Using the Mouse to Adjust Your View of 3-D Graphs

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated March 16, 2013)

When you create a 3-D graph with Excel, you might want to adjust the perspective of the graph just a bit. You can use dialog boxes to make the adjustment, but you don't need to go to that trouble—you can use the mouse. All you need to do is follow these steps:

  1. Create and display your 3-D graph as you normally would.
  2. Click on the walls that define the sides of your 3-D graph. Don't click on the objects that represent the data, but on the walls surrounding the data. A good place to click is on the gray back walls of the graph.
  3. Move the mouse pointer over the corners of the graph, where some of the small graphic handles (small black boxes) appear. When you do, a ToolTip should appear that says "Corners."
  4. Click on the corner. This selects the corner.
  5. Click again on the corner, but don't release the mouse button. Instead, start to drag the corner in the direction you want.

When you perform step 5, Excel erases the graph and displays an outline of the box that contains the graph. You can drag the corner any direction you want, and Excel adjusts the angle at which you view the box. When you release the mouse button, the graph is redrawn at the current viewing angle.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (1976) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He  is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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