tikzpicture line up boxes in flowchart

Question

How can i get all the same coloured boxes to line up nice and neatly?

Is there a better way of doing what I am trying to do?

This is my first attempt at tikz...

Thank you!

%% Package for creating diagrams
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{shapes.geometric, arrows}

\tikzstyle{1} = [rectangle, rounded corners, minimum width=2cm, minimum height=1cm,text centered, draw=black, fill=red!30]
\tikzstyle{2} = [rectangle, rounded corners, minimum width=2cm, minimum height=1cm,text centered, draw=black, fill=blue!30]
\tikzstyle{3} = [rectangle, rounded corners, minimum width=2cm, minimum height=1cm,text centered, draw=black, fill=orange!30]
\tikzstyle{4} = [rectangle, rounded corners, minimum width=2cm, minimum height=1cm,text centered, draw=black, fill=green!30]
\tikzstyle{5} = [rectangle, rounded corners, minimum width=2cm, minimum height=1cm,text centered, draw=black, fill=red!]

\tikzstyle{arrow} = [thick,->,>=stealth]


\begin{tikzpicture}

\node (disciplines) [1] {Disciplines};

\node (humanities) [2, right of=disciplines, xshift=2cm, yshift=2.5cm] {Humanities};
\node (visual_arts) [3, right of=humanities, xshift=3cm] {Visual Arts};
\node (applied_arts) [4, right of=visual_arts, xshift=3cm] {Applied Arts};
\node (architecture) [5, right of=applied_arts, xshift=3cm] {Architecture};

\draw [arrow] (disciplines) -- (humanities);
\draw [arrow] (humanities) -- (visual_arts);
\draw [arrow] (visual_arts) -- (applied_arts);
\draw [arrow] (applied_arts) -- (architecture);

\node (social_sciences) [2, right of=disciplines, xshift=2cm] {Social Sciences};
\node (sociology) [5, right of=social_sciences, xshift=9cm, yshift=0.625cm] {Architectural Sociology};
\node (psychology) [3, right of=social_sciences, xshift=3cm, yshift=-0.625cm] {Psychology};
\node (behavioural_sciences) [5, right of=psychology, xshift=6cm] {Behavioural Sciences};

\draw [arrow] (disciplines) -- (social_sciences);
\draw [arrow] (social_sciences) -- (sociology);
\draw [arrow] (social_sciences) -- (psychology);
\draw [arrow] (psychology) -- (behavioural_sciences);

\node (applied_sciences) [2, right of=disciplines, xshift=2cm, yshift=-2.5cm] {Applied Sciences};
\node (engineering_and_tech) [3, right of=applied_sciences, xshift=4cm] {Engineering and technology};
\node (building_physics) [5, right of=engineering_and_tech, xshift=5cm] {Building Physics};

\draw [arrow] (disciplines) -- (applied_sciences);
\draw [arrow] (applied_sciences) -- (engineering_and_tech);
\draw [arrow] (engineering_and_tech) -- (building_physics);

\end{tikzpicture}

nidhin · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-07T14:27:03.280

Here is a solution with matrix of nodes.

Note that

Its recommended to use tikzset instead of tikzstyle. Read: Should \tikzset or \tikzstyle be used to define TikZ styles?
text width=3cm is set to make the nodes have same width.
An intermediate node is added in the second row so that the arrow to final column can be drawn horizontally.
Some vertical spacing adjustment is done at 2nd and third rows to get uniformly spaced nodes in the final column.
Give a Minimal Working Example in the question whenever possible instead of code snippet. See the MWE that produced the above figure.

\documentclass[border=3mm]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{matrix}

\tikzset{
1/.style={fill=red!30},
2/.style={fill=blue!30},
3/.style={fill=orange!30},
4/.style={fill=green!30},
5/.style={fill=red},
arrow/.style={thick,->,>=stealth},
}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\matrix(m)[matrix of nodes,column sep=1cm, row sep=0.5cm,
nodes={rectangle, rounded corners, text width=3cm, minimum height=1cm,text centered, draw=black,anchor=west},
]{
 & \node[2](humanities){Humanities}; &\node[3](visual_arts){Visual Arts}; & \node[4](applied_arts){Applied Arts}; & \node[5](architecture){Architecture};\\
 &  & \node[draw=none](int){}; & & \node[5](sociology){Architectural Sociology};\\[-0.75cm]
\node[1](disciplines){Disciplines}; &\node[2](social_sciences){Social Sciences}; & & &\\[-0.75cm]
 &   & \node[3](psychology){Psychology}; & & \node[5](behavioural_sciences){Behavioural Sciences};\\
& \node[2](applied_sciences){Applied Science}; & \node[3](engineering_and_tech){Engineering and  technology}; & & \node[5](building_physics){Building Physics};\\
};

\draw [arrow] (disciplines) -- (humanities);
\draw [arrow] (humanities) -- (visual_arts);
\draw [arrow] (visual_arts) -- (applied_arts);
\draw [arrow] (applied_arts) -- (architecture);

\draw [arrow] (disciplines) -- (social_sciences);
\draw [arrow] (social_sciences) --(int.center)-- (sociology);
\draw [arrow] (social_sciences) -- (psychology);
\draw [arrow] (psychology) -- (behavioural_sciences);

\draw [arrow] (disciplines) -- (applied_sciences);
\draw [arrow] (applied_sciences) -- (engineering_and_tech);
\draw [arrow] (engineering_and_tech) -- (building_physics);
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Thanks - i find this the easiest method to understand and apply. Cheers! — Cairan Van Rooyen, Nov 08 '19 at 15:04

score 1 · Answer 2 · 2019-11-07T17:45:03.573

Such diagrams are called trees, and a convenient tool to draw them is forest, which is based on TikZ. There the alignment can be achieved by setting appropriate tiers.

\documentclass[tikz,border=3mm]{standalone}
\usepackage[edges]{forest}
\usetikzlibrary{shadows.blur}
\begin{document}
\begin{forest}
for tree={grow'=0,rounded corners,text centered,draw,
    edge={-stealth,semithick},
    forked edges,
    anchor=center,
    l sep=2em,  
    fork sep=1em,
    font=\sffamily,
    blur shadow,
    text width={width("and technology")},
    minimum height=1cm,
    where level=0{fill=red!30}{},
    where level=1{fill=blue!30}{},
    where level=2{fill=orange!30}{},
    where level=3{fill=green!30}{},
    if n children=0{fill=red,tier=murmel}{}
    }
 [Disciplines
  [Humanities
   [Visual arts
    [Applied arts
     [Architecture]
    ]
   ]
  ]
  [Social sciences
   [Architectural Sociology]
   [Psychology
    [Behavioural Sciences]
   ]
  ]
  [Applied sciences
   [Engineering and technology
    [Building Physics]
   ]
  ]
 ]
\end{forest}
\end{document}

Thanks - this is great – Cairan Van Rooyen Nov 08 '19 at 14:51 — Cairan Van Rooyen, Nov 08 '19 at 14:51

Zarko · Answer 3 · 2019-11-07T18:03:47.653

Your "flowchart" on a bit different way:

With use of the forest, its forked edge option, grouping s sep distance, anchoring of nodes at west. The coloring of nodes and tier option are borrowed from Schrödinger's cat's first version of his answer, styles of nodes are similar as are in @nidhin answer. The MWE is:

\documentclass[tikz,border=3mm]{standalone}
\usepackage[edges]{forest}
\begin{document}
\begin{forest}
for tree={
% nodes style
    draw, rounded corners,
    text centered,
    text width=24mm,
    minimum height=1cm,
    anchor=west,
% tree style
    grow' = 0,
    forked edge,    % for forked edge
    s sep = 4mm,    % "sibling" distance
    l sep = 6mm,    % "level" distance
 fork sep = 3mm,    % distance from parent to branching point
% nodes coloring and grouping 
    where level=0{fill=red!30}{s sep=2mm},
    where level=1{fill=blue!30}{},
    where level=2{fill=orange!30}{},
    where level=3{fill=green!30}{},
    if n children=0{fill=red, tier=level}{},
    }
% tree body
 [Disciplines, calign=center
  [Humanities
   [Visual arts
    [Applied arts
     [Architecture]
    ]
   ]
  ]
  [Social sciences, calign=center
        [Architectural Sociology]
   [Psychology
    [Behavioural Sciences]
   ]
  ]
  [Applied sciences
   [Engineering and technology
    [Building Physics]
   ]
  ]
 ]
\end{forest}
\end{document}

Well, the main point that this is a tree and one can use forest, and to align the nodes, which can be achieved with tier. All you do is to replace tier=murmel by tier=level, and add some stylistic options that are not central. — , Nov 07 '19 at 17:46

tikzpicture line up boxes in flowchart

3 Answers3