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Custom Regions in 3D Maps in Excel – Instructions

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Custom Regions in 3D Maps in Excel: Video Lesson

            This video lesson, titled “Custom Regions,” shows you how to import and manage custom regions in 3D Maps in Excel. This video lesson is from our complete Excel tutorial, titled “Mastering Excel Made Easy v.2019 and 365.”

Custom Regions in 3D Maps in Excel: Overview

Importing Custom Regions

            You can import your own custom regions in 3D Maps in Excel, if needed. Custom regions in 3D Maps in Excel are defined geospatial regions saved as either “kml” or “shp” files. You often create these types of files in external mapping applications, like Google Maps, for example. To import custom regions from a kml or shp file into 3D Maps, click the “Home” tab of the Ribbon in the 3D Maps window. Then click the “Custom Regions” button in the “Map” button group to open a “Manage Custom Region Set” dialog box.

            Click the “Import New Set” button in this dialog box to open a “Select Region File” dialog box. This dialog box lets you find, select, and open the kml or shp file to import into the current 3D Map. After opening the file, its attributes appear in the “Import Custom Region Set” dialog box. You can enter a name for the set, if needed, into the “Set Name” field.

            Use the “Pick Region Name From” drop-down to select the field in the kml or shp file used to name the regions. This step is very important because it is by these region names that you match the values in your data to the named regions in your kml or shp file. After selecting the correct region name field from the “Pick Region Name From” drop-down, then click the “Import” button to import the custom, regional data into the 3D Map.

Custom Regions in 3D Maps in Excel - Instructions: A picture of the “Import Custom Region Set” dialog box in the 3D Maps window in Excel.

Custom Regions in 3D Maps in Excel – Instructions: A picture of the “Import Custom Region Set” dialog box in the 3D Maps window in Excel.

            Next, add the data field from your Field List that contains the matching names of the custom regions to the “Location” field in the Layer Pane. The values in this data field should match the values from the field you previously selected from the “Pick Region Name From” drop-down in the last step. Next, use the drop-down that appears to the right of that field to select the “Custom region (.kml, .shp)” data type choice. This should then show the custom regions that match the data from your data field on the map.

            You only need to import the custom regions file once per workbook. After it has been imported it is available for all the workbook’s tours and scenes. However, if you need to update, delete, or import another new custom region set, you can do all of these activities by using the “Manage/Replace Custom Region Set” dialog box, too.

Managing Custom Regions

            To manage your custom region sets, click the “Home” tab of the Ribbon in the 3D Maps window. Then click the “Custom Regions” button in the “Map” button group to open a “Replace Custom Region Set” dialog box. Here, you can select an existing custom region set by clicking its row to select it. To delete the selected custom region set, click the “Remove custom region Set” button at its right end. Then click the “Delete” button in the confirmation warning message box that says you cannot undo this action.

            To update an existing, selected custom region set with new geospatial data, instead, click the “Replace Set” button in this dialog box to open the “Select Region File” dialog box again. Use the dialog box to find the updated kml or shp file, select it, and then open it. As before, use the “Pick Region Name From” drop-down in the “Replace Custom Region Set” dialog box that appears to select the field in the kml or shp file used to name the regions. Then click the “Replace” button to finish replacing the selected file.

            Alternatively, to add another custom region set, click the “Import New Set” button in the “Replace Custom Region Set” dialog box to open the “Select Region File” dialog box again, which lets you find, select, and open the kml or shp file to import into the current 3D Map. After opening the file, its attributes appear in the “Import Custom Region Set” dialog box. Enter a name for the set, if needed, into the “Set Name” field. Use the “Pick Region Name From” drop-down to select the field in the kml or shp file used to name the regions. Then click the “Import” button to import the additional custom, regional data into the 3D Map.

Custom Regions in 3D Maps in Excel: Instructions

  1. Before importing custom regions in 3D Maps in Excel, you must define the custom regions in an external mapping application and then save them as either a “kml” or “shp” file.

Instructions on How to Import Custom Regions

  1. To import custom regions from a kml or shp file into 3D Maps, click the “Home” tab of the Ribbon in the 3D Maps window.
  2. Then click the “Custom Regions” button in the “Map” button group to open a “Manage Custom Region Set” dialog box.
  3. Then click the “Import New Set” button in this dialog box to open a “Select Region File” dialog box, which lets you find, select, and open the kml or shp file to import into the current 3D Map.
  4. After opening the file, its attributes appear in the “Import Custom Region Set” dialog box.
  5. You can enter a name for the set, if needed, into the “Set Name” field.
  6. Then use the “Pick Region Name From” drop-down to select the field in the kml or shp file used to name the regions. This step is very important because it is by these region names that you match your data values to the named regions in your kml or shp file.
  7. Then click the “Import” button to import the custom, regional data.
  8. Next, add the data field from your Field List that contains the matching names of the custom regions to the “Location” field in the Layer Pane. The values in this data field should match the values from the field you previously selected from the “Pick Region Name From” drop-down in the last step.
  9. Then use the drop-down that appears to the right of that field to select the “Custom region (.kml, .shp)” data type choice. This should then show the custom regions that match the data from your data field on the map.
  10. To update, delete, or import another new custom region set, use the “Manage/Replace Custom Region Set” dialog box.

Instructions on How to Manage Custom Regions

  1. To manage your custom region sets, click the “Home” tab of the Ribbon in the 3D Maps window.
  2. Then click the “Custom Regions” button in the “Map” button group to open a “Replace Custom Region Set” dialog box.
  3. To select an existing custom region set in this dialog box, click its row to select it.
  4. To delete the selected custom region set, click the “Remove custom region Set” button at its right end.
  5. Then click the “Delete” button in the confirmation warning message box that appears.
  6. To update an existing, selected custom region set with new geospatial data, instead, click the “Replace Set” button in this dialog box to open the “Select Region File” dialog box.
  7. Use the dialog box to find the updated kml or shp file, select it, and then open it.
  8. Then use the “Pick Region Name From” drop-down in the “Replace Custom Region Set” dialog box that appears to select the field in the kml or shp file used to name the regions.
  9. Then click the “Replace” button.
  10. Alternatively, to add another custom region set, click the “Import New Set” button in the “Replace Custom Region Set” dialog box to open the “Select Region File” dialog box again, which lets you find, select, and open the kml or shp file to import into the current 3D Map.
  11. After opening the file, its attributes appear in the “Import Custom Region Set” dialog box.
  12. Enter a name for the set, if needed, into the “Set Name” field.
  13. Use the “Pick Region Name From” drop-down to select the field in the kml or shp file used to name the regions.
  14. Then click the “Import” button to import the additional custom, regional data.
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