PlantUML object layout control is not working, how to deal with that?

Question

@startuml
rectangle "System Architecture" as map {
    rectangle "Problem" as problem {
        rectangle "Quantity" as quantity {

        }

    }
    rectangle "Soluation" as solution {
        rectangle "Flow 1" as flow_1 {

        }
        rectangle "Flow 2" as flow_2 {

        }
        flow_1 -down[hidden]-> flow_2
        rectangle "Flow 3" as flow_3 {

        }
        flow_2 -down[hidden]-> flow_3
        rectangle "Flow ..." as flow_ {

        }
        flow_3 -down[hidden]-> flow_
        rectangle "Flow N" as flow_n {

        }
        flow_ -down[hidden]-> flow_n

    }
    problem -right[hidden]- flow_3
}


@enduml

I want problem laying left of solution, so I think problem -right-> solution can make it, but it turns out neither -left- nor -right- can make any change, problem lays right anyway, what should I do?

SO tells me there mostly code out there, so here I am forced to make some bullshit, I think layout control of PlantUML is horrible, no one knows what is the result during development, OK, here it is

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 08 '19 at 09:15

When I defined the rectangles in the other order and adjusted the arrow between problem and flow_3 it looks OK to me.

@startuml
rectangle "System Architecture" as map {

    rectangle "Soluation" as solution {
        rectangle "Flow 1" as flow_1 {

        }
        rectangle "Flow 2" as flow_2 {

        }
        flow_1 -down[hidden]-> flow_2
        rectangle "Flow 3" as flow_3 {

        }
        flow_2 -down[hidden]-> flow_3
        rectangle "Flow ..." as flow_ {

        }
        flow_3 -down[hidden]-> flow_
        rectangle "Flow N" as flow_n {

        }
        flow_ -down[hidden]-> flow_n

    }
    rectangle "Problem" as problem {
        rectangle "Quantity" as quantity {

        }

    }
    problem -[hidden]> flow_3
}
@enduml

Result in the plantuml web service: http://www.plantuml.com/plantuml/uml/VP71JWCX48RlFCMazzsaoztKYqUZyMYCmOAM18OAGvh6xBkBYCkQmCvfXdp_nmGEWOIdQ0tpwaW2Fuo2tTCraB9mwuydJUauUhK34S2ACtmn1gdMj3DHa7QOcP2cdo61K6h5tXbtWNq6trFxka_OmitTn5GJKpjHR8Dq5tm-QIaLlWmt9TBrykhb6zwfxULTxpYErRmXvcrnrtjVhRYXRLkHiSgkp0_UlHbbi_hysxS_xp4A94tNJ7wMuVyQzOP5DVpjiRpQp0uAPRJc6m00

Maybe a source of some ideas:

PlantUML object layout control is not working, how to deal with that?

1 Answers1