XL2000: 3-D Column Chart Doesn't Appear As Full As Expected

When you create a 3-D chart in Microsoft Excel, the finished chart may not look as thick or as full as you expect it to; that is, your chart may not look like the 3-D chart example shown in Excel Help. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how to generate 3-D chart effects similar to the example in the "Examples of chart types" Help topic.

This behavior can occur because automatic scaling can cause some of the chart labels to be hidden. This is especially true when there are a large number of series. Even with a low number of series, some chart labels may be hidden. In the following example, the region names are the most obvious items that may be hidden.

To generate a new 3-D Column chart, and then modify the default options to make the chart look like you want, follow these steps:

1.	Start Excel and create a new workbook.
2.	Create the following worksheet: A1: B1: Europe C1: S. America D1: Far East A2: Q1 B2: 50 C2: 55 D2: 80 A3: Q2 B3: 60 C3: 50 D3: 75 A4: Q3 B4: 55 C4: 75 D4: 65 A5: Q4 B5: 70 C5: 60 D5: 70
3.	Select cell A2.
4.	Click Chart Wizard on the standard toolbar.
5.	In the Chart type list, click Column.
6.	In the Chart sub-type list, click 3-D Column, (the last choice in the first column).
7.	Click Next three times.
8.	Click As new sheet, and then click Finish.
9.	Right-click the the Y-axis (Series Axis).
10.	Click Format Axis on the shortcut menu.
11.	On the Scale tab, ensure that Number of series between tick marks is set to 1, and then click OK.
12.	Right-click the plot area (the white area around the chart).
13.	Click 3-D View on the shortcut menu.
14.	In the Rotation box, type 40, and then click Apply. Note the change to the view.
15.	In the Elevation box, type 20, and then click Apply.
16.	In the Perspective box, type 50, and then click Apply.
17.	Continue to modify the Elevation, Rotation, and Perspective settings until you achieve the appearance that you want, and then click OK.NOTE: To view the results of any modifications, click Apply.

For more information about chart types, click Microsoft Excel Help on the Help menu, type examples of chart types in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.