diff --git a/lib/cfpropertylist/rbCFPropertyList.rb b/lib/cfpropertylist/rbCFPropertyList.rb
index 43541e6..20e5869 100644
--- a/lib/cfpropertylist/rbCFPropertyList.rb
+++ b/lib/cfpropertylist/rbCFPropertyList.rb
@@ -72,12 +72,13 @@ module CFPropertyList
   #
   # pass optional options hash. Only possible value actually:
   # :convert_unknown_to_string => true
+  # :converter_method => :method_name
   #
   # cftypes = CFPropertyList.guess(x,:convert_unknown_to_string => true)
   def guess(object, options = {})
     if(object.is_a?(Fixnum) || object.is_a?(Integer)) then
       return CFInteger.new(object)
-    elsif(object.is_a?(Float) || object.is_a?(BigDecimal)) then
+    elsif(object.is_a?(Float) || (Object.const_defined?('BigDecimal') and object.is_a?(BigDecimal))) then
       return CFReal.new(object)
     elsif(object.is_a?(TrueClass) || object.is_a?(FalseClass)) then
       return CFBoolean.new(object)
@@ -104,7 +105,9 @@ module CFPropertyList
       end
 
       return CFDictionary.new(hsh)
-    elsif options[:convert_unknown_to_string]
+    elsif options[:converter_method] and object.respond_to?(options[:converter_method]) then
+      return CFPropertyList.guess(object.send(options[:converter_method]))
+    elsif options[:convert_unknown_to_string] then
       return CFString.new(object.to_s)
     else
       raise CFTypeError.new("Unknown class #{object.class.to_s}! Try using :convert_unknown_to_string if you want to use unknown object types!")
@@ -290,4 +293,24 @@ module CFPropertyList
   end
 end
 
+class Array
+  def to_plist(options={})
+    options[:plist_format] ||= CFPropertyList::List::FORMAT_BINARY
+
+    plist = CFPropertyList::List.new
+    plist.value = CFPropertyList.guess(self, options)
+    plist.to_str(options[:plist_format])
+  end
+end
+
+class Hash
+  def to_plist(options={})
+    options[:plist_format] ||= CFPropertyList::List::FORMAT_BINARY
+
+    plist = CFPropertyList::List.new
+    plist.value = CFPropertyList.guess(self, options)
+    plist.to_str(options[:plist_format])
+  end
+end
+
 # eof
diff --git a/lib/plistifier/plist_encoding.rb b/lib/plistifier/plist_encoding.rb
index aef190a..ace39c2 100644
--- a/lib/plistifier/plist_encoding.rb
+++ b/lib/plistifier/plist_encoding.rb
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@ require "cfpropertylist/rbCFPropertyList"
 
 module Plistifier #:nodoc:
   module PlistEncoding
-    def to_plist(options = {})
-      options[:plist_format] ||= CFPropertyList::List::FORMAT_BINARY 
 
-      hashifier = PlistHashifier.new(self, options)
-      
-      plist = CFPropertyList::List.new
-      plist.value = CFPropertyList.guess(hashifier.to_hash, :convert_unknown_to_string => true)
-      plist.to_str(options[:plist_format])
+    # str = IO String
+    # reading plist.load(:data => str)
+
+    attr_accessor :plist_item_options
+
+    def to_plist_item
+      to_hash(plist_item_options)
     end
     
     def to_hash(options = {})
diff --git a/lib/rails_extensions.rb b/lib/rails_extensions.rb
index 7026f27..d73665c 100644
--- a/lib/rails_extensions.rb
+++ b/lib/rails_extensions.rb
@@ -1,45 +1,40 @@
 require "cfpropertylist/rbCFPropertyList"
 
-class Array
-  def to_plist(options = {})
-    options[:plist_format] ||= CFPropertyList::List::FORMAT_BINARY 
-    
-    array = []
-    self.each do |a|
-      if a.is_a? ActiveRecord::Base
-        array << a.to_hash(options)
-      else
-        array << a
-      end
-    end
-    
-    plist = CFPropertyList::List.new
-    plist.value = CFPropertyList.guess(array, :convert_unknown_to_string => true)
-    plist.to_str(options[:plist_format])
-  end  
-end
-
 module ActionController
   class Base
     def render_with_plist(options = nil, extra_options = {}, &block)
       
-      plist = nil
-      plist = options[:plist] unless options.nil?
-      
+      plist = options.delete(:plist) unless options.nil?
+
       if plist
-     
-        if options[:plist_filename].blank?
+        
+        unless filename = options.delete(:plist_filename)
           if plist.is_a? Array
-            filename = plist.first.class.name.pluralize + ".plist"     
+            filename = plist.first.class.name.pluralize + ".plist"
           else
             filename = "#{plist.class.name}-#{plist.id}.plist"
           end
-        else
-          filename = options[:plist_filename]
+        end
+
+        unless options.nil?
+          if plist.is_a? Array
+            plist.each do |entry|
+              if entry.respond_to? :plist_item_options=
+                entry.plist_item_options = options
+              end
+            end
+          end
         end
         
+        plist_options = {
+          :converter_method => :to_plist_item,
+          :convert_unknown_to_string => true
+        }
+
+        data = plist.is_a?(CFPropertyList::List) ? plist : plist.to_plist(plist_options)
+        
         send_data(
-          plist.to_plist(options),
+          data,
           :type => Mime::PLIST, 
           :filename => filename, 
           :disposition => 'inline'