View surfaces in 3D in Surfer

With Surfer you can view surfaces (XYZ grids) in 3D either as a 3D surface map in the 2D plot window, or in the 3D view window.  The 3D View window is the recommended method in most cases because it also supports viewing drillhole layers, 3D (XYZC) grids, and several additional features.

3D View

The 3D View allows you to create wholistic 3D models of your site that include surfaces, vector files, drillholes, and even 3D volumes.  In addition, functions such as creating fly-throughs, walking along the surface, viewing the model from all orientations, and exporting to 3D file formats are available.

To create a map and view it in 3D:

1. Click Home | New Map | Contour (or any map type that has 3D data).
2. In the Open Grid dialog, select your input file and click Open. The map is displayed.
3. You can select the map and adjust the properties in the Properties window, or click Home | Add to Map | Layer to add other layers, such as posted points or georeferenced imagery.
4. Click Map Tools | View | 3D View.

Your map is now displayed in 3D. 

3D surface map

3D surface maps are easy to create and works great if you want want a 3D appearance for a simple map with only a few layers. 

3D Surface maps do not support coordinate systems.  Therefore, all input data must use the same coordinate system.  3D surface maps also do not support the display of XYZC grids or 3D drillholes.

To create a 3D surface map:

1. Click Home | New Map | 3D Surface.
2. In the Open Grid dialog, select your grid file and click Open. Your 3D surface map is displayed.
3. You can select the map and adjust the properties in the Properties window, or click Home | Add to Map | Layer to add other layers to drape over the 3D surface, such as contours or georeferenced imagery.