There are many options to choose from when exporting to a SHP file from Surfer, a few of which are demonstrated in the attached example files. The Surfer shapefile export creates the SHP, DBF, CPG, and SHX files (and PRJ files if the map is georeferenced). Note that images, base maps, color relief maps, shaded relief maps, and 3D surface maps are not exported to SHP files.

You can use the File | Export command to export to a SHP file. See FileExport3.zip for an example using the default settings. You have the option to write the points and areas as lines to the same file or write them to separate files. You also have the option to render text and marker symbols as polygons. If the map layer being exported is a contour layer, the Z values for the contour lines is saved to the DBF file for each polyline object.

Alternatively, you can export a contour map and write the Z values of the contours to the DBF file by selecting the contour map and clicking the Map Tools | Layer Tools | Export Contours command. You have the option to export to a 3D SHP file (see attached ExportContours3D.zip) and 2D SHP file (see attached ExportContours2D.zip). The 2D SHP exports a shape 2D polyline type where each vertex along the line is made up of an X and Y coordinate, and the Z coordinate for each vertex is stored in the DBF file. The 3D SHP exports a shape polyline Z type where each vertex along the line comprises an X, Y, and Z coordinate. The Z coordinate for each vertex is also stored in the DBF file.