diff --git a/api/arrange.py b/api/arrange.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..079f3bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/arrange.py
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+"""Lay out a built node tree in columns that flow left to right.
+
+Blender only measures nodes when it draws them, so builds in background mode
+or before the editor opens have no sizes to work with. Heights are estimated
+from each node's visible sockets and settings instead.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from collections import defaultdict
+from statistics import mean
+
+import bpy
+
+HEADER_HEIGHT = 30.0
+ROW_HEIGHT = 22.0
+COLUMN_GAP = 80.0
+NODE_GAP = 40.0
+
+# Unlinked inputs that show their value as a column of fields: one row per component.
+_EXPANDED_INPUT_ROWS = {"VECTOR": 4, "ROTATION": 4, "MATRIX": 1}
+
+
+def _visible(sockets: bpy.types.bpy_prop_collection) -> list[bpy.types.NodeSocket]:
+    return [socket for socket in sockets if socket.enabled and not socket.hide]
+
+
+def _input_rows(socket: bpy.types.NodeSocket) -> int:
+    if socket.is_linked or socket.hide_value:
+        return 1
+    return _EXPANDED_INPUT_ROWS.get(socket.type, 1)
+
+
+def _base_properties(node: bpy.types.Node) -> set[str]:
+    return {
+        prop.identifier
+        for base in type(node).__mro__[1:]
+        if hasattr(base, "bl_rna")
+        for prop in base.bl_rna.properties
+    }
+
+
+def _setting_rows(node: bpy.types.Node) -> int:
+    """Roughly how many rows the node's own settings take above its inputs."""
+    inherited = _base_properties(node)
+    return sum(
+        1
+        for prop in node.bl_rna.properties
+        if prop.identifier not in inherited
+        and not prop.is_readonly
+        and prop.type in {"ENUM", "BOOLEAN", "POINTER", "INT", "FLOAT", "STRING"}
+    )
+
+
+class _Measure:
+    """Estimated sizes and socket offsets (downward from the node's top) of one node."""
+
+    def __init__(self, node: bpy.types.Node) -> None:
+        outputs = _visible(node.outputs)
+        inputs = _visible(node.inputs)
+        self.width = node.width
+        if node.hide:
+            self.height = HEADER_HEIGHT
+            self.output_offsets = {socket: HEADER_HEIGHT / 2 for socket in outputs}
+            self.input_offsets = {socket: HEADER_HEIGHT / 2 for socket in inputs}
+            return
+        y = HEADER_HEIGHT
+        self.output_offsets = {}
+        for socket in outputs:
+            self.output_offsets[socket] = y + ROW_HEIGHT / 2
+            y += ROW_HEIGHT
+        y += _setting_rows(node) * ROW_HEIGHT
+        self.input_offsets = {}
+        for socket in inputs:
+            self.input_offsets[socket] = y + ROW_HEIGHT / 2
+            y += _input_rows(socket) * ROW_HEIGHT
+        self.height = y + ROW_HEIGHT / 2
+
+
+def _consumers(node_tree: bpy.types.NodeTree) -> dict[bpy.types.Node, list[tuple[bpy.types.Node, bpy.types.NodeLink]]]:
+    """Each node's downstream nodes, with the link to each (``None`` for a zone pairing)."""
+    consumers = defaultdict(list)
+    for link in node_tree.links:
+        if link.from_node != link.to_node:
+            consumers[link.from_node].append((link.to_node, link))
+    for node in node_tree.nodes:
+        # Keep a zone's input to the left of its output even when nothing links them.
+        paired = getattr(node, "paired_output", None)
+        if paired is not None:
+            consumers[node].append((paired, None))
+    return consumers
+
+
+def _columns(
+    nodes: list[bpy.types.Node], consumers: dict[bpy.types.Node, list]
+) -> list[list[bpy.types.Node]]:
+    """Group nodes by their longest path to a node nothing reads, rightmost column first."""
+    column: dict[bpy.types.Node, int] = {}
+    visiting: set[bpy.types.Node] = set()
+
+    def place(start: bpy.types.Node) -> None:
+        stack = [(start, False)]
+        while stack:
+            node, expanded = stack.pop()
+            if node in column or (not expanded and node in visiting):
+                continue
+            downstream = [
+                target for target, _ in consumers[node] if target not in visiting
+            ]
+            if not expanded:
+                visiting.add(node)
+                stack.append((node, True))
+                stack.extend((target, False) for target in downstream if target not in column)
+                continue
+            visiting.discard(node)
+            column[node] = max((column[target] + 1 for target in downstream if target in column), default=0)
+
+    for node in nodes:
+        place(node)
+    columns: list[list[bpy.types.Node]] = [[] for _ in range(max(column.values(), default=-1) + 1)]
+    for node in nodes:
+        columns[column[node]].append(node)
+    return columns
+
+
+def arrange(node_tree: bpy.types.NodeTree) -> None:
+    """Position the nodes of ``node_tree`` so links flow left to right without overlapping."""
+    nodes = [node for node in node_tree.nodes if node.bl_idname != "NodeFrame"]
+    if not nodes:
+        return
+    consumers = _consumers(node_tree)
+    measures = {node: _Measure(node) for node in nodes}
+    top: dict[bpy.types.Node, float] = {}
+
+    x = 0.0
+    for column in _columns(nodes, consumers):
+        x -= max(measures[node].width for node in column)
+
+        # Line each node's first linked output up with the inputs it feeds.
+        desired = {}
+        for node in column:
+            targets = [
+                top[target] - measures[target].input_offsets.get(link.to_socket, 0.0)
+                + measures[node].output_offsets.get(link.from_socket, 0.0)
+                for target, link in consumers[node]
+                if link is not None and target in top
+            ]
+            desired[node] = mean(targets) if targets else None
+
+        # Unlinked nodes keep build order, after the linked ones.
+        order = sorted(
+            range(len(column)),
+            key=lambda index: (desired[column[index]] is None, -(desired[column[index]] or 0.0), index),
+        )
+        y = None
+        offsets = []
+        for index in order:
+            node = column[index]
+            wanted = desired[node] if desired[node] is not None else (y if y is not None else 0.0)
+            placed = wanted if y is None else min(wanted, y)
+            top[node] = placed
+            offsets.append(wanted - placed)
+            y = placed - measures[node].height - NODE_GAP
+        # Pushing nodes down to avoid overlaps moves them off their links; split the difference.
+        shift = mean(offsets)
+        for node in column:
+            top[node] += shift
+            node.location = (x, top[node])
+        x -= COLUMN_GAP
+
+    # Start the tree at the origin.
+    left = min(node.location.x for node in nodes)
+    for node in nodes:
+        node.location.x -= left
diff --git a/api/materials.py b/api/materials.py
index 9ab71fb..6c60082 100644
--- a/api/materials.py
+++ b/api/materials.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 import bpy
 
+from .arrange import arrange
 from .runtime import (
     BuildContext,
     MissingOutput,
@@ -107,6 +108,7 @@ def _build(builder: Callable[..., Any], name: str, kind: _OutputKind) -> Any:
         finally:
             reset_build_context(token)
         context.validate_links()
+        arrange(block.node_tree)
     built_trees.append((kind.collection, block.name))
     return block
 
diff --git a/api/tree.py b/api/tree.py
index eec2935..eaac3f4 100644
--- a/api/tree.py
+++ b/api/tree.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 import bpy
 
+from .arrange import arrange
 from .naming import attribute_names, class_name, humanize
 from .runtime import (
     BuildContext,
@@ -355,6 +356,7 @@ def _fill_tree(
         interface_socket, _ = interface_inputs[parameter.name]
         if interface_socket.bl_socket_idname == "NodeSocketMenu":
             _set_interface_default(interface_socket, parameter)
+    arrange(node_tree)
     return interface_inputs