diff --git a/skylab/gen_skylab.go b/skylab/gen_skylab.go
index 905e13c..cf0fdcb 100644
--- a/skylab/gen_skylab.go
+++ b/skylab/gen_skylab.go
@@ -226,173 +226,6 @@ func (p PacketDef) MakeUnmarshal() string {
 	return buf.String()
 }
 
-var templ = `
-{{ define "packet" }}
-{{- $structName := camelCase .Name true}}
-
-{{- /* generate any bitfield structs */ -}}
-{{range .Data -}}
-{{ if .Bits -}}
-{{- $bfname := (printf "%s%s" $structName (camelCase .Name true)) }}
-type {{$bfname}} struct {
-	{{- range $el := .Bits}}
-	{{camelCase $el.Name true}} bool
-	{{- end}}
-}
-
-func (p *{{$bfname}}) Marshal() byte {
-	var b byte
-	{{- range $idx, $el := .Bits}}
-	{{- $bitName := camelCase $el.Name true}}
-	if p.{{$bitName}} {
-		b |= 1 << {{$idx}}
-	}
-	{{- end}}
-	return b
-}
-
-func (p *{{$bfname}}) Unmarshal(b byte) {
-	{{- range $idx, $el := .Bits}}	
-	{{- $bitName := camelCase $el.Name true }}
-	p.{{$bitName}} = (b & (1 << {{ $idx }})) != 0
-	{{- end}}
-}
-{{end}}
-{{- end}}
-
-// {{$structName}} is {{.Description}}
-type {{$structName}} struct {
-{{- range .Data}}
-	{{ if .Units -}} // {{.Conversion}} {{.Units}} {{- end }}
-	{{.ToStructMember $structName }}
-{{- end}}
-{{- if .Repeat }}
-	// Idx is the packet index. The accepted range is 0-{{.Repeat}}
-	Idx uint32
-{{- end }}
-}
-
-func (p *{{$structName}}) Id() (uint32, error) {
-{{- if .Repeat }}
-	if p.Idx >= {{.Repeat}} {
-		return 0, errors.New("invalid packet index")
-	}
-	return {{ printf "0x%X" .Id }} + p.Idx, nil
-{{- else }}
-	return {{ printf "0x%X" .Id }}, nil
-{{- end }}
-}
-
-func (p *{{$structName}}) Size() uint {
-	return {{.CalcSize}}
-}
-
-func (p *{{$structName}}) MarshalPacket() ([]byte, error) {
-	b := make([]byte, {{ .CalcSize }})
-{{.MakeMarshal}}
-	return b, nil
-}
-
-func (p *{{$structName}}) UnmarshalPacket(b []byte) error {
-{{.MakeUnmarshal}}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (p *{{$structName}}) String() string {
-	return ""
-}
-
-{{ end }}
-
-{{- /* begin actual file template */ -}}
-
-// generated by gen_skylab.go at {{ Time }} DO NOT EDIT!
-
-package skylab
-
-import (
-	"errors"
-	"encoding/binary"
-	"encoding/json"
-)
-
-type SkylabId uint32
-
-const (
-{{- range .Packets }}
-	{{camelCase .Name true}}Id SkylabId = {{.Id | printf "0x%X"}}
-{{- end}}
-)
-
-// list of every packet ID. can be used for O(1) checks.
-var idMap = map[uint32]bool{
-	{{ range $p := .Packets -}}
-	{{ if $p.Repeat }} 
-	{{ range $idx := Nx (int $p.Id) $p.Repeat $p.Offset -}}
-	{{ $idx | printf "0x%X"}}: true,
-	{{ end }}
-	{{- else }}
-	{{ $p.Id | printf "0x%X" }}: true,
-	{{- end}}
-	{{- end}}
-}
-
-func FromCanFrame(id uint32, data []byte) (Packet, error) {
-	if !idMap[id] {
-		return nil, errors.New("Unknown Id")
-	}
-	switch id {
-{{- range $p := .Packets }}
-	{{- if $p.Repeat }}
-	case {{ Nx (int $p.Id) $p.Repeat $p.Offset | mapf "0x%X" | strJoin ", " -}}:
-		var res *{{camelCase $p.Name true}}
-		res.UnmarshalPacket(data)
-		res.Idx = id - {{$p.Id | printf "0x%X" }}
-		return res, nil
-	{{- else }}
-	case {{ $p.Id | printf "0x%X" }}:
-		var res *{{camelCase $p.Name true}}
-		res.UnmarshalPacket(data)
-		return res, nil
-	{{- end}}
-{{- end}}
-	}
-
-	return nil, errors.New("failed to match Id, something is really wrong!")
-}
-
-func FromJson (raw []byte) (Packet, error) {
-	// attempt to parse the JSON to a JSONPacket
-	jp := &JSONPacket{}
-	err := json.Unmarshal(raw, jp)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	switch jp.Id {
-{{- range $p := .Packets }}
-	{{- if $p.Repeat }}
-	case {{ Nx (int $p.Id) $p.Repeat $p.Offset | mapf "0x%X" | strJoin ", " -}}:
-		var res *{{camelCase $p.Name true}}
-		err := json.Unmarshal(jp.Data, res)
-		res.Idx = jp.Id -  {{ $p.Id | printf "0x%X" }}
-		return res, err
-	{{- else }}
-	case {{ $p.Id | printf "0x%X" }}:
-		var res *{{camelCase $p.Name true}}
-		err := json.Unmarshal(jp.Data, res)
-		return res, err
-	{{- end }}
-{{- end }}
-	}
-
-	return nil, errors.New("aaa")
-}
-
-{{range .Packets -}}
-{{template "packet" .}}
-{{- end}}
-`
-
 
 // stolen camelCaser code. initCase = true means CamelCase, false means camelCase
 func toCamelInitCase(s string, initCase bool) string {
@@ -502,13 +335,12 @@ func main() {
 		"strJoin": strJoin,
 		"mapf": mapf,
 	}
-	tmpl, err := template.New("skylab").Funcs(fnMap).Parse(templ)
+	tmpl, err := template.New("golang.go.tmpl").Funcs(fnMap).ParseFiles("templates/golang.go.tmpl")
 
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-
 	f, err := os.Create("skylab_gen.go")
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
diff --git a/skylab/templates/golang.go.tmpl b/skylab/templates/golang.go.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7a4d4c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skylab/templates/golang.go.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+{{ define "packet" }}
+{{- $structName := camelCase .Name true}}
+
+{{- /* generate any bitfield structs */ -}}
+{{range .Data -}}
+{{ if .Bits -}}
+{{- $bfname := (printf "%s%s" $structName (camelCase .Name true)) }}
+type {{$bfname}} struct {
+	{{- range $el := .Bits}}
+	{{camelCase $el.Name true}} bool `json:"{{$el.Name}}"`
+	{{- end}}
+}
+
+func (p *{{$bfname}}) Marshal() byte {
+	var b byte
+	{{- range $idx, $el := .Bits}}
+	{{- $bitName := camelCase $el.Name true}}
+	if p.{{$bitName}} {
+		b |= 1 << {{$idx}}
+	}
+	{{- end}}
+	return b
+}
+
+func (p *{{$bfname}}) Unmarshal(b byte) {
+	{{- range $idx, $el := .Bits}}	
+	{{- $bitName := camelCase $el.Name true }}
+	p.{{$bitName}} = (b & (1 << {{ $idx }})) != 0
+	{{- end}}
+}
+{{end}}
+{{- end}}
+
+// {{$structName}} is {{.Description}}
+type {{$structName}} struct {
+{{- range .Data}}
+	{{- if .Units -}} // {{.Conversion}} {{.Units}} {{- end }}
+	{{ .ToStructMember $structName }} `json:"{{.Name}}"`
+{{- end}}
+{{- if .Repeat }}
+	// Idx is the packet index. The accepted range is 0-{{.Repeat}}
+	Idx uint32
+{{- end }}
+}
+
+func (p *{{$structName}}) Id() (uint32, error) {
+{{- if .Repeat }}
+	if p.Idx >= {{.Repeat}} {
+		return 0, errors.New("invalid packet index")
+	}
+	return {{ printf "0x%X" .Id }} + p.Idx, nil
+{{- else }}
+	return {{ printf "0x%X" .Id }}, nil
+{{- end }}
+}
+
+func (p *{{$structName}}) Size() uint {
+	return {{.CalcSize}}
+}
+
+func (p *{{$structName}}) MarshalPacket() ([]byte, error) {
+	b := make([]byte, {{ .CalcSize }})
+{{.MakeMarshal}}
+	return b, nil
+}
+
+func (p *{{$structName}}) UnmarshalPacket(b []byte) error {
+{{.MakeUnmarshal}}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *{{$structName}}) String() string {
+	return ""
+}
+
+{{ end }}
+
+{{- /* begin actual file template */ -}}
+
+// generated by gen_skylab.go at {{ Time }} DO NOT EDIT!
+
+package skylab
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"encoding/binary"
+	"encoding/json"
+)
+
+type SkylabId uint32
+
+const (
+{{- range .Packets }}
+	{{camelCase .Name true}}Id SkylabId = {{.Id | printf "0x%X"}}
+{{- end}}
+)
+
+// list of every packet ID. can be used for O(1) checks.
+var idMap = map[uint32]bool{
+	{{ range $p := .Packets -}}
+	{{ if $p.Repeat }} 
+	{{ range $idx := Nx (int $p.Id) $p.Repeat $p.Offset -}}
+	{{ $idx | printf "0x%X"}}: true,
+	{{ end }}
+	{{- else }}
+	{{ $p.Id | printf "0x%X" }}: true,
+	{{- end}}
+	{{- end}}
+}
+
+func FromCanFrame(id uint32, data []byte) (Packet, error) {
+	if !idMap[id] {
+		return nil, errors.New("Unknown Id")
+	}
+	switch id {
+{{- range $p := .Packets }}
+	{{- if $p.Repeat }}
+	case {{ Nx (int $p.Id) $p.Repeat $p.Offset | mapf "0x%X" | strJoin ", " -}}:
+		var res *{{camelCase $p.Name true}}
+		res.UnmarshalPacket(data)
+		res.Idx = id - {{$p.Id | printf "0x%X" }}
+		return res, nil
+	{{- else }}
+	case {{ $p.Id | printf "0x%X" }}:
+		var res *{{camelCase $p.Name true}}
+		res.UnmarshalPacket(data)
+		return res, nil
+	{{- end}}
+{{- end}}
+	}
+
+	return nil, errors.New("failed to match Id, something is really wrong!")
+}
+
+func FromJson (raw []byte) (Packet, error) {
+	// attempt to parse the JSON to a JSONPacket
+	jp := &JSONPacket{}
+	err := json.Unmarshal(raw, jp)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	switch jp.Id {
+{{- range $p := .Packets }}
+	{{- if $p.Repeat }}
+	case {{ Nx (int $p.Id) $p.Repeat $p.Offset | mapf "0x%X" | strJoin ", " -}}:
+		var res *{{camelCase $p.Name true}}
+		err := json.Unmarshal(jp.Data, res)
+		res.Idx = jp.Id -  {{ $p.Id | printf "0x%X" }}
+		return res, err
+	{{- else }}
+	case {{ $p.Id | printf "0x%X" }}:
+		var res *{{camelCase $p.Name true}}
+		err := json.Unmarshal(jp.Data, res)
+		return res, err
+	{{- end }}
+{{- end }}
+	}
+
+	return nil, errors.New("aaa")
+}
+
+{{range .Packets -}}
+{{template "packet" .}}
+{{- end}}
+