New Features in Surfer

There are several new features in the latest release of Surfer! The top new features are listed below. A more complete list of the new features can be found on the Surfer Version History page. To see the features added to previous versions of Surfer, see the PDFs below.

If you're curious about how these new features can improve your workflow, download the Surfer Free Trial and test them out today! 

-Top Features in Surfer's Latest Release-

Download XYZ Tiles Imagery (global coverage!)

Download base map imagery from XYZ Tile servers! This gives you access to more reliable, higher quality and global coverage for base map images, such as those from OpenStreetMaps or other services. If you are looking for some XYZ Tiles servers to use, visit our KB article for Web services or contact our customer success team for more server options.

London, England	Sydney, Australia	Denver, United States
Download global high-resolution imagery from XYZ Tiles servers using the Base from Server command!

Frame Templates

Many users have similar looking projects that they create in Surfer over and over again, usually with a company logo and title block. To help users get started, Surfer now includes many sample frame layouts ready to use.

Users can open any of the sample frame template files, add their maps, update the text, add any other elements they wish (e.g. scale bars and legends), resave to a new file and be done! Of course, users can create their own frames from scratch, or update any of the existing frames to meet their needs and resave. For more information, please see our KB article for Frame Templates.

Open one of the sample frame template files, and update the map area and text with your own project information.

3D Grid Visualization

We’ve made the visualization in the 3D view more robust and user friendly than ever before, to save you time and headaches.

Perspective or Orthographic Projection

View your 3D visualization in either the perspective projection, which is similar to human vision, or orthographic projection, which preserves parallel lines. Use the quick keyboard shortcut keys P or O to change the view to Perspective or Orthographic, respectively.

Perspective	Orthographic
View your model in Perspective or Orthographic projection!

Save time viewing your data from different orientations! Use the easy keyboard shortcut keys N, S, E, W, T or B to automatically view the model from the North, South, East, West, Top or Bottom. For example, simply click the T key to view the model from the top.

North	South	East	West
Top		Bottom
Easily and quickly view the model from any of the 6 sides using the Preset Views!

3D Triad

Always see how your model is oriented using the handy Triad! Select to view it or not, and choose which corner of the window it should be in. Additionally, customize the text at the end of the directional arrows! Don’t like Top, East and North? You can change it to X, Y and Z or anything you want!

Add a triad to any corner of the 3D view so you can always keep yourself oriented!

Bounding Box

Create a bounding box around your data! Bounding boxes are an excellent way to communicate the extents of your data or to contain the model for aesthetic purposes. Create bounding boxes around the entire axis extents of the model, or create one around just the volume render or isosurface extents.

Export 3D Vector Data

Import or draw 3D geometry in the 2D view, and then view it in 3D in the 3D view! To export the geometry to a new 3D vector file (e.g. SHP, DXF, BLN), simply export the data directly from the 3D view to a new file.

Copy/Paste Format

Time saver! Quickly apply the same formatting, such as color, size, or other properties to your visualizations in the 3D view! For example, configure an isosurface with a clipping plane just the way you want, copy the properties and paste them onto another isosurface. You don’t have to re-enter all the same properties, clipping plane or colormap properties over again.

Updated September, 2024

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What you see above is just what was added in the latest version of Surfer! Review the attachments below to see what was added to previous versions of Surfer.