Layouts Overview | ERD Generator Docs

Layouts control how tables and relationships are positioned on the canvas. Choosing the right layout can dramatically improve readability, understanding, and communication of your database design.

The ERD Generator provides multiple layout strategies, each optimized for different use cases.

➡️ Left → Right (LR)

Tables flow horizontally from left to right, following a natural reading direction.

Best for

• Application data flow
• Service-to-database interactions
• Query pipelines and dependency chains
• Presentations and documentation

Strengths

• Easy to scan visually
• Clear directional flow
• Works well for medium-sized schemas

Tradeoffs

• Can grow wide for large schemas
• Less compact on smaller screens

Recommended when:
You want to explain how data moves through the system.

⬇️ Top → Bottom (TB)

Tables are arranged vertically from top to bottom.

Best for

• Layered architectures
• Ingestion → processing → storage pipelines
• Hierarchical data models

Strengths

• Compact horizontal footprint
• Familiar diagram structure
• Works well on wide monitors

Tradeoffs

• Tall diagrams may require more vertical scrolling
• Dense schemas may feel stacked

Recommended when:
You want to emphasize processing stages or hierarchy.

🧲 Force-Directed Layout

Tables are positioned dynamically using simulated forces that minimize overlap and edge crossings.

Best for

• Exploring unknown or imported schemas
• Highly interconnected databases
• Early discovery and analysis

Strengths

• Automatically reveals clusters
• Adapts well to complex relationships
• Great for first-time schema exploration

Tradeoffs

• Layout may shift between runs
• Less predictable positioning
• Not ideal for final presentations

Recommended when:
You are asking “What does this schema actually look like?”

🔁 Circular / Radial Layout (If Available)

Tables are positioned around a central point, forming a circular structure.

Best for

• Demonstrating shared dependencies
• Highlighting central tables
• Conceptual or high-level diagrams

Strengths

• Visually engaging
• Emphasizes core entities
• Good for presentations

Tradeoffs

• Not ideal for dense schemas
• Can become cluttered quickly

Recommended when:
You want to highlight importance, not detail.

⚖️ Choosing the Right Layout

💡 You can switch layouts at any time — layouts do not modify your schema, only its visual arrangement.

🚀 Best Practices

• Start with Force-Directed to explore
• Switch to LR or TB for documentation
• Use Grid for very large schemas
• Combine layouts with Fit to Screen for clarity
• Manually adjust tables after layout if needed

🧠 Summary

Layouts are a thinking tool, not just a visual preference.

By choosing the right layout, you reduce cognitive load, improve communication, and make complex database designs easier to understand — for yourself and for others.