# Writing labels crossing over other arrows in commutative diagrams

It's a simple question which is illustrated as below:

\documentclass[openany,english]{scrbook}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{newtxtext}
\usepackage[nonewtxmathopt]{newtxmath}
\usepackage{amsmath, amssymb, graphicx}
\usepackage[thmmarks, amsmath, thref]{ntheorem}
\usepackage{tikz-cd}

\begin{document}

$\begin{tikzcd}[row sep=2.5ex, column sep=2ex] (FF,FF)_D \ar[rrr] \ar[dd] & & & (FF,FF)_D \ar[dd] & & & &\\ & & & & (FF,FF)_D \ar[rrr, "\alpha_{FFc_1,FFc_2}"] \ar[from=llllu, crossing over] & & & (FF,FF)_D \ar[dd] \ar[from=llllu] \\ (FF,FF)_D \ar[rrr] & & & (FF,FF)_D \ar[rrrrd] & & & & \\ & & & & (FF,FF)_D \ar[rrr, "\alpha_{FFc_1,FFc_2}"] \ar[from=llllu] \ar[from=uu, crossing over] & & & (FF,FF)_D \end{tikzcd}$
\end{document}


I want the words to come above the arrows so that they are not hidden behind arrows. Of course, I can increase the vertical length or move the words beneath the arrows, but I'm wondering if there is a way of solving the problem without increasing the vertical length of the overall diagram. I've read the short tikzcd manual, but wasn't creative enough to solve this. Any help is welcomed!

• Why not just place them below the arrow "\alpha_{FFc_1,FFc_2}"{below, yshift=-0.2em}? Feb 23, 2016 at 6:12
• Sorry, I've seen it wrong. I think that works but leaves a bit more to be desired. The vertical space needed is almost the same as writing the labels below the arrows for the letters to come above the arrows. Feb 23, 2016 at 6:35
• I see no solution without increasing the width of the arrows bearing the labels. The obvious change, if you don't want to swap the label's position, is to put the “source” square lower than the “target” square. Feb 23, 2016 at 8:46

% arara: pdflatex
$\begin{tikzcd}[% ,row sep={6.5ex,between origins} ,column sep={8.5em,between origins} ] (FF,FF)_D \ar[r] \ar[dd] & (FF,FF)_D \ar[dd]\arrow[shorten >= 1.5cm]{drr} &[-2.5em] & \\ & & (FF,FF)_D \ar{r}{\alpha_{FFc_1,FFc_2}} \ar[from=llu, crossing over] & (FF,FF)_D \ar[dd] \\ (FF,FF)_D \ar[r]\arrow{drr} & (FF,FF)_D \ar[rrd] & & \\ & & (FF,FF)_D \ar{r}[fill=white]{\alpha_{FFc_1,FFc_2}} \ar[from=uu, crossing over] & (FF,FF)_D \end{tikzcd}$