diff --git a/src/mainbase.h b/src/mainbase.h
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mainbase.h
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+/*
+ *
+ *  $Id$
+ *
+ *  This file is part of the Virtual Leaf.
+ *
+ *  The Virtual Leaf is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ *  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ *  (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ *  The Virtual Leaf is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ *  GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ *  along with the Virtual Leaf.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ *  Copyright 2010 Roeland Merks.
+ *
+ */
+
+
+#ifndef _MAINBASE_H_
+#define _MAINBASE_H_
+
+#include <QGraphicsScene>
+#include <qpixmap.h>
+#include <q3picture.h>
+#include <qpainter.h>
+#include <qwidget.h>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <QGraphicsItem>
+#include <QPrinter>
+#include "mesh.h"
+#include "warning.h"
+
+using namespace std;
+
+/*! Implement these functions in your main application */
+class MainBase  {
+
+ public:
+  MainBase(QGraphicsScene &c, Mesh &m) : mesh(m), canvas(c) {
+    
+    // Standard options for batch version
+    showcentersp =  false;
+    showmeshp =  false;
+    showbordercellp =  false;
+    shownodenumbersp =  false;
+    showcellnumbersp =  false;
+    showcellsaxesp = false;
+    showcellstrainp =  false;
+    movieframesp = true;
+    showboundaryonlyp =  false;
+    showwallsp =  false;
+    showfluxesp = false;
+    dynamicscellsp = true;
+    showtooltipsp = false;
+	hidecellsp = false;
+  }
+    virtual ~MainBase() {};
+    
+    virtual double TimeStep();
+    virtual void Init(char *leaffile=0);
+    
+    virtual bool ShowCentersP(void) {return showcentersp;}
+    virtual bool ShowMeshP(void) {return showmeshp; }
+    virtual bool ShowBorderCellsP(void) {return showbordercellp; }
+    virtual bool PausedP(void) {return false; }
+    virtual bool ShowNodeNumbersP(void) {return shownodenumbersp; }
+    virtual bool ShowCellNumbersP(void) {return showcellnumbersp;}
+    virtual bool ShowCellAxesP(void) {return showcellsaxesp;}
+    virtual bool ShowCellStrainP(void) {return showcellstrainp;}
+    virtual bool MovieFramesP(void) {return movieframesp;}
+    virtual bool ShowBoundaryOnlyP(void) {return showboundaryonlyp;}
+    virtual bool ShowToolTipsP(void) {return showtooltipsp;}
+    virtual bool ShowWallsP(void) {return showwallsp;}
+	virtual bool ShowApoplastsP(void) { return showapoplastsp;}
+    virtual bool ShowFluxesP(void) { return showfluxesp; }
+    virtual bool DynamicCellsP(void) { return dynamicscellsp; }
+    virtual void FitCanvasToWindow() {};
+    virtual void FitLeafToCanvas() {};
+	virtual bool HideCellsP(void) { return hidecellsp; }
+    virtual void clear(void) {
+      QList<QGraphicsItem *> list = canvas.items();
+      QList<QGraphicsItem *>::Iterator it = list.begin();
+      for (; it != list.end(); ++it) {
+	if ( *it )
+	  delete *it;
+      }
+    };
+    virtual void XMLReadSettings(xmlNode *settings);
+    virtual double getFluxArrowsize(void) { return 10.;}
+    
+    /* void Save(const char *fname, const char *format, int width=640) {
+      
+    //cerr << "Initializing Pixmap\n";
+      
+    cerr << "Saving to file " << fname << endl;
+    QPixmap *image=new QPixmap(width, (int) (((double)canvas.height()/
+    (double)canvas.width())*((double)width)));
+
+    //QPicture *image = new QPicture();
+      
+    //cerr << "Done initializing QPixmap image(640, " << (((double)canvas.height()/(double)canvas.width())*640.) << ")\n";
+    QPainter im(image);
+    //cerr << "Done initializing image\n";
+    im.scale((double)width/canvas.width(),(double)width/canvas.width());
+    canvas.render(&im, QRectF(0,0,canvas.width(),canvas.height()) );
+    //im.end();      
+    image->save(QString(fname), format);
+    }*/
+    
+
+    void Save(const char *fname, const char *format, int sizex=640, int sizey=480);
+    void CutSAM(void);
+	
+    void Plot(int resize_stride=10);
+
+    virtual void UserMessage(QString message, int timeout = 0) {
+      cerr << message.toAscii().constData() << endl;
+    }
+    Mesh &mesh;
+	
+ protected:
+    QGraphicsScene &canvas;
+    virtual xmlNode *XMLSettingsTree(void) const;
+
+ protected:
+    bool showcentersp;
+    bool showmeshp;
+    bool showbordercellp;
+    bool shownodenumbersp;
+    bool showcellnumbersp;
+    bool showcellsaxesp;
+    bool showcellstrainp;
+    bool movieframesp;
+    bool showboundaryonlyp;
+    bool showwallsp;
+	bool showapoplastsp;
+    bool showfluxesp;
+    bool dynamicscellsp;
+    bool showtooltipsp;
+	bool hidecellsp;
+};
+
+//#include <qapplication.h>
+#define TIMESTEP double MainBase::TimeStep(void)
+#define INIT void MainBase::Init(char *leaffile)
+
+#endif