Grid Functions


In addition to creating maps, you can perform a variety of functions using grid files. Just a few of the possibilities include:

  • Calculating the volume and areas of grid files! You can calculate the planar and surface area, and calculate the volume between two grid files, or a grid file and any horizontal plane.
  • Applying a mathematical equation to grid files. Examples include subtracting one grid file from another to create an isopach map, converting outliers to a minimum or maximum value, or multiplying one grid file by a conversion factor to convert the Z units from meters to feet.
  • Applying grid filters to emphasize details or remove background variation in the grid file.
  • Blanking specified regions in a grid file to prevent contours or map data from being drawn through those areas (ie. buildings, roads, or outside of field areas).
  • Creating cross sections and topographical profiles.
  • Combining multiple grid files into a single, easy to use grid file.
  • Extracting subsets of grids or DEMs based on rows and columns.
  • Transforming, offset, rescale, rotate, and mirror grids.
  • Smoothing grid files to create smoother maps.
  • Calculating first and second directional derivatives at user-specified orientations.
  • Calculating differential and integral operators utilizing gradient, Laplacian, biharmonic, and integrated volume operators.
  • Analyzing your data with Fourier and Spectral Analysis with Correlograms and Periodogram.
  • Calculating residuals to find the difference between the original data point values the interpolated Z values at those points, or to find the Z values at any specific XY locations.
  • Converting a grid file from any supported format to any other supported format.
  • Last 10 grid functions are automatically saved.

 

surfer-gridfunction 2

Grid functions were used to combine bathymetric data with local terrain data.
Available grid functions in Surfer converted the Z values in the bathymetric grid from
bathymetric units to elevation units, and cleared the data in the areas outside the
lake boundary. The grid of lake bathymetry was then combined with the grid of
the local terrain elevation to create a single composite grid file.