diff --git a/src/layout.js b/src/layout.js
index 1b72928..ce1f83a 100644
--- a/src/layout.js
+++ b/src/layout.js
@@ -1279,6 +1279,127 @@ function applyAutoRotation(model, placedMap, options = {}) {
   }
 }
 
+function groupLaneIndex(group, laneProfiles) {
+  const counts = new Map();
+  for (const ref of group.members ?? []) {
+    const lane = laneProfiles.get(ref)?.laneIndex ?? 2;
+    counts.set(lane, (counts.get(lane) ?? 0) + 1);
+  }
+  const sorted = [...counts.entries()].sort((a, b) => {
+    if (a[1] !== b[1]) {
+      return b[1] - a[1];
+    }
+    return a[0] - b[0];
+  });
+  return sorted[0]?.[0] ?? 2;
+}
+
+function estimateGroupFootprint(group, rank, degree) {
+  const refs = [...(group.members ?? [])].sort((a, b) => {
+    const ra = rank.get(a) ?? 1;
+    const rb = rank.get(b) ?? 1;
+    if (ra !== rb) {
+      return ra - rb;
+    }
+    const da = degree.get(a) ?? 0;
+    const db = degree.get(b) ?? 0;
+    if (da !== db) {
+      return db - da;
+    }
+    return a.localeCompare(b);
+  });
+  const cols = rankColumnsForRefs(refs, rank);
+  const colCount = Math.max(1, cols.size);
+  const maxRowsInCol = Math.max(1, ...[...cols.values()].map((list) => list.length));
+  const width = toGrid(240 + colCount * 220);
+  const height = toGrid(180 + maxRowsInCol * 120);
+  return { width, height };
+}
+
+function groupRectsOverlap(a, b, pad = 80) {
+  return !(
+    a.x + a.w + pad <= b.x ||
+    b.x + b.w + pad <= a.x ||
+    a.y + a.h + pad <= b.y ||
+    b.y + b.h + pad <= a.y
+  );
+}
+
+function computeGroupOrigins(groups, rank, laneProfiles, degree) {
+  if (!groups.length) {
+    return new Map();
+  }
+
+  const globalMinRank = Math.min(
+    ...groups.flatMap((group) => (group.members ?? []).map((ref) => rank.get(ref) ?? 1)),
+    0
+  );
+  const strideX = 420;
+  const laneStrideY = 120;
+  const origins = new Map();
+  const usedRects = [];
+
+  const planned = groups
+    .map((group, idx) => {
+      const refs = group.members ?? [];
+      const minRank = Math.min(...refs.map((ref) => rank.get(ref) ?? 1), globalMinRank);
+      const lane = groupLaneIndex(group, laneProfiles);
+      const laneBand = Math.max(0, Math.min(3, lane));
+      const footprint = estimateGroupFootprint(group, rank, degree);
+      return {
+        group,
+        idx,
+        minRank,
+        lane,
+        laneBand,
+        footprint,
+        targetX: toGrid(MARGIN_X + Math.max(0, minRank - globalMinRank) * strideX),
+        targetY: toGrid(MARGIN_Y + laneBand * laneStrideY)
+      };
+    })
+    .sort((a, b) => {
+      if (a.targetX !== b.targetX) {
+        return a.targetX - b.targetX;
+      }
+      if (a.targetY !== b.targetY) {
+        return a.targetY - b.targetY;
+      }
+      return a.group.name.localeCompare(b.group.name);
+    });
+
+  const targetColumnSlots = new Map();
+  for (const item of planned) {
+    const slotKey = `${item.targetX}`;
+    const slot = targetColumnSlots.get(slotKey) ?? 0;
+    targetColumnSlots.set(slotKey, slot + 1);
+    const fanoutStep = planned.length <= 3 ? Math.floor(strideX * 0.78) : Math.floor(strideX * 0.42);
+    const fanoutX = toGrid(slot * fanoutStep);
+    let x = toGrid(item.targetX + fanoutX);
+    let y = item.targetY;
+    let tries = 0;
+    while (tries < 28) {
+      const rect = { x, y, w: item.footprint.width, h: item.footprint.height };
+      const collides = usedRects.some((other) => groupRectsOverlap(rect, other));
+      if (!collides) {
+        usedRects.push(rect);
+        origins.set(item.group.name, { x, y });
+        break;
+      }
+      y = toGrid(y + laneStrideY);
+      if (tries > 0 && tries % 6 === 0) {
+        x = toGrid(x + Math.floor(strideX * 0.5));
+        y = item.targetY;
+      }
+      tries += 1;
+    }
+    if (!origins.has(item.group.name)) {
+      origins.set(item.group.name, { x: item.targetX, y: toGrid(item.targetY + laneStrideY * 2) });
+    }
+  }
+
+  return origins;
+}
+
 function placeInstances(model, options = {}) {
   const respectLocks = options.respectLocks ?? true;
   const instances = [...model.instances].sort((a, b) => a.ref.localeCompare(b.ref));
@@ -1290,18 +1411,11 @@ function placeInstances(model, options = {}) {
 
   const placed = [];
   const placedMap = new Map();
-  const groupsPerRow = groups.length <= 3 ? groups.length : groups.length >= 6 ? 3 : 2;
-  const groupCellW = 620;
-  const groupCellH = 420;
+  const groupOrigins = computeGroupOrigins(groups, rank, laneProfiles, degree);
 
   for (let i = 0; i < groups.length; i += 1) {
     const group = groups[i];
-    const row = groupsPerRow ? Math.floor(i / groupsPerRow) : 0;
-    const col = groupsPerRow ? i % groupsPerRow : 0;
-    const origin = {
-      x: toGrid(MARGIN_X + col * groupCellW),
-      y: toGrid(MARGIN_Y + row * groupCellH)
-    };
+    const origin = groupOrigins.get(group.name) ?? { x: toGrid(MARGIN_X), y: toGrid(MARGIN_Y + i * 220) };
 
     const out = placeGroup(model, group, origin, {
       rank,
diff --git a/tests/baselines/ui/dense-analog.png b/tests/baselines/ui/dense-analog.png
index 583d51c..425e6ae 100644
Binary files a/tests/baselines/ui/dense-analog.png and b/tests/baselines/ui/dense-analog.png differ
diff --git a/tests/baselines/ui/explicit-mode-auto-tidy.png b/tests/baselines/ui/explicit-mode-auto-tidy.png
index 2ebbbb9..5e2c98b 100644
Binary files a/tests/baselines/ui/explicit-mode-auto-tidy.png and b/tests/baselines/ui/explicit-mode-auto-tidy.png differ
diff --git a/tests/baselines/ui/initial.png b/tests/baselines/ui/initial.png
index 1f6314a..9697d7e 100644
Binary files a/tests/baselines/ui/initial.png and b/tests/baselines/ui/initial.png differ
diff --git a/tests/baselines/ui/laptop-viewport.png b/tests/baselines/ui/laptop-viewport.png
index bdd6edf..928457b 100644
Binary files a/tests/baselines/ui/laptop-viewport.png and b/tests/baselines/ui/laptop-viewport.png differ
diff --git a/tests/baselines/ui/post-migration-apply.png b/tests/baselines/ui/post-migration-apply.png
index 7db3f32..c020258 100644
Binary files a/tests/baselines/ui/post-migration-apply.png and b/tests/baselines/ui/post-migration-apply.png differ
diff --git a/tests/baselines/ui/selected-u2.png b/tests/baselines/ui/selected-u2.png
index 253d620..a7faa8c 100644
Binary files a/tests/baselines/ui/selected-u2.png and b/tests/baselines/ui/selected-u2.png differ
diff --git a/tests/render-regression.test.js b/tests/render-regression.test.js
index eb7c03a..b4f7900 100644
--- a/tests/render-regression.test.js
+++ b/tests/render-regression.test.js
@@ -15,5 +15,5 @@ test("render output for reference fixture remains deterministic", () => {
   assert.equal(outA.ok, true);
   assert.equal(outB.ok, true);
   assert.equal(outA.svg, outB.svg);
-  assert.equal(svgHash(outA.svg), "80ab4c279caf29b2a14096346d6e993ef677f41bf1b3bc226eefa7b069b6487d");
+  assert.equal(svgHash(outA.svg), "a793f82594e4aff3e898db85cd7e984e86ad568d58aecd33661e8bbb1eff1856");
 });