There are several new features in the latest release of Surfer Beta! The top new features are listed below. Full help topics for these new features can be found in the help contained in the Surfer Beta application. A more complete list of the new features can be found on the Surfer Beta Version History page.

To download Surfer Beta today, follow the instructions at this link: What is Surfer Beta and how can I participate? 

 

-Top Features in Surfer Beta's Latest Release-

 

3D Grid Visualization

We’ve made the visualization in the 3D view more robust and user friendly than ever before, to save you time and headaches. Combine the 3D grid visualization options with 3D DXF files, SHP files, data and 2D grid files and the ability to export to a 3D VRML or 3D PDF, and you have a powerful visualization system.

 

Block Render

Visualize your 3D grid as a block render (the same as Voxler’s FaceRender module)! Each grid cell in the 3D grid is rendered individually as a block. The blocks can be colored and you control the amount of transparency. Calculate the total volume of the blocks! You have full control over the geometry of the blocks by specifying the X, Y and Z limits or by displaying a single slice through the grid.

Display your 3D grid as a series of blocks, which you can color, make transparent or use to calculate the volume.

 

Import Imagery

Import images and place them exactly where you need them! This is a great way to plot cross sections, profiles, 2D seismic or electrical sections, or georeferenced imagery in relation to each other, your 2D or 3D grids, or 3D drillholes.

Import imagery, such as PNG files of these three profiles, and position the images in any orientation! Import any georeferenced images, such as an aerial image in GeoTIFF format, and it is placed directly in the correct location.

 

Specular Highlights

Give your visualization that extra wow factor! Control the shininess and specular highlights to make your surfaces even more spectacular.

Increase the impact of your surfaces by controlling how shiny they are!

 

Follow the Camera Lighting

Always shine the light directly into the center of the model from the screen view! This allows the 3D model to always be lit, regardless of the rotation, and saves a lot of time since you no longer must adjust the lighting for each change in rotation or tilt.

Rotate the model, and the lighting will always be shining upon it!

 

Vertical Exaggeration does not distort 3D drillholes

Change the vertical exaggeration of your model, and the drillholes are not stretched out. The data remains perpendicular to the path!

Whether the vertical exaggeration is set to 1 (left), 5 (right) or higher, the drillhole intervals and paths will remain proportional and cylindrical.

 

Grid Drillhole Data

Gridding your drillhole data is easier than ever. Just simply click the button in the Drillhole Manager, or click Grid Data and select Drillhole XYZC for your data type. Surfer will gather and interpolate all the drillhole data already imported into Surfer and generate the 3D grid.

Grid the drillhole data imported into Surfer directly without any extra steps!

 

Assign NoData to 3D Grids

Assign NoData to 3D grids! You can assign NoData to the grid during the gridding process, using the 2D convex hull, 2D alpha shape or a 2D polygon boundary to limit the XY extents.

Alternatively, you can use the Assign NoData command with 3D grids to remove data outside (or inside) a polygon boundary, or above/below a 2D grid surface! This is a great way to remove/exclude the data from the 3D grid above another surface, such as the topography or groundwater surface or to remove the data above other surface contacts, such as overburden.

Assign NoData to specific areas in your 3D grid.

 

File | Save All

Save All! Save time and make life easier for yourself. When you have multiple project files open, and multiple 3D views, it can be tedious to go through each window and click the Save button. Now it’s simple with just a single click. Click Save All to save all the open windows at once, and then Close All to close them all at once. Done.

This can also be especially useful if saving a project takes some time – click Save All and Surfer will save all open files, one after another, and you don’t have to sit there waiting for each one to finish before saving the next one.

 

Base Layer Keeps its Properties after Reloading

Reloading base layers saves you more time than ever. Create a base layer, edit the properties for the vector objects in that layer, then reload it and choose to retain the existing properties! Keep your rivers blue, your field area boundaries brown, and simply reload the file.

 

 

Updated September, 2023