Excel Video 505 Introducing 3D Maps

Excel Video 505 is devoted to introducing 3D Maps, the new mapping tools in Excel. If you have the professional version of Excel 2013 or the standard version of Excel 2016, you now have access to a mapping tool in Excel. We’ll work through the basics of getting started in this Excel Video. The first key is that you need the internet for 3D Maps to work, since Microsoft uses Bing (surprise!) to map the data.

Watch how my first attempt to map data doesn’t work. Excel has to have data in a Table or in the Excel Data Model for 3D Maps to work. Once we use the raw data instead of the Pivot Table, Excel quickly builds a map for us and gives us plenty of options to review in upcoming Excel Videos.

Note that when I use 3D Maps Excel has two separate Excel windows open, the traditional window and the mapping window. You’ll see Excel remind me that my spreadsheet has maps attached (maps are called Tours in 3D Maps) so I know when I’m in traditional Excel that there are Tours available. You’ve never seen maps like this in Excel before, and we’re just getting started. Stay tuned as we explore all of the things 3D Maps can do.