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

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 23, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Disabled Macros

Did you recently upgrade from Word 97 to a later version of Word, only to find that your macros no longer work? Here's ...

Discover More

Activating the Formula Bar with the Keyboard

Hate to take your hands off the keyboard while working on a worksheet? Here's one way to activate the Formula Bar without ...

Discover More

Tying a Named Range to a Value Instead of a Cell

Named ranges are great, but they don't move when you sort data. If you want them to move, it is helpful to remember that ...

Discover More

Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Changing Chart Types

Want to change an existing bar chart to a different type of chart, such as a line chart or a column chart? It's easy to ...

Discover More

Creating a Drawing Object

Creating simple drawing objects is easy in Excel. All you need to do is use the tools made available on the Drawing toolbar.

Discover More

Adding a Drop Shadow to a Text Box

One way to make your text boxes "stand off" the page is to add a drop shadow to them. This tip shows just how easy it is ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 4 - 3?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.