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Chapter 148

3D Bar Charts
Introduction
Bar charts are used to visually compare values to each other. This chapter gives a brief overview and examples of
simple 3D bar charts and two-factor 3D bar charts. Below is an example of a 3D bar chart with two factors
(Month and Fruit).

Data Structure
Data for a 3D bar chart are entered in columns. Each numeric data value becomes a bar. The simple 3D bar chart
procedure gives a 3D bar chart for each column of data. The two-factor 3D bar chart combines columns of data
into a single chart. Below is an example of data ready to be charted. These data are stored in the Fruit dataset.
Fruit dataset
Fruit April May June Total
Apple 82 70 20 172
Pear 73 50 33 156
Peach 67 45 28 140
Orange 85 65 17 167
Kiwi 54 42 24 120
Melon 33 58 20 111

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3D Bar Charts

Procedure Options (3D Bar Charts and Two-Factor 3D Bar Charts)

This section describes the options available in the two 3D bar chart procedures.

Variables Tab – 3D Bar Charts

Specify the variables (columns) used to make a simple 3D bar chart.

Variables
Data Variables
These are columns of data with numeric values. The length of the bars is given by these numeric values.
Label Variable
Specify an optional variable containing the labels for each bar.
Data Orientation
The orientation controls whether values for the bars go down a column (Vertical) or across a row (Horizontal).

Variable Names
Variable Names
This option specifies whether the column names or column labels are used on the chart.

Variables Tab – Two-Factor 3D Bar Charts

Specify the variables (columns) used to make a two-factor 3D bar chart.

Variables
Data Variables
These are columns of data with numeric values. The length of the bars is given by these numeric values. If the
Data Orientation is Vertical, each column specified here will produce a sub-grouping of bars on the chart. If the
Data Orientation is Horizontal, each row specified here will produce a sub-grouping of bars on the chart.
Label Variable
Specify an optional variable containing the legend labels for each bar.
Data Orientation
The orientation controls whether sub-groupings for the bars go down a column (Vertical) or across a row
(Horizontal).

Variable Names
Variable Names
This option specifies whether the column names or column labels are used on the chart.

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3D Bar Charts

3D Bar Chart Format

Format
Click the format button to change the plot settings (see 3D Bar Chart Window Options below).
Edit During Run
Checking this option will cause the bar chart format window to appear when the procedure is run. This allows you
to modify the format of the graph with the actual data.

3D Bar Chart Window Options

This section describes the specific options available on the 3D Bar Chart window, which is displayed when the
3D Bar Chart button is clicked. Common options, such as axes, labels, legends, and titles are documented in the
Graphics Components chapter.

3D Bar Chart Tab

Plot Type Section

You can create a chart that displays either bars or symbols using the options in this section.
One Factor

Two Factors

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3D Bar Charts

Bars or Symbols and Lines Section

You can specify the format of either the bars or symbols using the options in this section.
One Factor

Two Factors

Data Labels Section

You can add and format data labels using the options in this section.
One Factor

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3D Bar Charts

Two Factors

Reference Value Section

The Reference Value is the plane from which the bars are drawn. You can specify the value from which the bars
originate using the options in this section.

3D Layout Tab
Use this tab to control the 3D viewing aspects of the plot. Click on Show in New Window beneath the 3D Plot
Preview display to show the plot in a separate window where you can auto-spin the plot and interact with the 3D
orientation on the fly. All of the options on this tab are also available on the 3D Plot Preview window.

Display Section
Control the display of the plot. Make the plot 2D or 3D using these options, as well as the zoom and the
perspective angle. When using 2D, only the X and Y axes are displayed; the Z axis is not displayed.

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3D Bar Charts

3D Orientation Section
Control rotation, elevation, and viewer rotation of the 3D plot. You can modify the rotation and elevation
interactively by left-clicking on the plot in the 3D Plot Preview display and dragging your mouse.

Relative Dimensions Section

Control the relative display dimensions for the X, Y, and Z axes of the plot.

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3D Bar Charts

Quick Layout Tools Section

Use these tools to quickly change multiple plot settings simultaneously to achieve a 3D display result.

Load the Interactive 3D Plot Preview Window

Click this button to show the plot in a separate window where you can auto-spin the plot and interact with the 3D
orientation on the fly. All of the options on this tab are also available on the 3D Plot Preview window.

Walls Tab
Use this tab to control the display of walls on the plot.

XY Walls, YZ Walls, and XZ Walls Section

Control how walls are displayed on the plot.

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3D Bar Charts

Titles, Legend, X Axis, Y Axis, Z Axis, Grid Lines, and Background Tabs
Details on setting the options in these tabs are given in the Graphics Components chapter. A few specific options
are described below.

Fill Between Major Grid Lines (on Grid Lines Tab)

Controls the appearance of reference bands on the plot.

Lighting Scheme (on Background Tab)

Control the ambient lighting on the plot. Choose from a number of present lighting schemes. These schemes
change the way colors and 3D items appear in the plot.

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3D Bar Charts

Example 1 – Creating a Simple 3D Bar Chart

This section presents an example of how to create a 3D bar chart of the data stored in the Fruit dataset.
You may follow along here by making the appropriate entries or load the completed template Example 1 by
clicking on Open Example Template from the File menu of the 3D Bar Charts window.

1 Open the Fruit dataset.

• From the File menu of the NCSS Data window, select Open Example Data.
• Click on the file Fruit.NCSS.
• Click Open.

2 Open the 3D Bar Charts window.

• Using the Graphics menu or the Procedure Navigator, find and select the 3D Bar Charts procedure.
• On the menus, select File, then New Template. This will fill the procedure with the default template.

3 Specify the variables.

• On the 3D Bar Charts window, select the Variables tab.
• Double-click in the Data Variables text box. This will bring up the variable selection window.
• Select Total from the list of variables and then click Ok. “Total” will appear in the Data Variables box.
• Double-click in the Label Variable text box. This will bring up the variable selection window.
• Select Fruit from the list of variables and then click Ok. “Fruit” will appear in the Label Variable box.
• Set Variable Names to Labels.

4 Run the procedure.

• From the Run menu, select Run Procedure. Alternatively, just click the green Run button.

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3D Bar Charts

3D Bar Chart Output

You could make all the bars the same color by clicking on the 3D Bar Chart Format button. There you would
click on the Bar Fill format button and change the Fill Mode from Multiple Fills to Single Fill. The result is
shown below.

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3D Bar Charts

Example 2 – Creating a Two-Factor 3D Bar Chart

This section presents an example of how to create a two-factor 3D bar chart of the data stored in the Fruit dataset.
You may follow along here by making the appropriate entries or load the completed template Example 2 by
clicking on Open Example Template from the File menu of the 3D Bar Charts (2 Factors) window.

1 Open the Fruit dataset.

• From the File menu of the NCSS Data window, select Open Example Data.
• Click on the file Fruit.NCSS.
• Click Open.

2 Open the 3D Bar Charts (2 Factors) window.

• Using the Graphics menu or the Procedure Navigator, find and select the 3D Bar Charts (2 Factors)
procedure.
• On the menus, select File, then New Template. This will fill the procedure with the default template.

3 Specify the variables.

• On the 3D Bar Charts window, select the Variables tab.
• Double-click in the Data Variables text box. This will bring up the variable selection window.
• Select April, May, and June from the list of variables and then click Ok. “April-June” will appear in the
Data Variables box.
• Double-click in the Label Variable text box. This will bring up the variable selection window.
• Select Fruit from the list of variables and then click Ok. “Fruit” will appear in the Label Variable box.

4 Specify the Axis Labels and 3D Layout.

• On the 3D Bar Charts window, click on the 3D Bar Chart Format button.
• On the Numeric Axis (Y) tab, change the Front Axis Label to Number Sold.
• On the Group 1 Axis (X) tab, change the Front Axis Label to Month.
• On the 3D Layout tab, change the Z (Depth) Relative Dimension to 240%.
• Click OK.

5 Run the procedure.

• From the Run menu, select Run Procedure. Alternatively, just click the green Run button.

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3D Bar Charts

3D Bar Chart Output

You can switch the factors by changing the Data Orientation to Vertical, the Group 1 Axis Label to {X}, the
Group 2 Axis Label to Month, the Z (Depth) Relative Dimension to 100%, and the X (Width) Relative
Dimension to 200%. The result is shown below.

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