Disable container property on multiple shapes

[DP]

I use swimlane objects as audio-visual devices with multiple connection points. I had been struggling with moving them around my diagram because the cursor would grab the connector text instead of the whole shape, and I would have to precisely grab only the top label of the container.

Then I discovered that if I disable the "Container" property, I can click anywhere in the shape and move it around without disturbing the text inside. However, when I select multiple swimlane objects, the "container" property disappears from the list of visible/editable properties.

Is there another way to bulk de-containerize shapes?

[draw.io Q&A]

Unfortunately, you’re also right that the “Container” checkbox only appears when one shape is selected, so you can’t toggle it directly on multiple selected shapes through the UI.

Here are the available workarounds:

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✅ Option 1 – Use “Edit Style” to bulk remove the container flag

1. Select all the swimlanes you want to modify.

2. Press Ctrl+E / Cmd+E (or right-click → Edit Style).

3. In the text box, look for container=1 and delete it (or replace with container=0).

4. Click Apply.

That instantly “de-containerizes” all selected shapes in one step.

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✅ Option 2 – Use Format Painter / Copy Style

If you already have one swimlane that behaves correctly (Container unchecked):

1. Select that shape → Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C (Copy Style).

2. Select the others → Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + V (Paste Style).
   That copies the non-container property too.

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⚙️ Why it behaves this way

The UI hides “Container” for multi-selection to avoid conflicting true/false states, but under the hood it’s just a style flag. Editing the style directly is the same operation that the checkbox performs.

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So the short answer:
👉 Yes, you can bulk de-containerize shapes — just select them all and remove container=1 in Edit Style.