diff --git a/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map/building.py b/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map/building.py
index 5c93ec36..f7339381 100644
--- a/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map/building.py
+++ b/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map/building.py
@@ -394,13 +394,15 @@ def generate_nav_graphs(self):
                 nav_graphs[f'{i}'] = g
         return nav_graphs
 
-    def generate_sdf_world(self):
+    def generate_sdf_world(self, template_file):
         """ Return an etree of this Building in SDF starting from a template"""
-        template_name = 'gz_world.sdf'
-
-        template_path = os.path.join(
-            get_package_share_directory('rmf_building_map_tools'),
-            f'templates/{template_name}')
+        if template_file == "":
+            template_name = 'gz_world.sdf'
+            template_path = os.path.join(
+                get_package_share_directory('rmf_building_map_tools'),
+                f'templates/{template_name}')
+        else:
+            template_path = template_file
         tree = parse(template_path)
         sdf = tree.getroot()
 
diff --git a/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map/generator.py b/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map/generator.py
index 05ea9250..d7b2c142 100644
--- a/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map/generator.py
+++ b/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map/generator.py
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ def generate_sdf(
         self,
         input_filename,
         output_filename,
-        output_models_dir
+        output_models_dir,
+        template_file
     ):
         print('generating {} from {}'.format(output_filename, input_filename))
 
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ def generate_sdf(
         building.generate_sdf_models(output_models_dir)
 
         # generate a top-level SDF for convenience
-        sdf = building.generate_sdf_world()
+        sdf = building.generate_sdf_world(template_file)
 
         indent_etree(sdf)
         sdf_str = str(ElementToString(sdf), 'utf-8')
diff --git a/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map_generator/_init_argparse.py b/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map_generator/_init_argparse.py
index bfe01a47..e09f29fc 100644
--- a/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map_generator/_init_argparse.py
+++ b/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map_generator/_init_argparse.py
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
                            help="Name of the .world file to output")
 shared_parser.add_argument("OUTPUT_MODEL_DIR", type=str,
                            help="Path to output the map model files")
-
+shared_parser.add_argument("--TEMPLATE_WORLD_FILE", type=str, default="",
+                           help="Specify the template for"
+                           + " the base simulation.")
 # Create subparsers for Gazebo and Nav generation
 gazebo_parser = subparsers.add_parser(
     'gazebo',
diff --git a/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map_generator/building_map_generator.py b/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map_generator/building_map_generator.py
index 00510836..23930661 100755
--- a/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map_generator/building_map_generator.py
+++ b/rmf_building_map_tools/building_map_generator/building_map_generator.py
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ def main():
         g.generate_sdf(
             args.INPUT,
             args.OUTPUT_WORLD,
-            args.OUTPUT_MODEL_DIR
+            args.OUTPUT_MODEL_DIR,
+            args.TEMPLATE_WORLD_FILE
         )
 
     if args.command == "nav":