Change the XY units on a map in Surfer

Yes, you can 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). The easiest way to do this is to set the coordinate system for the layer to meters (to tell Surfer the original coordinate units), and then change the coordinate system of the map to feet. You can convert to/from any supported linear unit (feet, meters, miles, centimeters, kilometers, millimeters, etc).

To do this:

1. Create the map. For example, click Home | New Map | Contour, select the grid file (in meters) and click Open.
2. The first step is to make sure the layer is set to the correct units, meters in this case.
   1. Select the layer (e.g. Contours) in the Contents window.
   2. In the Properties window, click Set in the Coordinate System tab.
   3. If the grid file already has a coordinate system defined for it, skip directly to step 3. If not, click the Set button.
   4. In the Assign Coordinate System dialog, either:
      1. Select the current coordinate system for the map (e.g. UTM); or
         
      2. Tell Surfer that the units are meters. To do that, click New Local System, enter a Name for the coordinate system (e.g. "Meters"), set the Name of the linear units to Meters, and click OK.
         
   5. Click the Add to Favorites button to add the coordinate system to your Favorites list so you can find it easily in the future.
   6. Click OK.
3. Now we can change the map to display the desired units, feet in this case.
   1. Select the Map in the Contents window.
   2. In the Properties window, click the Coordinate System tab.
   3. Click the Change button.
   4. In the Assign Coordinate System dialog, either:
      1. Select another coordinate system for the map in the desired units (e.g. State Plane Coordinate System); or
      2. Tell Surfer what units you want. To do that, click New Local System, enter a Name for the coordinate system (e.g. "Feet"), set the Name of the linear units to Feet, and click OK; or
      3. Change the units of the original coordinate system.  To do that, click Modify, enter a new Name for the coordinate system (e.g. "UTM zone 13 feet"), set the Name of the linear units to Feet, and click OK.
         
   5. Click the Add to Favorites button to add the coordinate system to your Favorites list so you can find it easily in the future.
   6. Click OK.

Related Articles:

• Do I need to specify a coordinate system for every map layer in Surfer?
• How can I change the units for my projection from meters to feet in Surfer?
• How can I make the axes show the coordinates I want in Surfer?

Updated November 2021