diff --git a/typetapper/hierarchy_graph_view.py b/typetapper/hierarchy_graph_view.py
index f1aa513..e9b9668 100644
--- a/typetapper/hierarchy_graph_view.py
+++ b/typetapper/hierarchy_graph_view.py
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ class HierarchicalGraphWidget(QZoomableDraggableGraphicsView):
         self.current_group: Union[ObjectContainer, RelativeAtomGroup] = ObjectContainer(hg.root_group if current_group is None else current_group)
         self.selected_nodes: Union[ObjectContainer, Set[RelativeAtomOrGroupOrExtern]] = ObjectContainer(set())
         self.instance = instance
+        self._old_group: RelativeAtomGroup = self.current_group.am_obj
+        self._layouts: Dict[RelativeAtomGroup, Dict[RelativeAtomOrGroupOrExtern, QPointF]] = defaultdict(dict)
 
         self.qnodes: List[HGNode] = []
         self.qedges: List[HGArrow] = []
@@ -208,7 +210,7 @@ class HierarchicalGraphWidget(QZoomableDraggableGraphicsView):
             qedge.layout()
             qedge.enter()
 
-        self._update_scene_rect()
+        self._update_scene_rect(False)
 
     @property
     def is_expanding(self):
@@ -397,25 +399,20 @@ class HierarchicalGraphWidget(QZoomableDraggableGraphicsView):
         if ibr.isEmpty():
             ibr = QRectF(0, -1000, 1000, 1000)
         for i, node in enumerate(self.ug_lookup):
-            if isinstance(node, ExternNode):
-                qnode = old_nodes.pop(node, None)
-                if qnode is None:
+            qnode = old_nodes.pop(node, None)
+            if qnode is None:
+                if isinstance(node, ExternNode):
                     qnode = HGExtern(None, model=node, hgw=self)
-                    entering.add(qnode)
-                    qnode.center = rand_point(ibr, i)
-                self.qnodes.append(qnode)
-            else:
-                qnode = old_nodes.pop(node, None)
-                if qnode is None:
+                else:
                     qnode = PropChartHG(
                         None,
                         byte_height=byte_height,
                         model=node,
                         hgw=self,
                     )
-                    entering.add(qnode)
-                    qnode.center = rand_point(ibr, i)
-                self.qnodes.append(qnode)
+                entering.add(qnode)
+                qnode.center = self._layouts[self.current_group.am_obj].get(node, rand_point(ibr, i))
+            self.qnodes.append(qnode)
 
         for model, qnode in zip(self.ug_lookup, self.qnodes):
             qnode.set_expandable(self.can_expand(model))
@@ -459,9 +456,9 @@ class HierarchicalGraphWidget(QZoomableDraggableGraphicsView):
             qnode.enter()
 
         self.ag = networkx.drawing.nx_agraph.to_agraph(self.ug)
-        self._iterate_layout(maxiter)
+        self._iterate_layout(maxiter, pin_known=True)
 
-    def _iterate_layout(self, maxiter=1):
+    def _iterate_layout(self, maxiter=1, pin_known=False):
         if not maxiter:
             return
         if self._layout_lock.acquire(blocking=False):
@@ -472,7 +469,7 @@ class HierarchicalGraphWidget(QZoomableDraggableGraphicsView):
                     qnode = self.qnodes[idx]
                     qnode.set_agraph_node_properties(node)
                     node.attr['pos'] = render_pos(qnode.center)
-                    node.attr['pin'] = str(qnode.pinned).lower()
+                    node.attr['pin'] = str(qnode.pinned or (pin_known and qnode.model in self._layouts[self.current_group.am_obj])).lower()
                 for edge in self.ag.edges_iter():
                     edge.attr['len'] = self.layout_social_distancing
                 self.ag.graph_attr['overlap'] = self.layout_overlap
@@ -493,27 +490,39 @@ class HierarchicalGraphWidget(QZoomableDraggableGraphicsView):
                 for edge in self.qedges:
                     edge.layout()
 
-                self._update_scene_rect()
+                self._update_scene_rect(False)
             finally:
                 self._layout_event_occurring = False
                 self._layout_lock.release()
         else:
             l.warning("Layout lock conflict. Is the application lagging?")
 
-    def _update_scene_rect(self):
+    def _update_scene_rect(self, scene_change):
         rect = None
         for item in self.items():
+            if isinstance(item, AnimatableItem) and item.exiting:
+                continue
             br = item.boundingRect()
             br.translate(item.x(), item.y())
             rect = rect.united(br) if rect is not None else br
-        if rect is None:
-            rect = self.mapToScene(self.viewport().rect()).boundingRect()
+
+        if not scene_change:
+            if rect is None:
+                rect = self.mapToScene(self.viewport().rect()).boundingRect()
+            else:
+                rect = rect.marginsAdded(QMarginsF(SCENE_MARGIN, SCENE_MARGIN, SCENE_MARGIN, SCENE_MARGIN))
+                rect = rect.united(self.mapToScene(self.viewport().rect()).boundingRect())
+            center = self.mapToScene(self.viewport().rect().center())
+            self.setSceneRect(rect)
+            self.centerOn(center)
         else:
-            rect = rect.marginsAdded(QMarginsF(SCENE_MARGIN, SCENE_MARGIN, SCENE_MARGIN, SCENE_MARGIN))
-            rect = rect.united(self.mapToScene(self.viewport().rect()).boundingRect())
-        center = self.mapToScene(self.viewport().rect().center())
-        self.setSceneRect(rect)
-        self.centerOn(center)
+            if rect is None:
+                rect = QRectF()
+            else:
+                rect = rect.marginsAdded(QMarginsF(SCENE_MARGIN, SCENE_MARGIN, SCENE_MARGIN, SCENE_MARGIN))
+            self.setSceneRect(rect)
+            self.resetTransform()
+            self.centerOn(self.sceneRect().center())
 
     # qt overrides
 
@@ -550,9 +559,10 @@ class HierarchicalGraphWidget(QZoomableDraggableGraphicsView):
     # objectcontainer event handlers
 
     def _on_change_group(self, **kwargs):
+        self._layouts[self._old_group] = {qnode.model: qnode.center for qnode in self.qnodes}
+        self._old_group = self.current_group.am_obj
         self._layout(600)
-        self.resetTransform()
-        self.centerOn(self.sceneRect().center())
+        self._update_scene_rect(True)
 
     def _on_selection_changed(self, src=None, **kwargs):
         if src == 'qt':
@@ -586,6 +596,7 @@ class HierarchicalGraphWidget(QZoomableDraggableGraphicsView):
 class AnimatableItem(QGraphicsItem):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.timeline: Optional[QTimeLine] = None
+        self.exiting = False
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
     def _start_animation(self, animation, duration, finished=None, ease=QEasingCurve.Linear):
@@ -614,6 +625,7 @@ class HGNode(AnimatableItem):
     # public interfaces
 
     def exit(self, duration=250):
+        self.exiting = True
         for edge in self.edges.values():
             edge.orient(self, away=True)
             edge.exit(duration)
@@ -967,6 +979,7 @@ class HGArrow(AnimatableItem):
         self.percentage = value
 
     def exit(self, duration=250):
+        self.exiting = True
         self._start_animation(self._animate_exit, duration, self._finish_exit)
 
     def _animate_exit(self, value):