Supported BPMN elements

The BPMN 2.0 elements you can use in Bonita Process Designer, why the palette is a curated subset for Bonita Studio compatibility, and how unsupported elements are migrated on import.

Bonita Process Designer exposes a curated subset of the BPMN 2.0 notation. The palette deliberately offers only the elements that import cleanly into Bonita Studio, so that every diagram you build here can be exported and reused in Studio without manual rework. When you import a BPMN file or generate a diagram with AI, any element outside this subset is automatically converted to the closest supported alternative — or removed when no equivalent exists — and every change is recorded in a migration log you can review.

Why the palette is a subset

The element set is chosen for round-trip compatibility with Bonita Studio. Two consequences are worth knowing up front:

  • Sub-processes are not offered. Although Bonita Studio supports them, sub-processes are intentionally excluded from this editor. On import, a sub-process is converted to a Call activity.

  • Generic (no-trigger) events are not offered. An intermediate or boundary event without a trigger has no meaning on its own, so these are removed on import rather than converted.

Supported elements

The palette groups elements by category. The following elements are available when you build a diagram and are preserved on import and export.

Category Supported elements

Activities

Task, User task, Service task, Script task, Send task, Receive task, Call activity

Gateways

Exclusive gateway (XOR), Inclusive gateway (OR), Parallel gateway (AND)

Start events

Start event, Message start, Timer start, Signal start

End events

End event, Message end, Signal end, Error end, Termination end

Intermediate catching events

Message catch, Timer catch, Signal catch, Link catch

Intermediate throwing events

Message throw, Signal throw, Link throw

Boundary events (interrupting)

Message boundary, Timer boundary, Signal boundary, Error boundary

Boundary events (non-interrupting)

Timer boundary (non-interrupting)

Flows

Sequence flow, Default flow, Conditional flow

Containers & annotations

Horizontal pool, Horizontal swimlane, Annotation, Annotation link
The editor does not expose a generic "error event" type. Error handling is available through the Error end event and the Error boundary event.
The editor palette and canvas

How unsupported elements are migrated

When you import a BPMN 2.0 file or receive an AI-generated diagram, Bonita Process Designer inspects every element. Elements outside the supported subset are handled automatically in one of three ways:

  • Converted — replaced by the closest supported element (for example, a Manual task becomes a Task, and a Data object is preserved as an Annotation).

  • Removed — dropped when no meaningful equivalent exists (for example, an Event sub-process or a Message flow).

  • Orphaned — kept but moved to the top level when its parent container was removed, so you do not lose the element.

The table below summarises the most common conversions. Removals apply to elements with no equivalent (such as groups, event sub-processes, message flows and no-trigger events).

Unsupported element Migrated to Reason

Manual task

Task

Generic fallback

Business rule task

Service task

Both are automated

Sub-process

Call activity

Closest concept

Event-based / Complex gateway

Exclusive gateway

Decision point

Conditional start

Start event

Condition dropped

Escalation / Compensation / Cancel end

End event

Generic end

Conditional catch / boundary

Timer catch / boundary

Wait-based trigger

Escalation boundary

Error boundary

Exception handling

Non-interrupting boundary (message / signal)

Interrupting boundary

Only those subtypes are supported

Data object / store / input / output

Annotation

Information preserved as a note

Vertical pool / swimlane

Horizontal pool / swimlane

Layout rotated

Group

removed

Visual only, no semantics

Message flow

removed

Cross-pool semantics not supported

Event sub-process

removed

No equivalent

When a Data object is converted, an annotation is created near its original position carrying the data object’s name and any description, in the form [Data Object] {name}: {description}, so the information is not lost.

The migration log

Every conversion, removal and orphaning is recorded in a migration log that opens in a sidebar panel after an import or AI generation. Each entry tells you the element’s original type and name, the action taken, the new type (or "removed"), and the reason.

Entries are colour-coded so you can scan them quickly:

  • Converted — blue

  • Removed — red

  • Orphaned — yellow

You can:

  • Click an entry to focus and select the affected element on the canvas, so you can verify or adjust the result.

  • Mark an entry as tackled once you have reviewed it. You can mark entries individually or in bulk; the panel keeps a running count of pending versus tackled entries.

This lets you work through the changes methodically and confirm the diagram still reflects your intent before you continue editing or export to Bonita Studio.

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