apache
[Feature Request]: infinite navigation down and to the right
What would you like to happen?
Add an infinite navigation model to the right and down in the pipeline and workflow canvas. This would allow moving in these directions freely without the need to drag a step into place. I believe that for creating larger projects, fluid navigation makes development easier. An example would be tools like n8n that already have this expanded navigation.
Idea: Perhaps one idea is to have a larger space already defined by default.
Issue Priority
Priority: 3
Issue Component
Component: Hop Gui
Let me clarify the current behavior and the feature request.
Current behavior
When I create a new pipeline, the canvas starts with a relatively small, fixed area.
I can only pan within that limited area.
If I want more space, I have to drag a step to the edge of the canvas; when the step reaches the border, the canvas auto-expands a little in that direction.
This means I need to keep pushing steps against the borders, little by little, to gradually reveal more space.
Requested behavior
I would like the pipeline canvas to behave more like an “open” or “infinite” workspace.
From the start, I should be able to freely pan in any direction, even where there are no steps yet.
The available area should feel large and unconstrained, instead of only expanding in small increments when a step hits the border.
This is similar to how tools like n8n handle their workflow canvas, where you can freely pan and position nodes in a large virtual space from the beginning.
Why this would be useful
Better UX for large pipelines: When working with complex pipelines, you often need to plan the layout in advance. A more open/infinite canvas makes it easier to group related steps, keep branches visually separate, and avoid overlapping flows.
Faster design workflow: Today I need to repeatedly drag steps to the borders just to create space, which is time-consuming and breaks the flow of modeling. With free panning and a larger virtual area, I can place steps directly where I want them.
Consistency with modern tools: Many modern orchestration/ETL/workflow tools (such as n8n) already provide an “infinite” or very large canvas. Adopting a similar navigation model would make Hop feel more familiar and comfortable for users coming from these tools.
Cleaner, more readable pipelines: When space is constrained, it is tempting to place steps too close together, which hurts readability and maintainability. Having more room by default encourages clearer layouts that are easier to understand later.
My bad, I thought you could move left/right even though the viewport and area do indeed limit to the visible transforms.
This used to be possible in the past, but that caused some people to not find their pipeline again because they were stuck in some corner far away from their actual transforms.
Isn't there a way to add this? At least not infinite scrolling, but a larger space already defined on the sides, I believe, would be enough. It would allow for smoother navigation.