Version
1.0.1.1 (latest)
Language
English

3D columns

The Columns layer draws a 3D column at each longitude and latitude, with its height set by a number in your data. Tilt the map and the columns rise from it like a bar chart placed on the ground.

Columns of different heights rising from a tilted map of Europe
A column at each site, its height set by a measure

What you need

Field well What to put in it
* ID (required) A unique value for each row
Longitude (X) Longitude in decimal degrees, summarized as Average
Latitude (Y) Latitude in decimal degrees, summarized as Average
Column Height A number that sets each column's height

These fields must be empty on a column's rows: Circle Size, Heatmap Weight, Cell (H3/S2/A5/Geohash) Weight, Destination Longitude, Destination Latitude, Image / WKT / GeoJSON and Feature Reference.

Remove Circle Size

A row with a value in Circle Size is never drawn as a column. If you started with circles, take the field out of Circle Size.

Add columns to the map

  1. Add fields to * ID (required), Longitude (X) and Latitude (Y). Set the coordinates to Average.
  2. Add a number to Column Height.
  3. If the panel What kind of map are you making? is showing, select the 3D columns tile. Otherwise, in the Format pane expand Data Layers and switch on Columns.
  4. Expand Columns - Formatting. Set the Width in meters to suit the area your map covers, and choose a Color.
  5. Tilt the map to see the columns from the side.
Cannot see the columns?

Columns are measured in meters. The default Width of 100 meters is right for a city, but smaller than a pixel on a map of a whole country. Raise Width, and Max Height, until the columns suit the scale of your map.

Tilt the map

The map can always be tilted. Drag with the right mouse button, or hold Ctrl and drag, to tilt and rotate it. To open the map already tilted, set Format pane > Map > Defaults > Default Pitch (0 to 85). To give report readers buttons for tilting, switch on Pitch in Format pane > User Interface > Controls. See View, zoom and projection.

How column height works

Heights are in meters on the ground, so how tall a column looks depends on the zoom level. Height Behavior sets how the Column Height value is used.

Height Behavior What it does
Relative The smallest value in your data gets Min Height, the largest gets Max Height, and the rest are scaled in between. If every value is the same, every column is drawn halfway between the two.
Height in Meters The value is the column's height in meters. Base Height lifts the bottom of the column off the ground by that many meters, and the column rises from there.

Use Relative to compare values such as sales or counts. Use Height in Meters when the data is a real height, such as buildings or masts, or to stack columns by giving each a different Base Height with conditional formatting.

Tall columns rising from the globe, seen tilted
Columns on the globe, with Max Height raised for a world map

Settings

All of these are in Format pane > Data Layers, shown when the Columns switch is on.

Columns - Configuration

Setting What it does Default fx
Include in Zoom Whether a column counts toward the area the map zooms to. Yes Yes
Allow Selection Whether a column can be selected. Yes Yes
Include Tooltip Whether a column shows a tooltip. Yes Yes
Min Zoom Columns are hidden when the map is zoomed out past this level. 0 to 24. 0
Max Zoom Columns are hidden when the map is zoomed in past this level. 0 to 24. 24
Z-Index Drawing order among the layers. Higher draws on top. 0 to 1000. 500
EPSG Coordinate system of your longitude and latitude. 4326

Columns - Formatting

Setting What it does Default fx
Shape Square or Circle. Square
Height Behavior Relative or Height in Meters. See above. Relative
Min Height Relative: height in meters of the smallest value. 0 to 10,000,000. 100
Max Height Relative: height in meters of the largest value. 0 to 10,000,000. 5000
Base Height Height in Meters: height in meters at which the column starts. 0 Yes
Width Width of the column in meters: the side of a square or the diameter of a circle. 1 to 1,000,000. 100 Yes
Color Color of the column. Theme color Yes
Transparency Transparency of all columns. 0 is solid, 100 is invisible. 10

Transparency is one value for the whole layer. It cannot vary from column to column.

Selection, tooltips and labels

  • Selection. Select a column to filter the other visuals on the report page, as a slicer does. Hold Ctrl or Shift to select several. Columns that are not selected turn gray rather than fading, because 3D shapes cannot fade individually. Selected columns keep their color. See Select and filter with the map.
  • Tooltips. With no fields in Tooltips, the tooltip shows the ID. Add fields to Tooltips to show those instead. See Tooltips.
  • Labels. Columns do not carry data labels.
  • Legend. Columns can have an entry in the legend. See Legend.

Tips and limits

  • Auto zoom frames the tops of the columns as well as their bases, so tall columns are not cut off.
  • Each row is one column. To total values by area before drawing them in 3D, use Cells with Extrude Cells.
  • Columns can be drawn very tall, up to 10,000,000 meters, which suits a map of the whole globe.
  • Format pane > Background Layer > Light sets how the sides of the columns are shaded. See Light and sky.