Can I import embarcadero's diagrams into to PowerDesigner?

[carlos_leon2]

I need import embarcadero's diagrams. Does it support this files?

[GeorgeMcGeachie]

If the ER/Studio models have a multitude of diagrams, you could write a pair of scripts;

1. ER/Studio script - output a list of entities for each diagram
2. PowerDesigner script

• create each diagram, then use the diagram.AttachObject() method to add each entity and inheritance to the diagram
• once all the entities have been added to the diagram, use the CompleteLinks() method to add all the needed relationships and inheritance links

You could vary this approach if you're using ER/Studio submodels and/or PowerDesigner packages.

The ER/Studio script could possibly create the PowerDesigner script 🙂

[GeorgeMcGeachie]

Another script could create the "generated from" links in the PDM, pointing back to the LDM - replicating the links shown in ER/Studio. The ER/Studio script can get these from UniversalMappings, UserDefinedMappings or WhereUsedModelUsage - depends on how you've linked them. Check out the Automation Interface Guide at http://docs.embarcadero.com/products/er_studio/.

I've written ER/Studio scripts in the recent past but don't have a licence any more.

[Ondrej_Divis]

If you are able to export your metadata into excel file(s), you can use standard Excel import feature in PowerDesigner, which will allow you to import most of your metadata quite quickly and without the need to purchase third-party tools. You only need to follow some rules of excel file structure, so the PD import wizard can function properly. You will also lose your diagrams/graphics information since PD Excel import imports all the objects, their relationships and properties, but not the diagram layouts, symbol colours or formatting.

[mark_mcnary]

I have had some success in this by exporting the generated ddl from the ER Studio model and reverse engineering it into PD. From there, you should be able to generate a logical model.

As always, YMMV.

[GeorgeMcGeachie]

The LDM you get from this approach will only be exactly the same structure as the ER/Studio LDM if the ER/Studio LDM and PDM are identical. The LDM object names will not be the same, unless your logical and physical names are identical in ER/Studio.

For example - ER/Studio entities have logical and physical names - "Customer Account" and CUSTOMER_ACCOUNT - the entity generated in the PowerDesigner LDM will be called CUSTOMER_ACCOUNT.

[GeorgeMcGeachie]

Firstly, I'll expand on your question, for PowerDesigner users who aren't familiar with ER/Studio's quaint terminology - in ER/Studio a 'Diagram' is a file containing a single LDM, and zero, one or many PDMs. The file extension is "dm1". ER/Studio is now sold by Idera, who bought Embarcadero in 2016 or thereabouts.

PowerDesigner can't import directly from dm1 files, only from Erwin XML files. However, you can export a model from ER/Studio to PowerDesigner, if you've paid for the metadata import/export bridges. The bridges are actually written by Meta Integration - which version of PowerDesigner you can export to depends on your version of ER/Studio.

Please check if you can do the export - right-click the model in the ER/Studio Explorer, and select "Export Model Metadata". If that's not available, please get back to us.