Layers & Containers

Layers & Containers

Layers

Layers let you organize objects within a diagram without changing their content or relationships.

  • Objects can be on one or more layers
  • Hiding a layer hides all its objects from the canvas
  • Layers have a name, color, and visibility toggle
  • You can lock layers to prevent accidental edits

Open the layers panel via the toolbar icon. Drag objects between layers in the panel.

Containers

Containers are special objects that act as visual groups — they draw a border around other objects to show grouping or grouping boundary.

Common uses:

  • ** Swimlanes** — Horizontal or vertical bands grouping objects by owner or team
  • System boundaries — Dashed borders around related components
  • Business units — Grouping applications by organizational unit

Creating a Container

  1. Click Add Container in the toolbar or right-click → Add Container
  2. Draw the container on the canvas
  3. Drag objects into the container
  4. Objects inside a container move with it

Nested Containers

Containers can be nested inside other containers to represent hierarchical groupings (e.g., a business unit containing two application groups).