How to create custom character templates

If you are new to XML, this brief primer might help.

First, nab a splat's template as given in the link. Either browse around github (Default Solars, for example), or check inside the .jar files in Anathema's lib folder. (You can open those just as you would open a .zip.)

Once you've found the template you're going to base yours off of, create a folder named custom inside Anathema's repository. Copy your XML file into {repository}/custom, and change the final part of the filename to something unique. It should end up like {repository}/custom/Character_Solar_ExaltedModern.xml.

Pay attention to the character type in the filename (here: Solar). It has to match the type named inside the file, in a line similar to this: <exaltedCharacterTemplate characterType="Solar" subtemplate="ExaltedModern">
The last part of the filename (ExaltedModern) is just for your convenience.

Now, up up the XML file. Notepad should do in Windows, or UltraEdit for Mac. Or any more specialized XML editing tool, of course.

In the first line, change subtemplate="default" to subtemplate="MyTemplate", same as you did in the filename. Now make whatever other changes to the template you'd like, hit save.

Voila! Load up Anathema and check the splats. It'll appear as ##CharacterGenerator.Templates.Splat.MyTemplate##

More samples

If you are looking for more examples, you can look them up here on github: On the search page, type (e.g.) "Lunar" to find all files with that word in its name.

References to other files

Within the original file, you'll find references to other files, like <abilityGroups uses="template/SolarAbilityGroup2nd.template"/>, as reference to this file. You can keep those references if they suit you, or define their content inline in your own file by replacing the uses-expression with (e.g.):

<abilityGroups>
  <group id="Dawn" casteId="Dawn">
    <trait type="Archery" />
    <trait type="MartialArts" />
    <trait type="Melee" />
    <trait type="Thrown" />
    <trait type="War"/>
  </group>
  ...