# How to draw a proper surface with ListPlot3D?

I've got this data, which if I plot with ListPointPlot, looks like this:

I just want to make a cone through those points, a simple cone like thing which is empty on the inside. I'm very very new to Mathematica so please be a little detailed in your answer...

Edit: the data can be imported from pastebin via

Get["http://pastebin.com/raw/6VGiR4dc"]


Somebody put my question on hold because it was incomplete in terms of the data but now the data has been provided.

Unfortunately, the excellent suggestion by ubpdqn to increase the MaxPlotPoints doesn't work for this data.

• Perhaps something simple like ListSurfacePlot3D[pts] or ConvexHullMesh[pts] will give you what you need?
– flip
Dec 8 '16 at 1:34
• What you are asking isn't simple. Though we can clearly see that these points describe a 2D surface embedded in 3D, how do you find that programmatically. ListSurfacePlot3D may be the answer, but I think you will have the best results if you make the data available for testing. If you go to pastebin.com you can paste the data there and put the link here. Dec 8 '16 at 2:02
• Thanks a Lot for your answers, but still getting no proper surface, tried maxpoints thing............Here's my data...I still can't get a proper surface.... pastebin.com/6VGiR4dc Dec 8 '16 at 23:45
• You are right, using MaxPlotPoints just make it that much worse: pts = Get["http://pastebin.com/raw/6VGiR4dc"]; ListSurfacePlot3D[pts, MaxPlotPoints -> #] & /@ {10, 20, 50, 60, 100, 200} Dec 8 '16 at 23:52
• so is there anything that can be done?? Dec 9 '16 at 0:31

Just to put some "flesh" in the absence of provision of data. ListSurfacePlot3D can deal with relatively smooth data but may need MaxPlotPoints option to get a reasonable result as seen in this toy example:

fun[u_, v_] := {Cos[v] Sech[u], u - Tanh[u], Sech[u] Sin[v]}
tab = Catenate@Table[fun[u, v], {u, 0, 2, 0.1}, {v, 0, 2 Pi, 0.1}];
p = ParametricPlot3D[f[u, v], {u, 0, 2}, {v, 0, 2 Pi}, BoxRatios -> 1,
Mesh -> None];
p3 = ListPointPlot3D[tab, BoxRatios -> 1];
sp = ListSurfacePlot3D[tab, Mesh -> None, BoxRatios -> 1];
spm = ListSurfacePlot3D[tab, Mesh -> None, BoxRatios -> 1,
MaxPlotPoints -> 50];
Grid[{{"Plot3D", "ListPointPlot3D", "ListSurfacePlot3D",
"ListSurfacePlot3D with MaxPLotPoints->50"}, {p, p3, sp, spm}}]


• Thanks a Lot for your answers, but still getting no proper surface, tried maxpoints thing............Here's my data...I still can't get a proper surface.... pastebin.com/6VGiR4dc Dec 8 '16 at 23:45

You could also use ConvexHullMesh Ala-
pts = Get["http://pastebin.com/raw/6VGiR4dc"];