Learn how to plot data on a 3D Surface Graph in LabVIEW and how to customize the appearance of the surface graph.

Note The 3D graph controls are available only in the LabVIEW Full and Professional editions.

To plot data on a 3D Surface Graph, complete the following steps.

  1. Add a 3D Surface Graph to the front panel window.
  2. On the block diagram, right-click the x vector input of the plot surface setup VI and select Create » Control from the shortcut menu to create a 1D array control.
  3. Right-click the y vector input of the plot surface setup VI and select Create » Control from the shortcut menu to create a 1D array control.
  4. Right-click the z matrix input of the plot surface setup VI and select Create » Control from the shortcut menu to create a 2D array control.
  5. On the front panel, enter variant data into each of the array controls.
    Make sure the array dimensions match. The dimension size of the 2D array is the product of the 1D arrays.
  6. On the front panel, right-click the 3D graph control and select 3D Graph Properties from the shortcut menu.
    The 3D Graph Properties dialog box appears.
  7. Customize the appearance of the 3D graph using the options in the 3D Graph Properties dialog box.
  8. Run the VI.
    LabVIEW displays the data you input on the 3D graph surface.
  9. Optional: To view the 3D graph in a stand-alone window, you can right-click the 3D graph and select Render Window from the shortcut menu.