diff --git a/GUI/Model/Type/NamedItem.h b/GUI/Model/Type/NamedItem.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..d932435da8bb2a8327cec08d8e0ac72471bc94c8
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+++ b/GUI/Model/Type/NamedItem.h
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+//  ************************************************************************************************
+//
+//  BornAgain: simulate and fit reflection and scattering
+//
+//! @file      GUI/Model/Type/NamedItem.h
+//! @brief     Defines and implements class Item3D.
+//!
+//! @homepage  http://www.bornagainproject.org
+//! @license   GNU General Public License v3 or higher (see COPYING)
+//! @copyright Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH 2021
+//! @authors   Scientific Computing Group at MLZ (see CITATION, AUTHORS)
+//
+//  ************************************************************************************************
+
+#ifndef BORNAGAIN_GUI_MODEL_TYPE_NAMEDITEM_H
+#define BORNAGAIN_GUI_MODEL_TYPE_NAMEDITEM_H
+
+//! Base class of items that can be at the root of a realspace 3D representation
+class Item3D {
+public:
+    virtual ~Item3D() = default;
+};
+
+#endif // BORNAGAIN_GUI_MODEL_TYPE_NAMEDITEM_H