Adding a Z Axis to a 3D Chart

[taryn_1]

I would like to know how to add a z-axis to a 3D chart in Excel 2007, Excel 2007 enables addition of a z-axis to a 3D chart but how does one do this and what would a sample data set for this kind of chart look like. I've tried searching and all I've found is how to add a secondary y-axis to a chart but not the z-axis problem.

This is the information from office.com

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/e...depth-series-axis-in-a-chart-HA010342253.aspx

But there is no sample data set so I'm having difficulty conceptualizing this.

 

[Andrew Poulsom]

You just need 3 columns of data like this:

<TABLE style="WIDTH: 144pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=192 border=0 x:str><COLGROUP><COL style="WIDTH: 48pt" span=3 width=64><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; WIDTH: 48pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=64 height=17>X</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; WIDTH: 48pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=64>Y</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; WIDTH: 48pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=64>Z</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>a</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right x:num>1</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right x:num>4</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>b</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right x:num>2</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right x:num>5</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>c</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right x:num>3</TD><TD class=xl24 style="BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right x:num>6</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Y and Z will appear as labels on the x axis and there will be 2 sets of columns. Note that you need to choose '3-D column' not 'column with a visual 3-D effect'.

 

[taryn_1]

Thank you very much. I did what you said but when I went I clicked on the chart and went to Layout, in the current selection tab I couldn't find the Depth (Series) Axis in the chart elements options which they speak about in the linked article that I provided in the initial post. Theres series "Z", series "Y", and the horizontal category axis(x), vertical value axis but not the Depth (Series) Axis option which they speak about in the article.

 

[Andrew Poulsom]

You need to choose the chart on the right in the picture here:

http://spreadsheets.about.com/od/excelcharts/ss/column_chart_4.htm

 

[taryn_1]

Thank you for your reply.

What I have done is the following and I did choose the 3D chart option using the data set you provided.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/taryn_nefdt/6211394256/in/photostream

But in the Current Selection Tab, I'm not getting the Depth Series Axis option (i.e the z-axis) as described in the article.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/e...depth-series-axis-in-a-chart-HA010342253.aspx

Where they say "Current Selection group, click the arrow next to the Chart Elements box, and then click Depth (Series) Axis".

 

[Andrew Poulsom]

That's not the right chart type. Look again at the picture in the link I posted. The one on the right has the second series behind the first.

 

[taryn_1]

I changed the chart type and I see the Depth Axis in Current Selection.

Thank you very much