How to get a cubical plot using highcharts 3D scatter chart?

Question

I'm looking for a tool to display 3D scatter plots using JavaScript and found Highcharts' 3D scatter chart which looks nice.

Only thing is that I want the chart to have a cubical form since all axis are from 0 to 10. Right now the X-axis is twice the size of the others and I can't find a way to change this.

Here is Highcharts fiddle for the 3d scatter chart

$(function () {

    // Give the points a 3D feel by adding a radial gradient
    Highcharts.getOptions().colors = $.map(Highcharts.getOptions().colors, function (color) {
        return {
            radialGradient: {
                cx: 0.4,
                cy: 0.3,
                r: 0.5
            },
            stops: [
                [0, color],
                [1, Highcharts.Color(color).brighten(-0.2).get('rgb')]
            ]
        };
    });

    // Set up the chart
    var chart = new Highcharts.Chart({
        chart: {
            renderTo: 'container',
            margin: 100,
            type: 'scatter',
            options3d: {
                enabled: true,
                alpha: 10,
                beta: 30,
                depth: 250,
                viewDistance: 5,

                frame: {
                    bottom: { size: 1, color: 'rgba(0,0,0,0.02)' },
                    back: { size: 1, color: 'rgba(0,0,0,0.04)' },
                    side: { size: 1, color: 'rgba(0,0,0,0.06)' }
                }
            }
        },
        title: {
            text: 'Draggable box'
        },
        subtitle: {
            text: 'Click and drag the plot area to rotate in space'
        },
        plotOptions: {
            scatter: {
                width: 10,
                height: 10,
                depth: 10
            }
        },
        yAxis: {
            min: 0,
            max: 10,
            title: null
        },
        xAxis: {
            min: 0,
            max: 10,
            gridLineWidth: 1
        },
        zAxis: {
            min: 0,
            max: 10
        },
        legend: {
            enabled: false
        },
        series: [{
            name: 'Reading',
            colorByPoint: true,
            data: [[1, 6, 5], [8, 7, 9], [1, 3, 4], [4, 6, 8], [5, 7, 7], [6, 9, 6], [7, 0, 5], [2, 3, 3], [3, 9, 8], [3, 6, 5], [4, 9, 4], [2, 3, 3], [6, 9, 9], [0, 7, 0], [7, 7, 9], [7, 2, 9], [0, 6, 2], [4, 6, 7], [3, 7, 7], [0, 1, 7], [2, 8, 6], [2, 3, 7], [6, 4, 8], [3, 5, 9], [7, 9, 5], [3, 1, 7], [4, 4, 2], [3, 6, 2], [3, 1, 6], [6, 8, 5], [6, 6, 7], [4, 1, 1], [7, 2, 7], [7, 7, 0], [8, 8, 9], [9, 4, 1], [8, 3, 4], [9, 8, 9], [3, 5, 3], [0, 2, 4], [6, 0, 2], [2, 1, 3], [5, 8, 9], [2, 1, 1], [9, 7, 6], [3, 0, 2], [9, 9, 0], [3, 4, 8], [2, 6, 1], [8, 9, 2], [7, 6, 5], [6, 3, 1], [9, 3, 1], [8, 9, 3], [9, 1, 0], [3, 8, 7], [8, 0, 0], [4, 9, 7], [8, 6, 2], [4, 3, 0], [2, 3, 5], [9, 1, 4], [1, 1, 4], [6, 0, 2], [6, 1, 6], [3, 8, 8], [8, 8, 7], [5, 5, 0], [3, 9, 6], [5, 4, 3], [6, 8, 3], [0, 1, 5], [6, 7, 3], [8, 3, 2], [3, 8, 3], [2, 1, 6], [4, 6, 7], [8, 9, 9], [5, 4, 2], [6, 1, 3], [6, 9, 5], [4, 8, 2], [9, 7, 4], [5, 4, 2], [9, 6, 1], [2, 7, 3], [4, 5, 4], [6, 8, 1], [3, 4, 0], [2, 2, 6], [5, 1, 2], [9, 9, 7], [6, 9, 9], [8, 4, 3], [4, 1, 7], [6, 2, 5], [0, 4, 9], [3, 5, 9], [6, 9, 1], [1, 9, 2]]
        }]
    });


    // Add mouse events for rotation
    $(chart.container).bind('mousedown.hc touchstart.hc', function (e) {
        e = chart.pointer.normalize(e);

        var posX = e.pageX,
            posY = e.pageY,
            alpha = chart.options.chart.options3d.alpha,
            beta = chart.options.chart.options3d.beta,
            newAlpha,
            newBeta,
            sensitivity = 5; // lower is more sensitive

        $(document).bind({
            'mousemove.hc touchdrag.hc': function (e) {
                // Run beta
                newBeta = beta + (posX - e.pageX) / sensitivity;
                newBeta = Math.min(100, Math.max(-100, newBeta));
                chart.options.chart.options3d.beta = newBeta;

                // Run alpha
                newAlpha = alpha + (e.pageY - posY) / sensitivity;
                newAlpha = Math.min(100, Math.max(-100, newAlpha));
                chart.options.chart.options3d.alpha = newAlpha;

                chart.redraw(false);
            },
            'mouseup touchend': function () {
                $(document).unbind('.hc');
            }
        });
    });

});

Does anybody know how to fix this?

Halvor Holsten Strand Halvor Holsten Strand · Accepted Answer · 2015-05-12T17:42:33

Here are two methods, which both are not ideal in my opinion, but get the job done given that your chart is somewhat static in it's appearance (width and height).

Set margins to make the plot area reflect the dimensions of the axis. In your case 1:1 for x and y. This has few drawbacks, except being quite static and odd to set up. Also note that you will have to cap the minimum width, otherwise it will look weird when browser width is small. Using the scatter example it could look like this (JSFiddle):
```
var chart = new Highcharts.Chart({
    chart: {
        renderTo: 'container',
        margin: 100,
        marginLeft: 300,
        marginRight: 300,
        // ...
    }
    // ...
});
```

Set width and height of the axis. The problem width this approach is that the chart will rotate around a "middle point" that doesn't exist, and it will be placed in the left of the plot without further modifications. Using the scatter again, it could look like this (JSFiddle):

var chart = new Highcharts.Chart({
    yAxis: {
        min: 0,
        max: 10,
        width: 200,
        height: 200,
        // ...
    },
    xAxis: {
        min: 0,
        max: 10,
        width: 200,
        height: 200,
        // ...
    },
    zAxis: {
        min: 0,
        max: 10,
        width: 200,
        height: 200,
        // ...
    }
    // ...
});

How to get a cubical plot using highcharts 3D scatter chart?

2 Answers