3D columns
The 3D columns layer stands a column on the map at each row of your data and drives its height from a value. It is the map equivalent of a bar chart: tilt the map and the tallest columns are the biggest numbers, exactly where they happen.
Use columns when the magnitude is the story - population by city, sales by store, output by site. For density of many points, use a grid or heatmap instead; for polygons raised by a value, use extrusion on Shapes & geometry.
Position and height
- Location - longitude and latitude columns, or an Address or postcode column that Icon Map geocodes on the device (the address text never leaves the browser).
- Height column - the measure that drives each column's height.
- Base column (floating range) - optional. Floats each column off the ground so it spans base to base + height, which draws a min-max range.
Shape and engine
| Column shape | Looks like |
|---|---|
| Square bar | A classic 3D bar. |
| Cylinder | A round column; set Roundness (sides) for smoother or more faceted sides. |
| Hexagon | Six-sided columns that pack neatly in dense data. |
| Spike (tapered) | A needle that narrows to a point - striking on a globe. |
Two rendering engines draw the columns:
- Extrusion (globe-ready) - the standard engine. It is the only one that renders correctly on the globe projection, and it supports labels and stacked segments.
- deck.gl (spikes, animation) - adds tapered spikes, glowing (emissive) tops and a grow-in animation when the layer loads.
Footprint rotation and Footprint coverage adjust the base: coverage shrinks every footprint by the same fraction so columns in a dense grid stop touching.
Height modes
| Height mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Relative (min-max) | Stretches your values between a Min height and Max height in meters. The easiest way to get a readable map. |
| Proportional (from 0) | Height is proportional to the value from zero, so a column twice as tall is twice the value. |
| Absolute (meters) | The value, times the Height scale, is the height in meters - for data that really is a height. |
Width, color and stacking
- Footprint radius is fixed, or sized by a column between a minimum and maximum radius in meters - so a second measure can drive the width.
- Fill color uses the same color modes as every other layer - see Style by data.
- Stacked segments stack several measures in one column, each with its own color and legend label - a stacked bar chart on the map. Stacking draws on the extrusion engine.
The Apply "Globe spikes" preset button switches the map to the globe and restyles the layer as glowing spikes rising from the earth - a good starting point for a worldwide dataset.
Next steps
- Style by data - gradients, categories and class breaks.
- Time slider - play columns through time.
- Environment effects - lighting, sky and terrain for 3D views.