Custom Models

Overview

Custom Models (also called JSON models) allow you to create entirely new data entities through the Studio interface, without writing any Java or XML code. Each custom model gets its own form view, and optionally a menu entry for navigation.

Custom models are managed from App > Studio components > Models.

Custom Models grid view

Creating a Custom Model

Using the Models List

Navigate to App > Studio components > Models and click New to create a model directly from the list view.

Using the View Builder

Alternatively, open the Visual View Builder (App > Studio), ensure you are in Custom Model mode, and click New in the toolbar.

Model Form

Custom Model form

The custom model form contains the following fields:

Basic Information

Field Required Description

Name (1)

Yes

Technical name of the model. Must start with an alphabetic character. Validated by JsonFieldService.checkName().

Title (2)

No

Display name shown to users in the interface. Supports translation.

Form width (3)

No

Width of the generated form view (e.g., large).

Order by (4)

No

Default sort order for records in the grid view.

On new (5)

No

Action executed when creating a new record of this model.

On save (6)

No

Action executed when saving a record of this model.
The model name must start with a letter (a-z or A-Z). Names starting with numbers or special characters are rejected by the validation.

Studio App Grouping

  • Studio App (7): Associates the model with a Studio App for packaging purposes.

The Studio App field is only visible when the enableStudioApp option is enabled in the Studio configuration.
Menu generation section

  • Generate menu (8): When checked, a menu entry is automatically created for this model, allowing users to access it from the navigation.

  • Menu title (9): Title displayed in the menu (visible when Generate menu is checked).

  • Parent menu (10): Parent menu under which the generated menu entry is placed.

When you uncheck Generate menu, the associated StudioMenu record is automatically removed.

Fields

The Fields panel displays the list of custom fields belonging to this model.

  • Fields are ordered by their sequence number

  • You can reorder fields by dragging them (canMove is enabled)

  • Click New to add a field directly from the model form, or use the View Builder for a visual approach

Access Control

  • Roles (11): Restrict access to this custom model to specific application roles. If no roles are selected, the model is accessible to all users.

Naming Rules

Custom model names follow strict validation rules:

  • Must start with an alphabetic character (a-z or A-Z)

  • The name is processed through JsonFieldService.checkName() for sanitization

  • Must be unique across all custom models

Use descriptive, PascalCase names for your custom models (e.g., ProjectRequest, VehicleInspection). This follows the Axelor convention for entity naming.

Technical Details

Custom models are stored in the MetaJsonModel table, which is an extension of the standard Axelor meta framework.

Entity Field Type Description

name

String

Technical name of the model

title

String

Display title (translatable)

isGenerateMenu

Boolean

Whether a menu entry is auto-generated

studioMenu

M2O: StudioMenu

The associated menu entry (when menu generation is enabled)

studioApp

M2O: StudioApp

The Studio App this model belongs to

formWidth

String

Form view width setting

orderBy

String

Default grid sort order

onNew

String

Action triggered on record creation

onSave

String

Action triggered on record save

showProcessTracking

Boolean

Whether to display BPM process tracking on this model

Custom model data is stored as JSON in the attrs field of standard Axelor records, with the field definitions in MetaJsonField.