One chart type you’ll probably work with quite frequently is the pie chart, which displays the contribution of a series of values to the total of those values. Each section represents a category of data, such as a month in a year or a category of product. One way you can extend the capabilities of a basic pie chart and emphasize part of the data is to pull one section of the pie away from the rest of the chart. You can also change how you look at a three-dimensional chart, moving closer or farther away from the chart and changing your perspective.
Pull a Slice Out of a Pie Chart
Click the body of the pie chart you want to change.
Click the piece of data you want to separate.
Drag the piece away from the pie.
Create a 3-D Exploded Pie Chart
Click a cell in the data list you want to summarize in the pie chart.
Click the Insert tab.
Click Pie.
Click the second chart type under the 3-D Pie heading.
Tip
If you want to remove the explosion effect from a pie chart, drag the data of the pie chart toward the center of the pie.
Change the Way You View 3-D Charts
Click the chart element you want to format.
Click the Format tab.
Click Shape Effects.
Click Shadow.
Click the desired shadow setting.
Caution
Not all 3-D options are available for all chart types.