Step 1: Set Up for 3D Plotting
1. Load plotly
:
Make sure plotly
is loaded
in your R environment.
library
(plotly
)
2. Create Sample Data: Let’s create sample data
for our 3D scatter plot and surface plot.
# Data for 3D Scatter Plot
x_scatter
<- rnorm
(50)
y_scatter
<- rnorm
(50)
z_scatter
<- rnorm
(50)
# Data for 3D Surface Plot
x_surface
<- seq
(-10,
10, length.out
=
50)
y_surface
<- seq
(-10,
10, length.out
=
50)
z_surface
<- outer
(x_surface
, y_surface
,
function(x
, y
)
sin(sqrt(x
^2
+ y
^2)))
Step 2: Create a 3D Scatter Plot
1. Basic 3D Scatter Plot: Use plot_ly()
with type = 'scatter3d'
to create a basic 3D
scatter plot.
scatter3d_plot
<- plot_ly
(x
=
~x_scatter
, y
=
~y_scatter
, z
=
~z_scatter
,
type
=
'scatter3d', mode
=
'markers')
scatter3d_plot
- Explanation:
x = ~x_scatter
,y = ~y_scatter
, andz = ~z_scatter
: Set the x, y, and z coordinates.type = 'scatter3d'
: Specifies a 3D scatter plot.mode = 'markers'
: Displays only markers (points) in 3D space.
2. Customize Marker Colors and Sizes:
scatter3d_plot
<- plot_ly
(x
=
~x_scatter
, y
=
~y_scatter
, z
=
~z_scatter
,
type
=
'scatter3d', mode
=
'markers',
marker
=
list(size
=
5, color
=
~z_scatter
, colorscale
=
'Viridis'))
scatter3d_plot
- Explanation:
size = 5
: Adjusts the size of the markers.color = ~z_scatter
: Colors markers based on their z values.colorscale = 'Viridis'
: Applies a color scale to the z values.
Step 3: Create a 3D Surface Plot
1. Basic 3D Surface Plot: Use plot_ly()
with type = 'surface'
to create a basic 3D
surface plot.
surface_plot
<- plot_ly
(z
=
~z_surface
, x
=
~x_surface
, y
=
~y_surface
, type
=
'surface')
surface_plot
- Explanation:
z = ~z_surface
: Sets the height values of the surface.x = ~x_surface
andy = ~y_surface
: Sets the x and y coordinates for the surface plot.type = 'surface'
: Specifies a 3D surface plot.
2. Customize the Surface Plot with a Color Scale:
surface_plot
<- plot_ly
(z
=
~z_surface
, x
=
~x_surface
, y
=
~y_surface
,
type
=
'surface', colorscale
=
'Viridis')
surface_plot
- Explanation:
colorscale = 'Viridis'
: Adds a Viridis color scale, enhancing the visualization of depth.
Step 4: Customize Axes
You can adjust the axis properties to improve the plot’s readability and
style.
1. Customize 3D Scatter Plot Axes:
scatter3d_plot
<- scatter3d_plot
%>%
layout
(scene
=
list(xaxis
=
list(title
=
"X Axis", backgroundcolor
=
"lightgrey", gridcolor
=
"white"),
yaxis
=
list(title
=
"Y Axis", backgroundcolor
=
"lightgrey", gridcolor
=
"white"),
zaxis
=
list(title
=
"Z Axis", backgroundcolor
=
"lightgrey", gridcolor
=
"white")))
scatter3d_plot
- Explanation:
scene
: Defines 3D plot layout options, includingxaxis
,yaxis
, andzaxis
.title
: Sets custom titles for each axis.backgroundcolor
andgridcolor
: Adjust axis background and grid colors.
2. Customize 3D Surface Plot Axes:
surface_plot
<- surface_plot
%>%
layout
(scene
=
list(xaxis
=
list(title
=
"X Axis", color
=
"blue"),
yaxis
=
list(title
=
"Y Axis", color
=
"green"),
zaxis
=
list(title
=
"Z Axis", color
=
"red")))
surface_plot
Step 5: Experiment with Different Color
Scales
plotly
provides several
color scales. Try using different ones to see their effects on your plot.
1. Apply Different Color Scales to the 3D Scatter Plot:
scatter3d_plot
<- plot_ly
(x
=
~x_scatter
, y
=
~y_scatter
, z
=
~z_scatter
,
type
=
'scatter3d', mode
=
'markers',
marker
=
list(size
=
5, color
=
~z_scatter
, colorscale
=
'Cividis'))
scatter3d_plot
2. Apply Different Color Scales to the 3D Surface Plot:
surface_plot
<- plot_ly
(z
=
~z_surface
, x
=
~x_surface
, y
=
~y_surface
,
type
=
'surface', colorscale
=
'Electric')
surface_plot
- Other Color Scales:
- Try
color scales like
Jet
,Bluered
,RdBu
,YlGnBu
,Greens
, andPortland
to see different effects.
Step 6: Combine All Customizations
Let’s bring everything together to create a polished 3D scatter and 3D
surface plot.
Final 3D Scatter Plot with Customizations
final_scatter3d
<- plot_ly
(x
=
~x_scatter
, y
=
~y_scatter
, z
=
~z_scatter
,
type
=
'scatter3d', mode
=
'markers',
marker
=
list(size
=
5, color
=
~z_scatter
, colorscale
=
'Viridis'))
%>%
layout
(scene
=
list(xaxis
=
list(title
=
"X Axis", backgroundcolor
=
"lightgrey", gridcolor
=
"white"),
yaxis
=
list(title
=
"Y Axis", backgroundcolor
=
"lightgrey", gridcolor
=
"white"),
zaxis
=
list(title
=
"Z Axis", backgroundcolor
=
"lightgrey", gridcolor
=
"white")))
final_scatter3d
Final 3D Surface Plot with Customizations
final_surface_plot
<- plot_ly
(z
=
~z_surface
, x
=
~x_surface
, y
=
~y_surface
,
type
=
'surface', colorscale
=
'Electric')
%>%
layout
(scene
=
list(xaxis
=
list(title
=
"X Axis", color
=
"blue"),
yaxis
=
list(title
=
"Y Axis", color
=
"green"),
zaxis
=
list(title
=
"Z Axis", color
=
"red")))
final_surface_plot
Summary
Today, you:
- Learned to
create 3D scatter and surface plots using
plotly
. - Customized
marker colors and sizes for 3D scatter plots.
- Applied
color scales to enhance visual appeal.
- Customized
axes in 3D space, including titles, colors, and backgrounds.
Next, you’ll build on this knowledge by diving into more complex plot customizations and interactive features to make the plots even more informative.