# 3D terrain graph with colour (as 4th dimension of dataset)
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/3d-terrain-graph-with-colour-as-4th-dimension-of-dataset/112178
**Category:** Geo
**Tags:** question, plotting
**Created:** [March 27, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/3d-terrain-graph-with-colour-as-4th-dimension-of-dataset/112178 "2024-03-27T12:50:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Qmot](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Qmot)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/3d-terrain-graph-with-colour-as-4th-dimension-of-dataset/112178/1 "2024-03-27T12:50:03Z")
Hello,
Relatively new to Julia and enjoying it a lot! However, I would like to display data that has 4 dimensions, x, y, z (terrain) with a color that is independent of z. For context I’m trying to display geophysics on top of a terrain map. I’ve gone through Makie.jl, PlotlyJS.jl and Plots.jl and can’t quite find anything that suitable.
Do I need to transform my terrain data into an stl file and than overlay it with color using Makie.jl perhaps?
Any ideas to modules to consider would be great!
Thanks
---
### Author:  [@joa-quim](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/joa-quim)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2024, 1:03pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/3d-terrain-graph-with-colour-as-4th-dimension-of-dataset/112178/2 "2024-03-27T13:03:27Z")
See the GMT.jl module [grdview](https://www.generic-mapping-tools.org/GMTjl_doc/documentation/modules/grdview/index.html#grdview). You want specifically the option `drape`.
---
### Author:  [@jules](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/jules)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2024, 1:22pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/3d-terrain-graph-with-colour-as-4th-dimension-of-dataset/112178/3 "2024-03-27T13:22:14Z")
Do you mean something like this?
```julia
using GLMakie
using DelimitedFiles
volcano = readdlm(Makie.assetpath("volcano.csv"), ',', Float64)
color = rand(size(volcano)...)
surface(volcano;
color,
axis=(type=Axis3, azimuth = pi/4))
```
---
### Author:  [@empet](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/empet)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2024, 6:59pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/3d-terrain-graph-with-colour-as-4th-dimension-of-dataset/112178/4 "2024-03-27T18:59:24Z")
This is a PlotlyJS example. x,y are artificially added, because my data file contains only information on z.
Your color (the 4th dimension) should be assigned to `surfacecolor`. Here it is set `surfacecolor= z`.
```julia
using DelimitedFiles, PlotlyJS
z = readdlm("st-helens-before.txt", ' ')
r, c = size(z)
x = 1:c
y = 1:r
fig=Plot([surface(x=x, y=y, z=z, surfacecolor=z,
colorscale=colors.gist_earth, colorbar_thickness=25, colorbar_len=0.75
), surface(x=x, y=y, z=-1000*ones(size(z)), surfacecolor=z,
colorscale=colors.gist_earth,
showscale=false)],
Layout(width=500, height=500, font_size=10, scene_camera_eye=attr(x=1.6, y=1.6, z=1)))
```
---
### Author:  [@joa-quim](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/joa-quim)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/3d-terrain-graph-with-colour-as-4th-dimension-of-dataset/112178/5 "2024-03-27T19:54:43Z")
I’ll add this as an example of `grdview` plus draping an external image.
```julia
using GMT
# Get the Gulf of Guinea grid
G = grdcut("@earth_relief_01m", region=(0,10,0,10));
# Drape a photo of a cork tree trunk over it
grdview(G, shade="+nt0.5", proj=:merc, view=(145,35), drape="@wood_texture.jpg",
zsize=5, surftype=:img, name="texture.jpg", show=true)
```
