3D Maps (Excel) does not render fill when combining category and value on custom regions (shapefile)

Question

We are experiencing an issue in Excel 3D Maps (Power Map) when using custom regions (shapefile) combined with both a categorical field and a numeric value.

Context

• A custom shapefile is used to define regions (territories)
• A categorical field is used to assign territories (color)
• A numeric field (%) is used to apply a gradient (intensity)

Expected behavior The map should display regions filled with color, with intensity variation based on the numeric value.

Actual behavior

• When both category and value are applied, the map only displays region borders and does not render the fill color
• If category is removed, the gradient works correctly
• If value is removed, the categorical coloring works correctly

The issue only occurs when both are used simultaneously.

Environment comparison

Environment where it works:

• Excel Version: 2604 (Current Channel)
• GPU: AMD Radeon
• DirectX 12

Environment where it fails:

• Excel Version: 2603 (Monthly Enterprise Channel)

Additional observations

• Data and shapefile have been validated and are correct
• The issue appears to be related to rendering behavior
• It may depend on Excel version/channel or graphics configuration

Questions

1. Is this a known limitation of 3D Maps when combining category and value on custom regions?
2. Could this be related to GPU / DirectX rendering requirements?
3. Are there recommended configurations or workarounds to ensure consistent rendering across environments?

Answer 1

I noticed that you posted your question in English, so I’ll respond in English to make sure the explanation is clear and easy to follow. If you’d prefer a reply in a different language, please let me know. 

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Dear @Ignacio Lopez Perea,

I hope you’re having a good day.

Thank you for the detailed explanation and for taking the time to describe the behavior so clearly.

I’ve reviewed your scenario carefully and have run multiple tests using the same approach (custom regions from a shapefile, a categorical field, and a numeric percentage field) to better understand what’s happening.

I attempted to reproduce the behavior on my side using newer Excel builds (Current Channel, version 2604). In that environment, I wasn’t able to reproduce the exact “border‑only” behavior you’re seeing on version 2603. Instead, when a numeric field is added alongside a category, Excel 3D Maps consistently switches to other visualization types (such as columns, heat maps, or tiles), rather than continuing to render filled region polygons.

This suggests that the behavior you’re observing may be version‑specific, rather than strictly related to the data or shapefile itself.

Answers to your questions:

1. Is this a known limitation of 3D Maps when combining category and value on custom regions?

From what I can observe, 3D Maps supports either filled custom regions based on categorical data or value‑based visualizations using numeric data. When numeric values are introduced, the visualization logic changes, and filled polygons are no longer used. In newer builds, this transition is handled more explicitly, while older builds (such as 2603) may show intermediate results like borders without fill.

2. Could this be related to GPU or DirectX rendering requirements?

Based on current testing, there’s no clear evidence that this behavior is driven by GPU or DirectX differences. The results appear to be consistent across graphics configurations when using newer Excel builds.

3. Are there recommended configurations or workarounds to ensure consistent rendering across environments?

The most reliable way to ensure consistent behavior is to align environments on the same Excel build. If both categorical grouping and numeric values are required, a common workaround is to use separate layers, for example, one layer to display filled regions by category and another layer to display numeric values using columns or heat maps.

To further confirm whether this is build‑specific, it may be useful to test the same workbook on another machine still running version 2603 (Monthly Enterprise Channel), or the same data on multiple devices with different Excel update channels.

If you have access to a machine with a dedicated NVIDIA GPU, it would also be useful to try opening the same workbook there for comparison. This won’t confirm a graphics issue on its own, but it can help determine whether the behavior varies across different hardware setups.

This comparison should help determine whether the border‑only behavior is tied to that specific build rather than the data or configuration.

I hope this helps clarify what you’re seeing. Please feel free to share any additional observations or test results, happy to look at them with you.

Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.  

Warm regards, 

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