Creating Map Sheets using Surfer for Windows

For this project, I suggest you keep all files in the same directory. This will make it easier to move between computers.

You should start the process with an Excel worksheet containing the following information:

1. Point Number
2. Elevation
3. Easting
4. Northing

Step 1. Create a Surfer Data file

The simplest way to get this information into Surfer, without using intermediate files, is to use the Windows copy (Ctrl+c) and paste (Ctrl+v) commands.

• With your Excel worksheet open, start Surfer
• Use the File … Worksheet menu item to open a Surfer worksheet
• Switch to Excel
• Highlight an entire column of data (click on the letter at the top of the worksheet). If the data columns are next to one another in the Excel worksheet you can highlight adjacent cells.
• Copy the column (use either the Edit … Copy menu or Ctrl+c)
• Switch to the Surfer worksheet
• Paste the column into the worksheet (use the Edit … Paste menu or Ctrl+v)
• Repeat the above sequence until you have all four columns transferred.
• Make sure that the first row for each column contains text identifying the contents of the column
• Save the Surfer worksheet using the File … Save As command (note where you are saving the file!)
• You can now exit Excel
• Switch to the Surfer plot window using the Window … menu

Step 2. Create a map of points

There are two parts to this step. You need to create a map of points with point numbers, and then overlay a second map that has elevations.

• At this point you should be in a Surfer plot window
• Choose the Map … Post menu item
• You will not get a File Open dialog box. Find and open the data file you created in Step 1
• You will now get the Post Map dialog box
• Select the correct columns for the E (or x), and N (or y)columns (the list boxes will contain the column names you used in the Surfer worksheet in step 1)
• For the label, Select the point number
• Click on the symbol button to select the symbol you want to use
• Select the correct symbol size (0.1 inch is good)
• Select the "Format" button to change the format to zero decimal places
• Select the "Font" button and change the font size to 8 points
• The label position should be "Above"
• When all is done, select OK
• Click on the map that appears
• Go to the Edit … Object ID menu item, and identify the map with the name "Point Numbers"
• Now repeat the above procedure, but this time:
• For the point label use the elevation column
• Under "format" use 2 decimal places
• The label position should be "Below"
• When you click OK a second map will be generated
• Skip the Edit … Object ID step. This layer will have the default name of "Post"
• Now press the F2 button (or use the Edit ... Select All menu item)
• Use the Map … Overlay Maps menu item to make a single map out of the two layers.
• Should you want to change the properties of one of these layers, select the map and use the Map … Edit Overlays command to select which layer you want to edit (one will be called "Point Numbers", the other "Post").

Step 3. Scale the map

The next step is to work out the map scale you want to use. Surfer works in inches, and the total station data we have is in meters. The conversion factor is 1 inch = 2.54 cm. So, if we want a scale of 1:100, or 1 cm represents 1.00 m, this is the same as 2.54 cm represents 2.54 m, or 1 inch represents 2.54 meters.

• Click on the map to select it
• Use the Map … Scale menu item to get the Scale dialog box
• The dialog box is in terms of 1 inch on the paper = units on the ground. Our ground units are meters. So for a map of scale 1:100 enter 2.54 in the dialog box. Surfer will calculate the size of the map for you.

Common map scales are given in the table below.

You should add a scale bar to your map using the Map … Scale bar menu item. This will let you check your map scale.

Step 4.Print the map

• When you have created your map and it is at the correct scale, save the Surfer file.
• You can then use the Epson 1500 to plot your map.
• Use the File … Page Layout menu item
• Select a paper size of "Ledger" (11 x 17 inches) and select OK
• Use the View … Page menu item to see if the plot fits on this size paper. If the paper is too small, select the File … Page Layout menu item and change the paper size to "Other" and set the size to a width of 22 inches and a height of 17 inches. This is the largest size paper we have available.
• Surfer can "Tile" plots. That is, if the map is bigger than the paper specified it will print the map on several overlapping sheets.