Elizabeth North

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Using Surfer 8.0
Elizabeth North UMCES Horn Point Laboratory
http//seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS/
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Surfer Workshop Based on Golden Software Surfer
8.0 (http//www.goldensoftware.com/products/surfe
r/surfer.shtml)
1. Lecture

1. Examples
2. Post Maps
3. Base Maps
4. Contour Maps
5. Overlaying Maps

2. Application to data
3. Group review and discussion
Acknowledgements Steve Suttles, Chris Rilling
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Surfer Workshop Based on Golden Software Surfer
8.0 (http//www.goldensoftware.com/products/surfe
r/surfer.shtml)
1. Lecture

1. Examples
2. Post Maps
3. Base Maps
4. Contour Maps
5. Overlaying Maps

2. Application to data
3. Group review and discussion
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A. Examples
Base Map
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A. Examples
Base Map with Post Map
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Base Map with Classed Post Map
A. Examples
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A. Examples
Post Map
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A. Examples
Contour Map
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A. Examples
Post Map with Contour Map
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A. Examples
Base Map (blanking) with Contour and Post maps
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A. Examples
Base Map (bottom) with Contour, Post and Base
(blanking) Maps
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A. Examples
Contour Map (salinity) with Base Map (bottom),
Contour (DO), Post and Base (blanking) Maps
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Animation 576 Contour, Vector, Base, and Classed
Post Map Overlays
A. Examples
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B. Post Maps
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B. Post Maps
Label
X
Y

• Data file characteristics
• First row can contain headers. If so, headers
  must be one word (i.e., no spaces).
• X,Y and label columns can be in any order
• Depth/pressure and longitude should be negative
  values (so maps are oriented correctly)
• Compatible file formats include excel (.xls),
  text (.txt, .dat) and comma separated (.csv) files

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B. Post Maps

• Creating a Post Map
• Map gt Post Map gt New Post Map
• Select data file

• Editing a Post Map
• Right-click on map to select the object and show
  editing tool bar
• To change X and Y coordinate data, symbol type,
  size, and color, and add or format labels, select
  Properties
• or
• Double click on map to display Properties dialog
  box
• or
• Single click on post map in Object Manager to
  select the map, double click to open Properties
  dialog box

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B. Post Maps

• Editing the Axes of a Post Map (and all other
  maps)
• Right-click (or left-double-click) to select axis
  of choice (two white boxes appear at the ends of
  the axis when it is selected)
• Select Properties
• Add and format axis title
• Scale and format labels
• Convert negative numbers (depth/longitude) to
  positive numbers by clicking on Label Format
  button and checking absolute value
• Change tick mark size and location

or Double click on map to display Properties
dialog box or Single click on post map in
Object Manager to select the map, double click
to open Properties dialog box
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B. Post Maps

• Creating a Classed Post Map
• Map gt Post Map gt New Classed Post Map
• Select data file

• Editing a Classed Post Map
• Select map and open Properties dialog box
• General tab to chose columns for X and Y
  coordinate data and column for Z class data
• Classes tab to change shape/size/color of classed
  posts

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C. Base Maps
C. Base Maps
Base maps can be used to make lines and filled
shapes
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C. Base Maps

• Data file characteristics
• A Golden Software blanking file (.bln)
• Columns must be in X, Y order.
• First row contains information about the file.
  The first cell contains the number of rows of
  data in the file (14 in this example), the second
  cell contains 0 or 1 (to signify an open or
  closed shape).
• If you would like to make a shape that can be
  filled, the last row of data must contain an
  exact repeat of the data in the second row. This
  creates a closed shape that can be filled. The
  example to the left will create either a line or
  a filled shape.

X
Y
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C. Base Maps

• Creating a Blanking File
• Make the file using a Surfer worksheet. Paste
  data into Surfer worksheet, add first row with
  file information, then save as a Surfer blanking
  file (.bln).
• Create batches of blanking files in Scripter
• Trace boundaries on existing Surfer map. Select a
  contour or post map and select Map gt Digitize.
  The mouse cursor will turn into cross-hairs.
  Click on the map and pop-up window of X,Y
  coordinates will appear. After the boundaries of
  the file have been delineated, click on the
  pop-up window and Save As a Surfer blanking file
  (.bln). Hit escape key to exit this mode.

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C. Base Maps

• Creating a Base Map
• Map gt Base Map
• Open blanking (.bln) file
• Make sure that the Areas to Curves box is NOT
  selected and click on OK
• Editing a Base Map
• Select map and open Properties dialog box
• On Base Map tab, click on Line or Fill
  Buttons to change line properties and fill the
  blanked area
• On Limits tab, change coordinates to define the
  area of the base map that you want to appear
• On Scale tab, change X/Y dimensions to change the
  size and shape of the plot

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D. Contour Maps
D. Contour Maps
Contours can be lines and/or filled.
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D. Contour Maps
Label
X
Y
Z
Data file characteristics Same as Post Map data
file characteristics except add a third variable
(Z)
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D. Contour Maps

• Creating a Contour Map
• Interpolate Data
• Grid gt Data
• Select data file
• Chose columns for X, Y, and Z coordinate data
• Adjust grid line geometry for X and Y data. Avoid
  over-interpolation (creating detail in contour
  lines that is finer that the resolution of the
  data). Rule of thumb spacing in the X or Y
  direction should be no smaller than half the
  distance between measurements
• Specify name of grid file (.grd)
• Create Map
• Map gt Contour Map gt New Contour Map
• Open grid (.grd) file

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D. Contour Maps

• Editing a Contour Map
• Select contour map and open Properties dialog box
• To fill contours and make a color scale, check
  boxes under Filled Contours in Options tab.
• To change contour line levels, colors, visibility
  and label formats, click on Levels tab
• If you want to use the same levels and color
  scale for multiple plots, use a level (.lvl)
  file, a file that contains levels, line and color
  information
• Use an existing level file by clicking on the
  Load button.
• Make a level (.lvl) file by clicking on the
  Save button.
• To move the contour line labels, select map,
  right click on it to display options, select Edit
  Contour Labels. Move labels along lines by
  clicking and dragging them. Hit escape key to
  exit this mode, or right click and select Edit
  Contour Labels again.

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E. Overlaying Maps
E. Overlaying Maps
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E. Overlaying Maps

• Overlaying Maps
• Before overlaying maps, name each map by
  right-clicking on map, selecting Object ID, and
  typing in a name
• Select the maps that you wish to overlay by
  holding down the shift button and left-click on
  each map
• Go to Map gt Overlay Maps

Editing Overlays Use the Object Manager or
toggle through the overlays by holding down the
Ctrl key and left-click on the maps then
right-click and select Properties. The Object ID
of the selected map will appear in the lower left
corner of the Surfer window, and will be
highlighted in the Object Manager.

• To change to order of the maps within the
  overlays, right click on map on Object Manager,
  then select Order Overlay

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E. Overlaying Maps

• Replacing contour maps in an existing overlay
• Select the map that you wish to change and open
  Properties
• Change Input grid file in General Tab
• Note When one map in a series of overlays is
  changed, the collection of overlays usually
  changes size. Select map and open Properties,
  select Scale Tab, un-check Proportional
  Scaling, and re-set the length scales (X6.0 in
  and Y1.5 in for BTIMAX CTD plots)

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Other ideas . . .
Wireframe Map with Classed Post Overlay
Iterative Model Output Vector Maps
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http//northweb.hpl.umces.edu/open_source_code/ope
n_source_code.htm
For more Surfer tools
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http//northweb.hpl.umces.edu/open_source_code/ope
n_source_code.htm
For more Surfer tools
Surfer Base Map Repository
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Contains base maps and .bln files If you create
new base maps and would like to share them with
the community, please send them to E. North along
with proper documentation (see .srf file in
Chesapeake-Delaware-Bays folder for an example).
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http//northweb.hpl.umces.edu/open_source_code/ope
n_source_code.htm
For more Surfer tools
Scripter Programs
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Golden Software ScripterTM is a program for
developing and running scripts. A script is a
text file containing a series of instructions
carried out when the script is run. Instructions
are written in a Visual BASIC-like programming
language. Scripter is included when you
purchase Surfer.
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Surfer Workshop Based on Golden Software Surfer
8.0 (http//www.goldensoftware.com/products/surfe
r/surfer.shtml)
1. Lecture

1. Examples
2. Post Maps
3. Base Maps
4. Contour Maps
5. Overlaying Maps

2. Application to data
3. Group review and discussion
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Example Data Files Folder SurferWorkshop\Morni
ng_Examples\UpperChesapeake_CTDSurvey_BITMAX
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Example Data Files Folder SurferWorkshop\Mornin
g_Examples\Chesapeake_Delaware_Map