Interface > Working with Data Exchange Formats > Creo Elements/Direct > Importing Creo Elements/Direct Drawings > Importing Associative Drawings > About Importing Associative Drawings from Creo Elements/Direct
  
About Importing Associative Drawings from Creo Elements/Direct
You can import Creo Elements/Direct*.mi, *.bi, and *.bdl files as associative drawings when the files contain the associative data of the related 3D models. You must select the Drawing Associative with 3D Model option in the Import MI dialog box to import *.mi, *.bi, and *.bdl files as associative drawings. You can then simultaneously load the drawings and the associated 3D models in a session of Creo Parametric.
When you import *.mi and *.bi drawing files with associative data, you can browse to the location of the related model files and select Creo Elements/Direct*.pkg, *.sdp, *.sda, *.sdac, and *.sdpc or Creo*.prt and *.asm models files. The drawings and their corresponding models are then loaded in a Creo session. If the model files were in session before the import of the *.mi and the *.bi drawing files, the drawing files after import automatically associate with the related models in session. The *.mi or the *.bi files and the related models are loaded in session only if the models were not previously modified in Creo Parametric and the imported drawings must fit to the selected models.
However,*.bdl bundle files contain part and assembly models in addition to the related MI drawing files that were created in Creo Elements/Direct. Therefore, you can choose to only import the MI drawing files or also import the models that are associated with the drawings. The drawings and the related models are then automatically loaded in a Creo session. The model type is set to Part or Assembly by default in the Import New Model dialog box for *.bdl files, depending on whether the files contain part or assembly models. You must explicitly set the model type as Drawing to import the *.bdl files as part or assembly drawings. The 2D and the 3D model data that is relevant for the creation of drawings is extracted from the *.bdl files.
The import transfers the following associative data of the Creo Elements/Direct*.mi, *.bi, and *.bdl drawings to Creo Parametric:
General, detail, and section views
Broken views, dependent free oriented views, rotated detail views, views with outlines, and views containing configurations
Symbols and notes associative with 3D geometry
Notes attached to edges
Associative dimensions
Annotations and dimensions
Ordinate dimensions
Annotations and dimensions that reference the edges, faces, and vertices of the models are imported as associative annotations and dimensions. Annotations that are imported as non-associative data are included on layers. Sheet-based layers named as SHEET_<sheet_id>_NON_ASSOC_ANNOTATIONS are created by default in Creo Parametric when you select the Drawing Associative with 3D Model option on the Import MI dialog box . These layers include the non-associative annotations on the corresponding sheets.
The hidden components and the stock finish parts of assemblies in the drawing views are also imported. Components that are not shown in the Creo Elements/Direct views are blanked in Creo Parametric after import. The drawing views and the associative dimensions after import are placed at the same positions as their original positions in the Creo Elements/Direct files before import. Some of the references that exist between the drawings and the 3D models include view sets, annotations, dimensions, and other 2D geometry that reference the edges, faces, and vertices of the models and are derived from 3D geometry. You can then transfer this associative data as MI drawings to Creo Parametric or as 3D views and open both the drawings and the associated models in Creo Parametric.