Graph Layout

The same way Theming makes the panel’s look yours, the auto-layout spacing is yours to tune. Every graph Blueprint AI lays out — EQS, Behavior Trees, Animation, Control Rig, Niagara scripts, Materials, MetaSounds, PCG, and Camera rigs — shares two parameters you can set per call or once for the whole project.

The two knobs

Parameter	Axis
column_spacing	Gap along the layout’s primary axis (the signal-flow / depth direction)
row_spacing	Gap along the cross axis

Both are plain distances in graph units. Leave one at 0 (or omit it) and that axis falls through to the next level of configuration below.

Resolution order

For each axis, the effective spacing is the first of:

1. The op’s own column_spacing / row_spacing, when greater than 0.
2. A project layout-config file — an op-specific entry, otherwise a "*" wildcard that applies to every layout op.
3. The engine default for that op (table below).

Project config file

Drop a JSON file at <Project>/Config/BlueprintAILayout.json to space every graph the way your team prefers — commit it and everyone’s layouts match:

{
    "*":                { "column_spacing": 400, "row_spacing": 220 },
    "layout_eqs_query": { "column_spacing": 350 }
}

• A "*" entry applies to every layout op; an op-specific entry overrides the wildcard for that op, per axis.
• In the example, every graph lays out at 400 / 220 — except EQS queries, whose columns are 350 wide (their rows still inherit the wildcard’s 220).
• Point the BLUEPRINTAI_LAYOUT_CONFIG environment variable at any path to override the project file (handy in CI).

Typos fail loud, not silent

The file is validated when read. A non-object, an unknown op name, an unknown spacing key (e.g. a columnSpacing typo), or a negative / non-numeric value raises a LayoutConfigError that names the offending entry — it is never silently ignored.

Per-call override

Any op can still override the resolved spacing inline — this always wins:

{ "op": "layout_eqs_query", "asset": "/Game/AI/EQS_FindCover",
  "column_spacing": 500, "row_spacing": 260 }

Or just ask the AI: “lay out EQS_FindCover with wider columns.”

Engine defaults

When nothing overrides them, each op uses these defaults (column / row):

Op	Domain	Default
layout_eqs_query	EQS	300 / 150
layout_behavior_tree	Behavior Trees	300 / 200
layout_anim_graph	Animation	350 / 180
layout_control_rig_graph	Control Rig	350 / 180
layout_niagara_script_graph	Niagara	350 / 180
layout_expressions	Materials	300 / 180
layout_meta_sound_graph	MetaSounds	420 / 190
layout_pcg_graph	PCG	320 / 180
layout_camera_rig	Cameras	320 / 170

Tip

The core Blueprint EventGraph layout (layout_graph) derives its spacing from node footprints rather than these two knobs, so it isn’t part of this contract. Its reroute thresholds are tunable separately — see Auto-Layout.