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3D Scatter Plots

Use 3D carefully

3D plots can look impressive but are often harder to interpret.

Use 3D when:

  • You genuinely need three dimensions
  • Interaction (rotate/zoom) helps understanding

Example

3D Scatter
import pandas as pd
import plotly.express as px
 
df = pd.DataFrame({
    "x": [1, 2, 3, 4, 5],
    "y": [10, 6, 8, 4, 7],
    "z": [100, 120, 90, 150, 110],
    "group": ["A", "A", "B", "B", "A"],
})
 
fig = px.scatter_3d(df, x="x", y="y", z="z", color="group", title="3D scatter")
fig.show()
3D Scatter
import pandas as pd
import plotly.express as px
 
df = pd.DataFrame({
    "x": [1, 2, 3, 4, 5],
    "y": [10, 6, 8, 4, 7],
    "z": [100, 120, 90, 150, 110],
    "group": ["A", "A", "B", "B", "A"],
})
 
fig = px.scatter_3d(df, x="x", y="y", z="z", color="group", title="3D scatter")
fig.show()

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