# Dot more layout control

**URL:** <https://forum.graphviz.org/t/dot-more-layout-control/586>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [March 29, 2021, 6:06pm UTC](https://forum.graphviz.org/t/dot-more-layout-control/586 "2021-03-29T18:06:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![steveroush](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@steveroush](https://forum.graphviz.org/u/steveroush)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2021, 11:06pm UTC](https://forum.graphviz.org/t/dot-more-layout-control/586/2 "2021-03-29T23:06:35Z")

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1. Attribute declarations are not additive, they replace earlier definitions. You want **style=“rounded,dashed”**

2. To try to keep nodes in the sequence you want, use something like this (invisible edges):  
`{ rank = same; C3R1 -> C3R2 -> C3R3 -> C3R4 [style=invis] };`

3. The underlying problem with the last rank (column) is a bug in **dot** related to **rankdir=LR** ([setting rankdir causes odd node ordering (#1953) · Issues · graphviz / graphviz · GitLab](https://gitlab.com/graphviz/graphviz/-/issues/1953))  
Here is your graph tweaked. Correct w/ std rankdir, funky result w/ rankdir=LR:

 ![formattingAgain2.good](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/graphviz/original/1X/fecab8c0ce152ad408900168fdffe6ae31753f75.png)  
 ![formattingAgain2.bad](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/graphviz/original/1X/9de3ae9372742a5315817cd24e5c0106335ff8e6.png)

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