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.
1. Import a .farki Package
Section titled “1. Import a .farki 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.
- Click File > Import…
- Browse your filesystem and select a
.farkifile - 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.
2. What Gets Imported
Section titled “2. What Gets Imported”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.
3. Use the Imported Content
Section titled “3. Use the Imported Content”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.
4. Export a Package
Section titled “4. Export a Package”Now let’s go the other direction — export your own work as a .farki file.
- In the Explorer, right-click the package you want to export — try M1 Farquind Applications
- Select Export…
- Choose a location and filename
- 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.
5. Inspect the File (Optional)
Section titled “5. Inspect the File (Optional)”The .farki format is human-readable JSON. Open the exported file in any text editor and you’ll see:
- A
$formatidentifier (farki/1.1) - A
scopefield (packageorproject) metadatawith summary statistics- The full
packagetree 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.
What You’ve Learned
Section titled “What You’ve Learned”- How to import a
.farkifile 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
.farkifile - That
.farkifiles are human-readable JSON
Next Steps
Section titled “Next Steps”- Child Diagrams — Create drill-down diagrams that link from parent views to detail views
- How to export to XMI — Export UML models to the XMI standard format