You can import native *.mi, *.bi, and *.bdl drawing files that you created in the Creo Elements/Direct Drafting or the Annotation module of Modeling. You can import the *.mi, *.bi, and *.bdl files as associative or non-associative drawings, depending on whether the 2D data contained in these files are associative or non-associative. The *.mi and the *.bi files are the ASCII and the binary formats while the *.bdl bundle files consist of 2D and 3D data. The 2D data of the *.bdl files is extracted when you import the *.bdl files as drawings.

You can import the following 2D data from the *.mi, *.bi, and *.bdl files:

The annotation views in the *.mi and *.bdl drawing files map to 2D views in Creo Parametric. Creo Elements/Direct parts with the geometry of Drafting parts import as layers retaining the layer names. Symbol parts map to symbols. The MI standard colors import as standard Creo Parametric colors or as user-defined colors with the same RGB values. The layers in the MI files retain their names after import and map to Creo Parametric layers. Text is imported as unicode characters. True type text fonts are imported. Multiple-line text is imported as a single multiple-line note or as multiple single-line notes. Hatches are imported as logical elements and not as sketched entities.

The Import MI dialog box allows you to selectively filter the drafting data of the *.mi, *.bi, and *.bdl files. You can explicitly set configuration options for the import or set the corresponding options to the relevant values on the Import MI dialog box. For example, to import dimensions, you can set the intf2d_in_dim configuration option to the value, as_is, as_sep_ent, or as_symbol or set Import Dimensions on the Import MI dialog box to As Dimensions, As Separate Entities, or As Symbols. When you click OK, the configuration options and their values that correspond to the import settings on the Import MI dialog box are saved in the current_session.pro file. Only options that you modify at runtime on the Import MI dialog box are saved to the current_session.pro file. This file only lists the options with their changed values.

Click Save Mapping to save the combination of import settings on the Import MI dialog box to the mi_import.pro mapping file that is created by default in the working directory. You can use the intf2d_in_mi_mapping_file configuration option to specify an alternate folder or directory for the mi_import.pro mapping file. If the mi_import.pro file exists, it is updated according to the current settings. The next time you import an *.mi, *.bi, or a *.bdl file, the Import MI dialog box displays options set according to the import settings of the previous import. You can import colors, layers, line types, hatch line styles, and text fonts based on the settings in the mi_import.pro mapping file.

A temporary in-session mapping file that is similar to the current_session.pro file is automatically created in the working directory when you do not click Save Mapping to explicitly create the mi_import.pro file. The import settings that are saved to the temporary mapping file are used by subsequent import tasks in session.

All the sheets of the *.mi, *.bi, and *.bdl files are automatically selected to create multiple-sheet drawings in Creo Parametric. You can use the Ctrl key to select drawing sheets of your choice for the import.

You can view the import log file in the Information Window when the import is complete. The log file includes details such as the configuration options and their values, entities and layers imported by their number, and entities ignored and the reason for skipping their import.