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Tutorials > Chart Tutorials > Scatterplots in 3D Scatterplots in 3DThe CloudChart or XYZ Scatter is a surprisingly versatile method for diagramming data in 3 dimensions. The four examples shown here illustrate a few of the possibilities. A Simple Scatter plot in XYZ spacesp.SetMargins(24,32,18,6); sp.Heading = "XYZ Scatter"; sp.HeadingStyle = HeadingStyles.Right; zdata = new int[] {12,65,77,117,9,112}; xdata = new int[] {17,31,29,21,30,21}; ydata = new int[] {190,270,310,300,190,230}; sp.CloudChartStyle = CloudChartStyles.WallShading|CloudChartStyles.Risers| CloudChartStyles.HaloMarkers; sp.ZAxisStyle = ZAxisStyles.ForceZero; sp.XAxisStyle = XAxisStyles.GridLines; sp.YAxisStyle = YAxisStyles.GridLines|YAxisStyles.FlatText; sp.SetZTickMarks(50); sp.SetYTickMarks(20); sp.SetMarkerScales(2); sp.SetMarkers(Marker.Ball); sp.DrawCloudChart(xdata,ydata,zdata); This style of chart would often be used with a large dataset (several thousand points) to get a feel for the general shape of a distribution. In this example ‘risers’ have been drawn from the xy plane to give a better idea of where the points are placed. Shaded planes to compare several seriessp.SetMargins(24,24,18,6); series1 = new int[] {5,6,7,4,3,6,5,4}; series2 = new int[] {4,5,4,7,4,5,5,3}; xdata = new int[] {4,5,7,8,9,11,12,15}; sp.Heading = "Shaded\nPlanes"; sp.HeadingStyle = HeadingStyles.Right; sp.SetViewpoint(33,18,54); sp.SetColors(new Color[]{Color.OrangeRed,Color.ForestGreen}); sp.SetFillStyles(FillStyle.Opacity66); sp.CloudChartStyle = CloudChartStyles.NoMarkers|CloudChartStyles.SurfaceShading| CloudChartStyles.Lines|CloudChartStyles.GridLines; sp.SetYRange(0.5,2.5); sp.YAxisStyle = YAxisStyles.PlainAxis; sp.ZAxisStyle = ZAxisStyles.ForceZero; sp.DrawCloudChart(xdata,new int[]{2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2},series2); // First plane sp.DrawCloudChart(xdata,new int[]{1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1},series1); This diagram shows the cloud-chart being used in a similar way to the Excel Ribbon chart to compare series. This is generally done for visual effect rather than as a serious attempt to compare the data values. However it does illustrate the versatility of the Cloudchart when used as a general-purpose 3D drawing tool. If you start by setting fixed ranges on all 3 axes, you can draw any number of lines of filled shapes in the rctangular co-ordinate system within the chart walls. This chart is also drawn with a slightly modified viewpoint. The best viewing angle for any particular dataset is obviously a matter of experiment. Fitted quadratic surfaceJust as the ScatterPlot can fit a regression-line to the data, the Cloudchart can fit a regression surface. sp.SetMargins(24,32,18,6); sp.Heading = "Modelled\nSurface"; sp.HeadingStyle = HeadingStyles.Right; zdata = new int[] {12,65,77,117,9,112}; xdata = new int[] {17,31,29,21,30,24}; ydata = new int[] {190,270,310,300,190,230}; sp.SetZTickMarks(50); sp.CloudChartStyle = CloudChartStyles.WallShading|CloudChartStyles.ModelFit; sp.SetWallFillStyles(FillStyle.Halftone); sp.SetOrderOfFit(2,1); sp.EquationFormat = "z = C0 + C1x + C2x² + C3y"; sp.ZAxisStyle = ZAxisStyles.ForceZero; sp.YAxisStyle = YAxisStyles.FlatText; sp.SetPenWidths(1.2); sp.SetMarkers(Marker.Node); sp.DrawCloudChart(xdata,ydata,zdata); sp.SetKeyText(sp.Equation); The model in this case is quadratic in the X-direction and linear in Y to give the simple folded surface shown. The order of fit may be up to 4 (quartic) in either direction. Trend surface with contour linessp.SetMargins(24,32,18,6); zdata = new int[] {100,15,27,117,19,112}; xdata = new int[] {17,31,29,21,30,24}; ydata = new int[] {190,270,310,300,190,230}; sp.Heading = "Trend\nSurface"; sp.HeadingStyle = HeadingStyles.Right; sp.SetZTickMarks(50); // Contour interval also sp.CloudChartStyle = CloudChartStyles.WallShading|CloudChartStyles.TrendSurface| CloudChartStyles.Contours|CloudChartStyles.GridLines| CloudChartStyles.TiledSurface; sp.Flexibility = 1; sp.ZAxisStyle = ZAxisStyles.ForceZero; sp.YAxisStyle = YAxisStyles.FlatText; sp.SetFillStyles(FillStyle.Opacity30); sp.SetPenWidths(0.8); sp.SetMarkers(Marker.Node); sp.DrawCloudChart(xdata,ydata,zdata); This is again the analagous style to the ‘trendline’ available in the ScatterPlot. The surface is a gaussian-weighted smooth which can be controlled with the Flexibility property. With so few points, the sample sets the flex very low indeed as otherwise the surface would resemble a series of plateaux around each point. With a realistically large data array (probably several hundred points) the default flexibility would be more suitable. Contour lines are drawn at each Z-axis tickmark, and the ‘grid’ is computed at the intersection of each x-y tick. The MeshDensity property can be used to add more points into the mesh to make a smoother surface. SummaryCloudcharts can be a really effective way to visualize genuine 3D datasets. However for serious data analysis it is probably better to use a set of simple 2D charts to show appropriate sections through the data. See also ... |