I decided the best layout for my application was to use the GoLayoutTree class, with the Alignment = Start and Arrangement = Horizontal. I’m a customized version of the CollapsingRecordNode classes.
In general I'm dealing with only a single tree. However there are series of nodes that form a "feeder root," if you will, to connects to a node within the main tree. The GoLayoutTree places these as separate trees within the "forest." This makes it hard to trace back to the feeder root because the diagram is fairly large.
I prefer the way the GoLayoutLayeredDigraph handles these. It puts them within the main tree. I'm not using the GoLayoutLayeredDigraph because it doesn't have an equivalent of Alignment = Start and tends to place successive nodes at a lower level, thus producing a slight diagonal slope to the overall diagram. I also want to maintain clearer separation of the major branches. Is there a way I can sub-class either of these and create a hybrid of the two layouts?