diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.AutoLayout.js b/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.AutoLayout.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..51e105c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.AutoLayout.js
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+/* global Metamaps */
+
+/*
+ * Metmaaps.AutoLayout.js
+ *
+ * Dependencies: none!
+ */
+
+Metamaps.AutoLayout = {
+  nextX: 0,
+  nextY: 0,
+  sideLength: 1,
+  turnCount: 0,
+  nextXshift: 1,
+  nextYshift: 0,
+  timeToTurn: 0,
+
+  getNextCoord: function () {
+    var self = Metamaps.AutoLayout
+    var nextX = self.nextX
+    var nextY = self.nextY
+
+    var DISTANCE_BETWEEN = 120
+
+    self.nextX = self.nextX + DISTANCE_BETWEEN * self.nextXshift
+    self.nextY = self.nextY + DISTANCE_BETWEEN * self.nextYshift
+
+    self.timeToTurn += 1
+    // if true, it's time to turn
+    if (self.timeToTurn === self.sideLength) {
+      self.turnCount += 1
+      // if true, it's time to increase side length
+      if (self.turnCount % 2 === 0) {
+        self.sideLength += 1
+      }
+      self.timeToTurn = 0
+
+      // going right? turn down
+      if (self.nextXshift == 1 && self.nextYshift == 0) {
+        self.nextXshift = 0
+        self.nextYshift = 1
+      }
+      // going down? turn left
+      else if (self.nextXshift == 0 && self.nextYshift == 1) {
+        self.nextXshift = -1
+        self.nextYshift = 0
+      }
+      // going left? turn up
+      else if (self.nextXshift == -1 && self.nextYshift == 0) {
+        self.nextXshift = 0
+        self.nextYshift = -1
+      }
+      // going up? turn right
+      else if (self.nextXshift == 0 && self.nextYshift == -1) {
+        self.nextXshift = 1
+        self.nextYshift = 0
+      }
+    }
+
+    return {
+      x: nextX,
+      y: nextY
+    }
+  },
+  resetSpiral: function () {
+    var self = Metamaps.AutoLayout
+    self.nextX = 0
+    self.nextY = 0
+    self.nextXshift = 1
+    self.nextYshift = 0
+    self.sideLength = 1
+    self.timeToTurn = 0
+    self.turnCount = 0
+  }
+}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Map.js b/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Map.js
index 1c3c638d..264e3c48 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Map.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Map.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * Metamaps.Map.js.erb
  *
  * Dependencies:
+ *  - Metamaps.AutoLayout
  *  - Metamaps.Create
  *  - Metamaps.Erb
  *  - Metamaps.Filter
@@ -34,13 +35,6 @@ Metamaps.Map = {
   events: {
     editedByActiveMapper: 'Metamaps:Map:events:editedByActiveMapper'
   },
-  nextX: 0,
-  nextY: 0,
-  sideLength: 1,
-  turnCount: 0,
-  nextXshift: 1,
-  nextYshift: 0,
-  timeToTurn: 0,
   init: function () {
     var self = Metamaps.Map
 
@@ -131,7 +125,7 @@ Metamaps.Map = {
   end: function () {
     if (Metamaps.Active.Map) {
       $('.wrapper').removeClass('canEditMap commonsMap')
-      Metamaps.Map.resetSpiral()
+      Metamaps.AutoLayout.resetSpiral()
 
       $('.rightclickmenu').remove()
       Metamaps.TopicCard.hideCard()
@@ -242,68 +236,6 @@ Metamaps.Map = {
       Metamaps.Mappers.add(Metamaps.Active.Mapper)
     }
   },
-  getNextCoord: function () {
-    var self = Metamaps.Map
-    var nextX = self.nextX
-    var nextY = self.nextY
-
-    var DISTANCE_BETWEEN = 120
-
-    self.nextX = self.nextX + DISTANCE_BETWEEN * self.nextXshift
-    self.nextY = self.nextY + DISTANCE_BETWEEN * self.nextYshift
-
-    self.timeToTurn += 1
-    // if true, it's time to turn
-    if (self.timeToTurn === self.sideLength) {
-      self.turnCount += 1
-      // if true, it's time to increase side length
-      if (self.turnCount % 2 === 0) {
-        self.sideLength += 1
-      }
-      self.timeToTurn = 0
-
-      // going right? turn down
-      if (self.nextXshift == 1 && self.nextYshift == 0) {
-        self.nextXshift = 0
-        self.nextYshift = 1
-      }
-      // going down? turn left
-      else if (self.nextXshift == 0 && self.nextYshift == 1) {
-        self.nextXshift = -1
-        self.nextYshift = 0
-      }
-      // going left? turn up
-      else if (self.nextXshift == -1 && self.nextYshift == 0) {
-        self.nextXshift = 0
-        self.nextYshift = -1
-      }
-      // going up? turn right
-      else if (self.nextXshift == 0 && self.nextYshift == -1) {
-        self.nextXshift = 1
-        self.nextYshift = 0
-      }
-    }
-
-    // this is so that if someone has relied on the auto-placement feature on this map,
-    // it will at least start placing nodes at the first empty spot
-    // this will only work up to the point in the spiral at which someone manually moved a node
-    if (Metamaps.Mappings.findWhere({ xloc: nextX, yloc: nextY })) {
-      return self.getNextCoord()
-    }
-    else return {
-      x: nextX,
-      y: nextY
-    }
-  },
-  resetSpiral: function () {
-    Metamaps.Map.nextX = 0
-    Metamaps.Map.nextY = 0
-    Metamaps.Map.nextXshift = 1
-    Metamaps.Map.nextYshift = 0
-    Metamaps.Map.sideLength = 1
-    Metamaps.Map.timeToTurn = 0
-    Metamaps.Map.turnCount = 0
-  },
   exportImage: function () {
     var canvas = {}
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Topic.js b/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Topic.js
index 40a4cd42..52fabed3 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Topic.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/src/Metamaps.Topic.js
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ Metamaps.Topic = {
 
     var topic = self.get(id)
 
-    var nextCoords = Metamaps.Map.getNextCoord()
+    var nextCoords = Metamaps.AutoLayout.getNextCoord()
     var mapping = new Metamaps.Backbone.Mapping({
       xloc: nextCoords.x,
       yloc: nextCoords.y,