diff --git a/src/removeoverlap.cpp b/src/removeoverlap.cpp
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/removeoverlap.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/** \file
+ * Interface between Inkscape code (SPItem) and remove-overlaps function.
+ */
+/*
+* Authors:
+* Tim Dwyer <tgdwyer@gmail.com>
+*
+* Copyright (C) 2005 Authors
+*
+* Released under GNU LGPL. Read the file 'COPYING' for more information.
+*/
+#include "util/glib-list-iterators.h"
+#include "sp-item.h"
+#include "sp-item-transform.h"
+#include "libvpsc/generate-constraints.h"
+#include "libvpsc/remove_rectangle_overlap.h"
+#include <utility>
+
+using vpsc::Rectangle;
+
+namespace {
+ struct Record {
+ SPItem *item;
+ Geom::Point midpoint;
+ Rectangle *vspc_rect;
+
+ Record() {}
+ Record(SPItem *i, Geom::Point m, Rectangle *r)
+ : item(i), midpoint(m), vspc_rect(r) {}
+ };
+}
+
+/**
+* Takes a list of inkscape items and moves them as little as possible
+* such that rectangular bounding boxes are separated by at least xGap
+* horizontally and yGap vertically
+*/
+void removeoverlap(GSList const *const items, double const xGap, double const yGap) {
+ using Inkscape::Util::GSListConstIterator;
+ std::list<SPItem *> selected;
+ selected.insert<GSListConstIterator<SPItem *> >(selected.end(), items, NULL);
+ std::vector<Record> records;
+ std::vector<Rectangle *> rs;
+
+ Geom::Point const gap(xGap, yGap);
+ for (std::list<SPItem *>::iterator it(selected.begin());
+ it != selected.end();
+ ++it)
+ {
+ using Geom::X; using Geom::Y;
+ Geom::OptRect item_box(sp_item_bbox_desktop(*it));
+ if (item_box) {
+ Geom::Point min(item_box->min() - .5*gap);
+ Geom::Point max(item_box->max() + .5*gap);
+ // A negative gap is allowed, but will lead to problems when the gap is larger than
+ // the bounding box (in either X or Y direction, or both); min will have become max
+ // now, which cannot be handled by Rectangle() which is called below. And how will
+ // removeRectangleOverlap handle such a case?
+ // That's why we will enforce some boundaries on min and max here:
+ if (max[X] < min[X]) {
+ min[X] = max[X] = (min[X] + max[X])/2;
+ }
+ if (max[Y] < min[Y]) {
+ min[Y] = max[Y] = (min[Y] + max[Y])/2;
+ }
+ Rectangle *vspc_rect = new Rectangle(min[X], max[X], min[Y], max[Y]);
+ records.push_back(Record(*it, item_box->midpoint(), vspc_rect));
+ rs.push_back(vspc_rect);
+ }
+ }
+ if (!rs.empty()) {
+ removeRectangleOverlap(rs.size(), &rs[0], 0.0, 0.0);
+ }
+ for ( std::vector<Record>::iterator it = records.begin();
+ it != records.end();
+ ++it )
+ {
+ Geom::Point const curr = it->midpoint;
+ Geom::Point const dest(it->vspc_rect->getCentreX(),
+ it->vspc_rect->getCentreY());
+ sp_item_move_rel(it->item, Geom::Translate(dest - curr));
+ delete it->vspc_rect;
+ }
+}