I'm implementing a custom grid layout system in Flutter using Stack and Positioned widgets. While the grid itself works correctly for positioning items, I can't get it to properly communicate its height to parent widgets.

Current Implementation: I have a StackedGridDashboard widget that:

1. Calculates unit sizes based on available width and number of columns
2. Positions child widgets using absolute positioning
3. Calculates its total height based on items positions and dimensions

Here's the implementation:

class StackedGridDashboard extends StatelessWidget {
  final List<DashboardItem> items;
  final int column;
  final double padding;
  final double spacing;
  final double ratio;

  double calculateTotalHeight(double availableWidth) {
    final unitSize = _calculateUnitSize(availableWidth, column);
    if (items.isEmpty) return 0;

    final maxY = items.map((item) => item.position.y + item.position.height).reduce(math.max);
    final totalSpacingHeight = (maxY - 1) * spacing;
    final totalContentHeight = maxY * unitSize.height;

    return totalContentHeight + totalSpacingHeight + (padding * 2);
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return IntrinsicHeight(
      child: LayoutBuilder(
        builder: (context, constraints) {
          final totalHeight = calculateTotalHeight(constraints.maxWidth - (padding * 2));
          final unitSize = _calculateUnitSize(constraints.maxWidth, column);
          
          return Container(
            padding: EdgeInsets.all(padding),
            width: constraints.maxWidth,
            height: totalHeight,
            child: Stack(
              children: [
                for (final item in items)
                  Positioned(
                    left: item.position.x * (unitSize.width + spacing),
                    top: item.position.y * (unitSize.height + spacing),
                    width: item.position.width * unitSize.width + (item.position.width - 1) * spacing,
                    height: item.position.height * unitSize.height + (item.position.height - 1) * spacing,
                    child: item.child,
                  ),
              ],
            ),
          );
        },
      ),
    );
  }
}

Usage :

Column(
  mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
  children: [
    _DesktopHeader(),
    kSmallGap,
    SizedBox(
      height: 1000,  // Need this fixed height for it to work
      width: double.infinity,
      child: StackedGridDashboard(
        column: 14,
        items: [
          DashboardItem(
            position: GridPosition(x: 0, y: 0, width: 4, height: 3),
            child: AncestorsCard.dynamic(manager: manager),
          ),
          // More items...
        ],
      ),
    ),
  ],
)

Problem: Currently, I have to wrap the StackedGridDashboard in a SizedBox with a fixed height for it to display correctly. The calculateTotalHeight method returns the correct value, but this height doesn't propagate up to influence the parent layout.

What I've tried:

Using IntrinsicHeight Using LayoutBuilder Setting mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min on the Column Various combinations of Container constraints

The grid items position themselves correctly within the Stack, but I can't get the widget to size itself properly based on its content.

Question: How can I make my custom grid layout properly communicate its intrinsic height to parent widgets? Is there a specific way to handle height constraints with Stack and Positioned widgets?