Q1. What is the latest version?
Q2. How can I get the latest version of Surfer?
Q3. Where can I find a list of fixes and changes between versions?
Q4. What are Surfer’s system requirements?
Q5. How do I install Surfer?
Q6. How do I uninstall Surfer?
Q7. Should I uninstall the demo version before installing the full version, or can I activate the demo to become the full version?
Q8. Do I need to uninstall an older version of Surfer before installing a new version?
Q9. Do you offer training?
Q10. Where can I find my serial number?
Q11. Is technical support free?
Q12. Is Surfer 10 capable of running on Windows XP/Vista/7 64-bit?
Q13. Should I install Surfer 32-bit or Surfer 64-bit?
Q14. What is the SRF file compatibility between different versions of Surfer?
Q15. Norton SONAR removes the Golden Software executable files as a security threat! I can’t install or run the software now. What is going on?
Q16. My script works in Surfer 9, but in Surfer 10 I get an error: Operand/operator type mismatch. It stops on a line inside a loop. Why?
Q17. I have a more technical question about the program, where can I find the answer?

Q1. What is the latest version?
A. The most recent version of Surfer is 10.4.799.

Q2. How can I get the latest version of Surfer?
A. Minor updates (i.e. version 10.0 to 10.1, when available) may be downloaded for free if your serial number is registered. Connect your computer to the Internet, then go to Help | Check for Update in Surfer. This will download the latest patch and install it on your machine. Information about the latest version is listed on the Version History page.

If you experience any problems with this command or would like to download the full version of the updated software, please email your registered Surfer 10 serial number to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Once your serial number is verified, we will send you download instructions.

Major upgrades (i.e. version 9 to version 10) cost US$229 plus shipping. Refer to the order form for more information.

Q3. Where can I find a list of fixes and changes between versions?
A. A list of changes and fixes between minor versions (i.e. 10.0 to 10.1) can be found at: Surfer Version Page.

Q4. What are Surfer’s system requirements?
A. Surfer’s system requirements are: here.

Q5. How do I install Surfer?
A. Installing Surfer 10 requires that you be logged into an account that has Administrator rights. Golden Software does not recommend installing Surfer 10 over any previous version of Surfer. Please ensure that you install Surfer 10 into a new directory, which is what will happen by default. Surfer 10 can co-exist with older versions as long as they are in different directories.

To begin the installation, either insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive, or double-click on the downloaded EXE file to run it. See below for details of each method.

Installing Surfer on a Local Drive from CD:

1. Insert the CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive. The Setup program automatically begins on most computers.
2. Choose the "Install Surfer (32-bit)" or "Install Surfer (64-bit)" option from the screen and setup will begin.

If the Setup program does not automatically start, double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop. Open the CD-ROM drive which contains the Surfer disk by double-clicking on the CD-ROM icon. From the CD-ROM folder find and double-click on Autorun.exe to launch Surfer's Setup program. Select "Install Surfer (32-bit)" or "Install Surfer (64-bit)" option and setup will begin.

Installing Surfer on a Local Drive Using a Downloaded EXE:

1. Double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop and navigate to the folder containing the downloaded file.
2. Double-click the downloaded file to begin the installation process.

Q6. How do I uninstall Surfer?
A. To uninstall Surfer:

Windows XP
To uninstall Surfer, go to the Control Panel and double click on Add/Remove Programs. Select “Surfer 10 (32-bit)” or "Surfer 10 (64-bit)" (or “Surfer 10 Demo (32-bit)” for the demo version) from the list of installed applications. Click the Remove button to uninstall Surfer.

Windows Vista
To uninstall Surfer when using the Regular Control Panel Home, click the Uninstall a program link. Select “Surfer 10 (32-bit)” or "Surfer 10 (64-bit)” (or “Surfer 10 Demo (32-bit)” for the demo version) from the list of installed applications. Click the Uninstall button to uninstall Surfer.

To uninstall Surfer when using the Classic View, go to the Control Panel and double click on Programs and Features. Select “Surfer 10 (32-bit)” or "Surfer 10 (64-bit)” (or “Surfer 10 Demo (32-bit)” for the demo version) from the list of installed applications. Click the Uninstall button to uninstall Surfer.

Windows 7
To uninstall Surfer, go to the Control Panel and click the Uninstall a program link. Select “Surfer 10 (32-bit)” or "Surfer 10 (64-bit)” (or “Surfer 10 Demo (32-bit)” for the demo version) from the list of installed applications. Click the Uninstall button to uninstall Surfer.

Q7. Should I uninstall the demo version before installing the full version, or can I activate the demo to become the full version?
A. Yes, you should uninstall the Surfer demo before installing the full version of Surfer. There is not a way to “activate” the demo version to become the full version.

Q8. Do I need to uninstall an older version of Surfer before installing a new version?
A. You do not need to uninstall previous versions of Surfer (i.e. Surfer 8) before installing Surfer 10, provided you install them in different directories. By default, this will be the case.

You do not need to uninstall a previous version of Surfer 10 before installing an updated version of Surfer 10, as the installation package will automatically do this for you.

Q9. Do you offer training?
A. Golden Software does not offer training courses, but does offer a variety of training resources:

• Demonstrational videos
• Self-paced Training Guide - Surfer 10
• Online Support Forums
• Online Knowledge Base
• Golden Software Newsletters
• Product Tutorials available by going to Help | Tutorial within Surfer
• Free email and phone Technical Support
• Full Users Guide can be purchased for $25USD

Q10. Where can I find my serial number?
A. The serial number is located on the CD sleeve, or in the download instructions you received when you ordered the software. Please register your serial number online. After you install Surfer and run it for the first time, you can also find your serial number by opening the software and going to Help | About Surfer. The About Surfer dialog box will show the serial number.

Q11. Is technical support free?
A. Yes, technical support is free to all users for as long as you own the product. You must register your product in order to receive technical support. Technical support is available by phone, fax, or email. Contact us.

Q12. Is Surfer 10 capable of running on Windows XP/Vista/7 64-bit?
A. Yes, Surfer 10 comes as a 32-bit application and as a 64-bit application. Both can be installed and run on Windows 64-bit.

Q13. Should I install Surfer 32-bit or Surfer 64-bit?
A. If you are using a 32-bit version of Windows, then you should install Surfer 10 32-bit.

If you are using a 64-bit version of Windows, we recommend installing the 64-bit version of Surfer 10. Although Surfer 32-bit is capable of installing and running on Windows 64-bit, the 32-bit version of Surfer 10 does not take advantage of the increased 64-bit memory space.

Q14. What is the SRF file compatibility between different versions of Surfer?
A. Surfer 10 can open SRF files from all previous versions of Surfer. Surfer 10 can only save SRF files in the Surfer 10 format. Previous versions of Surfer (i.e. Surfer 9 or Surfer 8) cannot open the Surfer 10 SRF files.

Q15. Norton SONAR removes the Golden Software executable files as a security threat! I can’t install or run the software now. What is going on?

A. Norton AntiVirus, 360, Internet Security and other Norton products may remove and quarantine the Grapher, Surfer, Voxler and Strater installation (from CD) and application executable files as threats. Once this happens, they will no longer run. Our software does not contain viruses or other security threats. We are working with Norton so that they discontinue flagging our software as a potential security threat.

In the meantime, if you are installing from the CD and encounter this problem, you can disable Norton, run the installation from the CD, and then re-enable Norton after the CD installation.

Once the software is installed (or if you install the software directly from the download EXE file), the first or second time you open the program, Norton might also quarantine the application EXE file (i.e. surfer.exe), preventing it from being used. You will need to restore the application EXE file from quarantine and then you can open and use the software.

Using Norton Internet Security, you can restore the application EXE file from quarantine by following these steps:

1. Open Norton.
2. Under the Computer section, click on the Quarantine link.
3. In the Security History dialog, select where it says surfer.exe was quarantined, then click on the blue Options link in the upper right of the dialog.
4. Click on Restore this file.
5. Click Yes to restore the file.
6. Close Norton and run the software.

If you are using Norton 360, another customer says to do this:

1. Open Norton 360 by right clicking at the bottom right Norton icon.
2. Click Tasks at the center top of the page.
3. Click View Security History in left column.
4. Identify and click on the quarantined surfer.exe file.
5. On the same page click on the Recommended Action box of options.
6. Click Yes to restore the surfer.exe program to its original location.
7. Click Close and restart computer

To help improve this for the future, we ask that you please report this false positive to Symantec (Norton). To do this, you can use Norton’s built in “Submit to Symantec” feature. In most Norton products, this is done automatically by default. If you have turned the automatic submission off, you can submit this to Symantec manually by entering quarantine view, selecting the item, clicking on More Details and choosing Submit to Symantec.

Thank you for your patience.

Q16. My script works in Surfer 9, but in Surfer 10 I get an error: Operand/operator type mismatch. It stops on a line inside a loop. Why?

A. Surfer 10 comes with a new version of Scripter. The old scripter (Surfer 7, 8 and 9) was rather forgiving about concatenating a number to a string, such as when you use the loop variable (a number) as part of a string in a command line. The new Scripter enforces the BASIC language rules a bit more stringently, and you need to convert the number to a string explicitly using the BASIC Format statement. For an example, please see our KB article at: http://www.goldensoftware.com/activekb/questions/804.

Q17. I have a more technical question about the program, where can I find the answer?
A. For more technical questions and answers, please visit our Knowledge Base at: http://www.goldensoftware.com/activekb/

Q1. What is the latest version?

Q2. How can I get the latest version of Surfer?

Q3. Where can I find a list of fixes and changes between versions?

Q4. What are Surfer’s system requirements?

Q5. How do I install Surfer?

Q6. How do I uninstall Surfer?

Q7. Do I need to uninstall the demo version before installing the full version? Can I activate the demo to become the full version?

Q8. Do I need to uninstall an older version of Surfer before installing a new version?

Q9. Do you offer training?

Q10. Where can I find my serial number?

Q11. Is technical support free?

Q12. Is Surfer 9 capable of running on Windows Vista/XP 64 bit?

Q13. I’m a long time user of Surfer. How can I overlay maps in Surfer? The Map | Overlay Maps command is not there in Surfer 9.

Q14. What is the SRF file compatibility between different versions of Surfer?

Q15. Norton SONAR removes the Golden Software executable files as a security threat! I can’t install or run the software now. What is going on?

Q16. I have a more technical question about the program, where can I find the answer?

Q1. What is the latest version?
A. The most recent version of Surfer is 9.11.947.

Q2. How can I get the latest version of Surfer?
A. Minor updates (i.e. version 9.0 to 9.1, when available) may be downloaded for free if your serial number is registered. Connect your computer to the Internet, then click the Help | Check for Update command in Surfer. This will download the latest update and install it on your machine. Information about the latest version is listed on the Version History page.

If you experience any problems with this command or would like to download the full version of the updated software, please email your registered Surfer 9 serial number to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Once your serial number is verified, we will send you download instructions.

Major upgrades (i.e. version 8 to version 9) cost US$229 plus shipping. Refer to the order form for more information.

Q3. Where can I find a list of fixes and changes between versions?
A. A list of changes and fixes between minor versions (i.e. 9.0 to 9.1) are listed on the Version History page. 

A list of major changes between major upgrades (i.e. 8 to 9) can be found on the What’s New in Surfer 9 page.

Q4. What are Surfer’s system requirements?
A. Surfer’s system requirements are:

• Windows 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7
• 100 MB of free hard disk space
• 512 MB RAM minimum, 1 GB or higher recommended
• 1024x768x16-bit color minimum monitor resolution

Q5. How do I install Surfer?
A. Installing Surfer 9 requires that you be logged into an account that has Administrator rights. Golden Software does not recommend installing Surfer 9 over any previous version of Surfer. Please ensure that you install Surfer 9 into a new directory, which is what will happen by default. Surfer 9 can co-exist with older versions as long as they are in different directories.

To begin the installation, either insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive, or double-click on the downloaded EXE file to run it. See below for details of each method.

Installing Surfer on a Local Drive from CD:

1. Insert the CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive. The Setup program automatically begins on most computers.
2. Choose the "Install Surfer" option from the screen and setup will begin.

If the Setup program does not automatically start, double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop. Open the CD-ROM drive which contains the Surfer disk by double-clicking on the CD-ROM icon. From the CD-ROM folder find and double-click on Autorun.exe to launch Surfer's Setup program. Select "Install Surfer" and setup will begin.

Installing Surfer on a Local Drive Using a Downloaded EXE:

1. Double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop and navigate to the folder containing the downloaded file.
2. Double-click on the file Surfer90xxxxx.exe to begin the installation process. The EXE extension is not displayed if you have enabled the option to "Hide Extensions for Known File Types" in My Computer.

Q6. How do I uninstall Surfer?
A. To uninstall Surfer 9, go to the Control Panel and double click on Add/Remove Programs (Windows 2000 and XP) or Programs and Features (Windows Vista). Select “Surfer 9” from the list of installed applications. Click the Remove or Uninstall button to uninstall Surfer 9.

Q7. Do I need to uninstall the demo version before installing the full version? Can I activate the demo to become the full version?
A. You do need to uninstall the Surfer demo before installing the full version of Surfer. There is not a way to “activate” the demo version to become a full version.

Q8. Do I need to uninstall an older version of Surfer before installing a new version?
A. You do not need to uninstall previous versions of Surfer (i.e. Surfer versions 5, 6, 7, or 8) before installing Surfer 9, provided you install them in different directories. By default, this will be the case.

You do not need to uninstall a previous version of Surfer 9 before installing an updated version of Surfer 9, as the installation package will automatically do this for you.

Q9. Do you offer training?
A. Golden Software does not offer training courses, but does offer a variety of training resources:

• Demonstrational videos
• Self-paced Training Guide - Surfer 9 or Surfer 8
• Online Support Forums
• Online Knowledge Base
• Golden Software Newsletters
• Product Tutorials available by going to Help | Tutorial within Surfer
• Free email and phone Technical Support - http://www.goldensoftware.com/contact.shtml.

Q10. Where can I find my serial number?
A. The serial number is on the registration card glued inside the cover of your Getting Started Guide, or in the download instructions you received when you ordered the software. Please complete the registration card and return it to Golden Software or register online at our web site. After you install Surfer and run it for the first time, you can also find your serial number by opening the software and going to Help | About Surfer. The About dialog box will show the serial number.

Q11. Is technical support free?
A. Yes, technical support is free to all users for as long as you own the product. You must register your product in order to receive technical support. You can reach technical support by phone, fax, or email.

Q12. Is Surfer 9 capable of running on Windows Vista/XP 64 bit?
A. Surfer is capable of running on Windows 64-bit, but it is a 32-bit program, so it does not take advantage of the 64-bit memory space. We have heard from multiple users that it does install and run correctly in Windows 64-bit versions, as long as it is installed and run in a Windows on Windows (WOW) environment.

Q13. I’m a long time user of Surfer. How can I overlay maps in Surfer? The Map | Overlay Maps command is not there in Surfer 9.
A. To overlay two separate maps, in previous versions of Surfer you would use the Map | Overlay Maps command. In Surfer 9, you can add a new map layer to an existing map. Create one map, select it, and use the Map | Add command to add a new map layer directly to the existing map.

If you already have two existing maps, in the Object Manager drag one map layer (ie. Contours) from its map frame into the other map frame. That will overlay the two maps together in one map frame. You can delete the left over empty map frame.

To overlay a separate contour map and base map,
select and drag the “Contours” map layer and drop it
into the map frame containing the “Base” layer.

Q14. What is the SRF file compatibility between different versions of Surfer?
A. Surfer 9 can open SRF files from all previous versions of Surfer. Surfer 9 can only save SRF files in the Surfer 9 format. Previous versions of Surfer (ie. Surfer 8) cannot open the Surfer 9 SRF files.

Q15. Norton SONAR removes the Golden Software executable files as a security threat! I can’t install or run the software now. What is going on?

A. Norton AntiVirus, 360, Internet Security and other Norton products may remove and quarantine the Grapher, Surfer, Voxler and Strater installation (from CD) and application executable files as threats. Once this happens, they will no longer run. Our software does not contain viruses or other security threats. We are working with Norton so that they discontinue flagging our software as a potential security threat.

In the meantime, if you are installing from the CD and encounter this problem, you can disable Norton, run the installation from the CD, and then re-enable Norton after the CD installation.

Once the software is installed (or if you install the software directly from the download EXE file), the first or second time you open the program, Norton might also quarantine the application EXE file (i.e. surfer.exe), preventing it from being used. You will need to restore the application EXE file from quarantine and then you can open and use the software.

Using Norton Internet Security, you can restore the application EXE file from quarantine by following these steps:

1. Open Norton.
2. Under the Computer section, click on the Quarantine link.
3. In the Security History dialog, select where it says surfer.exe was quarantined, then click on the blue Options link in the upper right of the dialog.
4. Click on Restore this file.
5. Click Yes to restore the file.
6. Close Norton and run the software.

If you are using Norton 360, another customer says to do this:

1. Open Norton 360 by right clicking at the bottom right Norton icon.
2. Click Tasks at the center top of the page.
3. Click View Security History in left column.
4. Identify and click on the quarantined surfer.exe file.
5. On the same page click on the Recommended Action box of options.
6. Click Yes to restore the surfer.exe program to its original location.
7. Click Close and restart computer

To help improve this for the future, we ask that you please report this false positive to Symantec (Norton). To do this, you can use Norton’s built in “Submit to Symantec” feature. In most Norton products, this is done automatically by default. If you have turned the automatic submission off, you can submit this to Symantec manually by entering quarantine view, selecting the item, clicking on More Details and choosing Submit to Symantec.

Thank you for your patience.

Q16. I have a more technical question about the program, where can I find the answer?
A. For more technical questions and answers, please visit our Knowledge Base.

Q1. What is the latest version?

Q2. How can I get the latest version of Surfer?

Q3. Where can I find a list of fixes and changes between versions?

Q4. What are Surfer’s system requirements?

Q5. How do I install or uninstall Surfer?

Q6. Do I need to uninstall the demo version before installing the full version? Can I activate the demo to become the full version?

Q7. Do I need to uninstall an older version of Surfer before installing a new version?

Q8. Do you offer training?

Q9. Where can I find my serial number?

Q10. Is technical support free?

Q11. Does Surfer run under Windows Vista?

Q12. I have a more technical question about the program, where can I find the answer?

Q13. Is Surfer 8 capable of running on Windows Vista/XP 64 bit?

Q1. What is the latest version?
A. The most recent version of Surfer is 8.09.

Q2. How can I get the latest version of Surfer?
A. Minor updates (i.e. version 8.00 to 8.09) may be downloaded for free if your serial number is registered. Connect your computer to the Internet, then click the Help | Check for Update command in Surfer. This will download the latest patch and install it on your machine. Information about the latest version is listed on the Version History page.

If you experience any problems with this command or would like to download the full version of the updated software, please email your registered Surfer 8 serial number to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Once your serial number is verified, we will send you download instructions.

Major upgrades (e.g. version 3 to version 8) cost US$139 plus shipping. Refer to the order form for more information.

Q3. Where can I find a list of fixes and changes between versions?
A. A list of changes and fixes between minor versions (i.e. 8.00 to 8.09) can be found at: http://www.goldensoftware.com/surferhistory.shtml. 

A list of major changes between major upgrades (i.e. 7 to 8) can be found at: http://www.goldensoftware.com/products/surfer/surfernew.shtml.

Q4. What are Surfer’s system requirements?
A. Surfer’s system requirements are:

• Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista, and higher
• 25 MB of free hard disk space
• 32 MB RAM minimum, 64 MB or higher recommended
• 800 x 600 minimum monitor resolution

Q5. How do I install or uninstall Surfer?
A. Installing Surfer
Installing Surfer 8 requires that you be logged into an account that has Administrator rights. Golden Software does not recommend installing Surfer 8 over any previous version of Surferr. Please ensure that you install Surfer 8 into a new directory, which is what will happen by default. Surfer 8 can co-exist with older versions as long as they are in different directories.

To begin the installation, either insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive, or double-click on the downloaded EXE file to run it. See below for details of each method.

Installing Surfer on a Local Drive from CD:

1. Insert the CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive. The Setup program automatically begins on most computers.
2. Choose the "Install Surfer" option from the screen and setup will begin.

If the Setup program does not automatically start, double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop. Open the CD-ROM drive which contains the Surfer disk by double-clicking on the CD-ROM icon. From the CD-ROM folder find and double-click on Autorun.exe to launch Surfer's Setup program. Select "Install Surfer" and setup will begin.

Installing Surfer on a Local Drive Using a Downloaded EXE:

1. Double-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop and navigate to the folder containing the downloaded file.
2. Double-click on the file Surfer80xxxxx.exe to begin the installation process. The EXE extension is not displayed if you have enabled the option to "Hide Extensions for Known File Types" in My Computer.

Uninstalling Surfer

To uninstall Surfer 8, go to the Control Panel and double click on Add/Remove Programs (Windows 2000 and XP) or Programs and Features (Windows Vista). Select “Surfer 8” from the list of installed applications. Click the Remove or Uninstall button to uninstall Surfer 8.

Q6. Do I need to uninstall the demo version before installing the full version? Can I activate the demo to become the full version?
A. You do need to uninstall the Surfer demo before installing the full version of Surfer. There is not a way to “activate” the demo version to become a full version.

Q7. Do I need to uninstall an older version of Surfer before installing a new version?
A. You do not need to uninstall previous versions of Surfer (i.e. Surfer versions 5, 6 or 7) before installing Surfer 8, provided you install them in different directories. By default, this will be the case.

However, you do need to uninstall previous versions of Surfer 8 before installing a newer full version of Surfer 8. Do NOT install a newer FULL version of Surfer 8 over a previous version of Surfer 8 (i.e. do not install 8.09 on top of 8.04). This will not update the software correctly. If for some reason you need to do a FULL installation of Surfer 8, uninstall the previous version before installing the updated version.

Q8. Do you offer training?
A. Golden Software does not offer training courses, but does offer a variety of training resources:

• Demonstrational videos/corresponding PDF guides, and a self-paced training guide - www.goldensoftware.com/supportvideo.shtml
• Online Support Forums - forum
• Online Knowledge Base - www.goldensoftware.com/activekb/
• Golden Software Newsletters - www.goldensoftware.com/newsletter.shtml
• Product Tutorials available in each program - Go to Help | Tutorial within Surfer.
• Free email and phone Technical Support - http://www.goldensoftware.com/contact.shtml.

Q9. Where can I find my serial number?
A. The serial number is on the registration card glued inside the cover of your User’s Guide, or in the download instructions you received when you ordered the software. Please complete the registration card and return it to Golden Software or register online at our web site. After you install Surfer and run it for the first time, you can also find your serial number by opening the software and going to Help | About Surfer. The About Surfer dialog box will show the serial number.

Q10. Is technical support free?
A. Yes, Technical Support is free to all users for as long as you own the product. You must register your product in order to receive technical support. You can reach technical support by phone, fax, or email.

Q11. Does Surfer run under Windows Vista?
A. Yes, Surfer 8 is supported under Windows Vista. For best results, run the program as administrator.

Q12. I have a more technical question about the program, where can I find the answer?
A. For more technical questions and answers, please visit our Knowledge Base at: http://www.goldensoftware.com/activekb/.

Q13. Is Surfer 8 capable of running on Windows Vista/XP 64 bit?
A. Surfer is capable of running on Windows 64-bit, but it is a 32-bit program, so it does not take advantage of the 64-bit memory space. We have heard from multiple users that it does install and run correctly in Windows 64-bit versions, as long as it is installed and run in a Windows on Windows (WOW) environment.

Q1.How can I get the latest version of Surfer?

Q2. How do I convert from UTM coordinates to latitude/longitude?

Q3. Does Surfer work with Windows 98?

Q4. How do I change the start directory for the Surfer 7 Scripter program? It always starts in the "My Documents" folder under Windows 98.

Q5. Does Surfer work with Windows 2000?

Q6. Does Surfer work with Microsoft Windows XP?

Q7. I am using a 16-bit version of Windows (95, 98) and I want to plot my map on large paper, but Surfer only accepts paper sizes less than 32.76 inches (83.21 cm). How can I bypass this limitation?

Q8. I want to use a BLN blanking file to blank the area outside a polygon, but when I load the BLN file as a base map, I can only fill inside the polygon.

Q9. I want to blank the grid nodes outside several polygons on a map, but the entire map gets blanked, resulting in a horizontal planar grid.

Q10. How can I reshape individual contour lines, without affecting the surrounding data?

Q11. I have created a map with a custom scale and map limits. When I overlay a new map with the existing map, Surfer changes the scale and map limits back to the defaults. Is there a way to overlay a new map onto an existing map without changing the scale and limits that I have already set?

Q12. I have a DXF file containing 3D polylines. When I import this file into Surfer, it only displays the two dimensional information. How can I get the 3D data into Surfer?

Q13. How can I create a file containing the X, Y and Z coordinates of my contour lines?

Q14. Can I control Surfer from another programming environment?

Q15. How do I handle latitude/longitude data in Surfer?

Q16. I have gridded my data set and created a contour map; however, no contour lines are displayed. What is wrong?

Q17. How can I change the Surfer grid file blanking value to 0 or another value?

Q18. How can I print a subset area of a map?

Q19. How do I specify a scale of 1:24,000 in Surfer?

Q20. When I overlay two maps of the same type and select one, how do I tell which map is selected?

Q21. When overlaying base maps in a script how do you assign a label to each map?

Q22. I've created a map with grid lines parallel to the axes, but the grid lines stop before reaching the opposite axis.

Q23. I used the drawing tools to add lines, rectangles and text to my map, but these objects don't move when I rescale the map with the Map | Scale menu.

Q24. I downloaded DEM files from the USGS web site or the GIS Data Depot, but Surfer fails to recognize the DEM file as valid. How can I load these files into Surfer?

Q25. How are the default scale and other parameters calculated for the variogram model listed in the Grid | Data Scattered Data Interpolation | Options dialog?

Q26. I have created a post map, but the points are close together and some of the labels overlap. Is there a way to manually move them around?

Q27. How do I change the map coordinates in a DXF file within Surfer?

Q28. Is there a way to calculate the Z value in the grid [.GRD] file at particular XY locations?

Q29. How are the residuals calculated when the desired location does not fall on a grid node?

Q30. How can I make the Surfer window visible when running a script?

Q31. How can I load Surfer in a script using a different SET file?

Q32. How can I load a new SET file in a script once Surfer is running?

Q33. What gridding method should I use to grid my data file?

Q34. What's the best method for gridding a data set consisting of digitized contours?

Q35. What are the meanings of the parameters in a LVL file?

Q36. Using the Surfer Scripter, how do I set the width and height of an exported bitmap (TIF, BMP, PCX, JPG) with FileExport( )?

Q37. How can I create custom symbols for use in Surfer, Grapher, and MapViewer?

Q38. I have invested in Adobe typefaces. How do I use these type faces with Golden Software products?

Q39. How can I calculate the area between contours?

Q40. When I grid my data file using kriging, it produces a grid file with negative Z values, or with values that go beyond the Z limits in my data file. How do I change this?

Q41. How do I create a vector plot using Surfer?

Q42. In My Computer or Explorer, I double-click on a filename with the SRF extension and Surfer cannot find the file.

Q43. How is the default R-squared parameter calculated for the Radial Basis gridding method?

Q44. Does Surfer 7 support OLE linking and embedding?

Q45. How can I make the symbols in the classed post legend the same size as on the map?

Q46. The Y-axis tick labels are not printing on the HP LaserJet 4, LaserJet 5, or LaserJet 4000 under Windows 95 and Windows 98. How can I resolve this problem?

Q47. How do I uninstall Surfer 6? I can't find the uninstall program or a listing for uninstalling Surfer 6 in the Control Panel | Add Remove Programs menu.

Q48. I would like to make separate layers for the lakes, rivers, and rapids in the hydrography DLG for a particular quadrangle. How do I import SDTS DLG files by attribute?

Q49. How do I import an SDTS DLG file in lat/long coordinates? Surfer imports it in UTM meters.

Q50. When I try to open Surfer 7 under Windows 98, I get the following error messages:

1. The OPENGL32.dll file is linked to missing export GDI32.dll:GdiSwapBuffers.
2. C:\Program Files\Golden Software\Surfer\Surfer.exe a device attached to the system is not functioning.

Q51. The command Axis.SetScale(Minimum:=0, Maximum:=8) doesn't change the axis in Surfer 7.00.

Q52. The command Axis.SetScale(335691.154, 336906.697) yields the error: "(&H80020009) Axis exceeds coordinate space."

Q53. The Color drop-down menu in the Line Properties dialog box does not display when I click on the Color button.

Q54. The color drop-down menu in the Line Properties dialog box closes as soon as I move the mouse.

Q55. When trying to produce a post map with Proportional Scaling for symbols, I get an error message "Minimum data value cannot equal maximum". The scaling data are in the range of 0 to 10e-18.

Q56. Gridding a data set with duplicate points using the Modified Shepard's method causes the grid to extrapolate unrealistic Z values (-268,420 to 227,897) compared to the Z range in the data file (3400 to 6600).

Q57. How do I grid directional data, such as wind speed and direction?

Q58. When I open certain Surfer 6 SRF files in Surfer 7.00, it displays the error: "Exception 10H in module Surfer.exe at 0157:004b40b".

Q59. When I attempt to grid a file, Surfer displays "Surfer Error - Failed to Create Empty Document".

Q60. Surfer messages are displaying in German, but I prefer them in English.

Q61. When I try to type in a file name with leading or trailing spaces, Surfer can not find the file.

Q62. When I try to grid a particular data file with the Kriging gridding method, I get the error message: "Surfer Error - The system of kriging equations is singular."

Q63. The automation command Plot.PrintOut(srfFitToPage) does not fit the map to the printed page in Surfer 7.00.

Q64. Surfer 7 automation produces a different looking contour map than Surfer 6.

Q65. How can I enter a "null value" (a value that is ignored when gridding or performing mathematical calculations) into the Surfer worksheet?

Q66. How do I display the scale bar in miles or kilometers when the XY coordinates are in degrees of latitude and longitude?

Q67. How do I run a Surfer 6 script in Surfer 7?

Q68. When I change the map limits on a post map, data point labels disappear for points that are on the edges of the map but inside the limits. How can I display these labels?

Q69. After installation, I get an error when I try to run Surfer:
"The ordinal 6880 could not be located in the dynamic link library MFC42.DLL"

Q70. How do I specify Kriging Anisotropy in a script? The example in the help file doesn't work.

Q71. How do I merge two or more GRD or DEM files to create a contour map?

Q72. I can't create a Surfer 7 Binary GRD using the Tag Id0x41544244listed in the users guide in Appendix C, page 566 and in the Surfer 7.00 help file.

Q73. I am having a problem printing ("Out of global memory" error, only a portion of the map prints, etc.).

Q74. My data is in curvilinear (cylindrical or spherical) coordinates. How can I get it into a format that Surfer can use?

Q75. Are there any additional scripts available for download?

Q76. Do you have more information about using variograms in Surfer?

Q77. How can I round data values in the worksheet?

Q78. Where do I find my serial number?

Q79. Is technical support free?

Q1. How can I get the latest version of Surfer?
A. Minor updates (e.g. version 7.00 to 7.02) may be downloaded for free if your serial number is registered. To register, enter the requested information on the Register Software page including your e-mail address, and add a note in the Comments field to Attn: Surfer Support indicating that you would like to download the latest version. If you have already registered, send a message to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your serial number. Once your serial number is verified, we will send you download instructions. Information about the latest version is listed on the Version History page.

Major upgrades (e.g. version 6 to version 7) cost US$139 plus shipping. Refer to the order form for more information.

Q2. How do I convert from UTM coordinates to latitude/longitude?
A. Didger 2 from Golden Software converts data and boundary files between 21 different projections, including Unprojected Latitude/Longitude and UTM.

Q3. Does Surfer work with Windows 98?
A. Yes. There have been no problems reported.

Q4. How do I change the start directory for the Surfer 7 Scripter program? It always starts in the "My Documents" folder under Windows 98.
A. Create a Shortcut in Windows for the Scripter.exe program, installed by default to:

"c:\program files\golden software\surfer\scripter\"

After creating the shortcut, right-click on the shortcut icon, chooseProperties, and specify theStart Indirectory under theShortcuttab. On some systems, theStart Inpath must be on the C: drive.

Q5. Does Surfer work with Windows 2000?
A. Yes. Users logged in with "User" privileges may receive the following error message when trying to launch Surfer:

"Failed to update the registry. Please try using Regedit."

To avoid the error message, the user must be logged in with "Power User" or "Administrator" privileges.

Also, a minor problem prevents the display of formatting in the gridding and variogram modeling reports, though the data remains intact. To work around the problem, save the report to an RTF file and open it in Word or WordPad.

Q6. Does Surfer work with Microsoft Windows XP?
A. Yes, Surfer does work with the Microsoft Windows XP Operating System. There are no outstanding compatibility issues that we are aware of.

Q7. I am using a 16-bit version of Windows (95, 98) and I want to plot my map on large paper, but Surfer only accepts paper sizes less than 32.76 inches (83.21 cm). How can I bypass this limitation?
A. The 16-bit versions of Windows use a coordinate system that limits the maximum paper size. The 32-bit versions of Windows (NT) do not have this limitation. There are several ways to work around the problem:

• Design your map at half scale, and print at 200% scale.

To print a map on 24"x 40" paper at a scale of 1.0 in. = 1.5 Map units, designate the paper size in Surfer as 12"x 20", and design the map at half scale (1.0 in. = 3.0 Map units). When printing the map, specify 200% scale in the Print dialog box. The map is printed at a scale of 1.0 in. = 1.5 Map units on 24"x 40" paper.

• Use a text editor to add a new line to the Surfer INI file* that reads:

LogPerInch=500

Add the line to the [Settings] section of the surfer.ini file.

Save the changes, and restart Surfer. This method doubles the maximum paper size to 64 inches, but it also doubles the size of all SRF files created without the LogPerInch=500 setting.

Surfer 8 eliminates this restriction.

Q8. I want to use a BLN blanking file to blank the area outside a polygon, but when I load the BLN file as a base map, I can only fill inside the polygon.
A. The Map | Base Map menu does not have the ability to fill outside a polygon, but there are other methods to consider:

Modified file in BLN format

11
0.0 0.0		"(x1,y1)"
9.0 0.0
9.0 7.0
0.0 7.0
0.0 0.0		"Repeat (x1,y1) to close outer polygon."
1.0 1.0		"Start internal polygon.
2.0 1.0
2.0 2.0
1.0 2.0
1.0 1.0		"Close internal polygon.
0.0 0.0		"Repeat (x1,y1) to close outer polygon."

The BLN format draws the connecting line from the internal polygon to the repeated (x1,y1) point at (0,0). Set the line style to Invisible for this base map, or use the BNA format, which does not draw the connecting line:

Modified file in BNA format

"","",11
0.0 0.0
9.0 0.0
9.0 7.0
0.0 7.0
0.0 0.0
1.0 1.0
2.0 1.0
2.0 2.0
1.0 2.0
1.0 1.0
0.0 0.0

Q9. I want to blank the grid nodes outside several polygons on a map, but the entire map gets blanked, resulting in a horizontal planar grid.

A. It may be that the area outside polygon A is inside polygon B, and vice versa, causing the entire map to be blanked. Combine the two polygons into a single polygon, and repeat the first vertex of the first polygon at the end of the second polygon to create a single combined polygon. Change the header of the combined polygon to reflect the total number of vertices in both simple polygons, plus the repeated first vertex. If you load the combined polygon as a base map, a line is drawn back to the first vertex, so you may need to keep both versions of the BLN available, the separate polygons to use as a base map, and the combined polygon to use for blanking purposes.			Blanking the area outside multiple polygons blanks the entire grid.
.
two separate polygons 5 0 'Polygon A 1.0 1.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 5 0 'Polygon B 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 3.0	one combined polygon 11 0 'Polygon A 1.0 1.0 'x1 y1 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 3.0 3.0 'Polygon B 3.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 'repeat x1 y1		Editing the blanking file to combine the polygons resolves the problem.

Q10. How can I reshape individual contour lines, without affecting the surrounding data?
A. Use one of the following methods:

• Choose the Grid | Grid Node Editor menu, and specify the grid file name to display a contour map of the grid file. By default, a small cross is displayed at the grid nodes. Click on a grid node you wish to modify, and Surfer displays the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the selected grid node at the top of the grid editor window. Alter the Z value of a grid node by typing in a new value into the Z box at the top of the window. This will not affect the Z values of the surrounding grid nodes. Save the modified grid file when you are finished, and create a new map with the new grid file, or substitute the new grid file in an existing map.
• If you don't need the map coordinates in the resulting file, copy the contour map to the clipboard, choose the Edit | Paste Special menu to paste as aPicture, enable theBreak Apart Metafilesoption, click onPaste, and click the mouse at the desired paste location. Choose the Arrange | Break Apart menu to break apart the Composite, click on the line to be reshaped, and choose the Edit | Reshape menu to display the vertices in the contour line. Click on a vertex and drag it to a new location to reshape the polyline.

Q11. I have created a map with a custom scale and map limits. When I overlay a new map with the existing map, Surfer changes the scale and map limits back to the defaults. Is there a way to overlay a new map onto an existing map without changing the scale and limits that I have already set?
A. Changing the Surfer SET file can modify the default behavior of the program. Open the SET file in a text editor to view the structure of the file and make changes, or change the defaults in the File | Preferences | Default Settings menu. Before creating or opening the map containing the desired scale and limits, choose the File | Preferences | Default Settings menu and scroll to the Map Scale and Map Limits section near the bottom of the SET file:

Click on the plus sign + to the left ofMap Scale, selectxDatPerPUand change theSetting PersistencetoCurrent Session Only. Repeat for each parameter underMap ScaleandMap Limits. Save the changes to the Surfer.set file.

Create or open an existing map. Make changes to the limits and scale to write the settings to the SET file. Overlay a new map and the scale and limits from the first map is maintained. To reset the settings for a map covering a new area, close and restart Surfer.

Q12. I have a DXF file containing 3D polylines. When I import this file into Surfer, it only displays the two dimensional information. How can I get the 3D data into Surfer?
A. Surfer does not read the Z information in 3D DXF files directly. The script dxf2xyz.bas extracts the X,Y and Z information from 3D DXF polylines containing Z information at each vertex and creates an XYZ DAT file. Grid the data file and create a wireframe map to display the data in 3D in Surfer. This script does not work with DXF files that contain 3D information only in the polyline header, or in XYZ points.

Q13. How can I create a file containing the X, Y and Z coordinates of my contour lines?
A. To export contours to a 3D DXF file, create a contour map, select it, then choose the Map | Contour Map | Export Contours menu.

Q14. Can I control Surfer 7 from another programming environment?
A. Yes. Surfer can be completely controlled by any Automation-capable programming language, including Visual Basic, Visual Basic for Applications (that ships with the Microsoft Office suite), or the Scripter programming language included with Surfer. Scripter is very similar to VBA. Most modern compilers include some facility for calling Automation-capable applications, including Visual C++. Check your language documentation for Automation or Active-X Automation support. See the following files included with Surfer 7:

Client.cpp - Example code for automating Surfer from C++.
Script4.js - Example script using JScript with the Windows Script Host.
Script5.vbs - Example script using VBScript with the Windows Script Host.

The directory for these files is the \Samples\ directory under the main Surfer directory, which defaults to "c:\Program Files\Golden Software\Surfer\Samples\".

Q15. How do I handle latitude/longitude data in Surfer?
A. Post your data in unprojected latitude/longitude using decimal degrees, with west and south directions shown as negative values. Latitude is the Y and longitude is the X. For example, 105 degrees 30 minutes west would be represented as -105.5 degrees. To convert from degree-minute-seconds (dms) units to decimal degrees (d.dd), use the formula:

d.dd = d + (m / 60) + (s / 3600)

Q16. I have gridded my data set and created a contour map; however, no contour lines are displayed. What is wrong?
A. This condition has several possible causes:

• Check theLevelsin the Contour Map dialog box to see that at least one of the contour levels is within the range of your gridded data. For example, a contour map appears blank if there are contours at 0 and 100 while the gridded data ranges from 20 to 80.
• Select the map and choose the Map | Limits menu. If the check box forUse Data Limitsis not checked, check this box and click OK to reset the map XY limits to include all the data in the map.

Q17. How can I change the Surfer grid file blanking value to 0 or another value?
A. Convert the grid file from binary to ASCII, and use a text editor to search for the blanking value and replace it with the desired value.

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Choose the Grid | Convert menu to display the Open Grid dialog box.
2. Specify the name of the grid file to be converted and clickOpen.
3. Enter a new grid file name in the Save Grid As dialog box, and change theSave as Type, and click onOK.
4. Open the ASCII GRD file in a text editor or word processor.
5. Search for the blanking value 1.70141E+038 and replace it with the desired value.

Save the file in an ASCII TXT format with the GRD extension.
The new GRD file is ready to be used in a map or grid calculation.

Q18. How can I print a subset area of a map?
A. Choose the Map | Limits menu and specify the x and y minimum and maximum coordinates of the area of interest. Choose the Map | Scale menu to specify the size of the map, then File | Print.

Q19. How do I specify a scale of 1:24,000 in Surfer?
A. Surfer defines the scale in terms of the units of the XY coordinates in the data file. For example, if the units in the data file are feet, then a scale of 1:24,000 is calculated as follows:

1:24,000
1 inch = 24,000 inches
1 inch = 2,000 feet

Q20. When I overlay two maps of the same type and select one, how do I tell which map is selected?
A. This example uses base maps to illustrate the procedure, but it works with all 2D map types:

1. If the Object Manager is not visible, enable it with the Edit | Object Manager menu or Object Manager tool .
2. Select the first base map in the Object Manager tree and change one of the object properties, such as line color, to identify the map in the window.
3. Choose the Edit | Undo menu to undo the change, right click on the first "Base" in the Object Manager tree, and enter a new name for the base map.
4. Repeat for all other maps you wish to name.

or

1. Select a base map with Ctrl+Click (hold the Ctrl key down when clicking the left mouse button). In the lower left corner of the window, the status bar should display "Map: Base".
2. Choose the Edit | Object ID menu to specify a name.
3. Repeat for all other maps you wish to name.

Q21. When overlaying base maps in a script how do you assign a label to each map?
A. There are two steps to naming your maps:

1. Name the "frame" or "container" that holds the map and axes
2. Name the "contents" or "overlays", i.e. the actual maps.

When you click on a map interactively in Surfer, the status bar in the lower left corner of the window reports the map frame to the left of the colon and the overlay to the right of the colon, as in "Map: Base". To name the parameters in the Scripter, first name the map

frame (left side of colon).
...MapFrame1.Name = "Frame1"

The next step is to name the overlay map (right side of colon)
...ContourMap.Name = "Base97"

If you stop the script here, the ID displayed in the status bar is:
..."Frame1: Base97"

For an example script that demonstrates how to name components of a map, use the Scripter script Naming.BAS.

Q22. I've created a map with grid lines parallel to the axes, but the grid lines stop before reaching the opposite axis.
A. Under theScalingtab or button in the Axis Properties dialog box, change the tick minimum and maximum values to match the axis minimum and maximum.

Q23. I used the drawing tools to add lines, rectangles and text to my map, but these objects don't move when I rescale the map with the Map | Scale menu.
A. Convert the objects to "map" objects with map coordinates and overlay on the existing map.

• Points: Digitize points to a DAT file using the Map | Digitize menu, then save with the .DAT extension. Display these points with a post map. Select both maps and use the Map | Overlay Maps menu to combine the maps.
• Text: Save text in a DAT file after digitizing the location of the text using Map | Digitize. Click on the map to record the desired location of the text, type a comma after the XY coordinate in the DIGIT.DAT window, and type the text surrounded by double quotes. When finished digitizing the text locations and adding text, save the file as a DAT file. Load the DAT file as a post map specifying column C as the Label column, and overlay with the existing maps.
• Lines and Polylines: Convert lines to a BLN file format using the Map | Digitize menu to digitize the points. Surfer 7 adds the headers automatically when saved to the BLN format if you insert a blank row between polylines. Surfer 6 requires adding the adding the BLN header manually in the DIGIT.DAT window and saving to a BLN extension. Load the BLN file as a base map and overlay with existing maps.
• Objects with Known Coordinates: Export the drawing as a DXF file with map coordinates. The Export DXF dialog box lets you specify page coordinates under the Page Rectangle heading and corresponding map coordinates under the DXF Rectangle heading. Load the DXF file as a base map and overlay it with existing maps.

Q24. I downloaded DEM files from the USGS web site or from the GIS Data Depot, but Surfer fails to recognize the DEM file as valid. How can I load these files into Surfer?

A. Surfer 7 recognizes ASCII DEM (1° x 1° - 1:250,000 scale with 3 arc-sec grid spacing, 7.5 minute - 1:24,000 scale with 30m grid spacing), GTOPO30 DEM (40° x 50° - 1:1,000,000 scale with 30 arc-second spacing), and SDTS DEM (size and scale vary) formats. These files are often compressed and archived in a .tar.gz format (both tar'd and gzip'd). Files must be extracted prior to use within Surfer. The program is a good choice for extracting the files, but disable the option to use "TAR file smart CR/LF conversion" in the Options | Configuration | Miscellaneous menu prior to extracting the files. Other possible pitfalls include:

• Some browsers change the file extension from .tar.gz to _tar.gz. Use the .tar.gz extension for easier WinZip extraction
• The GTOPO30 format requires the DEM, HDR, and STX files or Surfer issues a message that the file is not a valid DEM file.
• GTOPO30 DEM files are typically 6000 x 4800, requiring at least 210 MB of RAM to display. The Grid | Extract menu extracts a subset of the DEM covering either a smaller area or sampling every nth grid node.
• The SDTS format requires all the DDF files contained within the .tar.gz archive. Select any one of the DDF files to extract the information from all the DDF files extracted from the archive.
• Some SDTS DDF files are DEM files and others are DLG boundaries. These two files are not interchangeable in Surfer; DEM files can be used any place GRD files are used, and DLG boundaries are imported using the Map | Base Map menu. The type of archive can be determined by the presence of key files. The SDTS DEM archive contains a file with a name in the form xxxxCEL0.DDF. The SDTS DLG archive contains a file in the form xxxxLE##.DDF.
• Support for the "new SDTS DEM format available on the GIS Data Depot was added to Surfer 7.05. This new version also supports DEM files with 10m grid spacing. How can I get the latest version of Surfer?

Q25. How are the default scale and other parameters calculated for the variogram model listed in the Grid | Data Scattered Data Interpolation | Options dialog?
A. The default parameters are set to 1. Use the Grid | Variogram | New Variogram menu to model your data and get values for your data set, and click theGet Variogrambutton in the Kriging Options dialog box to transfer the calculated parameters from the variogram to the kriging algorithm.

Q26. I have created a post map, but the points are close together and some of the labels overlap. Is there a way to manually move them around?
A. Isolate the labels that overlap others and move them to a separate column in the worksheet. Create the first Post map with the label position set at your choice. Create a second post map with labels taken from the new column and the label position set to a different location than the first post map. Overlay the two maps using the Map | Overlay Maps command. You may have to adjust the label position, possibly using the User Defined function for label position, before you are satisfied with the results. Changing the label position setting affects all the points in a post map.

Q27. How do I change the map coordinates in a DXF file within Surfer?
A. Use the page coordinates of two calibration points with known map coordinates on your map to create a new DXF with the changed coordinates. Choose the File | Import menu to load the DXF file and display it without axes. Zoom In on the first known point and write down the XY page coordinates from the status bar at the bottom of the Plot window. Zoom Out, scroll to the next point and write down the page coordinates. Choose the File | Export menu, and specify a new file name with the .DXF extension to display the AutoCAD DXF Export dialog box. Type in the page coordinates under the "Page Rectangle" area and the corresponding map coordinates under the "DXF Rectangle" area. Although the dialogue box prompts for theLower LeftandUpper Rightpoints, you may enter any two map points. Set theScaling SourcetoApplication,FormattoASCII, and uncheck all the check boxes in the lower left corner. ClickOKto create the new DXF file. To load the file into Surfer with map coordinates, use the Map | Base Map menu.

Q28. Is there a way to calculate the Z value in the grid [.GRD] file at particular XY locations?
A. Use the Grid | Residuals command to calculate the Z value. Create a data file with the XY locations, and add a column of 0's. Grid | Residuals subtracts zData - zGrid, so using a column of 0's for zData returns the negative of the Z value in the grid.

Q29. How are the residuals calculated when the desired location does not fall on a grid node?
A. Surfer uses bilinear interpolation between grid nodes.

Q30. How can I make the Surfer window visible when running a script?
A. To make the Surfer window visible, set the Application object’s "Visible" property to True:

Set srf = CreateObject("Surfer.Application")
srf.Visible = True

Use the Task Manager to end the execution of any invisible copies of Surfer.

Q31. How can I load Surfer in a script using a different SET file?
A. Use the shell( ) command to specify the SET file on the command line, then use the GetObject( ) command to use the existing instance of Surfer.

ExeFile = "d:\program files\golden software\surfer\" + "surfer.exe"
SetFile = "d:\program files\golden software\surfer\" + "new.set"
Shell(ExeFile+" /Set "+Chr(34)+SetFile+Chr(34),1)
Wait 5
Set Srf = GetObject(,"Surfer.Application")

Q32. How can I load a new SET file in a script once Surfer is running?
A. Exit Surfer then use the shell( ) and GetObject( ) commands below.

Shell("c:\apps\surfer7\surfer.exe /set c:\apps\surfer7\dan.set",1)
Wait 4 'Wait a few seconds to allow Surfer to start
Dim Surf As Object
Set Surf = GetObject(,"Surfer.Application") 'Connect to the running instance of Surfer

Q33. What gridding method should I use to grid my data file?
A. The default gridding method, kriging with a linear variogram, was selected as a good method for the majority of data sets.

Q34. What's the best method for gridding a data set consisting of digitized contours?
A. No one method is the "best", but you can improve the results of gridding a digitized contour data set by making sure sufficient data points are distributed throughout the map area. If there is a "C"-shaped contour without other contours inside the "C", the entire C is gridded as a flat area. The same thing happens with a closed contour. Use the Map | Digitize menu to digitize additional points within the "C"-shaped contours and closed contours and add them to your data file.

Q35. What are the meanings of the parameters in a LVL file?
A. The parameters are defined as follows:

Level = Z or contour value.
Flags = 0 1 2 3 for none, labeled, hachured, both.
LColor = Line color by name "Red" or RGB "R255 G0 B0".
LStyle = Line style, e.g. "Solid", "Invisible".
LWidth = Line width in inches x 1000 so 0.01" = 10.
FFGColor = Fill Foreground Color by name or RGB.
FBGColor = Fill Background Color by name or RGB.
FPattern = Fill Pattern by name, e.g."12.5% Black" "Vertical".
FMode = 1 transparent, 2 opaque.

Q36. Using the Surfer Scripter, how do I set the width and height of an exported bitmap (TIF, BMP, PCX, JPG) with FileExport( )?
A. Use the PlotDocument.Export() command with the following options:

Since the Export Options dialog isn't displayed when the program is driven from an automation script, an options string can be specified in the script. The string consists of comma-separated parameters, which specify the behavior of the various export options. A typical example would be:

"Defaults=1,Width=640,Height=480,ColorDepth=4"

This would set all export options to their default values, then set the bitmap width to 640 pixels, the bitmap height to 480 pixels and the color depth to 4 (i.e., 256 colors).

All the available options are listed here for Bitmap export. These can also be located in the Online Help.

Option	Action	Default
Defaults=1	Set all options to their default values	No
ForgetOptions=1	Don't remember options for later use	No
Width=N	Set N pixels as the output bitmap width	Screen Resolution
Height=N	Set N pixels as the output bitmap height	Screen Resolution
HDPI=N	Set N pixels per inch as the horizontal output resolution. May not be used if Width is specified.	None (uses default Width)
VDPI=N	Set N pixels per inch as the vertical output resolution. May not be used if Height is specified.	None (uses default Height)
ColorDepth=N	Set color depth (WIN32 only). Valid Values: 1: Monochrome 4: 16 Colors 8: 256 Colors 24: True Colors	Color Depth of the Video Display
Automatic=1	Automatic compression (for JPEG)	Yes
Quality=N	Set compression quality 0 - 100 (for JPEG)	100 (highest quality)

Q37. How can I create custom symbols for use in Surfer, Grapher, and MapViewer?
A. Our software can use TrueType fonts for symbols, a TrueType font editor will let you create your own symbols including:

• Softy (shareware)
• TypeTool from Pyrus (commercial)

Surfer, Grapher, and MapViewer also use the symbol sets and Altersym editor from the DOS versions of Surfer and Grapher at the Golden Software FTP site.

Q38. I have invested in Adobe typefaces. How do I use these type faces with Golden Software products?
A. Golden Software's applications only support TrueType scalable typeface technology. If you have a significant investment in Adobe Type 1 faces (i.e., you are using ATM under Windows), we recommend converting them to TrueType format so they may be used with Golden Software products and other Windows programs. We recommend the TypeTool program from Pyrus for this purpose.

Q39. How can I calculate the area between contours?
A. Choose the Grid | Volume menu to generate a volume and area report using the GRD file as the "Upper Surface" and the Z level of the first contour as the constant "Lower Surface". Record the "Positive Planar Area" value from the report. Next, generate a second report with the same GRD file as the Upper Surface and the Z level of the second contour as the Lower Surface. Record the Positive Planar Area value from the second report, and subtract from the first value to get the area between the two contours. The contarea.bas script calculates the area between evenly spaced levels automatically.

Q40. When I grid my data file using kriging, it produces a grid file with negative Z values, or with values that go beyond the Z limits in my data file. How do I change this?
A. The kriging gridding method was designed to analyze data trends and extrapolate in areas of no data. There are several methods to eliminate this effect.

• Use the Grid | Math menu to eliminate negative values. First select your existing grid file (A), specify a new name for the output grid file (C), and the formula C = max(A,0). This formula converts all negative Z values to 0 in the new grid file. Use this method for all values including 0.
• Choose a different gridding algorithm that does not extrapolate beyond the Z limits in the data file. Inverse Distance to a Power and Triangulation with Linear Interpolation are two such methods.
• If your data range over several orders of magnitude, it may be beneficial to transform your Z values in the worksheet to logarithmic values. Open the data file in the worksheet and choose the Compute | Transform menu. If your data are in column C, and column D is blank, use the formula D = log10(C) to calculate the log base 10 of the Z values. Save the worksheet, and create a grid using column D as the source of Z values. This method may create negative log10 values, but these values represent small positive Z values. e.g. log10(Z) = -2, then Z = 0.01.

Q41. How do I create a vector plot using Surfer?
A. Surfer 7 creates vector plots from a grid file, or from two grid files individually containing direction and magnitude information by using the Map | Vector Map | New 1-Grid Vector Map or the Map | Vector Map | New 2-grid Vector Map commands.

Q42. In My Computer or Explorer, I double-click on a filename with the SRF extension and Surfer cannot find the file.
A. This feature has been added to Surfer 7.02. To qualify for a free download of this update, refer to the Updating Surfer question listed in this FAQ. The Surfer History web page has a list of new features and fixes in each version.

Q43. How is the default R-squared parameter calculated for the Radial Basis gridding method?
A. The default value is calculated as follows:

(Length of Diagonal of the data extent) ^ 2 / (25 * number of data points)

This value was chosen for robustness (to work with most data sets).

Q44. Does Surfer 7 support OLE linking and embedding?
A. Surfer 7 does not support OLE linking and embedding. Our testing found stability problems related to the way different applications implement the OLE specification. For now, we have decided to forego linking and embedding until a more robust mechanism is available.

Q45. How can I make the symbols in the classed post legend the same size as on the map?
A. Double-click on the legend to display the Post Map Legend dialog box. Change the Symbol Size to Same as Plot, and click OK.

Q46. The Y-axis tick labels are not printing on the HP LaserJet 4, LaserJet 5, or LaserJet 4000 under Windows 95 and Windows 98. How can I resolve this problem?
A. Surfer 7.01 incorporates a fix for this problem. To work around the problem in Surfer 7.00, close Surfer, open the Surfer.ini file in Notepad, and remove the semi-colon from the beginning of the following line:

;Windows Picture:Printer:Text=0x8000

Save the changes, restart Surfer and print the map.

Q47. How do I uninstall Surfer 6? I can't find the uninstall program or a listing for uninstalling Surfer 6 in the Control Panel | Add Remove Programs menu.
A. Surfer 6 did not come with an uninstall program. You can delete the files in the Surfer 6 directory using the Windows Explorer or My Computer.

Q48. I would like to make separate layers for the lakes, rivers, and rapids in the hydrography DLG for a particular quadrangle. How do I import SDTS DLG files by attribute?
A. Use the Map | Base Map menu command, specify one of the DDF files in the hydrography DLG, and click Open to display the SDTS-TVP Import Options dialog box. In the Selection Criteria group, change the By Attribute Name from (ALL) to ENTITY_LABEL, and enter the attribute code (major plus minor code) in the Value edit box. Lakes are 0500421, rivers are 0500412, and rapids are 0500400. For a complete list of USGS DLG attribute codes, refer to Appendix B of the Data User Guide.

Q49. How do I import an SDTS DLG file in lat/long coordinates? Surfer imports it in UTM meters.
A. In the SDTS-TVP Import Options dialog box, click on the check box for Unproject Coordinates, then click OK.

Q50. When I try to open Surfer 7 under Windows 98, I get the following error messages:

1. The OPENGL32.dll file is linked to missing export GDI32.dll:GdiSwapBuffers.
2. C:\Program Files\Golden Software\Surfer\Surfer.exe a device attached to the system is not functioning.

A. Another program on your system may have changed the version of your OPENGL32.DLL file, causing it not to work with Surfer 7. In the Windows\System directory, rename the OpenGL32.dll to OpenGL32.old. Re-install Surfer 7 and copy the new OpenGL32.dll from the Windows\System directory to the Surfer 7 directory.

Q51. The command Axis.SetScale(Minimum:=0, Maximum:=8) doesn't change the axis in Surfer 7.00.
A. Surfer 7.00 has trouble with named parameters that have the same name as object properties and methods. Surfer 7.01 resolves the problem. To work around the problem in Surfer 7.00, use positional parameters instead of named parameters: Axis.SetScale(0, 8)

Q52. The command Axis.SetScale(335691.154, 336906.697) yields the error: "(&H80020009) Axis exceeds coordinate space."
A. A problem in the code that validates the parameters was fixed in Surfer 7.01.

Q53. The Color drop-down menu in the Line Properties dialog box does not display when I click on the Color button.
A. There may be a conflict with another program. Close all programs, including virus checkers and jukebox programs that may appear on the desktop and in the system tray on the task bar, and restart Surfer. A known conflict exists with the Exceed X Windows emulation program.

Q54. The color drop-down menu in the Line Properties dialog box closes as soon as I move the mouse.
A. Turn off the option Activation Follows Mouse option in the TweakUI program.

Q55. When trying to produce a post map with Proportional Scaling for symbols, I get an error message "Minimum data value cannot equal maximum". The scaling data are in the range of 0 to 10e-18.
A. Surfer requires the difference between the zMax and zMin to be at least 1e-5 (0.00001).

Q56. Gridding a data set with duplicate points using the Modified Shepard's method causes the grid to extrapolate unrealistic Z values (-268,420 to 227,897) compared to the Z range in the data file (3400 to 6600).
A. Change the duplicate setting from "All" to "Average" or "Delete First".

Q57. How do I grid directional data, such as wind speed and direction?
A. Calculate the X and Y components of the speed/direction data in the Surfer worksheet, grid these components separately, and display as a 2-Grid Vector map. The formulas for calculating the X and Y components are:

X = r * sin(d2r(a)), Y = r * cos(d2r(a))

where
X = X component
Y = Y component
r = wind speed
a = wind direction (0° = north, 90° = east)
d2r converts degrees to radians for the worksheet sin and cos functions.

Q58. When I open certain Surfer 6 SRF files in Surfer 7.00, it displays the error: "Exception 10H in module Surfer.exe at 0157:004b40b".
A. Surfer 7.01 fixes this problem.

Q59. When I attempt to grid a file, Surfer displays "Surfer Error - Failed to Create Empty Document".
A. This error is caused by another program changing the Windows system file riched32.dll. Copy this file from the Surfer\Scripter directory to the Surfer directory so the program will use the unchanged version.

Q60. Surfer messages are displaying in German, but I prefer them in English.
A. Some programs install the system file mfc42loc.dll in the Windows system directory to control the language of the output messages. Rename this file to a new name, such as mfc42loc.old, to prevent Windows from using this file. This action may have an effect on the program that installed this file.

Q61. When I try to type in a file name with leading or trailing spaces, Surfer can not find the file.
A. The Windows File Open dialog boxes trim the leading and trailing spaces. Add quotes around the file name to overcome the problem.

Q62. When I try to grid a particular data file with the Kriging gridding method, I get the error message: "Surfer Error - The system of kriging equations is singular."
A. This message may indicate that the system of equations is unsolvable due to extreme differences between closely spaced data pairs or by the position of the data points, such as a co-linear arrangement. Using faults and breaklines also makes the algorithm more likely to fail. Change the gridding method or settings to work around the problem. In addition, Surfer 7.01 has added code that may reduce the occurrence of this error message.

Q63. The automation command Plot.PrintOut(srfFitToPage) does not fit the map to the printed page in Surfer 7.00.
A. Surfer 7.01 has a fix for this problem. To work around the problem in Surfer 7.00, subtract 1 from the enumeration constant:

Plot.PrintOut(srfFitToPage - 1)

Q64. Surfer 7 automation produces a different looking contour map than Surfer 6.
A. Surfer 7 calculates default Kriging Scale and Length differently than Surfer 6. Specify the the values when gridding to duplicate the results from Surfer 6.

Q65. How can I enter a "null value" (a value that is ignored when gridding or performing mathematical calculations) into the Surfer worksheet?
A. Surfer ignores any text strings (non-numeric values) when gridding and when performing Data | Transform in the worksheet. Any of the following can be used:

"-9999", N/A, "no data", x99

In a text editor, program, or script, add quotes around a number to designate it as a text string. In the worksheet, insert a single quote (apostrophe) at the beginning of the number to convert it to text. Quotes around a text string with spaces insure that the entire string is read as a single item. A mix of numbers and text without spaces is read as a text string.

Q66. How do I display the scale bar in miles or kilometers when the XY coordinates are in degrees of latitude and longitude?

A. First convert the map X Scale and Y Scale to Cartesian coordinates (i.e. miles, feet, kilometers, meters), because one degree of latitude does not cover the same number of miles as one degree of longitude. For an approximate conversion from latitude and longitude degrees to miles or kilometers, use the following formulas for a spherical projection: 1 degree latitude = 110.6 km = 68.703 mi 1 degree longitude = 111.3km * cos(latitude) = 69.172mi * cos(latitude) To set the scale bar of a map, use the formulas to convert latitude and longitude to the desired coordinates. For the map of Nevada USA included with Surfer (nv.gsb) the center of the map is approximately (-117, 39). Using the formulas: 1 degree latitude = 68.703 miles 1 degree longitude = 69.172 * cos(39) = 53.757 miles To set the X and Y to the same scale in miles, select the map and choose the Map | Scale menu. Disable the Proportional XY Scaling checkbox in the lower left corner of the Scale dialog box. If the X scale is set to 1.0 in = 1 Map units (degrees longitude), calculate the ratio of X to Y as 53.757mi / 68.703mi = 0.78245. Specify the Y scale as 1.0 in = 0.78245 Map Units. The default scale bar is created in degrees with a Cycle Spacing = 1 and Label Increment = 1. To change the scale bar to 50 mile increments, change the Cycle Spacing to 50mi / 53.757mi per degree or 0.93 (degrees) and the Label Increment to 50 (miles).

Q67. How do I run a Surfer 6 script in Surfer 7?
A. Surfer 7 Scripter conforms to the industry standard Visual Basic syntax and requires several changes from the older Surfer 6 Scripter. We recommend converting the script to Surfer 7 format, since support for the Surfer 6 format may be phased out in future versions of Surfer. As a temporary workaround, there are several possible ways to run a Surfer 6 script.

• If you have Surfer 6 and Surfer 7, run the script in the Surfer 6 Scripter program. This method may require minor changes (Surfer 6 Surface Map = Surfer 7 Wireframe Map), but most commands will work without change.
• If you do not have the Surfer 6 Scripter program, more extensive changes are needed to run a Surfer 6 script in Surfer 7 Scripter. In addition to the changes listed in the Surfer 7 readme.txt file, help, and user's guide, note the following:
  • The Surfer 6 Scripter time$() and date$() functions display an error message in Surfer 7 Scripter: "Function is defined with a different value type." Use the Surfer 7 Scripter functions time() and date(), or time and date with no parentheses (no $).
  • The Surfer 6 Scripter sleep() function is not supported in Surfer 7 Scripter, which displays the message "Expecting an existing scalar var". Use the Surfer 7 Scripter wait() function, or wait without parentheses.
  • The Surfer 6 Scripter function cls() to clear the output window is not supported in Surfer 7 Scripter.
  • Surfer 7 Scripter uses If .. End If (note space in End If). Surfer 6 Scripter uses If .. Endif (no spaces in Endif). Attempting to run a script in Surfer 7 Scripter with Endif displays the error message "Expecting an existing scalar var".
  • Surfer 7 Scripter does not permit the use of variable type suffixes (%, $, #, ?, &, @, !) in the DIM declaration in combination with the text As Type, but Surfer 6 Scripter does permit it.

Surfer 7 Scripter:
'Declare a As String
DIM a As String
'Declare b$ As String
DIM b$
'"ERROR Unexpected Text" in next statement.
DIM c$ as String

Surfer 6 Scripter:
'Declare a As String
DIM a As String
'Anything without "As" is declared as Double
DIM b$
'Declare c$ as String
DIM c$ As String

• Surfer 7 Scripter treats a variable with a suffix as the same variable without the suffix, and Surfer 6 treats them as different variables.

Surfer 7 Scripter
DIM a As String
a = "Text1"
a$ = "Text2"
Debug.Print a$; " ";a
'Prints "Text2 Text2", a$ = a

Surfer 6 Scripter
DIM a As String
DIM a$ As String
a = "Text1"
a$ = "Text2"
print a; " ";a$
'Prints "Text1 Text2", a$ <> a

Q68. When I change the map limits on a post map, data point labels disappear for points that are on the edges of the map but inside the limits. How can I display these labels?
A. Increase the map limits to include the area where the labels plot.

Q69. After installation, I get an error when I try to run Surfer:
"The ordinal 6880 could not be located in the dynamic link library MFC42.DLL"
A. The most common causes of this error are:

• Failure to install with Administrator privileges (Windows NT and 2000).
• Failure to reboot after installation (if prompted).
• Unable to write to Windows System directory.

If the problem persists after meeting these conditions, send the Surfer installation log surfer.log from the Windows directory to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Q70. How do I specify Kriging Anisotropy in a script? The example in the help file doesn't work.
A. The help file contains an erroneous example. Kriging Anisotropy must be specified in a variogram component:

Dim LinearComponent(1 To 1) As Object
Set LinearComponent(1) = surf.NewVarioComponent( _
VarioType:=srfVarLinear, _
Param1:=1, _
Param2:=1, _
AnisotropyRatio:=5, _
AnisotropyAngle:=45)
surf.GridData(DataFile := path1+ "demogrid.dat", _
Algorithm := srfKriging, _
ShowReport := True, _
OutGrid := path1+ "DemoAnisot.grd", _
KrigVariogram := LinearComponent, _
SearchEnable := True)

Q71. How do I merge two or more GRD or DEM files to create a contour map?
A. Overlay two contour maps to align them by their XY coordinates, or convert the GRD or DEM files to ASCII XYZ DAT, merge them in the worksheet, and regrid.

To merge contour maps of different GRD or DEM files, create a separate contour map from each DEM file in the same plot window, select the maps, and choose the Map | Overlay Maps menu. Surfer will align the maps according to their XY coordinates.

To merge the GRD or DEM files into a single file, choose the Grid | Convert menu command, specify the GRD or DEM file, and save as an ASCII XYZ DAT file. Repeat for the other GRD or DEM files. Open the first XYZ DAT file in the worksheet, go to a blank row after the end of the file, and choose File | Import to merge the next DEM file. Save the merged data file, close the worksheet, choose the Grid | Data menu in a Plot window, specify the new data file, change the grid spacing to match that of the DEM (30 for 1:24,000), and change the grid method to Nearest Neighbor. Click on the Data tab, specify a Data Exclusion Filter to exclude Z > 1e30 (blanking values that may exist in the grid) and click OK to generate the grid file. Use the new grid file to create a new contour map.

Surfer 8 includes a Grid | Mosaic command that performs this task.

Q72. I can't create a Surfer 7 Binary GRD using the Tag Id0x41544244listed in the users guide in Appendix C, page 566 and in the Surfer 7.00 help file.
A. This value should be0x41544144. The help file for Surfer 7.02 and higher has the corrected value.

Q73. I am having a problem printing ("Out of global memory" error, only a portion of the map prints, etc.).
A. You may be able to work around the problem by changing some of the printer settings. Different printer drivers have different settings, but here is a list of the most common remedies:

• Turn off print spooling.
• Change the print mode to "raster" or "bitmap" to reduce the printer memory requirements.
• Change the printer driver to use the computer's memory instead of the printer's memory.
• PostScript drivers often require more memory than non-PostScript drivers for the same printer. Change drivers if possible and test the print results.
• Check for other compatible printer drivers in your printer documentation. For example, the HP LaserJet 4 driver could be used with the LaserJet 5 printer.
• Enable the Page Protect mode if available.
• Verify the version of your printer driver and possibly update it. For example, the HP DesignJet 750C driver version 4.33 requires 80% less memory than version 4.11
• Turn off View | Auto Redraw to free up additional memory.
• Resample the bitmaps in a graphics program (Corel Draw, Paint Shop Pro, PhotoShop) to reduce the number of pixels and color depth in the bitmaps.

If the remedies above do not help, please contact technical support with the exact nature of the problem, your operating system (i.e. Windows 98), the printer model, and the print driver version number.

Q74. My data is in curvilinear (cylindrical or spherical) coordinates. How can I get it into a format that Surfer can use?
A. We have written a GS Scripter program ( crv2xyz7.exe ) which can convert from cylindrical or spherical coordinates into X,Y and Z data. This program is available for download from our Scripts Library.

Q75. Are there any additional scripts available for download.
A. Download scripts from the following site:

http://www.goldensoftware.com/scripts.shtml

Q76. Do you have more information about using variograms in Surfer?
A. Download the variogram tutorial in PDF format.

Q77. How can I round data values in the worksheet?
A. Use the floor() function in the Data | Transform menu. This function returns the closest integer less than or equal to X. To round to 0 decimal places, add 0.5 to the value and calculate the floor :

A = floor( A + 0.5 )

To round to one decimal place, multiply by 10, add 0.5, take the floor value, then divide by 10.

A = floor( (A*10) + 0.5 ) / 10

Q78. Where do I find my serial number?
A. The serial number is on the registration card glued inside the cover of your reference manual. Please complete the registration card and return to Golden Software or register online at our web site. With this information, we will be able to mail you announcements of upgrades and newsletters. If you entered your serial number while installing Surfer 7, you can find your serial number by going to the Help menu and selecting "About Surfer." The box will show the serial number, as shown below.

Q79. Is Technical Support free?
A. Yes, Technical Support is free to all users for as long as you own the product. You must register your product in order to receive technical support. You can reach technical support by phone, fax, or email.

Q1. How can I get the latest version of Surfer?

Q2. How do I convert from UTM coordinates to latitude/longitude?

Q3. I am using Windows 3.1x or Win95/98 and I want to plot my map on very large paper, but Surfer only accepts paper sizes less than 32.76 inches. How can I bypass this limitation?

Q4. How can I simultaneously print several copies of the same plot if there is no place to specify the number of copies in the Print dialog box?

Q5. My copy of Surfer version 6 has trouble recognizing long file or directory names that are supposed to be allowed under Win95/98 or NT. What is going on?

Q6. When in My Computer or Explorer and I click on a filename with the SRF extension and there are spaces in the directory or filename, Surfer cannot find the file. Is there a way to add this capability to Surfer?

Q7. I am trying to install a copy of Surfer for Windows version 5 on Windows 95. It appears to copy all the files to my hard drive, then hangs after issuing the message: “Setup was able to modify the WIN.INI”. What is wrong?

Q8. How do I create a vector plot using Surfer 6?

Q9. My contours should be limited by some type of barrier, such as the shoreline of a lake or a fault line. If I just grid my data as it is, Surfer incorrectly extrapolates contours beyond this boundary. How can I confine my contour lines to a specific area?

Q10. I want to reshape individual contour lines, but do not want these changes to affect all the surrounding data. Can I do this?

Q11. I have carefully created a map at the appropriate scale and with the map limits I desire. Whenever I try to overlay a new map with the existing map, Surfer changes the scale and limits to the new map, which is not what I want. Is there a way to overlay a new map onto an existing map without changing the scale and limits that I have already set?

Q12. I want to create a file containing the X, Y and Z coordinates of my contour lines. How can I do this?

Q13. My data is in curvilinear (cylindrical or spherical) coordinates. How can I get it into a format that Surfer can use?

Q14. Can I control Surfer from Visual Basic or another programming environment?

Q15. I have successfully gridded my data; however, my color-filled contour map shows no contour lines. What is wrong?

Q16. How can I change the Surfer grid file blanking value to 0?

Q17. How can I print a map that is zoomed in on a smaller area?

Q18. When I overlay two base maps, how do I tell which is which?

Q19. When overlaying base maps in a script how do you assign a label to them so that when you edit or break apart one of them you don't have to randomly select base maps?

Q20. I've created a map with grid lines parallel to the axes, but the grid lines stop before reaching the opposite axis.

Q21. I used the drawing tools to add lines, rectangles and text to my map, but these objects don't move when I rescale the map with the Map | Scale menu.

Q22. I recently downloaded GTopo30 DEM files from the USGS web site, but Surfer fails to recognize the DEM file as valid. How can I load these files into Surfer?

Q23. I would like to convert my grid or DEM file to an ASCII XYZ file, but that file type is not listed in the Grid | Utility | Convert menu in Surfer.

Q24. I want to blank the grid nodes outside several polygons on a map, but the entire map gets blanked, resulting in a horizontal planar grid.

Q25. I want to use a BLN blanking file to blank the area outside a polygon, but when I load the BLN file as a base map, I can only fill inside the polygon.

Q26. In a linear variogram model, how is the scale calculated?

Q27. I have created a postmap, but the posts are rather close together and some of the labels overlap each other. Is there a way to manually move them around?

Q28. How do I change the map coordinates in a DXF file within Surfer?

Q29. Is there a way to calculate the Z value in the grid [.GRD] file at particular XY locations?

Q30. How are the residuals calculated when the desired location does not fall on a grid node?

Q31. How can I run Surfer minimized in a script?

Q32. How can I load Surfer with a different SET file in a script?

Q33. How can I load a new SET file in a script once Surfer is running?

Q34. Surfer does not calculate the minimum and maximum X (or Y) in the grid file correctly when I grid my data. How can I change this?

Q35. What gridding method should I use to grid my data file?

Q36. What's the best method for gridding a data set consisting of digitized contours?

Q37. What are the meanings of the parameters in a LVL file?

Q38. How do I use the USGS 7.5 minute DEM data in the SDTS format?

Q39. Does Surfer work with Windows 98, 2000, and XP?

Q40. I get the error "Too Many Points" when I try to display a contour map. I see a gap in the color fill when I try to overlay a filled contour map on a surface map. How can I resolve this problem?

Q41. Using the Surfer Scripter, how do I set the width and height of an exported bitmap (GIF, TIF, BMP, PCX, JPG) with FileExport( )?

Q42. How can I create my own symbols for use in Surfer, Grapher, and MapViewer?

Q43. I have invested in Adobe typefaces. How do I use these type faces with Golden Software products?

Q44. How can I calculate the area between contours?

Q45. When I grid my data file using kriging, it produces a grid file with negative Z values, or with values that go beyond the Z limits in my data file. How do I change this?

Q46. How can I make the symbols in the classed post legend the same size as on the map?

Q47. How can I enter a "null value" (a value that is ignored when gridding or performing mathematical calculations) into the Surfer worksheet?

Q48. How do I display the scale bar in miles or kilometers when the XY coordinates are in degrees of latitude and longitude?

Q49. When I change the map limits on a post map, data point labels disappear for points that are on the edges of the map but inside the limits. How can I display these labels?

Q50. I am having a problem printing ("Out of global memory" error, only a portion of the map prints, etc.).

Q51. Are there any additional scripts available for download.

Q52. How can I round data values in the worksheet?

Q53. Where do I find my serial number?

Q54. Is technical support free?

Q1. How can I get the latest version of Surfer?
A. Minor updates (e.g. version 7.00 to 7.02) may be downloaded for free if your serial number is registered. To register, enter the requested information on the Register Software page including your e-mail address, and add a note in the Comments field to Attn: Surfer Support indicating that you would like to download the latest version. If you have already registered, send a message to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your serial number. Once your serial number is verified, we will send you download instructions.

Major upgrades (e.g. version 6 to version 7) cost US$139 plus shipping. Refer to the order form for more information.

Q2. How do I convert from UTM coordinates to latitude/longitude?
A. Didger 2 from Golden Software converts data and boundary files between 21 different projections, including Unprojected Latitude/Longitude and UTM.

Q3. I am using Windows 3.1x or Win95/98 and I want to plot my map on very large paper, but Surfer only accepts paper sizes less than 32.76 inches. How can I bypass this limitation?
A. The 16-bit versions of Windows use a coordinate system that limits the maximum paper size. The 32-bit versions of Windows (NT) do not have this limitation. There are several ways to work around the problem:

• Design your map at half scale, and print at 200% scale.

To print a map on 24"x 40" paper at a scale of 1.0 in. = 1.5 Map units, designate the paper size in Surfer as 12"x 20", and design the map at half scale (1.0 in. = 3.0 Map units). When printing the map, specify 200% scale in the Print dialog box. The map is printed at a scale of 1.0 in. = 1.5 Map units on 24"x 40" paper.

• Use a text editor to add a new line to the Surfer INI file* that reads:

LogPerInch=500

Add the line to the [Settings] section of the surfer.ini file.

Save the changes, and restart Surfer. This method doubles the maximum paper size to 64 inches, but it also doubles the size of all SRF files created without the LogPerInch=500 setting.

Surfer 8 eliminates this restriction.

Q4. How can I simultaneously print several copies of the same plot if there is no place to specify the number of copies in the Print dialog box?
A. If you are running Win95/98 or NT 4, choose Print Setup from the File menu. Select the appropriate printer and click on the Properties button. There may be a place to specify the number of copies under the Paper tab. If you are running Windows 3.1x or Windows NT 3.51, double click on the Control Panel icon located in the Main group of the Program Manager. Double click on the Printers icon and select the driver that you wish to print to. Press the Setup button. Many printer drivers provide an option for specifying the number of copies at the bottom of this dialog box.

Q5. My copy of Surfer version 6 has trouble recognizing long file or directory names that are supposed to be allowed under Win95/98 or NT. What is going on?
A. Long file names were added to version 6.03. Please contact Surfer Technical Support by e-mail with your Surfer 6 serial number for update information. (You may also contact us by telephone, fax, or regular mail.)

Q6. When in My Computer or Explorer and I click on a filename with the SRF extension and there are spaces in the directory or filename, Surfer cannot find the file. Is there a way to add this capability to Surfer?
A. In Win95/98 and NT, open the file surfer32.reg in a text editor and change the following lines:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Surfer\shell\print\command = C:\SURFER6\surfer32.exe /p "%1"
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Surfer\shell\open\command = C:\SURFER6\surfer32.exe "%1"

to add quotes around the "%1" at the end of each line. Your path for the surfer32.exe file may be different than the default path shown above. Save the changes, then double-click on the surfer32.reg file in Windows Explorer to add the changes to the Windows Registry. (Note: Windows 3.1 does not support long file names or spaces in file and directory names.)

Q7. I am trying to install a copy of Surfer for Windows version 5 on Windows 95. It appears to copy all the files to my hard drive, then hangs after issuing the message: “Setup was able to modify the WIN.INI”. What is wrong?
A. Due to a bug in the way Windows 95 handles the setup routines of older software, the Surfer 5 setup was unable to create the necessary icons on your Windows 95 desktop. The installation was successful in all other respects. You can create an icon manually by adding a shortcut to the Surfer executable file located in the winsurf subdirectory. Surfer 5 should run fine once you have created this icon. You will need to upgrade to Surfer version 7 to take advantage of the 32 bit capabilities of Windows 95, including increased speed and better stability.

Q8. How do I create a vector plot using Surfer 6?
A. To create a vector plot, you must first create a data file containing X,Y coordinates, angle and magnitude columns. Angular data should be in degrees, where a positive value rotates the symbol counterclockwise. If you use an arrow in the Default Symbols symbol set as your symbol, 0 degrees rotation will result in an arrow pointing up. In a Surfer plot window, choose the Post command from the Map menu. In the Worksheet Columns group, specify the columns containing the X and Y coordinates, and the column containing the angle data. Click the Default Symbol button and choose an arrow symbol from the Symbol palette. Click OK and your selection appears in the Default Symbol button. In the Symbol Size group, select the Proportional option, and click the Scaling button. Select the Linear Scaling Method option, and specify the worksheet column containing the magnitude data. If you want, you can specify the Symbol Height corresponding to specific data values. Click OK twice, and a vector plot of your data is created.

A vector map type has been added to Surfer 7.

Q9. My contours should be limited by some type of barrier, such as the shoreline of a lake or a fault line. If I just grid my data as it is, Surfer incorrectly extrapolates contours beyond this boundary. How can I confine my contour lines to a specific area?
A. In this case it is necessary to introduce data into your X,Y,Z data file so the contours are forced to remain inside the boundaries. To do so, you need to have the coordinates defining the boundary. This information is often stored as a BLN file. If you do not have a BLN file, you may use Surfer's digitize feature to define the coordinates of the boundary.

Choose the Worksheet command from the File menu and open the data file containing the data you wish to grid. Move to the bottom of the file by pressing the END key. Make sure that the active cell is in Column A. Choose the Merge command from the File menu, and select the file containing the boundary information. Click OK and the boundary data will be added to the end of the data file. If you used a BLN file, delete the row containing the BLN header. In Column C, specify the Z data value to be associated with the boundary. In the case of a lake shoreline where your data measures water depth, the value zero should be assigned to each of the X and Y coordinates along the boundary. Save the data when you are done. Then create a new grid from this data file, and the barrier will control the location of the contour lines on the map.

You may want to upgrade to Surfer 7 to avoid having to use this work-around.

Q10. I want to reshape individual contour lines, but do not want these changes to affect all the surrounding data. Can I do this?
A. Choose the Grid Node Editor command from the Grid menu, and open the grid file you wish to modify. This opens a window containing a contour map of your grid file. There is a small cross at every grid node. Click on a grid node you wish to modify. At the top of the Grid Node Editor window, Surfer displays the X,Y and Z coordinates of the selected grid node. You can alter the value of a grid node by typing in a new Z value into the Z box at the top of the window. This will not affect the Z values of the surrounding grid nodes. Be sure to save the modified grid file when you are finished with the Grid Node Editor.

Q11. I have carefully created a map at the appropriate scale and with the map limits I desire. Whenever I try to overlay a new map with the existing map, Surfer changes the scale and limits to the new map, which is not what I want. Is there a way to overlay a new map onto an existing map without changing the scale and limits that I have already set?
A. Surfer 6’s SET files allow users to override defaults such as this. SET files are described in detail starting on page 19-7 of the Surfer manual. This procedure describes the steps necessary to override the defaults which reset the scale and map limits every time you overlay a new map. Before you create or open the map containing the scale and limits that you wish to keep, choose Default Settings under the Preferences option of the File menu. Scroll to the Map Scale and Map Limits section near the bottom of the SET file. Enter an asterisk (*) next to every parameter in the Map Scale and Map Limits section. For example, the start of the first line in the Map Limits section should read: xMinLim* =. This tells Surfer to automatically add the parameters you choose to the SET file. Click on the Save button and save the file using some filename other than Surfer.Set (i.e. Limits.Set). Click OK to return to the plot window. Now create or open a map containing the proper limits and scale. You need to choose the Map Limits and Map Scale commands at least once to force Surfer to write those parameters to the SET file. Once you have done this, return to the SET file by choosing Default Settings under the Preferences option of the File menu. Note that Surfer has written in all the relevant parameters under the Map Scale and Map Limits sections. Now delete the asterisks from the SET file parameters. Click the Save button to save the SET file using the same filename, and click OK to return to the plot window. All maps that you create while this SET file is active will have the map limits and scale that you specified by default. These parameters will no longer be reset when you choose overlay maps. To return to the original SET file, simply click on the Load button at the Default Settings dialog box or exit and restart Surfer.

Q12. I want to create a file containing the X, Y and Z coordinates of my contour lines. How can I do this?
A. We have written a GS Scripter program ( cont2xyz.bas ) which creates a file containing the X,Y and Z coordinates of your contour lines. This program is available for download from our Scripts Library.

Surfer 7 has the ability to export contour lines to a 3D DXF file.

Q13. My data is in curvilinear (cylindrical or spherical) coordinates. How can I get it into a format that Surfer can use?
A. We have written a GS Scripter program ( crv2xyz.exe ) which can convert from cylindrical or spherical coordinates into X,Y and Z data. This program is available for download from our Scripts Library.

Q14. Can I control Surfer from Visual Basic or another programming environment?
A. Yes. Surfer can be completely controlled by any Automation-capable programming language, including Visual Basic, Visual Basic for Applications (that ships with the Microsoft Office suite), or the Scripter programming language included with Surfer. Scripter is very similar to VBA. Most modern compilers include some facility for calling Automation-capable applications, including Visual C++. Check your language documentation for Automation or Active-X Automation support.

Q15. I have successfully gridded my data; however, my color-filled contour map shows no contour lines. What is wrong?
A. Check to see if at least one of the contours is within the range of your gridded data. For example, a contour map will appear blank if there are contours of 0 and 100 while the gridded data ranged from 20 to 80. You can also create an additional contour (such as 50 in this example) with the same color as the level below it (0 in this example).

Q16. How can I change the Surfer grid file blanking value to 0?
A. Convert the grid file from binary to ASCII, and use a text editor to search for the blanking value and replace it with 0.

Step by Step Instructions:

1. In Surfer 6 choose the Grid | Utility | Convert menu to display the Open Grid dialog box.
2. Specify the name of the grid file to be converted and press OK.
3. In the Save Grid dialog box, type in a new grid file name and make sure the Save File As Type is set to GS ASCII (*.GRD).
4. Open the ASCII GRD file in a text editor or word processor.
5. Search for the blanking value 1.70141E+038 and replace it with 0.
6. Save the file in an ASCII TXT format with the GRD extension.

Q17. How can I print a map that is zoomed in on a smaller area?
A. Surfer 6: Choose the Map | Limits menu and specify the x and y minimum and maximum coordinates of the area of interest. Choose the Map | Scale menu to specify the desired size of the map.

Surfer 5: Use the Map | Scale menu to make the area of interest fill the page. Since the maximum page size is 32 inches for this version of Surfer, you may need to use the File | Page Layout menu to specify a smaller page size to fit the area of interest. Then use the File | Print | Truncate menu to clip the printout to the edge of the page.

Q18. When I overlay two base maps, how do I tell which is which?
A. Perform the following steps:

1. Select a base map with Ctrl+Click (hold the Ctrl key down when clicking button 1 on the mouse *usually the left button*).
2. In the lower left corner of the window, the status bar should display "Map: Base".
3. Choose the Edit | Object ID menu to specify a name.
4. Repeat for other maps in the overlay.

Q19. When overlaying base maps in a script how do you assign a label to them so that when you edit or break apart one of them you don't have to randomly select base maps?
A. There are two steps to naming your maps,

1. to name the "frame" or "container" that holds the map and axes, and
2. to name the "contents", i.e. the actual maps.

When you click on a map interactively in Surfer, the status bar in the lower left corner of the window will report the map frame to the left of the colon and the map contents to the right of the colon, as in "Map: Base".

In a script, you can assign the name of the frame when you issue the Surf.MapLoadBaseMap() command:

Surf.MapLoadBaseMap("c:\surfer6\demogrid.bln", ID="Frame1")

The next step is to select the base map contents and assign a new ID to the contents:

Surf.Select("Frame1:Base")
Surf.EditSetObjectID("Base97")

Note that the space after the colon is omitted in the script. If you stop the script here, the ID displayed in the status bar will be:

"Frame1: Base97"

When you overlay two maps, the frame of the oldest map is used to hold both maps, and the second frame is deleted.

Q20. I've created a map with grid lines parallel to the axes, but the grid lines stop before reaching the opposite axis.
A. If you extend the axis limits beyond the minimum and maximum x and y limits of the data set, the grid lines will stop at the limits of the data.

• For a post map: Add data points to the data file corresponding to the desired lower left and upper right corners of the map.
• For a contour map, image map, or shaded relief map: Consider changing the limits when gridding to correspond to the desired axis limits.
• For a base map: Edit the base map file to include points or lines at the lower left and upper right corners.
• For any map: Overlay a post map with points at the lower left and upper right corners.

Q21. I used the drawing tools to add lines, rectangles and text to my map, but these objects don't move when I rescale the map with the Map | Scale menu.
A. To get objects to move with a map, they should be converted to "map" objects, i.e. objects with map coordinates and overlain on existing maps.

• Points can be digitized to a DAT file using the Map | Digitize menu to digitize the points, then saved with the .DAT extension. Display these points with a post map. Select both maps and use the Map | Overlay Maps menu to combine the maps.
• Text can be saved in a DAT file after digitizing the location of the text using Map | Digitize. Click on the map to record the desired location of the text, type a comma after the XY coordinate in the DIGIT.DAT window, and type the text surrounded by double quotes. When you are done digitizing the text locations and adding text, save the file as a DAT file. Load the DAT file as a post map and overlay with the existing maps.
• Lines can be converted to a BLN file using the Map | Digitize menu to digitize the points, then adding the BLN header in the DIGIT.DAT window and saving to a BLN extension. Load the BLN file as a base map and overlay with existing maps.
• If you know the coordinates corresponding to objects on screen, you can export the drawing as a DXF file with map coordinates. The Export DXF dialog box lets you specify page coordinates under the Page Rectangle heading and corresponding map coordinates under the DXF Rectangle heading. Load the DXF file as a base map and overlay it with existing maps.

Q22. I recently downloaded GTopo30 DEM files from the USGS web site, but Surfer fails to recognize the DEM file as valid. How can I load these files into Surfer?
A. GTopo30 DEM files are in a different format than the original USGS DEM files, even though they both use the .DEM file extension. Download a free conversion program from Golden Software, and follow the instructions contained within the file to convert the GTopo30 file to a Golden Software GRD file suitable for use with Surfer.

Surfer 7 can load these files without the conversion process.

Q23. I would like to convert my grid or DEM file to an ASCII XYZ file, but that file type is not listed in the Grid | Utility | Convert menu in Surfer.
A. Click on the drop down arrow in the "Save File As Type" box and scroll down to select the "ASCII XYZ (*.DAT)" type.

Q24. I want to blank the grid nodes outside several polygons on a map, but the entire map gets blanked, resulting in a horizontal planar grid.

A. It may be that the area outside polygon A is inside polygon B, and vice versa, causing the entire map to be blanked. Combine the two polygons into a single polygon, and repeat the first vertex of the first polygon at the end of the second polygon to create a single combined polygon. Change the header of the combined polygon to reflect the total number of vertices in both simple polygons, plus the repeated first vertex. If you load the combined polygon as a base map, a line is drawn back to the first vertex, so you may need to keep both versions of the BLN available, the separate polygons to use as a base map, and the combined polygon to use for blanking purposes.			Blanking the area outside multiple polygons blanks the entire grid.
.
two separate polygons 5 0 'Polygon A 1.0 1.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 5 0 'Polygon B 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 3.0	one combined polygon 11 0 'Polygon A 1.0 1.0 'x1 y1 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 3.0 3.0 'Polygon B 3.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 'repeat x1 y1		Editing the blanking file to combine the polygons resolves the problem.

Q25. I want to use a BLN blanking file to blank the area outside a polygon, but when I load the BLN file as a base map, I can only fill inside the polygon.
A. The Map | Base Map menu does not have the ability to fill outside a polygon, but there are other methods to consider:

Modified file in BLN format

11
0.0 0.0		"(x1,y1)"
9.0 0.0
9.0 7.0
0.0 7.0
0.0 0.0		"Repeat (x1,y1) to close outer polygon."
1.0 1.0		"Start internal polygon.
2.0 1.0
2.0 2.0
1.0 2.0
1.0 1.0		"Close internal polygon.
0.0 0.0		"Repeat (x1,y1) to close outer polygon."

The BLN format draws the connecting line from the internal polygon to the repeated (x1,y1) point at (0,0). Set the line style to Invisible for this base map, or use the BNA format, which does not draw the connecting line:

Modified file in BNA format

"","",11
0.0 0.0
9.0 0.0
9.0 7.0
0.0 7.0
0.0 0.0
1.0 1.0
2.0 1.0
2.0 2.0
1.0 2.0
1.0 1.0
0.0 0.0

Q26. In a linear variogram model, how is the scale calculated?
A. The scale is calculated as the variance of the data points.

The variance is calculated as follows:

where "N" is the number of data points.

The other parameters are calculated as follows:

default length = search radius 1 = (diagonal of xy limits) / 2
default anisotropy = search radius 1 / search radius squared.
default anisotropy angle = search ellipse angle
default error variance = 0
default micro variance = 0

Q27. I have created a postmap, but the posts are rather close together and some of the labels overlap each other. Is there a way to manually move them around?
A. The best thing that you can do is isolate the labels that overlap others and move them to a separate column in the worksheet. Then create the first postmap with the label position set at your choice. Create a second postmap with the label position set to a different location than the first postmap. Then overlay the two maps using the Map|Overlay Maps command. You may have to adjust the label position, possibly using the User Defined function for label position, before you are satisfied with the results.

Q28. How do I change the map coordinates in a DXF file within Surfer?
A. You can use the page coordinates of two calibration points with known map coordinates on your map to create a new DXF with the changed coordinates. Use the File | Import menu to load the DXF file and display it without axes. Zoom In on the first known point and write down the XY page coordinates from the status bar at the bottom of the Plot window. Zoom Out, scroll to the next point and write down the page coordinates. Choose the File | Export menu, and specify a new file name with the .DXF extension to display the AutoCAD DXF Export dialog box. Type in the page coordinates under the "Page Rectangle" area and the corresponding map coordinates under the "DXF Rectangle" area. Although the labels say Lower Left and Upper Right, these two points can be anywhere on the map. Set the Scaling Source to Application, Format to ASCII, and uncheck all the check boxes in the lower left corner. Click OK to create the new DXF file. To load the file into Surfer with map coordinates, use the Map | Load Base Map.

Q29. Is there a way to calculate the Z value in the grid [.GRD] file at particular XY locations?
A. You can use the Grid | Residuals command to calculate the Z value. Create a data file with the XY locations, and a column of 0's that will be used for the zData values. Grid | Residuals subtracts zData - zGrid, so using a column of 0's in the data file will return the negative of the Z value in the grid.

Q30. How are the residuals calculated when the desired location does not fall on a grid node?
A. Surfer uses bilinear interpolation between grid nodes.

Q31. How can I run Surfer minimized in a script?
A. Use the shell( ) command with the minimize option prior to running the CreateObject( ) command:

shell("c:\surfer6\surfer32.exe",2)
set Surf = CreateObject("Surfer.App")

Q32. How can I load Surfer with a different SET file in a script?
A. Use the shell( ) command to specify the SET file on the command line prior to the CreateObject( ) command:

shell("c:\surfer6\surfer32.exe /set=c:\surfer6\tom.set",1)
set Surf = CreateObject("Surfer.App")

Q33. How can I load a new SET file in a script once Surfer is running?
A. Exit Surfer then repeat the shell( ) and CreateObject( ) commands above.

Q34. Surfer does not calculate the minimum and maximum X (or Y) in the grid file correctly when I grid my data. How can I change this?
A. Surfer calculates the minimum and maximum X and Y values for the grid file by getting the minimum and maximum X and Y values from the data file, then calculating the grid line spacing for fifty grid lines in the longer direction ((max - min) / 49), and applying that same grid line spacing in the shorter direction to create square grid cells. If the shorter direction is less than this spacing, the grid minimum and maximum values are adjusted so that (max - min) = grid spacing. You can change the limits by typing in the actual values from the data file manually. Click the Data Info button to display these values from your data set.

Q35. What gridding method should I use to grid my data file?
A. The default gridding method, kriging, was selected as a good method for the majority of data sets.

Q36. What's the best method for gridding a data set consisting of digitized contours?
A. No one method is the "best", but you can improve the results of gridding a digitized contour data set by making sure that there is a good supply of data points throughout the map area. If there is a "C"-shaped contour without other contours inside the "C", then the entire C will be gridded as a flat area. The same thing will happen with a closed contour. You can use the Map | Digitize menu to digitize additional points within the "C"-shaped contours and closed contours and add them to your data file.

Q37. What are the meanings of the parameters in a LVL file?
A. The parameters are defined as follows:

Level = Z or contour value.
Flags = 0 1 2 3 for none, labeled, hachured, both.
LColor = Line color by name "Red" or RGB "R255 G0 B0".
LStyle = Line style, e.g. "Solid", "Invisible".
LWidth = Line width in inches x 1000 so 0.01" = 10.
FFGColor = Fill Foreground Color by name or RGB.
FBGColor = Fill Background Color by name or RGB.
FPattern = Fill Pattern by name, e.g."12.5% Black" "Vertical".
FMode = 1 transparent, 2 opaque.

Q38. How do I use the USGS 7.5 minute DEM data in the SDTS format?
A. Use the following procedure:

1. Go to the USGS GeoData web page at http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/doc/edchome/ndcdb/ndcdb.htm l.
2. Scroll down to the section titled 7.5-Minute Digital Elevation Model (DEM) - SDTS format only.
3. If you know the name of the quad, click on FTP via Alphabetical List ( http://edcftp.cr.usgs.gov/pub/data/DEM/7.5min/ ) or FTP via State ( http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/doc/edchome/ndcdb/7_min_dem/states.html ). The Alphabetical List has all the available 7.5 minute quads in separate directories by the first letter in the name of the quad, so BOULDER_CO is in the B directory near BOULDER_WY. The FTP via State list creates a separate list for each state. Otherwise, click on FTP via Graphics ( http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/bin/maptest/coords=55+-130+20+-65 /scale=24/type=dem/zoom=8 ) to get a map of US, and click on the area of interest to zoom in on the 7.5 minute quads.
4. When you click on the quad name, you'll see a file name such as 30.2.1.934551.tar.gz for Boulder. When you click on this file, Save it to disk.
5. The Save As dialog box in Netscape Navigator changes the file name so all but the last period is changed to an underscore: 30_2_1_934551_tar.gz. Press OK to download the file.
6. The next step assumes the use of WinZip ( http://www.winzip.com ) to open this file. In the WinZip Options | Configuration menu, uncheck the option for "TAR File Smart CR/LF Conversion". Double-click on the .GZ file name in Windows Explorer to open the file in WinZip. WinZip will prompt for a file extension for the file 30_2_1_934551_tar. Delete the period at the end of the file name, and change the last underscore to a period to give the file a .TAR extension, e.g. 30_2_1_934551.tar.
7. Answer Yes to the prompt: "Archive contains one file. Should WinZip decompress it to a temporary folder and open it?" This should produce 18 files with the DDF extension and a README.7.5min file.
8. Click on the Extract button, and select All Files. Place the files in a temporary directory.
9. The DDF files are the ones that can be converted with the SDTS utilities that Sol Katz has put on the BLM ftp site. Download the SDTSEDEM.zip file (ftp://ftp.blm.gov/pub/gis/sdts/dem/SDTSEDEM.zip ), unzip it, open a DOS window and run SDTSEDEM.
10. You will be prompted to enter the name of the base and cell SDTS file, which is usually the largest DDF file in the archive, e.g. the Boulder CO quad lists 1116CEL0.DDF as the largest file (365,957 bytes). The first prompt asks for the first four characters of the base SDTS filename (1116), then an output filename (your choice), and then the last two characters of the "cell" filename, usually L0 (the letter "L" and the number zero).
11. If you create a DEM file, this file can be used directly in Surfer in place of a GRD file.

Surfer 7 can load these files without the conversion process.

Q39. Does Surfer work with Windows 98, 2000, and XP?
A. Yes. There have been no problems reported.

Q40. I get the error "Too Many Points" when I try to display a contour map. I see a gap in the color fill when I try to overlay a filled contour map on a surface map. How can I resolve this problem?
A. These errors are caused by limits to the number of vertices on a contour, and are dependent on your version of Windows:

Limits to the number of points along a contour
	2D Contour Map	Contour Map on 3D Surface
Windows 3.1	8,000	5,300
Windows 95/98	16,000	10,600
Windows NT	500,000,000	333,000,000

You can get around these limits by creating a smaller grid file, or upgrading to Windows NT.

Surfer 7 has corrected this behavior.

Q41. Using the Surfer Scripter, how do I set the width and height of an exported bitmap (GIF, TIF, BMP, PCX, JPG) with FileExport( )?

Option	Action	Default
Defaults = 1	Set all options to their default values	No
Forget Options = 1	Don't remember optons for later use	No
Width = N	Set N pixels as the output bitmap width	Screen Resolution
Height = H	Set N pixels as the output bitmap height	Screen Resolution
Color Depth = N	Set color depth (WIN32 only).	Color depth on the video display
	...Valid values:
	......1: Monochrome
	......4: 16 Colors
	......8: 256 Colors
	......24: True Colors
Automatic=1	Automatic compression (for JPEG)	Yes
Quality=N	Set compression quality 0-100 (for JPEG)	100 (highest quality)

Q42. How can I create my own symbols for use in Surfer, Grapher, and MapViewer?
A. These programs can use any TrueType font for symbols, so you can use a TrueType font editor to create your own symbols including:

• Softy (shareware)
• Type Tool from Pyrus (commercial)

Surfer, Grapher, and MapViewer also use the symbol sets and Altersym editor from the DOS versions of Surfer and Grapher at the Golden Software FTP site.

Q43. I have invested in Adobe typefaces. How do I use these type faces with Golden Software products?
A. Since Golden Software's applications are 32-bit, we only support TrueType scalable typeface technology. If you have a significant investment in Adobe Type 1 faces (i.e., you are using ATM under Windows), we recommend converting them to TrueType format so they may be used with Golden Software products. Not only will you be able to use them with our software, you'll be able to use them with any Windows program. We recommend the TypeTool program for this purpose. It is $99 and can be found at pyrus.

Q44. How can I calculate the area between contours?
A. Use the Grid | Volume menu to generate a volume and area report using the GRD file as the "Upper Surface" and the Z level of the first contour as the constant "Lower Surface". Record the "Positive Planar Area" value from the report. Next, generate a second report with the same GRD file as the Upper Surface and the Z level of the second contour as the Lower Surface. Record the Positive Planar Area value from the second report, and subtract from the first value to get the area between the two contours. You can use the contarea.bas script to automate the procedure.

Q45. When I grid my data file using kriging, it produces a grid file with negative Z values, or with values that go beyond the Z limits in my data file. How do I change this?
A. The kriging gridding method was designed to analyze data trends and extrapolate in areas of no data. There are several methods to eliminate this effect. Here are three suggestions:

1. Use the Grid | Math menu to eliminate negative values. First select your existing grid file (A), specify a new name for the output grid file (C), and the formula C = max(A,0). This formula will convert all negative Z values to 0 in the new grid file. You can use this method for any value including 0.
2. Choose a different gridding algorithm that does not extrapolate beyond the Z limits in the data file. Inverse Distance and Triangulation are two such methods.
3. If your data range over several orders of magnitude, it may be beneficial to transform your Z values in the worksheet to logarithmic values. Open the data file in the worksheet and choose the Compute | Transform menu. If your data are in column C, and column D is blank, you can use the formula D = log10(C) to calculate the log base 10 of the Z values. Save the worksheet, and create a grid using column D as the source of Z values. This method may create negative log10 values, but these values represent small positive Z values. e.g. log10(Z) = -2, then Z = 0.01.

Q46. How can I make the symbols in the classed post legend the same size as on the map?
A. Surfer was not designed to do this automatically, but you can change the symbol sizes manually. Create a classed post map with a legend. Select the legend and copy the legend to the clipboard, clear the warning that Surfer "Can't save linked object by itself", and select the Edit | Paste Special | Picture | Break Apart Metafiles | Paste commands. Click on the page to paste the object, choose Arrange | Break Apart, select a symbol (now converted to a polyline or polygon) and drag the corner of the symbol to the desired size, which is displayed in the Status Bar at the bottom of the Surfer window.

Q47. How can I enter a "null value" (a value that is ignored when gridding or performing mathematical calculations) into the Surfer worksheet?
A. Surfer ignores any text strings (non-numeric values) when gridding and when performing Data | Transform in the worksheet. Any of the following can be used:

"-9999", N/A, "no data", x99

In a text editor, program, or script, add quotes around a number to designate it as a text string. In the worksheet, insert a single quote (apostrophe) at the beginning of the number to convert it to text. Quotes around a text string with spaces insure that the entire string is read as a single item. A mix of numbers and text without spaces is read as a text string.

Q48. How do I display the scale bar in miles or kilometers when the XY coordinates are in degrees of latitude and longitude?

A. First convert the map X Scale and Y Scale to Cartesian coordinates (i.e. miles, feet, kilometers, meters), because one degree of latitude does not cover the same number of miles as one degree of longitude. For an approximate conversion from latitude and longitude degrees to miles or kilometers, use the following formulas for a spherical projection: 1 degree latitude = 110.6 km = 68.703 mi 1 degree longitude = 111.3km * cos(latitude) = 69.172mi * cos(latitude) To set the scale bar of a map, use the formulas to convert latitude and longitude to the desired coordinates. For the map of Nevada USA included with Surfer (nv.gsb) the center of the map is approximately (-117, 39). Using the formulas: 1 degree latitude = 68.703 miles 1 degree longitude = 69.172 * cos(39) = 53.757 miles To set the X and Y to the same scale in miles, select the map and choose the Map | Scale menu. Disable the Proportional XY Scaling checkbox in the lower left corner of the Scale dialog box. If the X scale is set to 1.0 in = 1 Map units (degrees longitude), calculate the ratio of X to Y as 53.757mi / 68.703mi = 0.78245. Specify the Y scale as 1.0 in = 0.78245 Map Units. The default scale bar is created in degrees with a Cycle Spacing = 1 and Label Increment = 1. To change the scale bar to 50 mile increments, change the Cycle Spacing to 50mi / 53.757mi per degree or 0.93 (degrees) and the Label Increment to 50 (miles).

Q49. When I change the map limits on a post map, data point labels disappear for points that are on the edges of the map but inside the limits. How can I display these labels?
A. Increase the map limits to include the area where the labels plot.

Q50. I am having a problem printing ("Out of global memory" error, only a portion of the map prints, etc.).
A. You may be able to work around the problem by changing some of the printer settings. Different printer drivers have different settings, but here is a list of the most common remedies:

• Turn off print spooling.
• Change the print mode to "raster" or "bitmap" to reduce the printer memory requirements.
• Change the printer driver to use the computer's memory instead of the printer's memory.
• PostScript drivers often require more memory than non-PostScript drivers for the same printer. Change drivers if possible and test the print results.
• Check for other compatible printer drivers in your printer documentation. For example, the HP LaserJet 4 driver could be used with the LaserJet 5 printer.
• Enable the Page Protect mode if available.
• Verify the version of your printer driver and possibly update it. For example, the HP DesignJet 750C driver version 4.33 requires 80% less memory than version 4.11
• Turn off View | Auto Redraw to free up additional memory.
• Resample the bitmaps in a graphics program (Corel Draw, Paint Shop Pro, PhotoShop) to reduce the number of pixels and color depth in the bitmaps.

If the remedies above do not help, please contact technical support with the exact nature of the problem, your operating system (i.e. Windows 98), the printer model, and the print driver version number.

Q51. Are there any additional scripts available for download.
A. Download scripts from the following site:

http://www.goldensoftware.com/scripts.shtml

Q52. How can I round data values in the worksheet?
A. Use the floor() function in the Data | Transform menu. This function returns the closest integer less than or equal to X. To round to 0 decimal places, add 0.5 to the value and calculate the floor :

A = floor( A + 0.5 )

To round to one decimal place, multiply by 10, add 0.5, take the floor value, then divide by 10.

A = floor( (A*10) + 0.5 ) / 10

Q53. Where do I find my serial number?
A. The serial number is on the registration card glued inside the cover of your reference manual. Please complete the registration card and return to Golden Software or register online at our web site. With this information, we will be able to mail you announcements of upgrades and newsletters.

Q54. Is Technical Support free?
A. Yes, Technical Support is free to all users for as long as you own the product. You must register your product in order to receive technical support. You can reach technical support by phone, fax, or email.