Sample CSV
| Name | Latitude | Longitude | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tohoku | 38.3 | 142.4 | 2011-03-11 | Japan |
| Valdivia | -38.2 | -73.1 | 1960-05-22 | Chile |
| Alaska | 61.0 | -147.6 | 1964-03-28 | United States |
| Sumatra | 3.3 | 95.9 | 2004-12-26 | Indonesia |
How to Create a 3D Map
A step by step walkthrough for building a tilted world map with points, raised countries and a timeline in PlotSet.
About 8 minutesYou will end up with a world map seen at an angle, with a point for each row of your data and an optional timeline that plays them.
Expect about eight minutes. Most of it goes on choosing the camera angle and what the height of each country means.
The data you need
One row per event or place, with a name, a latitude and a longitude and, if you want them, a date, a value and a country.
Latitude runs from -90 to 90 and longitude from -180 to 180, as plain numbers.
Write dates as ISO dates such as 2011-03-11 so the timeline can play them.
To raise countries, add rows with a country name and a value to total.
Only the name, latitude and longitude columns are required.
The steps
The exact click path in PlotSet, from a blank template to a finished chart.
- 01
Open the 3D Map template
From the PlotSet dashboard, start a new project and choose 3D Map from the 3D Plots category. It loads with earthquakes from 1901 to 2020.
Every guide starts here. Pick the category, then the template: it is the same grid whichever chart type you are after. - 02
Add your rows
Import a CSV or .xlsx file, paste rows from a spreadsheet, or connect a Google Sheet. Each row becomes one point.
The data view, shown here on a bar chart project. Upload a CSV, lift the numbers out of an image with Magic Import, or sync a Google Sheet. The panel is identical for every chart type. - 03
Check the column bindings
Bind the name, latitude and longitude columns first. Then add a value, a category, a country and a date if you have them.
Bindings decide which column becomes the label, which supplies the values and which drives the colour. Auto Binding guesses them from your headers, so check it rather than assume it. - 04
Set the camera
In the 3D view tab, set the pitch, the bearing and the perspective. The Map tab picks the projection and the basemap style.
The Preview tab for a 3D Map. Every styling control lives in the outlined panel, each on its own tab: appearance, header, footer and the options specific to this chart type. - 05
Raise countries by a value
In the Regions tab, turn extrusion on and choose which column sets each country's height and colour.
- 06
Style the points
The Points tab sets the style, the size and the colour. Turn on clustering if dense areas hide each other.
- 07
Add a timeline
Bind a date column and the Time tab plays the events as a sweep, with a counter and a graph under the map.
- 08
Publish and embed
Publish for a live chart and copy the embed code from the Share dialog. Check the map at the width of your page before you share it.
Share is how a finished chart becomes a public link and an embed code.
Start from the 3D Map template with sample data already loaded, then swap in your own.
Open the templatePublish, embed or export it
The last stretch is the same for every chart type: Share turns the chart into a live public link and an embed code, Export writes it out as a static file.
Share: public link and embed code
Activating the embed code and public link publishes the chart. The link is safe to send to anyone, and the embed code drops into any page as an iframe that keeps the hover tooltips and the interactivity. Edit the chart later and hit Recreate to push those changes out to both.
Export: SVG, PNG or JPG
Export writes a static copy at whatever size you need. SVG stays sharp at any scale and can still be edited in a design tool; PNG and JPG are the safe choices for slides and documents. The scale multiplier is what gets you a crisp image on a retina screen.
Styling tips for a 3D Map
Keep the pitch moderate
A tilt of thirty to forty degrees adds depth without squeezing the far side.
Shade and raise by different columns
Use one column for colour and another for height to show two things at once.
Filter with buttons
The Filters tab adds buttons that hide or dim rows by category.
Add a callout
The Annotations tab pins a line of text to a latitude and longitude.
Common mistakes when making a 3D Map
The map does not play
The date column is missing or not bound to Time. Use ISO dates in that column.
A country is not raised
Its name did not match. Use the English name or its ISO code. Very small countries have no shape in the base map.
Points look jumbled
Too many points overlap. Lower the size range or turn on clustering.
The map looks flat
The pitch is set to zero. Raise it in the 3D view tab.
Learn more about the 3D Map
Not sure the 3D Map is the right choice? See what it is, when to use it and when not to.
3D Map: common questions
Yes. Include a row for each country you want raised and leave the rest out.
Make your 3D Map now
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