Adjust the visibilty of map objects via Surfer automation

• Turn off the visibility of the mapframe
• Turn off the visibility of a map layer
• Turn off the visibility of a single axis
• Turn off the visibility of all map axes

Turn off the visibility of the mapframe

Sub Main
    Dim SurferApp As Object
    Set SurferApp = CreateObject("Surfer.Application")
    SurferApp.Visible = True

    'Opens an SRF file
    Dim Plot As Object
    Set Plot = SurferApp.Documents.Open(FileName:=SurferApp.Path+"\Samples\MapLayers.srf")

    'Identifies a layer in the map. This is a shape object.
    Dim MapFrame1 As Object
    Set MapFrame1 = Plot.Shapes.Item(Index:=1)
    Set ContoursLayer = MapFrame1.Overlays(2)

    'Sets that layer to be invisible
    ContoursLayer.Visible = False
End Sub

Turn off the visibility of a map layer

'===================================
'Visibility of Map Layer OFF.bas
'===================================
'Shows how to turn off the visibility of a map layer, similar to unchecking
'the checkbox in the Contents window next to the map layer in the UI.
'===================================
Sub Main

'Initializes Surfer
	Dim SurferApp, Plot, PostLayer, PostLayer2 As Object
	Set SurferApp = CreateObject("Surfer.Application")
	SurferApp.Visible = True
	Set Plot = SurferApp.Documents.Add

'Creates two post maps
	Set MapFrame = Plot.Shapes.AddPostMap(SurferApp.Path + "\samples\demogrid.dat")
	Set MapFrame2 = Plot.Shapes.AddPostMap(SurferApp.Path + "\samples\sample1.dat")

'Overlays the two post maps
	Plot.Shapes.SelectAll
	Plot.Selection.OverlayMaps
	Plot.Selection.DeselectAll
	
'Turns off the visibility of the second post layer
	Set NewMapFrame = Plot.Shapes.Item(1)
	Set PostLayer2 = NewMapFrame.Overlays(2)
	PostLayer2.Visible = False
End Sub

Turn off the visibility of a single axis

'===========================================
'Visibility of Axis OFF.bas
'===========================================
'Shows how to turn off the visibility of an axis, like unchecking the check box for
'the axis in the Contents window in the UI.
'===========================================
Sub Main

'Initializes Surfer
        Dim SurferApp, Plot, MapFrame, Axes As Object
        Set SurferApp = CreateObject("Surfer.Application")
        SurferApp.Visible = True
        Set Plot = SurferApp.Documents.Add

'Creates a contour map
	Set MapFrame = Plot.Shapes.AddContourMap(GridFileName:=SurferApp.Path+"\samples\demogrid.grd")

'Turns off the visibility of the bottom axis
	MapFrame.Axes("Bottom axis").Visible=False
End Sub

Turn off the visibility of all map axes

'HideAxes.bas eliminates ticks, labels, and axis titles, and hides the axes
'for selected maps in an open SRF file. It ignores selected objects that are not maps.
'Does not work for maps grouped into composite objects.
'1. Open SRF file.
'2. Select the maps to eliminate the axes.
'3. Run script.
'=======================================

Sub Main
	Debug.Clear
	'Use existing Surfer instance.
	On Error GoTo Error1:
  	Set surf = GetObject(, "Surfer.Application")
	On Error GoTo 0
	Set document = surf.ActiveDocument
	If  document.Type <> srfDocPlot Then GoTo Error2:
	Debug.Print "Surfer Version:     " & surf.Version
	Debug.Print "Document:           " & surf.ActiveDocument
	Set selection = document.Selection
	i = 0
	For Each obj In selection
		If obj.Type = srfShapeMapFrame Then
			i = i + 1
			Debug.Print "Modified Map" & i & ":      " & obj.Name
			shrinkAxes(obj)
		End If
	Next obj
	If i = 0 Then GoTo Error3:
GoTo Xit:
Error1:
Debug.Clear
Debug.Print "Surfer is not running.  Start Surfer, open a document, and select maps to modify."
GoTo Xit:
Error2:
Debug.Clear
Debug.Print "Active document is not a plot. Open or activate a plot document and select a maps to modify."
GoTo Xit:
Error3:
Debug.Clear
Debug.Print "No maps selected.  Select some maps to modify."
Debug.Print "Make sure your maps are Not inside a composite Object."
GoTo Xit:
Xit:
End Sub
Public Function shrinkAxes(frame As Object)
	For Each axis In frame.Axes
		axis.ShowLabels = False
		axis.MajorTickType = srfTickNone
		axis.MinorTickType = srfTickNone
		axis.Visible = False
		axis.Title = ""
	Next axis
End Function

For more information, please see the Visible Property [Shape] Help page. 

Updated October 2021