Index: trunk/src/board.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/board.c	(revision 9850)
+++ trunk/src/board.c	(revision 9851)
@@ -315,3 +315,35 @@
 {
 	pcb_event(PCB_EVENT_BOARD_CHANGED, "i", reverted);
 }
+
+int pcb_board_normalize(pcb_board_t *pcb)
+{
+	pcb_box_t b;
+	pcb_coord_t dx = 0, dy = 0;
+	int chg = 0;
+	
+	if (pcb_data_bbox(&b, pcb->Data) == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	if ((b.X2 - b.X1) > pcb->MaxWidth) {
+		pcb->MaxWidth = b.X2 - b.X1;
+		chg++;
+	}
+
+	if ((b.Y2 - b.Y1) > pcb->MaxHeight) {
+		pcb->MaxHeight = b.Y2 - b.Y1;
+		chg++;
+	}
+
+	if (b.X1 < 0)
+		dx = -b.X1;
+	if (b.Y1 < 0)
+		dy = -b.Y1;
+
+	if ((dx > 0) || (dy > 0)) {
+		pcb_data_move(pcb->Data, dx, dy);
+		chg++;
+	}
+
+	return chg;
+}
Index: trunk/src/board.h
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/board.h	(revision 9850)
+++ trunk/src/board.h	(revision 9851)
@@ -162,9 +162,14 @@
 /* sets a text scaling */
 void pcb_board_set_text_scale(int Scale);
 
+/* make sure the data of the board fits the PCB (move it out from negative,
+   make the board large enough); returns -1 on error, the number of changes on success */
+int pcb_board_normalize(pcb_board_t *pcb);
+
 /* sets or resets changed flag and redraws status */
 void pcb_board_set_changed_flag(pcb_bool New);
 
 void pcb_board_changed(int reverted);
 
+
 #endif