Golden Software Enhances 3D Subsurface Visualization and Ease of Use in Surfer Mapping Package

All users will benefit from streamlined map creation, especially those working with drillholes, wells, and other subsurface data.

“In the newest Surfer package, we continue to focus on enabling users to communicate their subsurface 3D data more efficiently and effectively,” said Surfer Product Manager Kari Dickenson. “Geophysicists, geologists, hydrologists, and environmental scientists will find they get better results more quickly from their well and drillhole data.”

Surfer remains the most powerful mapping and 3D subsurface visualization package now used by 100,000 professionals worldwide, many involved in environmental consulting, water resources, engineering, mining, oil & gas exploration, and geospatial projects. The software has been relied upon for more than 40 years to quickly transform complex data into superior 2D and 3D visuals with accuracy.

Known for its fast and powerful contouring algorithms that regularly outperform more expensive packages, Surfer enables users to model data sets, apply an array of advanced analytics tools, and visually communicate the results in a way that even the non-technical stakeholders can understand.

The following upgrades have been made in the latest release of Surfer:

Automatic Surface Creation – Adding to the ability to create contact points for 3D drillholes, Surfer now automatically connects the contacts to generate surfaces of lithologic formations, mineralization zones, and other features. Users have the option of defining each surface as ‘depositional’ or ‘erosional’ to define their cross-cutting relationships.

Import/Export AutoCAD DWG Files – Once only able to support AutoCAD DXF format files, Surfer now imports DWG files which contain all layer information from an AutoCAD model. Each layer can be imported into a separate base layer in Surfer, allowing the user to select and use specific content from the model. This enables Surfer users to load the contents of an AutoCAD model in an organized manner.

Contour and Drillhole Legend Functionality – Users can now add Contour and Drillhole layer to their legends, making maps more meaningful and easier to understand. Contour layers and their colors can automatically be added to the legend in the title block of their Surfer project. In addition, users have complete control over Drillhole layers in the legend even if no symbology is used.

Record 3D Views – For colleagues that do not have Surfer for viewing 3D maps, users can now record a visualization of their models, turning and twisting them to enable a viewer to see the information from many perspectives. The recording can be saved as an MP4 file and sent to a colleague.

Add Labels to 3D Points – In 3D View scatter plots, users can now label points with values from the original data file. Previously, scatter plot point values could be represented in categories by colors or size, but individual data values could not be annotated. Users can now easily present small value changes between individual points on the plot.

Importing Images in 3D View Along a Path – Users can import images, such as geophysical profiles, and set the orientation of the image to a polyline or polygon. There is no need to reference the image by entering corner coordinates; it aligns directly to the polyline or polygon path precisely where it should, even if the profile is not a straight line. This is a huge time saver for a function that was previously a manual process.