The environment for plotting curves and surfaces in space is similar to the environment for plotting in the plane. The view is a box, a rectangular solid determined by inequalities of the form x0≤x≤x1, y0≤y≤y1, and z0≤z≤z1. The frame is a rectangular region of the computer screen, just as before.
Scientific Notebook chooses a default view with -5≤x≤5, - 5≤y≤5, and with the z-coordinates determined automatically. If you use other variable names, the order is determined alphabetically.
To plot an expression involving two variables
The following plot shows the surface z = x3 -3xy2 with the default Domain Intervals for x and y, and the default View Intervals for x, y and z. To make this plot, leave the insertion point in the expression x3 -3xy2, and click the 3D Plot button on the Compute toolbar, or from the Plot 3D submenu, choose Rectangular.
x3 -3xy2
dtbpF3in2.0003in0pt