3D Graphs

You need to visualize data in three dimensions for many real-world data sets, such as temperature distribution on a surface, joint time-frequency analysis, and the motion of an airplane.

LabVIEW includes the following types of 3D graphs:

Scatter—Shows trends in statistics and the relationship between two sets of data.

Stem—Displays an impulse response and organize data by its distribution.

Comet—Creates an animated graph with a circle that follows the data points.

Surface—Graphs data with a connecting surface.

Contour—Graphs a plot with contour lines.

Mesh—Graphs a mesh surface with open spaces.

Waterfall—Graphs the surface of the data and the area on the y-axis below the data points.

Quiver—Generates a plot of normal vectors.

Ribbon—Generates a plot of parallel lines.

Bar—Generates a plot of vertical bars.

Pie—Generates a pie chart.

3D Surface Graph—Draws a surface in 3D space.

3D Parametric Graph—Draws a parametric surface in 3D space.

3D Line Graph—Draws a line in 3D space.

ActiveX 3D Surface Graph—Draws a surface in 3D space using ActiveX technology.

ActiveX 3D Parametric Graph—Draws a parametric surface in 3D space using ActiveX technology.

ActiveX 3D Curve Graph—Draws a line in 3D space using ActiveX technology.

Use the 3D Graphs, except for the 3D Surface, 3D Parametric, and 3D Curve graphs, in conjunction with the 3D Plot Properties dialog box to plot graphs with three dimensions.

Use the 3D Surface, 3D Parametric, and 3D Curve graphs in conjunction with the 3D Graph Properties dialog box to plot curves and surfaces. A curve contains individual points on the graph, where each point has an x, y, and z coordinate. The VI then connects these points with a line. A curve is ideal for visualizing the path of a moving object, such as the flight path of an airplane. Figure 13. Sample 3D Line Graph shows an example of a 3D Line Graph and is similar to the ActiveX 3D Curve Graph.

A surface plot uses x, y, and z data to plot points on the graph. The surface plot then connects these points to form a three-dimensional surface view of the data. For example, you can use a surface plot for terrain mapping.

A parametric plot is a surface plot that uses the parameters of a parametric function to determine the curves of the plot. You can use a parametric plot for graphing geometric solid objects. The following illustrations show examples of a 3D Surface Graph and a 3D Parametric Graph.

When you add a 3D graph to the front panel, LabVIEW wires the graph on the block diagram to a helper VI. Each 3D graph has its own corresponding helper VI. The helper VI converts the input data types into the generic data type that the 3D graph accepts.

The 3D graphs use graphical hardware acceleration in the render window, which can offer performance benefits. Right-click the 3D graph and select Render Window from the shortcut menu to view the 3D graph in the render window.

The ActiveX 3D graphs use ActiveX technology and VIs that handle 3D representation. When you select an ActiveX 3D graph, LabVIEW adds an ActiveX container to the front panel that contains a 3D graph control. LabVIEW also places a reference to the ActiveX 3D graph control on the block diagram. LabVIEW wires this reference to one of the three 3D Graph VIs. The ActiveX 3D graph uses graphical hardware acceleration in the front panel window.