> it just wouldn't let me organize/drag things where I wanted, and I couldn't get things to not overlap

I suspect this might be a fundamental issue with mermaid. I've always had issues getting it to lay things out in any other way than how it "wants" me to, with giant gaps between things

This is definitely a gap in current Mermaid functionality. This is a gap we're aiming to close in 2025. Significant Whiteboard improvements and expanded diagram support is on the way! If you have a specific use case or diagram type you'd like us to keep in mind then let me know! dominic@mermaidchart.com

Thanks for your comment:)