How to Use 3D Maps in Microsoft Excel to Visualise Geographic Data

Microsoft Excel includes a powerful but frequently overlooked feature called 3D Maps (formerly Power Map) that transforms geographic and temporal data into interactive, three-dimensional visualisations. Instead of relying on static flat charts, 3D Maps renders your data on a virtual globe or custom map, allowing you to explore sales territories, customer distributions, logistics routes, and demographic patterns through animated flyovers and layered heat maps.

What 3D Maps Can Do That Standard Charts Cannot

Standard Excel charts (bar, line, pie, scatter) display data in two dimensions. While effective for many analytical tasks, they struggle with geographic data:

• Flat charts cannot show where data occurs geographically. A bar chart can show revenue per region, but it cannot visualise how sales cluster around specific cities or spread across a country.
• Time-based animation is not possible in standard charts. 3D Maps can animate data changes over time, showing how metrics evolve month by month across a map.
• Multi-layered geographic analysis allows overlaying different data sets (e.g., revenue and customer count) simultaneously on the same map.

Requirements for Using 3D Maps

• Microsoft Excel 2016, 2019, 2021, or Microsoft 365 (desktop versions for Windows). 3D Maps is not available in Excel for Mac, Excel Online, or mobile versions.
• Data with geographic identifiers: Your spreadsheet must contain at least one column with geographic data that Excel can geocode, such as:
  • Country names
  • State or province names
  • City names
  • Postcodes/ZIP codes
  • Latitude and longitude coordinates
  • Street addresses
• An active internet connection is required for geocoding (converting place names to map coordinates), though previously geocoded data can be viewed offline.

Preparing Your Data for 3D Maps

3D Maps works best with structured tabular data formatted as an Excel Table:

1. Organise your data with clear column headers. Each row represents one data point.
2. Include at least one geographic column (city, country, postcode, or coordinates).
3. Include at least one numeric column for the values you want to visualise (e.g., revenue, population, quantity).
4. Optionally include a date or time column for temporal animation.
5. Select your data range, then press Ctrl + T to convert it to a formatted Excel Table. This ensures 3D Maps correctly identifies all columns.

Example data structure:

City	Country	Quarter	Revenue	Customers
London	United Kingdom	Q1 2025	245000	1200
Manchester	United Kingdom	Q1 2025	189000	890
Berlin	Germany	Q1 2025	312000	1450
Paris	France	Q1 2025	278000	1100

Creating Your First 3D Map

1. Click anywhere inside your data table.
2. Go to the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click 3D Map in the Tours group. If this is your first time, Excel launches the 3D Maps window (a separate application window embedded within Excel).
4. Excel automatically detects geographic columns and plots your data on a 3D globe.
5. In the Layer Pane on the right side, verify that Excel has correctly identified your geographic field. If not, click the dropdown next to the geographic field and manually assign the correct geography type (City, Country, State, Postcode, Latitude, Longitude).
6. Drag a numeric field (e.g., Revenue) to the Height area in the Layer Pane. 3D columns appear on the map representing your data values at each geographic location.

Choosing Visualisation Types

3D Maps supports several visualisation styles, each suited to different data patterns:

• Stacked Column: The default. Vertical bars rise from map locations, proportional to data values. Best for comparing discrete values across locations.
• Clustered Column: Groups multiple data series side by side at each location. Useful when comparing two or more metrics (e.g., revenue vs. costs per city).
• Bubble: Displays circular markers scaled by value. Less visual clutter than columns when many data points are close together.
• Heat Map: Renders a colour gradient across the map surface, showing data density or intensity. Best for continuous distributions like population density or temperature.
• Region: Colours entire geographic regions (countries, states) based on data values. Ideal for choropleth-style political or economic maps.

To change the visualisation type, click the appropriate icon at the top of the Layer Pane.

Adding Time-Based Animation

One of 3D Maps’ most compelling features is temporal animation:

1. Drag a date or time column to the Time area in the Layer Pane.
2. A timeline slider appears at the bottom of the 3D Maps window.
3. Click the Play button to watch your data animate across time periods.
4. Adjust the animation speed using the Time options in the Layer Pane settings.

This is particularly effective for visualising how sales territories expand over quarters, how customer adoption spreads geographically, or how seasonal patterns shift across regions.

Customising the Map Appearance

Map Themes

Click Themes in the 3D Maps toolbar to change the map style between aerial satellite imagery, road maps, dark canvas, and other cartographic styles.

Layer Colours and Formatting

Click the Layer Options (gear icon) in the Layer Pane to adjust:

• Column or bubble colour schemes.
• Opacity and thickness.
• Height scale (multiply column heights for emphasis).
• Label visibility.

Adding Multiple Layers

Click Add Layer at the bottom of the Layer Pane to overlay additional data series on the same map. Each layer can use different visualisation types and data fields, enabling multi-dimensional geographic analysis.

Creating a Guided Tour

3D Maps allows you to create cinematic guided tours that navigate between different map views:

1. Position the map camera on a specific region or data cluster.
2. Click Capture Screen in the toolbar to save the current view as a scene.
3. Navigate to a different area and capture another scene.
4. Add text boxes, annotations, and custom titles to each scene.
5. Click Play Tour to preview the animated transition between scenes.
6. Export the tour as a video file (Create Video) for use in presentations or sharing with colleagues who do not have Excel.

Exporting and Sharing 3D Map Visualisations

• Screenshot: Use the Capture Screen button to save the current view as an image.
• Video export: Create an MP4 video of your guided tour for embedding in PowerPoint presentations.
• Embedded in workbook: 3D Maps tours are saved within the Excel workbook file. Anyone opening the workbook on a Windows PC with Excel desktop can view the maps interactively.

Practical Business Applications

• Sales territory analysis: Visualise revenue distribution across regions to identify underperforming territories and high-growth areas.
• Supply chain logistics: Map warehouse locations, delivery routes, and shipping volumes to optimise distribution networks.
• Customer segmentation: Plot customer demographics geographically to inform targeted marketing campaigns.
• Real estate analysis: Overlay property values, rental yields, and vacancy rates on city maps.
• Event planning: Visualise attendee registrations by location to determine optimal venue placement.

3D Maps transforms static spreadsheet numbers into dynamic geographic stories. For any analysis where understanding where data occurs is as important as understanding what the data says, this feature provides insights that flat charts simply cannot deliver.