Get started4 min read

Importing models from Camunda 8

What carries over when you open a Camunda 8 (Zeebe) BPMN model in Orkovia, and what you need to fix by hand.

In short

01
Zeebe task, mapping, form and listener settings are imported.
02
Timer, signal, error and escalation triggers must be set again in Studio.
03
Unsupported elements are rejected with a clear message, never silently dropped.

Orkovia reads BPMN 2.0 XML, including the zeebe: extensions Camunda 8 uses. Most of a typical model imports as-is. A few standard event elements do not yet, so check those after import.

What carries over

Camunda 8 setting	In Orkovia
Task definition (job type, retries)	Imported
Input and output mappings	Imported
Task headers	Imported
Called element (call activity) and called decision	Imported
Form reference and user task assignment	Imported
Multi-instance loop settings	Imported
Message subscriptions	Imported
Execution and task listeners	Imported
Link, terminate and conditional events	Imported

What needs attention

In the Camunda model	What happens	What to do
Timer, signal, error, escalation or compensation event	The event is imported without its trigger	Open the event in Studio and set the trigger again
Camunda 7 camunda: extension elements	Ignored (a few flat attributes such as assignee are read)	Re-enter the settings in Studio
Transaction sub-process, complex gateway, data objects	Import is rejected with an "unsupported BPMN element" message	Remove or replace the element, then import again
A Zeebe attribute Orkovia does not support	Import fails and names the attribute	Remove the attribute or model it differently

After importing, open every timer, signal, error and escalation event and confirm its trigger. This is the one place where a model can import cleanly and still behave differently.

A safe import routine

Import the .bpmn file in Studio

Fix anything the import rejects.

Re-set event triggers

Timers, signals, errors and escalations.

Step through it in Play mode

Confirm every path behaves as it did before.

Deploy

Deploy once the Play run matches your expectations.

Going the other way also works: Orkovia can export a model in the zeebe: dialect.

See it on your own process

Book a walkthrough with the Orkovia team.

Request a Demo

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