Golden Software has enhanced map-making functionality and data exporting capabilities in the latest version of its Surfer surface 2D and 3D mapping package.
Golden Software has enhanced map-making functionality and data exporting capabilities in the latest version of its Surfer surface 2D and 3D mapping package.
‘In this version, we focused on making it easier and faster for Surfer users to create the maps they envision without time-consuming workarounds or using other software,’ said Kari Dickenson, Surfer product manager. ’Surfer makes it easier to export data and grid files to a GIS or CAD package.’
The Surfer surface mapping software is used by more than 100,000 people worldwide, many involved in oil and gas exploration, environmental consulting, mining, engineering, and geospatial projects to visualize and interpret complex data sets.
Enhancements in the latest Surfer version include scale bars and colour bars with frames, outlines and background fill colours to make them easier to read when placed on top of maps. Previously, this was a time-consuming multi-step process in which the user had to draw polygons and place them behind the scale and colour bars.
3D Surface Map in a 2D plot window will allow the user to fill the sides of the 3D surface layers down to a customized Z value. This is especially useful when overlaying surface maps to create a block model, so the user can fill the side down to any value, including zero, instead of the grid minimum.
Attribute data can now be exported as numeric data. In the past, Surfer converted numbers to text when saving the worksheet to a DBF or when exporting base layers to SHP/DBF or data files. Numeric values are now retained during both exporting functions.
Grid Files can be saved as GeoTIFFs, or Tagged Image File Format, which allows for easy data compatibility with other software packages such as ArcGIS, QGIS, Global Mapper, and USGS DEM File Reader.
Digitizing in the 3D View allows the user to click on spot locations on drillhole paths, surface layers and other features in the 3D View and capture the X, Y and Z coordinates of the locations clicked.
The Info Page in Properties for Grid- Based Layers has been updated to display commonly used information about the grid file used to create the layer, such as information about the file itself, the XY geometry, and Z statistics. This information previously could only be obtained through a multi-step reporting process.
