Knowledge Architecture v3.0 · Updated 2026-03-15

CMDS
SYSTEM
FILES

5 Core Files that power the CMDSPACE PKM ecosystem — designed for both AI agents and human users.

5
Core Files
9
Categories
91
Subcategories
7.6K+
Notes
Connect ◆Merge ◆Develop ◆Share ◆ Knowledge Management ◆AI Integration ◆Obsidian Vault ◆Second Brain ◆ 7,660+ Notes ◆120+ Plugins ◆91 Subcategories ◆5 System Files ◆ Connect ◆Merge ◆Develop ◆Share ◆ Knowledge Management ◆AI Integration ◆Obsidian Vault ◆Second Brain ◆ 7,660+ Notes ◆120+ Plugins ◆91 Subcategories ◆5 System Files ◆
00

WHY 5 FILES

Audience-based separation ensures both AI agents and human users get exactly the guidance they need — no more, no less.

🤖

AI Agents Need Context

Claude Code, ChatGPT, Gemini CLI, and Cursor don't know your folder structure, naming conventions, or workflows. CMDS.md, CLAUDE.md, and AGENTS.md give each AI agent precisely the context it needs to work without breaking existing patterns.

🧠

Humans Need Reference

Even the creator of a knowledge system forgets conventions over time. CMDS Head Quarter and CMDS Guide serve as living documentation — a single source of truth for how the system works, what goes where, and why.

🔄

Human-AI Collaboration

AI documents are loaded into context windows. Human documents provide quick daily reference. The 5-file split creates a clean bridge between human understanding and AI capabilities without duplication.

📈

Systems Scale Better

A 7,660+ note knowledge base without documentation becomes chaos. With clear system files, you can onboard new AI tools, maintain consistency across years of notes, and evolve the system without losing its foundation.

01

CORE FILES

5 system files with structured frontmatter — each with description, audience, and scope fields that define its role.

📋
CMDS.md
System philosophy and user context. WHY & WHAT — purpose, workflows, 9 categories explained.
audience: All LLM Assistants scope: context-philosophy
AI · type: documentation
💻
CLAUDE.md
Technical implementation guide for Claude Code. File operations, commands, vault rules, indentation specs.
audience: Claude Code scope: technical-implementation
AI · type: documentation
🤖
AGENTS.md
Portable technical guide for other AI coding agents. Gemini CLI, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf compatible.
audience: Gemini, Codex, etc. scope: technical-implementation
AI · type: documentation
🏛
CMDS Head Quarter.md
Navigation hub. Quick access to all 91 subcategories, ChatGPT GPT links, and category map.
audience: User scope: navigation
Human · type: CMDS
📐
CMDS Guide.md
Operational standards. Properties templates, naming conventions, note types, and folder structure.
audience: User + AI scope: operational-standards
Human · type: CMDS
02

FRONTMATTER STANDARD

Every system file carries structured YAML frontmatter with description, audience, and scope — making each file self-documenting.

Example: CMDS.md Frontmatter
type:documentation# AI docs use "documentation"
aliases:["CMDS Context Guide"]
description:"System philosophy & user context for all LLM assistants"
author:"[[{your-name}]]"
audience:All LLM Assistants
scope:context-philosophy
index:"[[CMDS Docs Index]]"
status:completed
AI Documents
type: documentation
Used by CMDS.md, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md. Loaded into AI context windows. Contains technical rules, system philosophy, and implementation guides.
Human Documents
type: CMDS
Used by CMDS Head Quarter and CMDS Guide. Referenced by users in Obsidian. Contains navigation maps, operational standards, and templates.
03

CMDS ARCHITECTURE

9 major categories (100-900 series) organized by the CMDS Process — Connect, Merge, Develop, Share.

100
Themes
Discovery & Connection
Interests Topics Variables Terminologies
200
Literature
Integration & Theory
Concepts Frameworks Theories Reviews Books Bible/Sermon
300
Data
Collection & Management
Surveys Databases Panel Data LMS
400
Methodologies
Analysis & Implementation
Research Methods Statistics Machine Learning Codes/Prompts
500
Products
Tools & Platforms
Obsidian ChatGPT Claude n8n
600
Specialties
Expertise & Application
Knowledge Mgmt Second Brain Gen AI Productivity
700
Creatives
Expression & Content
YouTube SNS Music Digital Art
800
Outputs
Publication & Delivery
PhD Articles Lectures Consulting
900
Divisions
Operations & Management
9 Professional Divisions
04

CMDS PROCESS

The knowledge lifecycle that guides information through four distinct stages, each with dedicated categories.

🔗
Connect
Discover ideas by connecting interests and emerging topics
100 Themes
interests, topics, variables, terminologies
🔀
Merge
Build theoretical foundations by integrating literature
200 Literature
concepts, frameworks, theories, reviews, books, Bible/sermon
🛠
Develop
Collect data, apply methods, master tools, build expertise
300-600
data / methods / tools / specialties
📤
Share
Disseminate creative work, outputs, and manage operations
700-900
creatives / outputs / divisions
05

VAULT FOLDERS

The physical directory structure (00-90) that organizes the vault alongside the conceptual CMDS categories (100-900).

00
Inbox
Temporary storage — Daily Notes, Clippings, AI Agent outputs, Automation, Canvas
10
CMDS Process
Process documentation — Connect, Merge, Develop, Share workflows
20
Literature Notes
Reading notes from books, articles, and papers
30
Permanent Notes
Refined evergreen notes representing mature knowledge
40
Docs
Technical documentation — Official Docs, AI Generated, My Docs, CMDS Docs
50
Assets
Reusable resources — images, media files, attachments
60
Collections
Entity management — People, Organizations, Meetings, Preferences
70
Outputs
Final deliverables — Published, Presentations, Courses, Projects, Consulting
80
References
External reference materials — Attachments, Web Articles, Zotero, Books
90
Settings
System config — Templates, System Prompts, Fonts, Index, File Class
06

SHARE SYSTEM

Backup originals stay private. Share copies use placeholders so anyone can adapt the system files to their own vault.

8 Placeholder Rules

Located in 40. Docs/47. CMDS Docs/ — each placeholder maps to one type of personal data.

{vault-path}
Full vault directory path
{username}
macOS username
{your-name}
Author name in wikilinks (lowercase)
{Your Name}
Author display name (title case)
{church-name}
Organization/community name
{gpt-session-id}
ChatGPT custom GPT session IDs
{share-link}
ChatGPT share conversation URLs
{home-path}
Home directory path

GET THE
FILES

Download the complete CMDS System Files v3 package and start building your knowledge architecture.

↓ Download All (ZIP) GitHub Repository