diff --git a/src/sextante/ftools/SimplifyGeometries.py b/src/sextante/ftools/SimplifyGeometries.py
@@ -24,13 +24,10 @@ def getIcon(self):
     def processAlgorithm(self, progress):
         self.processedFeatures = 0
         self.progress = progress
-        settings = QSettings()
-        systemEncoding = settings.value( "/UI/encoding", "System" ).toString()
-        output = self.getOutputValue(SimplifyGeometries.OUTPUT)
         tolerance =self.getParameterValue(SimplifyGeometries.TOLERANCE)
         useSelection = self.getParameterValue(SimplifyGeometries.USE_SELECTION)
         vlayer = QGisLayers.getObjectFromUri(self.getParameterValue(SimplifyGeometries.INPUT))
-        self.generalize(vlayer, useSelection, tolerance, output, systemEncoding)
+        self.generalize(vlayer, useSelection, tolerance)
 
 
     def defineCharacteristics(self):
@@ -60,12 +57,8 @@ def generalize( self, inputLayer, useSelection, tolerance, shapePath, shapeEncod
         self.inputLayer = inputLayer
         self.useSelection = useSelection
         self.tolerance = tolerance
-        self.outputFileName = shapePath
-        self.outputEncoding = shapeEncoding
-        self.shapeFileWriter = None
         self.pointsBefore = 0
         self.pointsAfter = 0
-        shapeFileWriter = None
         vProvider = self.inputLayer.dataProvider()
         allAttrs = vProvider.attributeIndexes()
         vProvider.select( allAttrs )
@@ -74,7 +67,7 @@ def generalize( self, inputLayer, useSelection, tolerance, shapePath, shapeEncod
         wkbType = self.inputLayer.wkbType()
         if not crs.isValid():
             crs = None
-        shapeFileWriter = QgsVectorFileWriter( self.outputFileName, self.outputEncoding, shapeFields, wkbType, crs )
+        shapeFileWriter = self.getOutputFromName(SimplifyGeometries.OUTPUT).getVectorWriter(shapeFields, wkbType, crs )
         featureId = 0
         if self.useSelection:
             selection = self.inputLayer.selectedFeatures()

diff --git a/src/sextante/ftools/SinglePartsToMultiparts.py b/src/sextante/ftools/SinglePartsToMultiparts.py
@@ -21,17 +21,13 @@ def getIcon(self):
         return QtGui.QIcon(os.path.dirname(__file__) + "/icons/single_to_multi.png")
 
     def processAlgorithm(self, progress):
-        settings = QSettings()
-        systemEncoding = settings.value( "/UI/encoding", "System" ).toString()
         vlayer = QGisLayers.getObjectFromUri(self.getParameterValue(SinglePartsToMultiparts.INPUT))
-        output = self.getOutputValue(SinglePartsToMultiparts.OUTPUT)
         vprovider = vlayer.dataProvider()
         allAttrs = vprovider.attributeIndexes()
         vprovider.select( allAttrs )
         fields = vprovider.fields()
         geomType = self.singleToMultiGeom(vprovider.geometryType())
-        writer = QgsVectorFileWriter( output, systemEncoding,
-            fields, geomType, vprovider.crs() )
+        writer = self.getOutputFromName(SinglePartsToMultiparts.OUTPUT).getVectorWriter(fields, geomType, vprovider.crs() )
         inFeat = QgsFeature()
         outFeat = QgsFeature()
         inGeom = QgsGeometry()
@@ -60,7 +56,6 @@ def processAlgorithm(self, progress):
                 feature_list = self.extractAsMulti( inGeom )
                 multi_feature.extend( feature_list )
               nElement += 1
-              #self.emit( SIGNAL( "runStatus(PyQt_PyObject)" ),  nElement )
             outFeat.setAttributeMap( atts )
             outGeom = QgsGeometry( self.convertGeometry(multi_feature, vType) )
             outFeat.setGeometry(outGeom)

diff --git a/src/sextante/ftools/SumLines.py b/src/sextante/ftools/SumLines.py
@@ -23,9 +23,6 @@ def getIcon(self):
         return QtGui.QIcon(os.path.dirname(__file__) + "/icons/sum_lines.png")
 
     def processAlgorithm(self, progress):
-        settings = QSettings()
-        systemEncoding = settings.value( "/UI/encoding", "System" ).toString()
-        output = self.getOutputValue(SumLines.OUTPUT)
         inField = self.getParameterValue(SumLines.FIELD)
         lineLayer = QGisLayers.getObjectFromUri(self.getParameterValue(SumLines.LINES))
         polyLayer = QGisLayers.getObjectFromUri(self.getParameterValue(SumLines.POLYGONS))
@@ -54,12 +51,7 @@ def processAlgorithm(self, progress):
         lineProvider.rewind()
         start = 15.00
         add = 85.00 / polyProvider.featureCount()
-        check = QFile(output)
-        if check.exists():
-            if not QgsVectorFileWriter.deleteShapeFile(output):
-                raise GeoAlgorithmExecutionException("Could not delete existing output file")
-        writer = QgsVectorFileWriter(output, systemEncoding, fieldList, polyProvider.geometryType(), sRs)
-        #writer = QgsVectorFileWriter(outPath, "UTF-8", fieldList, polyProvider.geometryType(), sRs)
+        writer = self.getOutputFromName(SumLines.OUTPUT).getVectorWriter(fieldList, polyProvider.geometryType(), sRs)
         spatialIndex = ftools_utils.createIndex( lineProvider )
         while polyProvider.nextFeature(inFeat):
             inGeom = QgsGeometry(inFeat.geometry())

diff --git a/src/sextante/ftools/Union.py b/src/sextante/ftools/Union.py
@@ -21,9 +21,6 @@ def getIcon(self):
         return QtGui.QIcon(os.path.dirname(__file__) + "/icons/union.png")
 
     def processAlgorithm(self, progress):
-        settings = QSettings()
-        systemEncoding = settings.value( "/UI/encoding", "System" ).toString()
-        output = self.getOutputValue(Union.OUTPUT)
         vlayerA = QGisLayers.getObjectFromUri(self.getParameterValue(Union.INPUT))
         vlayerB = QGisLayers.getObjectFromUri(self.getParameterValue(Union.INPUT2))
         GEOS_EXCEPT = True
@@ -47,7 +44,7 @@ def processAlgorithm(self, progress):
         longNames = ftools_utils.checkFieldNameLength( fields )
         if not longNames.isEmpty():
             raise GeoAlgorithmExecutionException("Following field names are longer than 10 characters:\n" +  longNames.join('\n') )
-        writer = QgsVectorFileWriter( output, systemEncoding, fields, vproviderA.geometryType(), vproviderA.crs() )
+        writer = self.getOutputFromName(Union.OUTPUT).getVectorWriter(fields, vproviderA.geometryType(), vproviderA.crs() )
         inFeatA = QgsFeature()
         inFeatB = QgsFeature()
         outFeat = QgsFeature()

diff --git a/src/sextante/ftools/VariableDistanceBuffer.py b/src/sextante/ftools/VariableDistanceBuffer.py
@@ -25,13 +25,17 @@ def getIcon(self):
         return QtGui.QIcon(os.path.dirname(__file__) + "/icons/buffer.png")
 
     def processAlgorithm(self, progress):
-        output = self.getOutputValue(VariableDistanceBuffer.OUTPUT)
+        vlayer = QGisLayers.getObjectFromUri(self.getParameterValue(VariableDistanceBuffer.INPUT))
+        vprovider = vlayer.dataProvider()
+        allAttrs = vprovider.attributeIndexes()
+        vprovider.select(allAttrs)
+        writer = self.getOutputFromName(VariableDistanceBuffer.OUTPUT).getVectorWriter(vprovider.fields(), QGis.WKBPolygon, vprovider.crs() )
         useSelection = self.getParameterValue(VariableDistanceBuffer.USE_SELECTED)
         dissolve = self.getParameterValue(VariableDistanceBuffer.DISSOLVE)
         field = self.getParameterValue(VariableDistanceBuffer.FIELD)
         segments = int(self.getParameterValue(VariableDistanceBuffer.SEGMENTS))
         layer = QGisLayers.getObjectFromUri(self.getParameterValue(VariableDistanceBuffer.INPUT))
-        buff.buffering(progress, output, 0, field, useSelection, True, layer, dissolve, segments)
+        buff.buffering(progress, writer, 0, field, useSelection, True, layer, dissolve, segments)
 
     def defineCharacteristics(self):
         self.name = "Variable distance buffer"

diff --git a/src/sextante/ftools/VoronoiPolygons.py b/src/sextante/ftools/VoronoiPolygons.py
@@ -15,14 +15,11 @@ class VoronoiPolygons(GeoAlgorithm):
     OUTPUT = "OUTPUT"
 
     def processAlgorithm(self, progress):
-        settings = QSettings()
-        systemEncoding = settings.value( "/UI/encoding", "System" ).toString()
-        output = self.getOutputValue(VoronoiPolygons.OUTPUT)
         vlayer = QGisLayers.getObjectFromUri(self.getParameterValue(VoronoiPolygons.INPUT))
         vprovider = vlayer.dataProvider()
         allAttrs = vprovider.attributeIndexes()
         vprovider.select( allAttrs )
-        writer = QgsVectorFileWriter( output, systemEncoding, vprovider.fields(), QGis.WKBPolygon, vprovider.crs() )
+        writer = self.getOutputFromName(VoronoiPolygons.OUTPUT).getVectorWriter(vprovider.fields(), QGis.WKBPolygon, vprovider.crs() )
         inFeat = QgsFeature()
         outFeat = QgsFeature()
         extent = vlayer.extent()

diff --git a/src/sextante/outputs/OutputVector.py b/src/sextante/outputs/OutputVector.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from sextante.outputs.Output import Output
 from qgis.core import *
 from PyQt4.QtCore import *
+from sextante.core.GeoAlgorithmExecutionException import GeoAlgorithmExecutionException
 
 class OutputVector(Output):
 
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ def getVectorWriter(self, fields, geomType, crs, options=None):
         '''Returns a suitable writer to which features can be added as a result of the algorithm.
         Use this to transparently handle output values instead of creating your own method.
         Parameters:
-        -field: an array with the fields of the attributes table
+        -field: an array with the fields of the attributes table or dict of int-QgsField
         -geomType: A suitable geometry type, as it would be passed to a QgsVectorFileWriter constructor
         -crs: the crs of the layer to create.
         Executing this method might modify the object, adding additional information to it, so the writer
@@ -28,6 +29,8 @@ def getVectorWriter(self, fields, geomType, crs, options=None):
         thus rendering a previously obtained writer useless'''
 
         if self.value.startswith(self.MEMORY_LAYER_PREFIX):
+            if isinstance(fields, dict):
+                fields = fields.values()
             types = { QGis.WKBPoint : "Point", QGis.WKBLineString : "Point", QGis.WKBPolygon : "Polygon",
                      QGis.WKBMultiPoint : "MultiPoint", QGis.WKBMultiLineString : "MultiLineString", QGis.WKBMultiPolygon : "MultiPolygon",}
             v = QgsVectorLayer(types[geomType], self.description, "memory")
@@ -38,18 +41,25 @@ def getVectorWriter(self, fields, geomType, crs, options=None):
             return v
         else: #outputChannel is a file path
             #TODO: Add support for encodings
+            check = QFile(self.value)
+            if check.exists():
+                if not QgsVectorFileWriter.deleteShapeFile(self.value):
+                    raise GeoAlgorithmExecutionException("Could not delete existing output file")
             formats = QgsVectorFileWriter.supportedFiltersAndFormats()
             OGRCodes = {}
             for key,value in formats.items():
                 extension = str(key)
                 extension = extension[extension.find('*.') + 2:]
                 extension = extension[:extension.find(" ")]
                 OGRCodes[extension] = value
-            fieldsDict = {}
-            i = 0
-            for field in fields:
-                fieldsDict[i] = field
-                i += 1
+            if isinstance(fields, dict):
+                fieldsDict = fields
+            else:
+                fieldsDict = {}
+                i = 0
+                for field in fields:
+                    fieldsDict[i] = field
+                    i += 1
             settings = QSettings()
             systemEncoding = settings.value( "/UI/encoding", "System" ).toString()
             extension = self.value[self.value.find(".")+1:]