3D globe template - an overview

In this article

What is it for?

This 3D globe template is suited to data which covers a large geographic area. The template provides a  visually compelling way to tell a story. It also allows you to create a timeline and visualize how your data evolved, offering a host of styling options.

How to get started

    1

    At a minimum, you'll need a spreadsheet of events with columns for latitude and longitude, for example:

    latitude longitude
    -6.081689835 145.3919983
    -5.207079887 145.7890015
    -5.826789856 144.2960052

    If you only have place names and no latitudes and longitudes, you'll need to geocode your data. Various online tools, for example latlong.net, can help with this.

    2
    Go to the Data tab and paste, upload or link your data. Each row should represent an event/data point to be plotted on the globe.

    TIP: In case your data does not show, the first thing to check is if the Latitude and Longitude have been assigned correctly. Our data typing feature is great at automatically assigning column bindings but it always helps to double-check.

    The timeline will be hidden without a Start time binding for your events. So ahead and bind your data column, if one exists, to the Start time column binding.
     
    You can also supply the following information in your data: 
    • Name: Used to add a title to the points popups.
    • Size: A numeric value determining the size of the point.
    • Color: Used to shade regions by a categorical value. Used with a categorical color.
    • Start time: A date at which your points should start displaying on the globe.
    • End time: A date at which your points should stop displaying on the globe.
    • Filter by: A column containing values according to which you can create a control filter. 
    • Metadata for popups: One or more columns to show in the popups.
3

Styling the globe

This template comes with a large selection of customization options for the globe allowing you to customize the globe style. After you bound your columns, head to the Globe settings. There are two globe styles available - Stylized and Realistic. The former offers a palette of different color gradings, from lighter to darker.

The former offers a satellite-based view of the globe:

You can switch clouds on or off through the Display Clouds settings and set the Sun direction with the following options:

  • Always night: The 3D globe is always in night mode, with no part of it being illuminated by the sun.
  • Always day: The sun shines always on all parts of the globe.
  • Follow camera: The sunlight is following your rotation of the globe.
  • Real time: The 3D globe features the real-time day/night pattern of the Earth.
  • End time: A date at which your points should stop displaying on the globe.
  • Latitude/Longitude: The user sets the geographic coordinates of the direction of the light.
  • Time in timeline: The light is defined by the dates in your timeline - if, for example, you set a timeline of four days, four complete night/day cycles will be displayed.
4

Customizing the points

The next step is to style the points and their transition effects. Here you can set their Color, Opacity, and their Maximum size.

In addition, point outlines can be customized. Opt for None if you do not want any outlines, Auto, which enables you to set opacity and width, while the color is assigned automatically, and Fixed, where you can pick the color.

It is also possible to control the transition of the points. You can choose between three effects. Appear, where the points just pop up without an effect, Grow, where new points gradually display and Fade, which sets the points to fade out. 

You can see the differences below.

5

Camera and controls

If you want to customize which part of the globe the user sees when visiting the visualization for the first time, you have numerous styling options. In Auto, the template finds an optional starting location based on the given data.

When set to Preset, you can set the starting location based on the viewer's timezone or specify a particular geographical region.

If you choose Manual, you can specify the coordinates of the initial view and the zoom level.

There are also settings for permitting the user to rotate, zoom, and in general, interact with the globe.

6

Creating and styling the timeline

The timeline feature is an additional tool in the visualization toolbelt of the Globe template if your dataset features temporal data. You can choose between a Timeline or just a play/stop button, and additionally, the timeline to feature a line chart that tracks the evolvement of your data.

Moreover, there is a host of more customization settings.

  • Timeline duration: Controls the duration of the timeline during playback, in seconds.
  • Play on load: When switched on, the timeline starts playing when the chart is loaded on the webpage.
  • Loop timeline: When on, the timeline will automatically start again once completed.
  • Pause before loop: The amount of time, in seconds, the timeline will pause after completed, before it starts again.
  • Time jump duration: Duration of transitions between different points in time on the timeline.

 
Get started with your own 3D globe now! »