Interface > Working with Data Exchange Formats > Creo Elements/Direct > Importing Creo Elements/Direct Drawings > Importing Associative Drawings > To Import a Creo Elements/Direct Associative Drawing and Model
  
To Import a Creo Elements/Direct Associative Drawing and Model
1. Click File > Open. The File Open dialog box opens.
2. Select Creo Elements/Direct Drawing (.mi, .bi, .bdl) in the Type box.
3. Select a *.mi, *.bi, or a *.bdl file or browse to the required file.
4. Click Import. The Import New Model dialog box opens.
 
* Drawing is the default option when you select a *.mi or a *.bi file. The model type is, however, set as Part or Assembly when you select a *.bdl file, depending on whether the selected file contains a part or assembly model.
5. If you selected a *.bdl file, change Part or Assembly to Drawing to import the *.bdl file as a part or assembly drawing.
6. Accept the default file name or type a new name for the file.
7. Click OK. The Import MI dialog box opens.
8. Under VIEWS, click Drawing Associative with 3D Model to import the views in the *.mi, *.bi, or the *.bdl file as 3D views and import the 3D model and the associated drawing.
 
* When you select a *.mi or a *.bi file for associative import, the Select a 3D Model text box and the Browse option are available in the Import MI dialog box only when the selected file contains associative data.
9. Type the location of the related 3D model file in the Select a 3D Model text box or click Browse and browse to the location of the file. You can select a Creo Elements/Direct*.pkg, *.sdp, *.sda, *.sdac, or *.sdpc file or a Creo Parametric*.prt or *.asm file with previously imported data.
 
* If you try to close the Import MI dialog box without specifying the location of the 3D model file or selecting the 3D model file, a message prompts you to specify the 3D model file. A message also warns you that you cannot access the selected file when the 3D model file you specify does not exist or when the drawing does not fit the selected model.
10. Click Get Dimension Value from 3D Model to import the associative dimensions and recompute or recalculate the associative dimension values.
11. Click the following options to import parts and points:
Import Symbol Parts as Symbols—Imports and maps the Creo Elements/Direct symbol parts to symbols in Creo Parametric. This option is selected by default.
 
* If this option is not selected, symbol parts are not imported as symbols. In the case of leadered symbols, when symbol parts are not imported as symbols, the leaders do not remain attached to the symbols.
Import Points—Imports point entities as drawing points.
12. Retain the following default selections on the Import MI dialog box:
Create Variable Size Sheet—Creates drawing sheets of different sizes, especially for a multiple-sheet drawing with sheets of variable size.
Create Multi-line Text—Imports multiple-line text as a single multiple-line note.
13. Click the Properties tab to customize the following properties:
Hatch line fonts
Text fonts
Colors
Layers
Line fonts
14. Click the tab for colors, layers, line fonts, hatch line fonts, or text fonts and select a cell in the MI to Creo Parametric mapping table to change the value of the color, layer, line, or text font.
The following options on the Colors tab allow you to map MI colors to standard Creo Parametric or user-defined colors:
Creo Parametric—Maps MI standard colors to standard Creo Parametric colors.
MI—Maps MI standard colors to user-defined colors in Creo Parametric that have the same RGB values.
15. Click Open Log Window to display the import log file in the Information Window.
16. Click Save Mapping to save the current import settings on the Properties tab to the mi_import.pro mapping file.
17. Click OK in the Import MI dialog box.
The drawing and its associated model are loaded in session.
Sheet-based layers named SHEET_<sheet_id>_NON_ASSOC_ANNOTATIONS are created by default for non-associative annotations.
Configuration options and their values that correspond with the import settings on the Import MI dialog box that were modified at runtime are saved to the current_session.pro file.