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Version: 8.0

Import *.BPMN files

Level: beginner

There are several ways you can import a *.BPMN file to the Creatio Process Designer:

  • Drag&drop the file on the diagram working area (Fig. 1).
  • Click Actions → *Import from .bpmn.

Upload file to the process designer​

You can import a process diagram from a .BPMN file created in Studio Creatio, free edition, or any other valid BPMN 2.0 diagram editor. Imported diagrams require additional setup before they can be used as full-fledged automate business processes. For more information on exporting business processes from Studio Creatio, free edition, please see the Import / Export process diagrams in Studio Free article.

Fig. 1 Importing a *.BPMN file
Fig. 1 Importing a *.BPMN file

As a result, the diagram from the imported file will replace the current process diagram. The elements of the imported BPMN diagram will be converted to the Creatio Process Designer elements. Before running an executable business process, you will need to set its parameters. You may also need to add several elements to the process.

The imported process will preserve a link to its description in Studio Creatio, free edition, which lets you get back to documenting the business process as you set up its execution in Creatio. The link is located in the Link to process in Studio Free field of the process setup area.

Element conversion specifics​

Creatio Process Designer uses BPMN notation for implementing custom business logic on the Creatio platform. Although most elements are easily converted to their Creatio counterparts, some of the BPMN 2.0 elements do not affect the platform operation and cannot be converted to executable elements in the Process Designer. An imported process in Creatio can have three types of elements:

  • Executable elements. These elements affect process flow and business logic. These include sequence flows, most events, and gateways, as well as several types of process actions. For instance, BPMN “task” elements coverts to the Perform task element. Read more >>>
  • Non-executable elements. These elements remain part of the imported diagram, but do not affect the process flow or business logic. Non-executable elements are marked with a question mark (process_designer_element_non-supported.png) on a Creatio process diagram. Read more >>>
  • Ignored elements. Elements, such as “pool” or “data object” would be redundant in an executable Creatio business process and therefore are not imported. Read more >>>

Executable elements​

The list of executable elements is available in the table:

BPMN 2.0 element

Executable Process Designer element

process_designer_element_small_icon_perform_task.png Task

scr_process_designer_task.png Perform task

process_designer_element_small_icon_send_email.png Send Task

scr_process_designer_new_send_email.png Send email

process_designer_element_small_icon_user_task.png User task

scr_process_designer_user_task.png User task

process_designer_element_small_icon_service.png Service task

scr_process_designer_call_web_service.png Call web service

process_designer_element_small_icon_script_task.png Script task

scr_process_designer_script_task.png Script task

process_designer_element_small_icon_non-auto-task.png Manual task

scr_process_designer_task00013.png Perform task

 process_designer_element_small_icon_event_sub-process.png Sub-process (collapsed)

scr_process_designer_subprocess.png Sub-process (Call activity)

process_designer_element_small_icon_sub-process-(call_activity).png Call activity

scr_process_designer_subprocess00014.png Sub-process (Call activity)

process_designer_element_small_icon_event_sub-process00015.png Event sub-process

scr_process_designer_event_subprocess.png Event sub-process

process_designer_event_icon_start_simple.png Start event

scr_process_designer_start_simple.png Simple

process_designer_event_icon_start_message.png Message start event

scr_process_designer_start_message.png Message

process_designer_event_icon_start_timer.png Timer start event

scr_process_designer_start_timer.png Start timer

process_designer_event_icon_start_signal.png Signal start event

scr_process_designer_start_signal.png Signal

process_designer_event_icon_intermediate_throwing_message.png Intermediate throw message

scr_process_designer_intermediate_generating_message.png Throw message

process_designer_event_icon_intermediate_throwing_signal.png Intermediate throw signal

scr_process_designer_intermediate_generating_signal.png Throw signal

process_designer_event_icon_intermediate_catching_message.png Intermediate catch message

scr_process_designer_intermediate_generating_message00016.png Wait for message

process_designer_event_icon_intermediate_catching_signal.png Intermediate catch signal

scr_process_designer_intermediate_processing_signal.png Wait for signal

process_designer_event_icon_intermediate_catching_timer.png Timer intermediate event

scr_process_designer_timer.png Wait for timer

process_designer_event_icon_start_simple00017.png End event

scr_process_designer_end_terminate.png Terminate

process_designer_event_icon_final_stop.png Terminate end event

scr_process_designer_end_terminate00018.png Terminate

process_designer_gateway_exclusive.png Exclusive gateway (OR)

scr_process_designer_exclusive_gateway.png Exclusive gateway (OR)

process_designer_gateway_inclusive.png Inclusive gateway (OR)

scr_process_designer_inclusive_gateway.png Inclusive gateway (OR)

process_designer_gateway_event_based.png Event-Based Gateway

scr_process_designer_event-based_gateway.png Exclusive event-Based Gateway

process_designer_gateway_parallel.png Parallel gateway (AND)

scr_process_designer_parallel_gateway.png Parallel gateway (AND)

process_designer_context_icon_tools_arrow00019.png Sequence flow

scr_process_designer_sequence_flow.png Sequence flow

process_designer_context_icon_tools_conditional_arrow00020.png Conditional sequence flow

scr_process_designer_conditional_flow.png Conditional flow

process_designer_context_icon_tools_default_arrow00021.png Default sequence flow

scr_process_designer_default_flow.png Default flow

process_designer_expanded_process.png Expanded sub-process

scr_process_designer_subprocess00022.png Sub-process (Call activity)

Creatio populates the parameters of imported executable elements with default values. Some required parameters may not have a default value. Please make sure you go through all the required parameters and populate them before running an imported process for the first time.

Non-executable elements​

Imported non-executable elements display as the same types of BPMN 2.0 elements in an executable process diagram, and are marked with a question mark.

The list of non-executable elements is available in the table:

BPMN 2.0 element

Non-executable Process Designer element

process_designer_event_icon_intermediate_escalation.png Throw - Escalation Intermediate Event

process_designer_element_non-supported00023.png Non-executable element

process_designer_element_small_icon_rule.png Business rule task

process_designer_element_non-supported_2.png Non-executable element

process_designer_gateway_complex.png Complex gateway

process_designer_element_non-supported_3.png Non-executable element

Imported business processes ignore any non-executable elements. If an incoming flow of a non-executable element activates, all its outgoing flows activate immediately. Boundary events are imported as non-executable elements.

After importing a business process, go through the non-executable element and either remove it or replace it with an executable process designer element that does the same business logic. For example, a “Receive task” element can be replaced with the Perform task element.

Non-executable end events behave exactly like the Terminate end event.

Ignored elements​

Creatio does not import the following BPMN 2.0 elements:

  • process_designer_pool.png Pools
  • process_designer_object.png Data objects
  • process_designer_storage.png Data storages
  • process_designer_text.png Annotations
  • process_designer_association.png Associations
  • process_designer_group.png Groups. This type of element is not supported by Studio Creatio, free edition.
  • process_designer_message_flow.png Message flows. This type of element is not supported by Studio Creatio, free edition.

These elements will not be available in the imported diagram. Any executable and non-executable elements located in pools of the imported BPMN 2.0 diagram will be converted to the corresponding Creatio elements in the resulting process.

See also​

Process Designer

Process Designer basics

E-learning courses​

Introduction to business processes