This video is actually a bit older but it illustrates a great way to visualize data in 3D – using SketchUp. Data is loaded into SketchUp from an Excel file using a Ruby plugin and then plotted in 3D. In this case, geological data is presented for a geothermal drilling operation.

Links:

• More videos at go-2-school.com: Podcasts 48 and 49
• Point Cloud Plug-in by D. Bur: Website, direct link