diff --git a/common/coords.go b/common/coords.go
index dc57e6e..6bbc0af 100644
--- a/common/coords.go
+++ b/common/coords.go
@@ -5,9 +5,18 @@
 package common
 
 import (
+	"encoding/binary"
 	"strconv"
 )
 
+type (
+	KeyTransformer func(int64) int64
+	KeyEncoder     func(int64) []byte
+	KeyDecoder     func([]byte) int64
+	KeySplitter    func(int64) (int16, int16, int16)
+	KeyJoiner      func(int16, int16, int16) int64
+)
+
 // Constructs a database key out of byte slice.
 func DecodePosFromBytes(key []byte) (pos int64, err error) {
 	return strconv.ParseInt(string(key), 10, 64)
@@ -17,3 +26,106 @@ func DecodePosFromBytes(key []byte) (pos int64, err error) {
 func EncodePosToBytes(key int64) []byte {
 	return []byte(strconv.FormatInt(key, 10))
 }
+
+func EncodeAsBigEndian(key int64) (enc []byte) {
+	enc = make([]byte, 8)
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint64(enc, uint64(key))
+	return
+}
+
+func DecodeFromBigEndian(key []byte) int64 {
+	return int64(binary.BigEndian.Uint64(key))
+}
+
+const (
+	numBitsPerComponent = 12
+	maxPositive         = 2048
+	modulo              = 4096
+)
+
+func XYZToInterleaved(x, y, z int16) (result int64) {
+	const end = 1 << (numBitsPerComponent + 1)
+	setmask := int64(1)
+	for mask := int16(1); mask != end; mask <<= 1 {
+		if x&mask != 0 {
+			result |= setmask
+		}
+		setmask <<= 1
+		if y&mask != 0 {
+			result |= setmask
+		}
+		setmask <<= 1
+		if z&mask != 0 {
+			result |= setmask
+		}
+		setmask <<= 1
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func InterleavedToXYZ(c int64) (x, y, z int16) {
+	const end = 1 << (numBitsPerComponent + 1)
+	for mask := int16(1); mask != end; mask <<= 1 {
+		if c&1 == 1 {
+			x |= mask
+		}
+		c >>= 1
+		if c&1 == 1 {
+			y |= mask
+		}
+		c >>= 1
+		if c&1 == 1 {
+			z |= mask
+		}
+		c >>= 1
+	}
+	if x >= 1<<numBitsPerComponent {
+		x -= end
+	}
+	if y >= 1<<numBitsPerComponent {
+		y -= end
+	}
+	if z >= 1<<numBitsPerComponent {
+		z -= end
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func XYZToPlain(x, y, z int16) int64 {
+	return int64(z)<<24 + int64(y)<<12 + int64(x)
+}
+
+func unsignedToSigned(i int16) int16 {
+	if i < maxPositive {
+		return i
+	}
+	return i - maxPositive*2
+}
+
+// To match C++ code.
+func pythonModulo(i int16) int16 {
+	if i >= 0 {
+		return i % modulo
+	}
+	return modulo - (-i)%modulo
+}
+
+// Only to match the C++ code.
+func PlainToXYZ(i int64) (x, y, z int16) {
+	x = unsignedToSigned(pythonModulo(int16(i)))
+	i = (i - int64(x)) / modulo
+	y = unsignedToSigned(pythonModulo(int16(i)))
+	i = (i - int64(y)) / modulo
+	z = unsignedToSigned(pythonModulo(int16(i)))
+	return
+}
+
+func TransformPlainToInterleaved(pos int64) int64 {
+	x, y, z := PlainToXYZ(pos)
+	return XYZToInterleaved(x, y, z)
+}
+
+func TransformInterleavedPlain(pos int64) int64 {
+	x, y, z := InterleavedToXYZ(pos)
+	return XYZToPlain(x, y, z)
+}
diff --git a/common/coords_test.go b/common/coords_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..169206f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/coords_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+package common
+
+import "testing"
+
+//var data = []int16{-2}
+var data = []int16{
+	-2045, -1850, -1811, -1629, -1104,
+	-967, -725, -646, -329, -212,
+	-150, 88, 524, 527, 549,
+	1783, 1817, 1826, 2028, 2032}
+
+func allData(f func(int16, int16, int16)) {
+	for _, z := range data {
+		for _, y := range data {
+			for _, x := range data {
+				f(x, y, z)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func checkJoinSplit(
+	desc string,
+	join KeyJoiner, split KeySplitter,
+	x1, y1, z1 int16, t *testing.T) {
+
+	k1 := join(x1, y1, z1)
+	x2, y2, z2 := split(k1)
+	if x1 != x2 || y1 != y2 || z1 != z2 {
+		t.Errorf("%s: Expected (%d, %d, %d) got (%d, %d, %d) %b\n",
+			desc, x1, y1, z1, x2, y2, z2, k1)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestJoinSplit(t *testing.T) {
+	allData(func(x, y, z int16) {
+		checkJoinSplit(
+			"P2XYZ(XYZ2P(xyz))",
+			XYZToPlain, PlainToXYZ,
+			x, y, z, t)
+	})
+	allData(func(x, y, z int16) {
+		checkJoinSplit(
+			"I2XYZ(XYZ2I(xyz))",
+			XYZToInterleaved, InterleavedToXYZ,
+			x, y, z, t)
+	})
+}
+
+func checkTransformer(
+	desc string, joiner KeyJoiner,
+	transform KeyTransformer,
+	x, y, z int16, t *testing.T) {
+
+	k1 := joiner(x, y, z)
+	k2 := transform(k1)
+	if k2 != k1 {
+		t.Errorf("%s: Expected %v got %v for (%d, %d, %d)\n",
+			desc, k1, k2, x, y, z)
+	}
+}
+
+func compose(transforms ...KeyTransformer) KeyTransformer {
+	return func(x int64) int64 {
+		for _, transform := range transforms {
+			x = transform(x)
+		}
+		return x
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTransforms(t *testing.T) {
+	// Mainly to check the test itself.
+	allData(func(x, y, z int16) {
+		checkTransformer(
+			"plain",
+			XYZToPlain,
+			compose(),
+			x, y, z, t)
+	})
+	allData(func(x, y, z int16) {
+		checkTransformer(
+			"I2P(P2I(plain))",
+			XYZToPlain,
+			compose(TransformPlainToInterleaved, TransformInterleavedPlain),
+			x, y, z, t)
+	})
+	allData(func(x, y, z int16) {
+		checkTransformer(
+			"P2I(I2P(interleaved))",
+			XYZToInterleaved,
+			compose(TransformInterleavedPlain, TransformPlainToInterleaved),
+			x, y, z, t)
+	})
+}