Discover the latest new features, solutions, and enhancements in Surfer Beta! The top new features and enhancements are listed below. Full help topics for these changes can be found in the help contained in the Surfer Beta application. A complete list of the new functionality 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?
-New and Enhanced Solutions in Surfer Beta-
Collaboration is Key!
Streamline collaboration among clients, stakeholders, and engineers with Surfer’s new Comments functionality in the 2D view. By pinning feedback directly to specific project locations, you eliminate guesswork and replace lengthy email chains with precise, real-time communication.
Share your maps instantly to clarify expectations, track progress, and ensure everyone is aligned—saving time and reducing costly miscommunications.
3D Visualization
We’ve made the visualization in the 3D view more robust and user-friendly than ever before, to save you time and headaches.
3D Grid Filters
Filtering 3D grid visualizations transforms your grid into a clear, actionable result. Whether you are smoothing surfaces, filling data gaps, or highlighting anomalies, these tools let you emphasize critical insights while de-emphasizing noise. Over 30 filters are available, in addition to options for handling edge nodes and NoData nodes. These options are available for all 3D grid visualization types, including volume render, block render, isosurface, image slice, and contour slice.
Image and Contour Slices – Set their Path to Polylines/Polygons
Surfer’s enhanced image slices and contour slices make it effortless to visualize and share the internal details of your models. Instantly generate image and contour slices along any single polylines or polygons (or along all polylines or polygons) in a base layer—even complex, non-linear transects—to eliminate tedious manual setup.
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Previously, manually creating individual slices and setting the location of each one was time-consuming and tedious! |
Now, create a single slice that follows the path of all polylines in a base layer. Change the colors or properties once, and all slices are updated. |
Image and Contour Slices – Save Slices as Images and Grids
Save your slices as grid files for 2D mapping or as high-resolution images to provide stakeholders with clear, professional visuals of the data between your points.
Multiple Clipping Planes
Use multiple clipping planes to isolate specific areas of your model for clearer inspection and presentation. Focus on the data that matters most by hiding areas that are not relevant to your current view. Add up to four clipping planes to each 3D grid visualization.
Save and Load Drillhole Keywords and Contacts
- Reuse keyword symbology for consistent results. Save your keyword definitions and symbology once, then load them whenever you need them. This makes it easy to apply the same visual conventions across projects without recreating your definitions each time.
- Reuse drillhole contact definitions. Save your contact definitions after creating them, then load them into future projects. Quickly apply the same contact settings without rebuilding them from scratch.
Legend Improvements
Maximize map clarity by creating comprehensive legends for every element in your base layer—including points, polylines, and polygons without applied symbology.
Take full control of your presentation by showing only specific samples in your base layer, renaming them for better context, and organizing long lists into multiple columns to maintain a clean, professional layout.
Improved Viewshed Workflow
Creating a viewshed layer is now more flexible and intuitive. You can create a viewshed layer directly without first creating a map, and then select the grid file you want to use. A transmitter is automatically added at a default location, and the Pick new transmitter position tool makes it easy to choose a different location at any time.
This gives you the flexibility to quickly create a viewshed, adjust the transmitter if the default location isn't suitable, or reposition it later as you refine your analysis.
Streamlined Home Ribbon and Map Creation Workflow
Creating maps and adding layers is now faster and more intuitive with an updated workflow designed to streamline your work in Surfer.
Surfer lets you create multiple maps on a page, making it easy to compare datasets from different time periods or locations side by side. Each map can also contain multiple layers. For example, you might overlay contour lines on base layers (e.g., a SHP file and an aerial image) so that all three datasets are spatially aligned within a single map.
Previous Workflow
In Surfer 31 and earlier:
- The large buttons in Home | New Map created new, independent maps.
- To add additional layers to an existing map, you selected the map and clicked Home | Add to Map | Layer.
What's New in Surfer 32
We've streamlined the map creation workflow to better match how most users build maps.
Previously, the large buttons always created new maps, even when the goal was to combine multiple datasets into a single map. In Surfer 32, the workflow has been simplified so you can more easily create a map and add related layers as you build it. This reduces the number of steps needed to create maps with multiple, spatially aligned datasets.
If you've been using Surfer for years, the updated workflow may take a little getting used to. Once you're familiar with the new process, you'll be able to create maps and add layers more quickly with fewer steps.
Updated March, 2026
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