diff --git a/rmgpy/rmg_obj.py b/rmgpy/rmg_obj.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cf5b6e4723b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rmgpy/rmg_obj.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+###############################################################################
+#                                                                             #
+# RMG - Reaction Mechanism Generator                                          #
+#                                                                             #
+# Copyright (c) 2002-2018 Prof. William H. Green (whgreen@mit.edu),           #
+# Prof. Richard H. West (r.west@neu.edu) and the RMG Team (rmg_dev@mit.edu)   #
+#                                                                             #
+# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a     #
+# copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'),  #
+# to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation   #
+# the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,    #
+# and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the       #
+# Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:        #
+#                                                                             #
+# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in  #
+# all copies or substantial portions of the Software.                         #
+#                                                                             #
+# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR  #
+# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,    #
+# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE #
+# AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER      #
+# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING     #
+# FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER         #
+# DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.                                                   #
+#                                                                             #
+###############################################################################
+import numpy as np
+
+class RMG_Obj(object):
+    """
+    This class provides a general as_dict method to help with yml file construction
+    for other objects in rmgpy to inherit
+    """
+    def __init__(self):
+        pass
+    def as_dict(self):
+        D = self.__dict__.copy()
+        for key,val in D.iteritems():
+            if not isinstance(val,float) and not isinstance(val,str):
+                if isinstance(val,np.ndarray):
+                    D[key] = val.tolist()
+                elif isinstance(val,list):
+                    pass
+                else:
+                    D[key] = val.as_dict()
+                    
+        D['class'] = self.__class__.__name__
+        
+        return D
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