There are two main ways to plot a 3D representation of 2D data in IDL: the SURFACE and SHADE_SURF procedures. Both of these routines are very flexible and can be extended via the SHADES keyword to produce plots where the position of a data point is determined by one array and it's colour by a second. Both routines can also be made to work in the z-buffer so that two or more intersecting surfaces can be displayed on the same plot.
However, although these built-in IDL routines provide a powerful way of displaying surfaces, they have their drawbacks. In particular they do not take full advantage of the graphics capabilities of 24-bit displays, and the plots they produce do not always give a clear picture of the shape of the surface in 3D space. This tutorial shows how to use the IDL procedures as a starting point for the construction of more complex plots such as the one shown above.
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Copyright Struan Gray 1997
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