Three Dimensional Plot (97)

Topic

New Reply

Is there any way of plotting a 3D graph i.e. x,y, and z values – a type of 3D scatter plot? Thanks.

Reply | Quote

Replies

Hi

Yes there is. John Walkenbach gives an example of a 3-D plot in his book “Microsoft Excel 2000 Formulas”. It should work in ’97.

1. Put the x values (constant increment) in the top row of a worksheet but leave the top left cell blank.
2. Put the y values in the first column (constant increment) again leaving the top left cell blank.
3. Fill the rest of the table with the formula that links x and y, that is, supply the z values e.g. z=SIN(x) + COS(y).
4. Select the entire range as the source data for the chart.

Hope that helps.

Regards

Rob

Reply | Quote

Not a 3D scatter, only 3d as “line-type” The Z is value, the X and Y are category.

Steve

Reply | Quote

Hi
The solution I posted results not in a line graph but in a 3-dimensional surface graph.
Regards
Rob

Reply | Quote

Yes I understand.

It is still a “line-type” of chart since ONLY one of the axes is numbers, the other 2 are “categories”. In an XY-scatter BOTH axes are numbers. There is NO chart type in excel to plot 3 axes of numbers. That is why the values have to equally spaced – they are plotted as CATEGORIES not as NUMBERS.

Steve

Reply | Quote

Sorry Steve

I wasn’t trying to be patronising. I bow to superior wisdom!

Regards

Rob

Reply | Quote