> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://jewels86.gitbook.io/axinite/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://jewels86.gitbook.io/axinite/axtools/template-files.md).

# Template Files

On this page you learn:

* The format template files are written in
* How to write your own template files
* About meta files
* About template file methodology

## Writing Template Files

Template files are written in JSON format, which uses key-value pairs (much like Python dictionaries) to serialize data. You can read up on JSON [here](https://www.json.org/json-en.html).

### Complete Template File

```json
{
    "name": "my-system", // name of the system
    "author":  "My Name", // author of the system
    "limit": "365d", // time the simulation 
    "delta": "10min", // change in time (calculation frequency)
    "t": 0, // starting time (0 in template files)
    "radius_multiplier": 1,
    "bodies": [ // list of bodies
        {
            "name": "name", // name of the body
            "mass": 1, // mass of the body in kg
            "radius": "1km", // radius of the body
            "color": "red", // color of the body
            "r": [0, 0, 0], // starting position
            "v": [0, 0, 0] // starting velocity
        }
    ]
}
```

## Writing Meta Files

Meta files are JSON files that contain metadata for a system (e.g author, name, license etc.) and are normally placed in a directory with a `catalog.ax` file (read more on that [here](broken://pages/AWCUkpOloLWiaEMuZKte))

### Example Meta File (from [`solar-system.meta.ax`](https://github.com/jewels86/Axinite/blob/main/templates/meta/solar-system.meta.ax) in v1.11)

```json
{
  "name": "solar-system", // name of the system
  "author": "jewels86", // author of the system
  "license": "MIT", // usage license
  "description": "Template for Solar System.", // a description of the system
  "path": "solar-system.tmpl.ax" // the path to the system relative to the catalog file
}
```

## Template File Conventions and Methodology

* Template files can and should be edited! Any changes you need to add to the simulation, change the file!
* Systems are generally named after their main body and the group the smaller bodies belong too (e.g `earth-satellite.tmpl.ax` or `jupiter-moons.tmpl.ax`) or just the system's objective in general (e.g `rocket-launch.tmpl.ax`).


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