Surfer

A Powerful Contouring, Gridding, and Surface Mapping Package

Surfer is a contouring and 3D surface mapping program that runs under Microsoft Windows. It quickly and easily converts your data into outstanding contour, surface, wireframe, vector, image, shaded relief, and post maps. Virtually all aspects of your maps can be customized to produce exactly the presentation you want.

Producing publication quality maps

Surfer Operations

Creating/importing data Checking of data Posting data Gridding Contouring Wireframe Surface Maps Image maps 3D Wire frame maps Shaded relief maps Overlying of maps Composition of Map

Data

Grid

Surface

Overlay

Compose

File Types
Data Files (.dat) Grid Files (.grd)

Boundary Files (.bna)

Surfer Files (.srf)

Data Files
Contain the input data provided by the user Used to produce grid files, post data points

on a map
Supports various file formats containing

numeric x, y location and numeric Z values to be modelled

Grid Files
Used to produce different types of grid-based maps

to perform
calculations volume, residuals, grid math

carry out blanking, smoothing, slicing

Contain a regularly spaced rectangular array of Z

data organised in rows and columns

Boundary Files
Contain x,y aerial data such as

state boundaries, rivers or point locations

Used to overlay a basemap on

another map or top specify the boundary limits of blanking, faults, break lines and slice calculations
Can be vector files, metafiles or

"","",5 0,0 20,0 20,25 0,25 0,0

25

20

15

bitmap files

10

0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Surfer Files (.srf)

Preserve all the objects and object settings

contained in a plot window

Surfer Worksheet

Contour Maps
give you full control over
15.24

all map parameters.

Display contour maps

15.22

15.2

over any contour range and contour interval, or specify only the contour levels you want to display on the map.
can add color fill between

15.18

15.16

15.14

15.12

15.1

contours to produce dazzling displays of your maps, or produce gray scale fills for dramatic black and white printouts.

15.08

15.06

15.04

15.02 79.52 79.54 79.56 79.58 79.6 79.62 79.64 79.66 79.68 79.7 79.72

Contour Maps

Contour Map Features

Automatic or user-defined contour intervals and ranges
Control over contour label format, font, frequency, placement, and spacing Drag contour labels to place them exactly where you want them Automatic or user-defined color for contour lines Color fill between contours - user-specified or an automatic spectrum

Contour Map Features

Regulate smoothing of contour lines Reshape contour lines Blank contour lines in areas where you don't

want to show any data

Rotate and tilt contour maps to any angle Independently scale in the X and Y dimensions

Export contours in 3D DXF format

3D Surface Maps
The 3D surface map

uses shading and color to emphasize your data features. Change the lighting, display angle and tilt with a click of the mouse.
Overlay several surface

maps to generate informative block diagrams.

Surface Map

3D Surface Maps
surface color gradation, shininess, base fill and line color

lighting horizontal and vertical angles, ambient, diffuse properties

Overlay contour, image, post maps, shaded relief, raster and vector

base maps, and other surface maps for spectacular presentations

Choose overlay resample method and resolution, color modulation

(blending) of surface and overlays

Change View tilt, rotation, field of view angles, perspective or

orthographic projection
color scales to explain the data values corresponding to each color Produce a detailed report of the grid statistics Substitute a new grid file into an existing map

3D Wireframe Maps
wireframe maps provide an

impressive three dimensional display of your data. Use color zones, independent X,Y,Z scaling, orthographic or perspective projections at any tilt or rotation angle, and different combinations of X, Y and Z lines to produce exactly the surface you want. Drape a color-filled contour map over a wireframe map to create the most striking color or black-and-white representations of your data. The possibilities are endless.

Map Overlay

Vector Maps

Instantly create vector maps to show direction and magnitude of data at points on a map. The two components, direction and magnitude, are automatically generated from a single grid by computing the gradient of the represented surface. At any given grid node, the direction of the arrow points in the direction of the steepest descent. The magnitude of the arrow changes depending on the steepness of the descent. Overlay vector maps on contour or wireframe maps to enhance the presentation!

Vector Map Features

Define arrow style, color, and

frequency Symbol color may be fixed or based on vector magnitude Display map scales, color scale bars, and vector scale legends Scale the arrow shaft length, head length, and width Control vector symbol origin Choose from linear, logarithmic, or square root scaling methods

Image Maps
Image maps are raster maps based on grid files. These maps represent Z values (e.g. elevations, element conc.) with user specified colors. Blanked regions on image maps are shown as a separate color.
35

30

8500 8000 7500

25

7000 6500 6000

20

5500 5000 4500 4000 3500

15

10

3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500

-5

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

Image of India and adjacent areas created from GTOPO 30 DEM Grid