Expose ELK edgeEdgeBetweenLayers spacing - #2887
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The spacing between edges routed between the same pair of layers was hardcoded to 50 in elkOpts, so it could not be configured from the CLI. ELK gives every connector crossing between two layers its own routing slot, and the orthogonal router sizes the gap as max(nodeNodeBetweenLayers, (slots-1)*edgeEdgeBetweenLayers + 2*edgeNodeBetweenLayers). On a wide graph with many links between adjacent layers the first term stops mattering, so layers get pushed far apart with no way to pull them back. ELK's own default for this option is 10. Move the field onto ConfigurableOpts and add --elk-edgeEdgeBetweenLayers alongside the other four spacing flags. It has to move rather than be duplicated: elkOpts embeds ConfigurableOpts, so a depth-0 field with the same tag would shadow the embedded one and keep the hardcoded value. The default stays 50, so behaviour is unchanged unless the flag is passed.
jonapoul
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September 8, 2026 09:53
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For comparison on my local project using D2/ELK (zoomed out to minimise attachment size). The default edgeEdgeBetweenLayers value gets very difficult to read when the node count starts to grow: edgeEdgeBetweenLayers = 10 - 2.76MB
edgeEdgeBetweenLayers = 20 - 3.71MB
edgeEdgeBetweenLayers = 50 (default) - 7.04MB
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ELK's
edgeEdgeBetweenLayersspacing is hardcoded to 50, so there's no way to change it.Every edge between two layers gets its own routing slot, and each slot adds this much space. So the more links you have between two layers, the further apart ELK pushes them. Lowering
--elk-nodeNodeBetweenLayersdoesn't help, because it only sets a minimum. Especially noticeable in tall charts like #1221 (comment).On a 6x6 graph with 36 edges between two layers:
--elk-edgeEdgeBetweenLayerselk-go's own default is 10, for reference.
This adds a
--elk-edgeEdgeBetweenLayersflag, next to the other four spacing flags. The default stays 50, so nothing changes unless you pass it.The field had to move onto
ConfigurableOptsrather than be copied, becauseelkOptsembedsConfigurableOptsand would otherwise shadow it and keep the old hardcoded value.Related to #1221.