Surfer 9

Surfer is a contouring and 3D surface mapping software program that runs under Microsoft Windows. The Surfer software quickly and easily converts your data into outstanding contour, surface, wireframe, vector, image, shaded relief, and post maps. Virtually all aspects of your maps can be customized to produce exactly the presentation you want using Surfer’s software tools. Producing publication quality maps has never been quicker or easier.

Surfer 9 Released April 1, 2009
New Features Quick List (see below for details)

Bitmap and color fill transparency / opacity.
Change individual object properties on a base map.
Convert data between UTM and longitude / latitude.
Use the Track Cursor to track position on different maps, and between maps and worksheet data files.
Load georeferenced TIF and other files with automatic world coordinates.
Drag post map labels with leader lines so closely spaced labels don’t overwrite each other.
Load Excel XLSX files.
Export vector and bitmap PDF files.
Read USGS DEM data in BIL format.
Use the tabbed window interface with “unsaved changes” indicator.
Combine objects into a “group” without losing the ability to edit the grouped objects individually.
Fill polygons with USGS fill patterns.
Specify object size and position precisely using page coordinates.
Add background fill to text to make it stand out. Include transparency to reveal the parts of the map under the text.
Display length and area of lines and polygons.
Customize toolbars, buttons, and keyboard shortcuts for menu commands.
Save classed post symbols, colors, and sizes for use in other projects.
Works with larger grid files up to 32767 rows and columns.
Reference external databases with DBF, OLEDB and ODBC.
Display XYZ coordinates on the Status Bar.

Transparency / Opacity
Set the transparency for bitmap images, color-filled contours and polygons to see through objects to the underlying data. Specify the opacity percent for individual objects and entire layers. You can also control the opacity of the “no data” areas in image maps and shaded relief maps.

Transparent contour fills reveal the underlying contour map. (Click to enlarge.)

Read and Write Georeferenced TIF and Other Bitmap Images
Surfer 9 reads the georeferenced coordinates in a GeoTIFF and in associated ESRI “world” files, such as a TFW with world coordinates for a TIF file.

Load a USGS file of topography contours, and get the georeferenced UTM coordinates automatically. (Click to enlarge.)

Edit each object within a base map
Each component of a base map can be selected and edited individually. Change the line color and style, fill color, text, and transparency.