diff --git a/app/assets/html/test1.html b/app/assets/html/test1.html
index bdc1f2a..0af2a24 100644
--- a/app/assets/html/test1.html
+++ b/app/assets/html/test1.html
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
                     <option value="center">Center</option>
                     <option value="first">First</option>
                     <option value="last">Last</option>
-                    <option value="auto">Auto</option>
+                    <option value="parent">Parent</option>
                 </select>
                 <select name="wiretype">
                     <option value="ortho">Ortho</option>
diff --git a/app/assets/html/test2.html b/app/assets/html/test2.html
index d1f61ef..9732f54 100644
--- a/app/assets/html/test2.html
+++ b/app/assets/html/test2.html
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
                     <option value="center">Center</option>
                     <option value="first">First</option>
                     <option value="last">Last</option>
-                    <option value="auto">Auto</option>
+                    <option value="parent">Parent</option>
                 </select>
                 <select name="wiretype">
                     <option value="ortho">Ortho</option>
diff --git a/app/assets/html/test3.html b/app/assets/html/test3.html
index bb6f3c4..24f9c59 100644
--- a/app/assets/html/test3.html
+++ b/app/assets/html/test3.html
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
                     <option value="center">Center</option>
                     <option value="first">First</option>
                     <option value="last">Last</option>
-                    <option value="auto">Auto</option>
+                    <option value="parent">Parent</option>
                 </select>
                 <select name="wiretype">
                     <option value="ortho">Ortho</option>
diff --git a/app/assets/html/test4.5.html b/app/assets/html/test4.5.html
index 5626c3c..adb9835 100644
--- a/app/assets/html/test4.5.html
+++ b/app/assets/html/test4.5.html
@@ -76,22 +76,22 @@
 	</head>
 
 	<body>
-        <bz-graflow class="icmp" flow="/app/assets/json/bzGraflow/testFlowICMP2.json" tension="60" align="first" wiretype="ortho" gapx="100" gapy="30">
+        <bz-graflow class="icmp" flow="/app/assets/json/bzGraflow/testFlowICMP2.json" tension="20" align="first" wiretype="ortho" gapx="100" gapy="30">
             <div class="demooptions"> <!-- just for demo purposes -->
                 <button data-trigger="onAutoplace4H">Auto-place Horizontal</button>
                 <button data-trigger="onAutoplace4V">Auto-place Vertical</button>
                 <select name="align" data-id="icmp">
                     <option value="center">Center</option>
-                    <option value="first">First</option>
+                    <option value="first" selected>First</option>
                     <option value="last">Last</option>
-                    <option value="auto">Auto</option>
+                    <option value="parent">Parent</option>
                 </select>
                 <select name="wiretype">
-                    <option value="ortho">Ortho</option>
+                    <option value="ortho" selected>Ortho</option>
                     <option value="straight">Straight</option>
-                    <option value="bezier" selected>Bezier</option>
+                    <option value="bezier">Bezier</option>
                 </select>                
-                <div class-"cols-2"=""><label>tension</label><input data-id="icmp" type="number" size="2" value="60"></div>
+                <div class-"cols-2"=""><label>tension</label><input data-id="icmp" type="number" size="2" value="20"></div>
             </div>
         </bz-graflow>
 	</body>
diff --git a/app/assets/html/test4.html b/app/assets/html/test4.html
index f633b10..0c0cbd1 100644
--- a/app/assets/html/test4.html
+++ b/app/assets/html/test4.html
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
                     <option value="center">Center</option>
                     <option value="first">First</option>
                     <option value="last">Last</option>
-                    <option value="auto">Auto</option>
+                    <option value="parent">Parent</option>
                 </select>
                 <select name="wiretype">
                     <option value="ortho">Ortho</option>
diff --git a/app/assets/html/test5.html b/app/assets/html/test5.html
index 01036ee..b42a13a 100644
--- a/app/assets/html/test5.html
+++ b/app/assets/html/test5.html
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
                     <option value="center">Center</option>
                     <option value="first">First</option>
                     <option value="last">Last</option>
-                    <option value="auto">Auto</option>
+                    <option value="parent">Parent</option>
                 </select>
                 <select name="wiretype">
                     <option value="ortho">Ortho</option>
diff --git a/app/assets/html/test6.html b/app/assets/html/test6.html
index 015e846..d8b16d6 100644
--- a/app/assets/html/test6.html
+++ b/app/assets/html/test6.html
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
                     <option value="center">Center</option>
                     <option value="first">First</option>
                     <option value="last">Last</option>
-                    <option value="auto">Auto</option>
+                    <option value="parent">Parent</option>
                 </select>
                 <select name="wiretype">
                     <option value="ortho">Ortho</option>
diff --git a/app/thirdparty/buildoz/bzGraflow.js b/app/thirdparty/buildoz/bzGraflow.js
index 73e6d61..551d653 100644
--- a/app/thirdparty/buildoz/bzGraflow.js
+++ b/app/thirdparty/buildoz/bzGraflow.js
@@ -728,35 +728,57 @@ class BZgraflow extends Buildoz{
         // Finally place everything
         if(orientation=='horizontal'){
             const fakeNodeHeight = 10
+            const parentsY = {}
             let x = gapx
             for(const [idx, layer] of layers.entries()){
                 let wMax = this.getMaxWidth(layer)
                 let y = 0
                 switch(align){
-                    case'center':
+                    case 'center':
                         y = ((maxHeight - layerHeights[idx]) / 2) + gapy
                         break
-                    case'first':
+                    case 'first':
                         y = gapy
                         break
-                    case'last':
+                    case 'last':
                         y = maxHeight - layerHeights[idx] + gapy
                         break
-                    case 'auto':
-                        //TODO
+                    case 'parent': // y will be absolutely positioned by the parent(s) but have fallback for 1st layer
                         y = ((maxHeight - layerHeights[idx]) / 2) + gapy
                         break
                 }
                 for(const nid of layer){
+                    let placedY
                     if(!nid.startsWith('longLinkPlaceHolder_')) {
                         const bb =  this.stagedNodes[nid].getBoundingClientRect()
-                        this.moveNode(nid, x, y, orientation, tween, null, token)
-                        y +=  gapy + (this.stagedNodes[nid].offsetHeight || bb.height)
+                        const nodeHeight = this.stagedNodes[nid].offsetHeight || bb.height
+                        if((align == 'parent') && (nid in parents) && (parents[nid][0] in parentsY)) {
+                            y = Math.max(parentsY[parents[nid][0]], y) //TODO handle multiple parents with avg
+                            console.log('parent', nid, parents[nid], parentsY[parents[nid][0]])
+                        } 
+                        placedY = y
+                        this.moveNode(nid, x, y, orientation, tween, null, token)                        
+                        if((align == 'parent') && (nid in parents) && (parents[nid][0] in parentsY)) {
+                            parentsY[parents[nid][0]] +=  gapy + nodeHeight
+                        } else {
+                            y +=  gapy + nodeHeight
+                        }
+                        y = Math.max(y, placedY + gapy + nodeHeight)
                     } else {
+                        if((align == 'parent') && (nid in parents) && (parents[nid][0] in parentsY)) {
+                            y = Math.max(parentsY[parents[nid][0]], y)
+                        }
+                        placedY = y
                         this.addFakeNode(nid, x, y, wMax*0.75, fakeNodeHeight)
                         this.moveNode(nid, x, y, orientation, tween, null, token)
-                        y +=  gapy + fakeNodeHeight 
+                        if((align == 'parent') && (nid in parents) && (parents[nid][0] in parentsY)) {
+                            parentsY[parents[nid][0]] += gapy + fakeNodeHeight
+                        } else {
+                            y += gapy + fakeNodeHeight
+                        }
+                        y = Math.max(y, placedY + gapy + fakeNodeHeight)
                     }
+                    parentsY[nid] = placedY
                 }
                 x += wMax + gapx
             }
@@ -765,7 +787,21 @@ class BZgraflow extends Buildoz{
             let y = gapy
             for(const [idx, layer] of layers.entries()){
                 let hMax = this.getMaxHeight(layer)
-                let x = ((maxWidth - layerWidths[idx]) / 2) + gapx
+                let x = 0
+                switch(align){
+                    case 'center':
+                        x = ((maxWidth - layerWidths[idx]) / 2) + gapx
+                        break
+                    case 'first':
+                        x = gapx
+                        break
+                    case 'last':
+                        x = maxWidth - layerWidths[idx] + gapx
+                        break
+                    case 'parent': // x will be absolutely positioned by the parent(s)
+                        //TODO
+                        break
+                }
                 for(const nid of layer){
                     if(!nid.startsWith('longLinkPlaceHolder_')){
                         const bb = this.stagedNodes[nid].getBoundingClientRect()
