The native modeling tool format is *.mdzip and *.mdxml.

Opening previously created projects

To edit or review previously created projects, do one of the following

  • From the File menu, select Open Project. In the Open dialog, select the project and click Open.
  • On the main toolbar, click the Open Project button.
  • Drag the project from the open window of your file system to the modeling tool. The project opens immediately.
  • Double-click the project file with the *.mdxml or *.mdzip extension. A new modeling tool window opens.


To start the modeling tool with the last project you worked on, select Options > Environment > General > Save/Load and set the Open Last Project on Startup option to true.


XMI 2.4 / UML 2.4 is the main file format, used by the modeling tool for storing models. This format does not specify how to store diagrams, so the modeling tool stores and opens diagram data in XMI extension sections. Thus if you use the modeling tool to open an XMI file exported from another UML tool, only the model will be opened, but not the diagrams or views.
Accordingly, if you open a modeling tool file in another UML tool, diagrams or views will not be opened in that tool (unless the tool supports MagicDraw-specific file extensions).
You may open more than one project within the same modeling tool window. A separate workspace will be created for each opened project.

Opening projects saved with modeling tool 17.0 or earlier

Projects saved with modeling tool 17.0 or earlier can be as well opened with modeling tool of later versions.
To update older models, simply open them with modeling tool of later versions and then re-save them. Models will be automatically converted to the latest format.
In case your model is stored in a project that uses other projects, you should open and re-save the used projects first and only then do the same with the main project. Be advised that having only the used projects successfully converted to the latest format, you may expect the smooth conversion of the project that uses them.


If you convert only the project and leave the used projects saved in an old format, you will not be able to modify the projects used in the read-write accessibility mode.
Used Projects dialog showing options of non-converted project usage in converted project