Drape image over 3D Surface in Surfer

It is possible to drape (or overlay) an image over a 3D surface. Once it is draped on a 3D Surface (or any other grid based map type) you can view it in true 3D with Surfer's 3D Viewer. To drape an image on a 3D surface, they must be in the same coordinate system. 

Use the steps below to drape an image on a 3D surface: 

1. Create the 3D map. Click Home | New Maps | 3D Surface | Surface, select the grid file and click Open.
2. To drape the image, click Home | Add to Map | Layer | Base, select the georeferenced image file and click Open.
   3. Note: the image and the grid file used to create the 3D surface must be in the same coordinate system and coordinate units to overlay correctly. If you are adding Base from Server, these images are all in lat/long, so your grid file must also be in lat/long. Use the Grids | Edit | Project tool to reproject your grid if needed. Or, convert the coordinate system of the image.  
4. By default, Surfer blends the colors of the image and 3D Surface. To turn this off:
   4. Select the 3D Surface layer in the Contents window.
   5. In the Properties window, click the Overlays page.
   6. Change the Color modulation to Use overlay color only. 
   7. Click the Lighting page, and set the Vertical (degrees) light position to 80. This brightens the map up a bit.
8. If desired, you can eliminate any vertical exaggeration by selecting Map in the Contents window and in the Properties window, clicking the Scale tab. Set the Z Scale to match the X and Y scales.

Open your map in a true 3D environment by selecting your map and clicking Map Tools | View | 3D View.

Create a 3D surface map and drape a georeferenced image on top of it.

Updated December 2021