diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index bc8e1d09..6edaf93a 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ $(document).ready(function(){
     collection: commandCollection
   });
 
- // TODO make not global
+  // TODO make not global
   commandPromptView = new CommandPromptView({
     el: $('#commandLineBar'),
     collection: commandCollection
@@ -31,35 +31,11 @@ $(document).ready(function(){
     collection: commandCollection
   });
 
+  $('#commandTextField').focus();
+
+  var mainVis = new Visualization();
+
   // make the canvas for us
-  Raphael(10, 10, 200, 200, function() {
-    paper = this;
-
-    // the two major collections that affect everything
-    var commitCollection = new CommitCollection();  
-    var branchCollection = new BranchCollection();
-
-    gitVisuals = new GitVisuals({
-      commitCollection: commitCollection,
-      branchCollection: branchCollection
-    });
-
-    gitEngine = new GitEngine({
-      collection: commitCollection,
-      branches: branchCollection
-    });
-
-    $('#commandTextField').focus();
-
-    // needs to be called before raphael ready
-    windowResize();
-    events.trigger('raphaelReady');
-  });
-
-  $(window).resize(windowResize);
-  windowResize();
-  setTimeout(windowResize, 50);
-  
   if (/\?demo/.test(window.location.href)) {
     setTimeout(function() {
       events.trigger('submitCommandValueFromEvent', "gc; git checkout HEAD~1; git commit; git checkout -b bugFix; gc; gc; git rebase master; git checkout master; gc; gc; git merge bugFix");
diff --git a/src/visuals.js b/src/visuals.js
index 20d3c91f..bb843c18 100644
--- a/src/visuals.js
+++ b/src/visuals.js
@@ -1,3 +1,35 @@
+function Visualization(options) {
+
+  var _this = this;
+  Raphael(10, 10, 200, 200, function() {
+    // for some reason raphael calls this function with a predefined
+    // context...
+    // so switch it
+    paper = this;
+    _this.initialize(this);
+  });
+}
+
+Visualization.prototype.initialize = function(paper, options) {
+  this.commitCollection = new CommitCollection();
+  this.branchCollection = new BranchCollection();
+
+  gitVisuals = new GitVisuals({
+    commitCollection: this.commitCollection,
+    branchCollection: this.branchCollection
+  });
+
+  gitEngine = new GitEngine({
+    collection: this.commitCollection,
+    branches: this.branchCollection
+  });
+
+  // needs to be called before raphael ready
+  windowResize();
+  events.trigger('raphaelReady');
+}
+
+
 function GitVisuals(options) {
   this.commitCollection = options.commitCollection;
   this.branchCollection = options.branchCollection;