Producing Three-Dimensional Plots

Surface plots are three-dimensional plots that display the relationship of three variables as a continuous surface. Surface plots examine the three-dimensional shape of data.

Scatter plots enable you to examine three-dimensional data points instead of surfaces and to classify your data using size, color, shape, or a combination of these features.

SAS/GRAPH uses the GCONTOUR procedure to examine three-dimensional data in two dimensions. Lines or areas in a contour plot represent levels of magnitude (z) corresponding to a position on a plane (x,y).

Contour plots are two-dimensional plots that show three-dimensional relationships. These plots use contour lines or patterns to represent levels of magnitude of a contour variable plotted on the horizontal and vertical axes.

When you need to interpolate or smooth data values that are used by the G3D and GCONTOUR procedures, use the G3GRID procedure. The G3GRID procedure does not produce graphics output. Instead, it processes existing data sets to create data sets that the G3D or GCONTOUR procedure can use to produce three-dimensional surface or contour plots.