diff --git a/avogadro/core/variant-inline.h b/avogadro/core/variant-inline.h
index 4b6426d2ab..16836f4dcb 100644
--- a/avogadro/core/variant-inline.h
+++ b/avogadro/core/variant-inline.h
@@ -13,9 +13,7 @@
 namespace Avogadro {
 namespace Core {
 
-inline Variant::Variant() : m_type(Null)
-{
-}
+inline Variant::Variant() : m_type(Null) {}
 
 template <typename T>
 inline Variant::Variant(T v) : m_type(Null)
@@ -23,6 +21,20 @@ inline Variant::Variant(T v) : m_type(Null)
   setValue(v);
 }
 
+template <>
+inline Variant::Variant(const char* v) : m_type(String)
+{
+  m_value.string = new std::string(v);
+}
+
+template <>
+inline Variant::Variant(const MatrixXf& v) : m_type(Matrix)
+{
+  MatrixX* m = new MatrixX(v.rows(), v.cols());
+  *m = v.cast<double>();
+  m_value.matrix = m;
+}
+
 inline Variant::Variant(const Variant& variant) : m_type(variant.type())
 {
   if (m_type == String)
@@ -444,7 +456,7 @@ inline T Variant::lexical_cast(const std::string& str)
   return value;
 }
 
-} // end Core namespace
-} // end Avogadro namespace
+} // namespace Core
+} // namespace Avogadro
 
 #endif // AVOGADRO_CORE_VARIANT_INLINE_H
diff --git a/avogadro/core/variant.h b/avogadro/core/variant.h
index 3f171aebfc..84eda3186d 100644
--- a/avogadro/core/variant.h
+++ b/avogadro/core/variant.h
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ class AVOGADROCORE_EXPORT Variant
   } m_value;
 };
 
-} // end Core namespace
-} // end Avogadro namespace
+} // namespace Core
+} // namespace Avogadro
 
 #include "variant-inline.h"