How do I know if Surfer supports my coordinate system?

Surfer supports over 13,000 predefined coordinate systems and datums, making it easy to accurately project, reproject, and align spatial data. With EPSG code visibility, streamlined search tools, and flexible custom definitions, assigning the correct coordinate system to your maps, layers, and worksheets is fast and easy.

How to Access the Coordinate System Dialog

You can view, assign, or modify coordinate systems within both the plot document and the worksheet:

• The worksheet:
  • Click Data | Coordinate System | Assign Coordinate System.
  • Click Data | New Projected Coordinates, click the (...) button next to the Source Coordinate System or Target Coordinate System.
• The plot window:
  • Click Grids | Edit | Assign Coordinate System, select a grid file and click Open.
  • Click Map in the Contents window and in the Properties window click the Coordinate System tab. Click the Change button.
  • Click the layer (i.e. Contours) in the Contents window and in the Properties window click the Coordinate System tab. Click the Set button.

Tips for Finding & Assigning Coordinate Systems

Once in the Assign Coordinate System dialog, locate your desired projection using these options:

1. Search Bar & EPSG Lookup: Enter an EPSG code or name fragment into the search bar and click Search.
2. Geographic Systems (Unprojected Lat/Lon): Expand the Geographic (lat/lon) tree and select your data's datum. For standard global latitude/longitude data, choose World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84).
3. Projected Systems (Regional/Grid): Expand the Projected Systems section to navigate categories such as UTM, State Plane, or regional systems.
4. Custom Projections: Add a new New Local Coordinate System, New Geographic Coordinate System, or Modify Coordinate System to modify an existing coordinate system. 

Saving Favorites & Missing Systems

• Add to Favorites: Select any frequently used coordinate system in the Assign Coordinate System dialog and click Add to Favorites. This pins the system under the top-level Favorites folder for immediate access in future projects.
• Unlisted Systems: If you need a specialized system or custom datum that is not included in Surfer's 13,000+ library, please contact our support team for assistance. Or click Load from File to load a coordinate system from a spatial reference file with the Open dialog.