Packery init without triggering layout

I have packery with jQuery Draggable all setup and working correctly on my development environment.

At the moment I am saving my ordered (packery) html to the database. Before everything is inserted to the DB I change the order of the dom elements to match the packery order. Everything works nicely

when re-loading the page with the saved html all the divs appear in their position as per the save.

The problem I am having is when I set up packery again with my loaded HTML using ($grid is the parent div)

var $grid = $('.grid');
$grid.packery({
      columnWidth: '.grid-sizer',
      itemSelector: '.grid-item',
      stamp: ".stamp",
      gutter:0,
      percentPosition: true
}); 

Packery does its thing a "packs" everything again. which is exactly what it is supposed to do. Thing is i want to keep my old layout that may of had empty space in it.

My question is...

Is it possible to init packery without triggering the layout function? I have tried adding initLayout: false to the options. but it doesn't let me drag elements & layoutInstant: false doesn't seem to do anything.

Screens of saved html (after dragging everything how i want it) and then after re-loading and then $grid.packery()

https://i.sstatic.net/fS2Vp.png
https://i.sstatic.net/pAnkW.png

Alright i managed to sort this out myself. mainly from this answer on the metafizzy git metafizzy isse tracker

Added code before the initial packery set up

Packery.prototype.getShiftPositions = function( attrName ) {
    attrName = attrName || 'id';
    var _this = this;
    console.log(_this.packer.width);
    return this.items.map( function( item ) {
        return {
            attr: item.element.getAttribute( attrName ),
            x: item.element.offsetLeft,
            y: item.element.offsetTop
        }
    });
};

Packery.prototype.initShiftLayout = function( positions, attr ) {
    if ( !positions ) {
        // if no initial positions, run packery layout
        this.layout();
        return;
    }
    // parse string to JSON
    if ( typeof positions == 'string' ) {
        try {
            positions = JSON.parse( positions );
        } catch( error ) {
            console.error( 'JSON parse error: ' + error );
            this.layout();
            return;
        }
    }

    attr = attr || 'id'; // default to id attribute
    console.log(this.items);
    this._resetLayout();
    // set item order and horizontal position from saved positions
    this.items = positions.map( function( itemPosition ) {
        var selector = '[' + attr + '="' + itemPosition.attr  + '"]';
        var itemElem = this.element.querySelector( selector );
        var item = this.getItem( itemElem );
        if (item) {
            item.rect.x = itemPosition.x;
            item.rect.y = itemPosition.y;
            return item;
        }
    }, this );

    // filter out any items that no longer exist
    this.items = this.items.filter(function(item) {
        return item !== undefined;
    });
    // add new items
    var newitems = [];
    var p = this;
    $(this.$element[0]).find(this.options.itemSelector).each(function(i, e) {
        if (!p.getItem(e)) {
            newitems.push(e);
        }
    });
    this.addItems(newitems);

    this.shiftLayout();
};

When setting packery up. set initLayout:false e.g.

$grid.packery({
    columnWidth: parseInt($columnWidth),
    itemSelector: '.grid-item',
    stamp: ".stamp",
    gutter:0,
    percentPosition: true,
    initLayout: false,
});

Then setting everything up (data-item-index) is a unique value added to each div that can be moved around. you could use 'id'

var initPositions = $grid.packery( 'getShiftPositions', 'data-item-index');
$grid.packery( 'initShiftLayout', initPositions, 'data-item-index');