Draw.io - Extend objects without "pushing" columns
Asked by Blake:

Hello all,

I am working in Draw.io and this issue drives me just completely crazy!

I want to visualise a process with different steps, hence I used a table (however, the whole thing was one of the templates to begin with), to demonstrate the different stages.

No I wanted to insert a textbox that stretches across multiple columns of the table to demonstrate a step that covers multiple stages.

However, it is not possible for me to extend this textbox outside the column that it was created in. I managed to do that with another textbox but I have no idea why it worked and I also can't duplicate what I did. Currently, instead of extending the textbox across multiple columns, it simply just "pushes" the boundaries of the next column further away, so I can never reach it!

I tried it with a variety of different forms. The only ones that I had no problems with were such as "Rectangle with diagonal grid fill", but as they only allow for text outside the form they don't serve my purpose.

Any help is very much appreciated as this thing turns me crazy!


Answers:
author: David Benson _draw_io_
body: As a paying user you can submit a ticket at <https://drawio.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/14> . You'll get a faster response then on this community.


author: Fabian Lim
body: Hi Blake,

Can you share some screenshots so that we can visualize your issue?

I want to see if we can replicate it in our dc environment.

comments: author: Blake
body: Hi [@Fabian Lim](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3131564) Fabian,

sorry for the very late answer. Yes, I can. See below please:

1. Step:

- I have inserted a textbox and expanded it till it hit the column boundaries. The line straight from top to bottom is the column boundary.

![1.PNG](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/169459i8438787A3BAEF951/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "1.PNG")

2. Step

I try to push the box over the boundary. Not that in the following screenshot I am still holding the box (took the Screenshot with a timer) and didn't let it go.

![2.PNG](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/169460i5A9EC6302279660A/image-dimensions/188x160?v=v2 "2.PNG")

3. Step:

As soon as I "stop clicking" / let the box go, the coumn automatically expands till its boundary is on the right end of the figure. This is what I referred to as the objects "pushing" the column.

![3.PNG](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/169461i80A1C5C97D2B3A83/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "3.PNG")

Hope you can assist me with this one.

Best regards,


author: Marija Radovic
body: Hi [@Blake](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4594617)

"I wanted to insert a textbox that stretches across multiple columns of the table to demonstrate a step that covers multiple stages."

You could try the following: start dragging the box, press and hold Alt. This way boundaries should be ignored i.e they won't be displayed as purple. Drag it over the boundaries, drop it and then extend.

Does it help?

![extend.JPG](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/169465i1CA407C20EB05448/image-dimensions/159x163?v=v2 "extend.JPG")

Kind regards,

Marija


author: Blake
body: Hi Marija, thank you very much for your answer! I tried it and it worked in the beginning but then it didn't anymore.

What I mean is: I dragged the box across the line. Then I dropped it --\> boundaries were not pushed. But as soon as I extended it, the boundary I just crossed relocated itself towards the right of the box (as seen in Step 3) ....


author: Marija Radovic
body: You're welcome.

Could you tell me drawio version, Confluence Server version and browser version, please?

It would be much appreciated if you could attach the video showing all the steps. If you wouldn't like to make it public, feel free to submit all the details here: <https://drawio.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/14/group/15/create/49>

Thanks,

Marija


Tags: chart

confluence-server

draw.io

macro

server