Creating surface charts
You can use surface charts to emphasize high and low points in two changing variables.
A 3D surface chart is useful for showing the relationship between three variables. This chart looks like a topographic map, with colors showing areas that have similar values. For example, the strength of a material decreases with time and increases with temperature. A surface chart would let you quickly see the combinations of temperatures and time that produce the same strain results.
Surface charts plot rows and columns as lines that form a “mesh” on a 3D frame. When you chart a square array of cells, values in columns correspond with mesh lines from left to right. Rows of data correspond to mesh lines from front to back. Each data point is represented by an intersection of two mesh lines. How the surface of the mesh is shaded depends on the type of surface chart.
For information about modifying charts, see “Working with chart series.” For information about editing charts, see “Editing charts.”
To create a surface chart |  |
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1.
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Select the cells you want to plot.
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If the surrounding cells contain explanatory labels, you can include them in the selection for use as the chart axis labels or the chart legend.
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2.
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Click Insert
 Chart Use Chart Expert. |
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3.
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Click Next.
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4.
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Choose Surface from the Category list.
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5.
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Click Next.
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6.
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Type in any of the following boxes:
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Title
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Subtitle
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X-axis
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Y-axis
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Footnote
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7.
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Click Next.
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8.
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Choose a color scheme option from the Choose a color scheme list.
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9.
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Click Finish.
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10.
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Drag in the spreadsheet.
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You can apply advanced rendering to a chart by enabling the Advanced rendering check box.
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To create a 3D surface chart | |
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1.
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Select the cells you want to plot.
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If the surrounding cells contain explanatory labels, you can include them in the selection for use as the chart axis labels or the chart legend.
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2.
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Click Insert
Chart Use Chart Expert. |
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3.
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Click Next.
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4.
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Choose Surface from the Category list.
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5.
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Enable the 3D check box.
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6.
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Click one of the following area chart options on the Type palette:
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3D surface
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3D honeycomb surface
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3D surface with sides
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7.
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Click Next.
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8.
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Type in any of the following boxes:
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Title
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Subtitle
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X-axis
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Y-axis
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Z-axis
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Footnote
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9.
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Click Next.
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10.
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Choose a color scheme option from the Choose a color scheme list.
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11.
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Click Finish.
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12.
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Drag in the spreadsheet.
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