TrustRadius Insights
Users of Surfer have praised the software for its ability to create impressive 3D visualizations that leave a lasting impact on clients. …
Overview
What is Surfer?
Surfer is a data visualization suite from Golden Software in Colorado for oil and gas companies, or other entities in other industries requiring geological or environmental data.
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Product Details
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What is Surfer?
Surfer Technical Details
| Operating Systems | Unspecified |
|---|---|
| Mobile Application | No |
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Community Insights
TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!
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Users of Surfer have praised the software for its ability to create impressive 3D visualizations that leave a lasting impact on clients. The software is highly regarded for its extensive capabilities in creating reports and presentations, making it an indispensable tool for consultants. Surfer's ease of use is another key feature that has attracted a wide range of users, from undergraduate students to seasoned professionals. The software allows users to explore terrains and map large areas of land, providing valuable insights into potential obstacles and materials. Whether it's mapping, contouring, or analyzing geochemical and grid data, Surfer excels in delivering high-quality results. The customizable nature of contour maps in Surfer has also been appreciated by users who can tailor them to their specific needs. Additionally, the kriging function in Surfer stands out for its simplicity in creating quick and easy isopleth maps. With its ability to produce professional groundwater contour maps and facilitate hydrogeological modeling, environmental consulting, and reservoir sedimentation evaluation, Surfer is widely used across various industries for visualizing complex data sets and generating graphics. From mine planning to structural geology analysis to automating weather-related charts, Surfer proves to be a versatile software solution that addresses the diverse needs of its users.
Flexibility in geostatistical analysis: Users appreciate the flexibility provided by Surfer for geostatistical analysis. Several reviewers have stated that the software offers a wide range of mapping methods and tools, allowing them to perform various tasks such as gridding, contouring, and creating maps for GIS or flow model applications. The ability to build custom scripts using VBA or other programming languages has also been highlighted as a positive aspect.
Intuitive user interface: Surfer's intuitive user interface is highly praised by users. Many reviewers find the interface easy to follow and navigate, making it a great tool for 2D and 3D mapping, modeling, and analysis. They appreciate the contextual help and intuitive menus that make it easier to use the software effectively. The clear GUI/toolbar and point cloud feature are also mentioned as positive aspects of the user interface.
Speed and control in mapping algorithms: Users value Surfer for its speed, control, and wide range of mapping algorithms. Multiple reviewers have described the software as powerful yet user-friendly, with an intuitive interface that can be easily picked up even by undergraduates. The automation feature allows for quick renderings of 3D terrain models with gridded data, providing efficient results in a timely manner.
Difficulties Managing Layers in DXF Files: Many users have expressed that managing layers in DXF files within Surfer is a challenging task. They find it difficult to organize and manipulate the layers effectively, which can hinder their workflow.
Compatibility Issues with ArcInfo: A number of reviewers have mentioned that they face compatibility issues when working with others who require full compatibility with ArcInfo. This limitation can be problematic for collaborative projects where seamless integration and sharing of data are essential.
Time-consuming Procedure for Eliminating Dashes and Values from 2D Maps: Users have stated that the procedure to eliminate dashes and values from a 2D map in Surfer is quite time-consuming. This process can be lengthy and tedious, leading to decreased efficiency in project completion.
Based on user reviews, users commonly recommend the following for Surfer:
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Supplement Surfer with Python and R for ease of automation. Users suggest using Surfer in conjunction with programming languages like Python and R to enhance automation capabilities and streamline workflows.
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Try Surfer if it is available at your company and do the tutorial. Many users recommend giving Surfer a try, especially if it is already accessible within your organization. They also advise completing the tutorial to familiarize yourself with the software's functionality.
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Review Surfer's capabilities and functions thoroughly before making a decision. Users emphasize the importance of fully exploring Surfer's features and capabilities before deciding whether it suits your needs. This comprehensive review can help ensure that Surfer aligns with your requirements and objectives.
Users have also mentioned other positive aspects of Surfer, such as its ability to create contours and save time and money, its potential for generating contour plots and 3D maps for presentations, its ease of use and quality results, as well as its excellent customer support. However, these recommendations were not as prevalent in the user reviews compared to the three mentioned above.
Reviews
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My company uses Surfer to create 2D and 3D images to represent the data we collect in the field. It is a small company so most employees use it for data processing and reports. It has been excellent for us to produce better images and improve the quality of our reports and assessments sent to clients.
- 3D surface maps are easy with Surfer and take a report to a whole new level.
- It's an easy to learn program with accessible tech support when needed.
- Data input is made simple as long as you stick to their (simple) guidelines.
- The user interface can be tricky at first. It's a little rough around the edges and takes a little time to get the hang of.
- Not an ideal application for older employees. There are too many things with the interface that make it not worthwhile to train employees with less computer experience.
- Manipulating data within Surfer is difficult because you have to do things in a certain order. Not terrible if you get the hang of it but certainly frustrating at first.
- The worst thing about Surfer is the cost. My company can only afford one license at the moment which means only one employee gets to use it regularly. Not so great when someone is sick or you have a huge wave of projects.
- The user interface is a little rough but younger employees have been great at catching on quickly and producing great images.
- There's nothing else quite like Surfer. It's versatile and not to difficult to use so, though the licenses are expensive, it is an excellent program that has done wonders for our company!
April 09, 2019
Flexible and Simple to Use
Within our university, our department of Geological Sciences uses Surfer for various applications related to mapping geologic horizons, such as structural maps, reservoir thickness maps, and contouring of geological properties maps. The undergraduate students need to use it to complete projects for more than one course. Some graduate students, including those of my research group, use Surfer to contour data and generate maps related to our research, and publish in reports and articles.
- The interface is simple and easy/quick to learn, so that not much experience is needed to start generating maps.
- The map layouts are easy to manipulate, change colors, scale, labels, contour interval, etc...
- Simple but functional mathematical and logical functions allow for the calculation and manipulation of grids.
- It would be nice to establish the grid geometry graphically and/or copy it from an existing grid with only a couple of clicks.
- The profile tool is good for making cross sections, but there's no way, that I know of, that you can create a combined profile of two or more stacked maps.
- Surfer has allowed us to quickly create maps out of data imported from other software and GIS databases that either don't offer that function or have too cumbersome of mapping capabilities.
Surfer is very unique with respect to its capabilities. I am not aware of any other mapping software that is at the same time flexible, has a friendly interface, and creates such nice-looking maps.