Node Auto Layout (ELK)
One-click canvas organization using the ELK layout engine. Auto-arrange connected nodes into clean pipelines.
Musein Team
As your canvas grows, nodes can become scattered and connections hard to follow. The Node Auto Layout feature uses the ELK (Eclipse Layout Kernel) engine to reorganize everything into a clean, readable pipeline with one click.
How It Works
ELK is a powerful graph layout framework that analyzes node connections and arranges them intelligently:
- Select the nodes you want to organize (or select nothing to arrange the entire canvas)
- Click the Auto Layout button in the toolbar
- ELK computes an optimal layout based on connection topology
- Nodes snap into position while preserving all edges
The result is a neatly organized workflow that is easy to read and navigate.
Layout Directions
Choose the direction that fits your workflow:
- Left to Right — The most common direction. Source nodes on the left, processing steps flowing rightward, output nodes on the far right. Works well for reading-like workflows.
- Top to Bottom — Source at the top, flowing downward. Good for vertical screen space or hierarchical pipelines.
- Right to Left — Reverse flow for specific use cases.
- Bottom to Top — Upward flow, less common but useful in certain layouts.
The direction applies to the main flow of connected components.
What ELK Respects
The layout engine is smart about preserving your intent:
- Group nodes — Children stay inside their parent group
- Existing connections — All edges are preserved and rerouted cleanly
- Node size — Node dimensions are honored; ELK works around them
- Hierarchy — Nested structures maintain their containment relationships
When to Use Auto Layout
Auto layout is especially helpful for:
- Cleaning up after deleting or adding several nodes
- Standardizing the visual structure before sharing your canvas
- Unpacking a complex sub-flow that has become tangled
- Starting a collaborative session with a clean baseline
Tips
- Combine with undo (Ctrl+Z) if you don't like the result — try a different direction
- For partial organization, select only a subgroup of nodes
- Very large canvases may take a moment to compute; progress is shown in the status bar