diff --git a/worldedit_commands/.gitignore b/worldedit_commands/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4e5f6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/worldedit_commands/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*~
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/worldedit_commands/area.lua b/worldedit_commands/area.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c3a16e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/worldedit_commands/area.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,285 @@
+minetest.register_chatcommand(
+   "/outset",
+   {
+      params = "<amount> [h|v]",
+      description = "expand the selection",
+      privs = {worldedit=true},
+      func = function(name, param)
+	 local find, _, amount, dir = param:find("^(%d+)[%s+]?([hv]?)$")
+	 local message
+
+	 if find == nil then
+	    worldedit.player_notify(name, "invalid usage: " .. param)
+	    return
+	 end
+	 
+	 if worldedit.pos1[name] == nil or worldedit.pos2[name] == nil then
+	    message = "Undefined region. Region must be defined beforehand."
+	 else
+	    amount = tonumber(amount)
+	    local curpos1 = worldedit.pos1[name]
+	    local curpos2 = worldedit.pos2[name]
+
+	    local dirs = worldedit.get_outset_directions(curpos1, curpos2)
+
+	    if dir == 'h' then
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].x = curpos1.x + (amount * dirs.x1)
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].z = curpos1.z + (amount * dirs.z1)
+
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].x = curpos2.x + (amount * dirs.x2)
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].z = curpos2.z + (amount * dirs.z2)
+
+	       message = "area expanded by " .. amount .. " blocks horizontally"
+	    elseif dir == 'v' then
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].y = curpos1.y + (amount * dirs.y1)
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].y = curpos2.y + (amount * dirs.y2)
+
+	       message = "area expanded by " .. amount .. " blocks vertically"
+	    else
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].x = curpos1.x + (amount * dirs.x1)
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].z = curpos1.z + (amount * dirs.z1)
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].y = curpos1.y + (amount * dirs.y1)
+
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].x = curpos2.x + (amount * dirs.x2)
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].z = curpos2.z + (amount * dirs.z2)
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].y = curpos2.y + (amount * dirs.y2)
+
+	       message = "area expanded by " .. amount .. " blocks in all axes"
+	    end
+
+	    worldedit.mark_pos1(name)
+	    worldedit.mark_pos2(name)
+	 end
+
+	 worldedit.player_notify(name, message)
+      end,
+   }
+)
+
+minetest.register_chatcommand(
+   "/inset",
+   {
+      params = "<amount> [h|v]",
+      description = "contract",
+      privs = {worldedit=true},
+      func = function(name, param)
+	 local find, _, amount, dir = param:find("^(%d+)[%s+]?([hv]?)$")
+	 local message = ""
+
+	 if find == nil then
+	    worldedit.player_notify(name, "invalid usage: " .. param)
+	    return
+	 end
+	 
+	 if worldedit.pos1[name] == nil or worldedit.pos2[name] == nil then
+	    message = "Undefined region. Region must be defined beforehand."
+	 else
+	    amount = tonumber(amount)
+	    local curpos1 = worldedit.pos1[name]
+	    local curpos2 = worldedit.pos2[name]
+
+	    local dirs = worldedit.get_outset_directions(curpos1, curpos2)
+
+	    if dir == 'h' then
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].x = curpos1.x - (amount * dirs.x1)
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].z = curpos1.z - (amount * dirs.z1)
+
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].x = curpos2.x - (amount * dirs.x2)
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].z = curpos2.z - (amount * dirs.z2)
+
+	       message = "area contracted by " .. amount .. " blocks horizontally"
+	    elseif dir == 'v' then
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].y = curpos1.y - (amount * dirs.y1)
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].y = curpos2.y - (amount * dirs.y2)
+
+	       message = "area contracted by " .. amount .. " blocks vertically"
+	    else
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].x = curpos1.x - (amount * dirs.x1)
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].z = curpos1.z - (amount * dirs.z1)
+	       worldedit.pos1[name].y = curpos1.y - (amount * dirs.y1)
+
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].x = curpos2.x - (amount * dirs.x2)
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].z = curpos2.z - (amount * dirs.z2)
+	       worldedit.pos2[name].y = curpos2.y - (amount * dirs.y2)
+
+	       message = "area contracted by " .. amount .. " blocks in all axes"
+	    end
+
+	    worldedit.mark_pos1(name)
+	    worldedit.mark_pos2(name)
+	 end
+
+	 worldedit.player_notify(name, message)
+      end,
+   }
+)
+
+worldedit.get_outset_directions = function(mark1, mark2)
+   if mark1 == nil or mark2 == nil then return
+   end
+   
+   local dirs =
+      {
+	 x1 = 0,
+	 x2 = 0,
+	 y1 = 0,
+	 y2 = 0,
+	 z1 = 0,
+	 z2 = 0
+      }
+   
+   if mark1.x < mark2.x then
+      dirs.x1 = -1
+      dirs.x2 = 1
+   else
+      dirs.x1 = 1
+      dirs.x2 = -1
+   end
+
+   if mark1.y < mark2.y then
+      dirs.y1 = -1
+      dirs.y2 = 1
+   else
+      dirs.y1 = 1
+      dirs.y2 = -1
+   end
+
+   if mark1.z < mark2.z then
+      dirs.z1 = -1
+      dirs.z2 = 1
+   else
+      dirs.z1 = 1
+      dirs.z2 = -1
+   end
+
+   return dirs
+end
+
+
+minetest.register_chatcommand(
+   "/shift",
+   {
+      params = "[+|-]<amount> [x|y|z]",
+      description = "Moves the selection region. Does not move contents.",
+      privs = {worldedit=true},
+      func = function(name, param)
+	 local pos1 = worldedit.pos1[name]
+	 local pos2 = worldedit.pos2[name]
+	 local find, _, sign, amount, axis = param:find("^([+-]?)(%d+)[%s+]?([xyz]?)$")
+
+	 if find == nil then
+	    minetest.debug("entering if")
+	    worldedit.player_notify(name, "invalid usage: " .. param)
+	    return
+	 end
+	 
+	 if pos1 == nil or pos2 == nil then
+	    worldedit.player_notify(name, "Undefined region. Region must be defined beforehand.")
+	    return
+	 end
+
+	 amount = tonumber(amount)
+
+	 local direction = ""
+
+	 if sign ~= nil and sign == '-' then
+	    amount = amount * -1
+	 end
+	 
+	 if axis == "" then
+	    direction, _ = worldedit.player_axis(name)
+	    amount = amount * _
+	 else
+	    direction = axis
+	 end
+	 
+	 if direction == 'x' then
+	    worldedit.pos1[name].x = pos1.x + amount
+	    worldedit.pos2[name].x = pos2.x + amount
+	 elseif direction == 'y' then
+	    worldedit.pos1[name].y = pos1.y + amount
+	    worldedit.pos2[name].y = pos2.y + amount
+	 elseif direction == 'z' then
+	    worldedit.pos1[name].z = pos1.z + amount
+	    worldedit.pos2[name].z = pos2.z + amount
+	 else
+	    worldedit.player_notify(name, "unexpected error. direction = " .. direction)
+	 end
+
+	 worldedit.mark_pos1(name)
+	 worldedit.mark_pos2(name)
+
+	 worldedit.player_notify(name, "Area shifted by " .. amount .. " in " .. direction .. " axis")
+      end,
+   }
+)
+
+minetest.register_chatcommand(
+   "/expand",
+   {
+      params = "<amount> [reverse-amount] [direction]",
+      description = "expand the selection in one or two directions at once",
+      privs = {worldedit=true},
+      func = function(name, param)
+	 local find, _, amount, arg2, arg3 = param:find("^(%d+)[%s+]?([%w+]?)[%s+]?([xyz]?)$")
+
+	 if find == nil then
+	    worldedit.player_notify(name, "invalid use: " .. param)
+	    return
+	 end
+
+	 if worldedit.pos1[name] == nil or worldedit.pos2[name] == nil then
+	    worldedit.player_notify(name, "Undefined region. Region must be defined beforehand.")
+	    return
+	 end
+
+	 local pos1 = worldedit.pos1[name]
+	 local pos2 = worldedit.pos2[name]
+	 local axis, dir
+
+	 if arg2 == "" and arg3 == "" then
+	    axis, dir = worldedit.player_axis(name)
+	    if worldedit.get_closest_marker(name) == 1 then
+	       if axis == 'x' then
+		  worldedit.pos2[name].x = pos2.x + (amount * dir)
+	       elseif axis == 'y' then
+		  worldedit.pos2[name].y = pos2.y + (amount * dir)
+	       elseif axis == 'z' then
+		  worldedit.pos2[name].z = pos2.z + (amount * dir)
+	       end
+
+	       worldedit.mark_pos2(name)
+	    else
+	       if axis == 'x' then
+		  worldedit.pos1[name].x = pos1.x + (amount * dir)
+	       elseif axis == 'y' then
+		  worldedit.pos1[name].y = pos1.y + (amount * dir)
+	       elseif axis == 'z' then
+		  worldedit.pos1[name].z = pos1.z + (amount * dir)
+	       end
+
+	       worldedit.mark_pos1(name)
+	    end
+	 elseif arg2 ~= "" and arg3 == "" then
+	    -- TODO
+	 elseif arg2 ~= "" and arg3 ~= "" then
+	    -- TODO
+	 end
+
+	 worldedit.player_notify(name, "Area expanded by " .. amount .. " on " .. axis)
+      end,
+   }
+)
+
+worldedit.get_closest_marker = function(name)
+   local playerpos = minetest.get_player_by_name(name):getpos()
+
+   local dist1 = vector.distance(playerpos, worldedit.pos1[name])
+   local dist2 = vector.distance(playerpos, worldedit.pos2[name])
+
+   if dist1 < dist2 then
+      return 1
+   else
+      return 2
+   end
+end
diff --git a/worldedit_commands/init.lua b/worldedit_commands/init.lua
index c93a760..30e6f9a 100644
--- a/worldedit_commands/init.lua
+++ b/worldedit_commands/init.lua
@@ -1182,3 +1182,5 @@ minetest.register_chatcommand("/clearobjects", {
 		worldedit.player_notify(name, count .. " objects cleared")
 	end),
 })
+
+dofile(minetest.get_modpath("worldedit_commands") .. "/area.lua")