data object, activate the Use global state check box.
Activate the Reuse global elements check box if you wish to reuse a global element (event definition, signal, global task, global condition, message, data store, error, escalation, business object) which has the same name as another element.

Elements are searched for in the system model being imported into.
Activate the Import empty sub-process as call activity check box to import empty subprocesses as call activities.

Empty subprocess are imported as call activities.
Activate the Import sub-process as call activity check box to import all subprocesses as call activities.

A separate process is created using the content from a subprocess; this process is then called by the call activity.
To assign a respective imported process as a called element for call activities which have already been imported in the importing system model, activate the Complete call activity check box.

Activating the option modifies Innovator diagrams upon import.
Enter the desired increase as a percent in the Scaling (from 100% to 300%) field to centrally stretch the imported diagrams.
Click on Next.

Continue with step 4 Select storage location in model.

Step 4 of 8: Select storage location in model

Context

You can store imported process elements in an existing or new structure element in the model.

How to proceed

To place the imported process elements in an existing structure element, click on Store into existing package.

You define an owner of the element in your model in the next step. The diagrams are placed in the model under this user.

Continue with step 7 Select storage location in model.
To store the imported process elements in a new structure element, click on Create new package.

You create an element in your model in the next step by selecting a create template. The diagrams are placed in the model under this element.

You can then define the owner of the element to be created in the model.

Continue with step 5 Select template.

Step 5 of 8: Select template

Prerequisites

You want to store the imported process elements in a new structure element of the model.

The structure element must be uniquely named.

Context

In this step, the create templates suitable for the storage of the imported process elements in the model and for which you have execution rights are offered to you.

How to proceed

Select the create template for the new structure element.
Enter a unique name for the structure element in the Name field.

If the name already exists in the namespace and is therefore not unique, a corresponding message appears in step 8. You must select another, conflict-free owner or return to this step to assign a unique name.
Click on Next.

Continue with step 6 Select owner.

Step 6 of 8: Select owner

Prerequisites

You want to store the imported process elements in a new structure element of the model.

Context

The new structure element must be arranged in the model structure by means of assignment to an owner. The structure element is created under the owner. The imported process elements are stored in this structure element.

The first allowed owner in the model structure is preselected.

How to proceed

If you know part of the name of the desired owner, then enter this name part into the Find By Name field and click on .

The selection jumps to the first permitted owner in the model structure. Click on again to jump to the next hits.
If you want to directly select the owner in the model structure, click on the corresponding element in the tree.
Click on Next.

Continue with step 8 Ready to import.

Step 7 of 8: Select storage location in model

Prerequisites

You want to store the imported process elements in an existing structure element of the model.

Context

The imported process elements are stored in this selected structure element.

The first allowed owner in the model structure is preselected.

How to proceed

If you know part of the name of the desired owner, then enter this name part into the Find By Name field and click on .

The selection jumps to the first permitted owner in the model structure. Click on again to jump to the next hits.
If you want to directly select the owner in the model structure, click on the corresponding element in the tree.
Click on Next.

Continue with step 8 Ready to import.

Step 8 of 8: Ready to import

Prerequisites

You require the Edit Model-Wide Configurations privilege to be able to save an import configuration.

Context

If you made settings in steps 3 to 7, then you can save these in a model-wide import configuration so that all model users can access them in step 2 Select configuration.

To define the selected storage location for the import for all configuration users, activate the Keep storage location check box. The storage location is then used for all later imports with this import configuration. Otherwise the user can select the storage location in the model upon import.

Please make sure you give the configuration a meaningful name.

Note

Model administrators can delete, rename and translate application and import configurations in the Model Contents tool window in the Administrative Contents view.

How to proceed

Check your specifications.
If you have not used a stored import configuration, then you can save your settings as import configuration and determine the storage location for import with this configuration with the Keep storage location check box. To save settings in a model-wide configuration, click on Save.

The dialog of the same name appears.
To save the import configuration with a meaningful name, enter the purpose and confirm with Save.

If a configuration with the same name already exists, then a message appears asking whether you want to overwrite the existing configuration. If you do not wish to do this, then change the name in the Save dialog.
To open all imported diagrams in the model editor after the import, activate the Open diagrams after import check box.
Click on Import to import the process elements with these specifications into the model.

A progress indicator appears, telling you roughly how much longer the import will take.

The imported processes and diagrams are listed in the The import was successful dialog. The time stamp for import end then appears here.

Further Information

https://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/