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Forgive us! These docs are a work in progress. Some pages may be incomplete or describe features that aren't quite finished yet. Farkitect is in early development and we don't recommend using it for real work just yet. Feel free to explore — just be aware that things are still being built.

Import & Export

In this tutorial, you’ll import a Farquind model from a .farki file, explore what was imported, and then export part of your model back out as a portable file.

Prerequisites: You’ve completed Your First Diagram and have the Farquind Digital Systems project open.

What you’ll do: Import an additional Farquind model package, verify it in the Explorer, then export your own package.

A .farki file is Farkitect’s portable format — human-readable JSON containing packages, elements, relationships, diagrams, and property values. You might receive one from a colleague, download one from the Farketplace, or generate one with an LLM.

  1. Click File > Import…
  2. Browse your filesystem and select a .farki file
  3. Click Open

The imported packages appear in the Explorer. Expand them to see what’s inside — elements, relationships, diagrams, catalogs, and property values are all included.

A .farki file can contain:

  • M2 metamodel packages — if the file includes a metamodel you don’t already have, it’s added to your project. Its element types and relationship types become available in the Palette.
  • M1 model packages — elements, relationships, property values, diagrams, and catalogs are created in your project.
  • Both — many starter assets bundle an M2 metamodel with M1 sample content.

Imported packages are added alongside your existing packages — nothing is overwritten.

Once imported, the content works like anything else in your project:

  • Open imported diagrams by double-clicking them in the Explorer
  • Select imported elements to view their properties
  • Drag imported elements onto your own diagrams
  • Create new elements using any imported M2 metamodel types

The model is fully integrated — imported elements can participate in relationships with elements you created yourself.

Now let’s go the other direction — export your own work as a .farki file.

  1. In the Explorer, right-click the package you want to export — try M1 Farquind Applications
  2. Select Export…
  3. Choose a location and filename
  4. Click Save

The export captures the entire package tree: all sub-packages, elements, relationships, diagrams, catalogs, and property values. The resulting .farki file is self-contained — anyone with Farkitect can import it.

The .farki format is human-readable JSON. Open the exported file in any text editor and you’ll see:

  • A $format identifier (farki/1.1)
  • A scope field (package or project)
  • metadata with summary statistics
  • The full package tree with all nested content

This readability is a deliberate design choice — it means .farki files work well with version control (Git), can be diffed and reviewed, and can be read and generated by large language models. For more on the design decisions behind the format, see The .farki File Format.

  • How to import a .farki file into an existing project
  • What gets imported (M2 metamodels, M1 models, or both)
  • How imported content integrates with your existing model
  • How to export a package tree as a .farki file
  • That .farki files are human-readable JSON