# Tidy lines and lay out a diagram

> Use Tidy to reroute and straighten lines, and Layout to set a diagram out as a hierarchy, tree, mind map, radial, organic or grid layout.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-layout-and-tidy
Section: Office > Diagrams
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-21

Two buttons in the PlexiiDiagrams toolbar clean a diagram up for you. **Tidy** fixes the lines and leaves the shapes where you put them. **Layout** moves the shapes into a new arrangement.

Both work on the shapes you have selected, or on the whole page when nothing is selected. If you do not like the result, press `⌘` `Z` on a Mac or `Ctrl` `Z` on Windows.

## Before you start

- Tidy and Layout are on every plan.
- Open a diagram with some shapes and lines. See [PlexiiDiagrams overview](https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-overview).

## Tidy the lines

1. To tidy only part of the diagram, select those shapes. Otherwise leave everything deselected.
2. Click **Tidy** in the toolbar.

Tidy:

- reroutes lines around shapes;
- spreads out lines that share the same connection point;
- straightens links that are nearly in line;
- fixes overlaps.

The bottom bar then says what it changed, for example how many lines were rerouted and how many overlaps were fixed.

You can also choose **Arrange** > **Tidy connections**, right-click empty canvas and choose **Tidy connections**, or right-click selected shapes and choose **Tidy these connections**.

## Lay out a diagram

1. To lay out only part of the diagram, select those shapes. Otherwise leave everything deselected.
2. Click **Layout** in the toolbar and choose a layout.

| Layout | What it does | Good for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Hierarchy, top to bottom** | Places shapes in rows that follow the direction of the lines. | Flowcharts and processes |
| **Hierarchy, left to right** | The same, in columns from left to right. | Wide processes and timelines of steps |
| **Hierarchy, bottom to top** | The same, from the bottom up. | |
| **Hierarchy, right to left** | The same, from right to left. | |
| **Tree (org chart)** | A tree from the top down. | Org charts and reporting lines |
| **Mind map** | Branches out to both sides of a central idea. | Mind maps and brainstorms |
| **Radial** | Places shapes in rings around a centre. | Hub and spoke diagrams |
| **Organic** | Spreads connected shapes out naturally. | Networks and relationship maps |
| **Grid** | Places shapes in even rows and columns. | Cards and collections with few lines |

Locked shapes stay where they are, and shapes inside a swimlane or container move with it rather than on their own.

**Arrange** > **Auto layout** has a shorter list: **Hierarchy, top to bottom**, **Hierarchy, left to right**, **Tree**, **Mind map**, **Radial**, **Organic** and **Grid**.

> **Tip:**
> After a layout, click **Tidy** to straighten any lines that still bend more than they need to.

## Common questions

**Layout moved shapes I had placed by hand.** Layout rearranges every unlocked shape it works on. To keep a shape in place, lock it first with `Shift` `⌘` `L` on a Mac or `Ctrl` `Shift` `L` on Windows. To undo a layout, press `⌘` `Z` on a Mac or `Ctrl` `Z` on Windows, then select only the shapes you want laid out and try again.

**Tidy is greyed out.** Tidy works on lines, so it is available once the page has at least one line.

**Tidy did nothing.** If the bottom bar reports nothing rerouted or fixed, the lines were already tidy.

**Do curved lines get rerouted?** Curved lines do not route around shapes. Switch them to right-angle lines first if you want Tidy to steer them around shapes. See [Connect shapes and route lines](https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-connections-and-routing).

## Related tasks

- [Connect shapes and route lines](https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-connections-and-routing)
- [Edit and arrange shapes](https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-edit-and-arrange)
- [Draw a flowchart](https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-draw-a-flowchart)
- [Build diagrams from Plexii data](https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-data-and-binding)