BPMN to Visio (.vsdx) Converter

Convert BPMN 2.0 diagrams to Microsoft Visio files — zero dependencies, pure Python.

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bpmn-to-visio converts BPMN 2.0 XML files (from bpmn.io, Camunda Modeler, Signavio, etc.) into Microsoft Visio .vsdx files — preserving the exact layout, shapes, and styling from your BPMN modeler.

No Visio installation required. No external dependencies. Just Python 3.7+.

BPMN 2.0 XML  ──►  Visio .vsdx
   (.bpmn)          (Open XML)

Why?

• Your team uses bpmn.io or Camunda Modeler for process modeling, but stakeholders need Visio files
• You have dozens or hundreds of BPMN diagrams to deliver in Visio format
• Manual recreation in Visio is slow, error-prone, and doesn't scale
• Existing tools require paid licenses or don't preserve layout

This converter solves all of that with a single Python script.

Features

• Zero dependencies — uses only Python standard library (no pip packages needed)
• Layout preservation — reads BPMN diagram coordinates to reproduce exact positions
• Full BPMN support — pools, lanes, tasks, events, gateways, sequence flows, message flows, annotations
• Color preservation — reads bioc:fill / bioc:stroke attributes from bpmn.io
• Batch conversion — convert entire folders of BPMN files in one command
• Visio Desktop compatible — outputs valid VSDX Open XML packages with proper text rendering

Supported BPMN Elements

BPMN Element	Visio Shape
Start Event	Green circle
End Event	Red bold circle
Intermediate Events (Timer, Message, Signal)	Orange circle
Task / User Task / Service Task	Rounded rectangle
Sub-Process / Call Activity	Rounded rectangle
Exclusive Gateway	Diamond with "X"
Parallel Gateway	Diamond with "+"
Inclusive Gateway	Diamond with "O"
Event-Based Gateway	Diamond
Pool (Participant)	Rectangle with vertical header band
Lane	Rectangle with vertical header band
Text Annotation	Open bracket with text
Sequence Flow	Solid arrow
Message Flow	Dashed arrow
Association	Dotted line

Installation

Option 1: pip (recommended)

pip install bpmn-to-visio

Option 2: Clone the repo

git clone https://github.com/Mgabr90/bpmn-to-visio.git
cd bpmn-to-visio

Python 3.7+ is required. No additional packages needed.

Usage

Single file

bpmn-to-visio diagram.bpmn

Or if running from source:

python bpmn_to_vsdx.py diagram.bpmn

Output: diagram.vsdx in the same directory.

Custom output directory

bpmn-to-visio diagram.bpmn -o output/

Batch conversion

Convert all .bpmn files in a folder (recursively):

bpmn-to-visio --batch ./bpmn-files/

Output .vsdx files are placed next to each .bpmn source, or in the directory specified by -o.

Python API

from bpmn_to_vsdx import convert_bpmn_to_vsdx

convert_bpmn_to_vsdx("process.bpmn", output_dir="output/")

How It Works

1. Parse — Extracts BPMN elements, flows, and diagram coordinates from the XML
2. Transform — Converts BPMN coordinates (top-left origin, pixels at 96 PPI) to Visio coordinates (bottom-left origin, inches)
3. Generate — Builds the VSDX Open XML package (ZIP of XML files) with shapes, connectors, and styling

The converter reads bpmndi:BPMNShape bounds and bpmndi:BPMNEdge waypoints to preserve the exact layout from your BPMN modeler.

Compatibility

BPMN Source	Status
bpmn.io	Fully supported
Camunda Modeler	Fully supported
Signavio	Supported
Bizagi Modeler	Supported (BPMN 2.0 export)
Any BPMN 2.0 compliant tool	Supported

Visio Target	Status
Visio Desktop (2016+)	Fully supported
Visio Online / Web	Supported
LibreOffice Draw (.vsdx import)	Basic support

Limitations

• Intermediate events render as single circle (no double-circle border)
• No task-type icons (user task, service task, etc. render as plain rounded rectangles)
• Message flow source end lacks open-circle marker
• No support for collapsed sub-processes or event sub-processes
• Groups and data objects are not rendered

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or pull request.

License

MIT — Mahmoud Gabr