[Tex/LaTex] Draw 3D surface from external data file

pgfplotstikz-pgf

I am trying to use tikz to plot surface from my data file. However, it does not give me a surface, but a bunch of curves. My question is how to turn those dot cloud into a surface. Here is my code:

\documentclass[border= 5mm]{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots, filecontents}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[view={60}{60}, grid=both]
  \addplot3[surf] file {mesh.txt};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

And Here is my data:

    0   2   0
    0.1 2   0
    0.2 2   0
    0.3 2   0
    0.4 2   0
    0.5 2   0
    0.6 2   0
    0.7 2   0
    0.8 2   0
    0.9 2   0
    1   2   0
    0   1.8 0
    0.1 1.81    0.0306167
    0.2 1.82    0.0544667
    0.3 1.83    0.07155
    0.4 1.84    0.0818667
    0.5 1.85    0.0854167
    0.6 1.86    0.0822
    0.7 1.87    0.0722167
    0.8 1.88    0.0554667
    0.9 1.89    0.03195
    1   1.9 0.00166667
    0   1.6 0
    0.1 1.62    0.0564667
    0.2 1.64    0.100533
    0.3 1.66    0.1322
    0.4 1.68    0.151467
    0.5 1.7 0.158333
    0.6 1.72    0.1528
    0.7 1.74    0.134867
    0.8 1.76    0.104533
    0.9 1.78    0.0618
    1   1.8 0.00666667
    0   1.4 0
    0.1 1.43    0.07755
    0.2 1.46    0.1382
    0.3 1.49    0.18195
    0.4 1.52    0.2088
    0.5 1.55    0.21875
    0.6 1.58    0.2118
    0.7 1.61    0.18795
    0.8 1.64    0.1472
    0.9 1.67    0.08955
    1   1.7 0.015
    0   1.2 0
    0.1 1.24    0.0938667
    0.2 1.28    0.167467
    0.3 1.32    0.2208
    0.4 1.36    0.253867
    0.5 1.4 0.266667
    0.6 1.44    0.2592
    0.7 1.48    0.231467
    0.8 1.52    0.183467
    0.9 1.56    0.1152
    1   1.6 0.0266667
    0   1   0
    0.1 1.05    0.105417
    0.2 1.1 0.188333
    0.3 1.15    0.24875
    0.4 1.2 0.286667
    0.5 1.25    0.302083
    0.6 1.3 0.295
    0.7 1.35    0.265417
    0.8 1.4 0.213333
    0.9 1.45    0.13875
    1   1.5 0.0416667
    0   0.8 0
    0.1 0.86    0.1122
    0.2 0.92    0.2008
    0.3 0.98    0.2658
    0.4 1.04    0.3072
    0.5 1.1 0.325
    0.6 1.16    0.3192
    0.7 1.22    0.2898
    0.8 1.28    0.2368
    0.9 1.34    0.1602
    1   1.4 0.06
    0   0.6 0
    0.1 0.67    0.114217
    0.2 0.74    0.204867
    0.3 0.81    0.27195
    0.4 0.88    0.315467
    0.5 0.95    0.335417
    0.6 1.02    0.3318
    0.7 1.09    0.304617
    0.8 1.16    0.253867
    0.9 1.23    0.17955
    1   1.3 0.0816667
    0   0.4 0
    0.1 0.48    0.111467
    0.2 0.56    0.200533
    0.3 0.64    0.2672
    0.4 0.72    0.311467
    0.5 0.8 0.333333
    0.6 0.88    0.3328
    0.7 0.96    0.309867
    0.8 1.04    0.264533
    0.9 1.12    0.1968
    1   1.2 0.106667
    0   0.2 0
    0.1 0.29    0.10395
    0.2 0.38    0.1878
    0.3 0.47    0.25155
    0.4 0.56    0.2952
    0.5 0.65    0.31875
    0.6 0.74    0.3222
    0.7 0.83    0.30555
    0.8 0.92    0.2688
    0.9 1.01    0.21195
    1   1.1 0.135
    0   2.00062e-13 0
    0.1 0.1 0.0916667
    0.2 0.2 0.166667
    0.3 0.3 0.225
    0.4 0.4 0.266667
    0.5 0.5 0.291667
    0.6 0.6 0.3
    0.7 0.7 0.291667
    0.8 0.8 0.266667
    0.9 0.9 0.225
    1   1   0.166667
    0   0   0
    0.1 0.1 0.0916667
    0.2 0.2 0.166667
    0.3 0.3 0.225
    0.4 0.4 0.266667
    0.5 0.5 0.291667
    0.6 0.6 0.3
    0.7 0.7 0.291667
    0.8 0.8 0.266667
    0.9 0.9 0.225
    1   1   0.166667
    0.2 0   0.18
    0.29    0.1 0.22005
    0.38    0.2 0.2502
    0.47    0.3 0.27045
    0.56    0.4 0.2808
    0.65    0.5 0.28125
    0.74    0.6 0.2718
    0.83    0.7 0.25245
    0.92    0.8 0.2232
    1.01    0.9 0.18405
    1.1 1   0.135
    0.4 0   0.32
    0.48    0.1 0.317867
    0.56    0.2 0.311467
    0.64    0.3 0.3008
    0.72    0.4 0.285867
    0.8 0.5 0.266667
    0.88    0.6 0.2432
    0.96    0.7 0.215467
    1.04    0.8 0.183467
    1.12    0.9 0.1472
    1.2 1   0.106667
    0.6 0   0.42
    0.67    0.1 0.385117
    0.74    0.2 0.350467
    0.81    0.3 0.31605
    0.88    0.4 0.281867
    0.95    0.5 0.247917
    1.02    0.6 0.2142
    1.09    0.7 0.180717
    1.16    0.8 0.147467
    1.23    0.9 0.11445
    1.3 1   0.0816667
    0.8 0   0.48
    0.86    0.1 0.4218
    0.92    0.2 0.3672
    0.98    0.3 0.3162
    1.04    0.4 0.2688
    1.1 0.5 0.225
    1.16    0.6 0.1848
    1.22    0.7 0.1482
    1.28    0.8 0.1152
    1.34    0.9 0.0858
    1.4 1   0.06
    1   0   0.5
    1.05    0.1 0.427917
    1.1 0.2 0.361667
    1.15    0.3 0.30125
    1.2 0.4 0.246667
    1.25    0.5 0.197917
    1.3 0.6 0.155
    1.35    0.7 0.117917
    1.4 0.8 0.0866667
    1.45    0.9 0.06125
    1.5 1   0.0416667
    1.2 0   0.48
    1.24    0.1 0.403467
    1.28    0.2 0.333867
    1.32    0.3 0.2712
    1.36    0.4 0.215467
    1.4 0.5 0.166667
    1.44    0.6 0.1248
    1.48    0.7 0.0898667
    1.52    0.8 0.0618667
    1.56    0.9 0.0408
    1.6 1   0.0266667
    1.4 0   0.42
    1.43    0.1 0.34845
    1.46    0.2 0.2838
    1.49    0.3 0.22605
    1.52    0.4 0.1752
    1.55    0.5 0.13125
    1.58    0.6 0.0942
    1.61    0.7 0.06405
    1.64    0.8 0.0408
    1.67    0.9 0.02445
    1.7 1   0.015
    1.6 0   0.32
    1.62    0.1 0.262867
    1.64    0.2 0.211467
    1.66    0.3 0.1658
    1.68    0.4 0.125867
    1.7 0.5 0.0916667
    1.72    0.6 0.0632
    1.74    0.7 0.0404667
    1.76    0.8 0.0234667
    1.78    0.9 0.0122
    1.8 1   0.00666667
    1.8 0   0.18
    1.81    0.1 0.146717
    1.82    0.2 0.116867
    1.83    0.3 0.09045
    1.84    0.4 0.0674667
    1.85    0.5 0.0479167
    1.86    0.6 0.0318
    1.87    0.7 0.0191167
    1.88    0.8 0.00986667
    1.89    0.9 0.00405
    1.9 1   0.00166667
    2   0   2.00062e-13
    2   0.1 1.6205e-13
    2   0.2 1.2804e-13
    2   0.3 9.80305e-14
    2   0.4 7.20224e-14
    2   0.5 5.00155e-14
    2   0.6 3.201e-14
    2   0.7 1.80056e-14
    2   0.8 8.00249e-15
    2   0.9 2.00062e-15
    2   1   1.6677e-27

Here is how it looks like :

Best Answer

You need to tell pgfplots how your surface meshgrid is. And also if applicable you also need to provide which data axis is varying. I'm not sure what the result should look like so I arranged it to get an OKish surface. Please double check if it is correct.

\documentclass[border= 5mm]{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.14}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[grid=both,view={70}{40},colormap/viridis]
  \addplot3+[surf,mesh/rows=11,mesh/ordering=colwise,no marks] file {mesh.txt};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] 2D surface on a 3D surface plot external data in a file

The approach for adding a flat surface with the colour representing a data column is quite similar to that in the question you linked to.

You have to set the z value of the plot to a constant value, and use the meta value to represent the colour information. For this, you have to use the table plot style (instead of file), you need to set point meta=explicit in the \addplot options so PGFPlots knows not to use the z value for the meta value, and you have to put z expr=<come constant value>, meta index=2:

\documentclass[border=5mm]{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots, filecontents}

\begin{filecontents*}{filename.txt}
0 0 -0.64
1 0 -0.5
2 0 -0.4
3 0 -0.31
4 0 -0.23
5 0 -0.2
6 0 -0.24
7 0 -0.32
8 0 -0.42
9 0 -0.59
10 0 -0.76

0 1 -0.54
1 1 -0.4
2 1 -0.27
3 1 -0.17
4 1 -0.08
5 1 -0.03
6 1 -0.05
7 1 -0.14
8 1 -0.27
9 1 -0.45
10 1 -0.63

0 2 -0.46
1 2 -0.31
2 2 -0.16
3 2 -0.03
4 2 0.07
5 2 0.12
6 2 0.11
7 2 0.02
8 2 -0.13
9 2 -0.32
10 2 -0.51

0 3 -0.44
1 3 -0.26
2 3 -0.08
3 3 0.07
4 3 0.18
5 3 0.25
6 3 0.24
7 3 0.14
8 3 -0.01
9 3 -0.2
10 3 -0.41

0 4 -0.44
1 4 -0.26
2 4 -0.04
3 4 0.13
4 4 0.25
5 4 0.32
6 4 0.31
7 4 0.22
8 4 0.07
9 4 -0.14
10 4 -0.37

0 5 -0.44
1 5 -0.26
2 5 -0.05
3 5 0.14
4 5 0.27
5 5 0.34
6 5 0.33
7 5 0.24
8 5 0.09
9 5 -0.12
10 5 -0.36

0 6 -0.48
1 6 -0.29
2 6 -0.08
3 6 0.09
4 6 0.22
5 6 0.29
6 6 0.28
7 6 0.2
8 6 0.06
9 6 -0.13
10 6 -0.35

0 7 -0.55
1 7 -0.34
2 7 -0.15
3 7 -0.0
4 7 0.11
5 7 0.18
6 7 0.18
7 7 0.11
8 7 -0.02
9 7 -0.2
10 7 -0.39

0 8 -0.63
1 8 -0.44
2 8 -0.27
3 8 -0.13
4 8 -0.03
5 8 0.04
6 8 0.04
7 8 -0.02
8 8 -0.13
9 8 -0.29
10 8 -0.45

0 9 -0.71
1 9 -0.59
2 9 -0.43
3 9 -0.28
4 9 -0.18
5 9 -0.13
6 9 -0.13
7 9 -0.17
8 9 -0.26
9 9 -0.38
10 9 -0.53

0 10 -0.83
1 10 -0.75
2 10 -0.59
3 10 -0.45
4 10 -0.35
5 10 -0.3
6 10 -0.3
7 10 -0.34
8 10 -0.42
9 10 -0.52
10 10 -0.66
\end{filecontents*}

\begin{document}
  \begin{tikzpicture}
    \begin{axis}[view={-20}{20}, grid=both]
      \addplot3[surf] file {filename.txt};
      \addplot3[surf, point meta=explicit] table [z expr=0.5, meta index=2] {filename.txt};
    \end{axis}
  \end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

[Tex/LaTex] Using pgfplots with x-axis that is not evenly distributed

I don't really understand what you mean by "properly" here, if you want the ticks to be evenly spaced, use symbolic x coords:

\documentclass{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[
    title={Throughput vs. Arrival Rate (N = 10)},
    xlabel={$\lambda$ (Arrival Rate)},
    ylabel={Throughput},
    xmin=0.01, xmax=0.9,
    ymin=0, ymax=10,
    symbolic x coords={0.01,0.05,0.1,0.2,0.3,0.5,0.6,0.7,0.8,0.9},
    xtick=data,
    ytick={0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10},
    legend pos=north west,
    ymajorgrids=true,
    grid style=dashed,
]

% Simulated
\addplot[
    color=blue,
    mark=square,
    line width = 1.2pt,
    ]
    coordinates {
    (0.01,0.111)(0.05,0.0833)(0.1,0.267)(0.2,0.672)(0.3,1.027)(0.5, 3.2)(0.6, 8.1)(0.7,3.2)(0.8, 0)(0.9,0)
    };
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}