Change the projected coordinate systems units in Surfer (Feet, Meters, Kilometers)

Changing Your Surfer Map's Coordinate System Units

Units are fundamental in spatial data. Geographic coordinate systems use degrees (latitude/longitude) for the Earth's curved surface. Projected systems, like State Plane, use linear units such as feet or meters for flat, localized measurements. The unit choice depends on the projection and desired accuracy.

Changing your coordinate system units in Surfer is a straightforward process that ensures your map displays accurately in your preferred measurement. Use the following steps to update your projection from meters to feet, or to any other supported unit.

1. In the Contents window select the layer you want to update the units for(e.g. Contours).
2. In the Properties window, select the Coordinate System tab.
2. In the Coordinate system field click the Set button.
3. In the Assign Coordinate System dialog, select the coordinate system you want to change.
   
4. Click the Modify button.
5. In the Define Coordinate System dialog, set the Name of the Linear Units to Feet (or whatever units you want) in the Projection section.
   
6. Change the name of the coordinate system to indicate the new units.
7. Click OK.
8. If this coordinate system is listed under Custom, click the Add to Favorites button to list it under your Favorites so you can use it in the future without recreating it.

Key Resources

Beyond changing projection units, Surfer provides robust tools for managing all aspects of your map's units. To help you address various unit-related challenges and achieve full control over your data's presentation, we've compiled these key resources:

Changing units

• Change the XY units on a map in Surfer  |  Create a map from a grid or data file with XY values in one unit (e.g. meters) and then convert them so the map is displayed in another unit (e.g. feet).
• Change units of the map scale bar in Surfer  |  The scale bar for a map in is map units by default. This can be changed, but how to do so depends on whether the map is in linear units (e.g. meters or feet), or spherical units (e.g. lat/lon degrees).
• Surfer Help > New Projected Coordinates - Worksheet  |  Transform X and Y coordinate data from a Source Coordinate System to a Target Coordinate System. 

Coordinate systems for map vs layer

• Understanding Map vs. Layer Coordinate Systems
  • Difference between setting the coordinate system for a layer, and changing it for a Map in Surfer
  • When to set the coordinate system for a map or layer in Surfer
  • When to specify a coordinate system for every map layer in Surfer
• Display and Multi-System Workflows
  • Change the coordinates displayed on a map in Surfer
  • Use map layers with different coordinate systems in the same Surfer map
• General Resources & Troubleshooting
  • Surfer Coordinate Systems Training Video
  • How do I know if Surfer supports my coordinate system?