Properties
The Properties window allows you to edit the properties of a selected object, such as a contour map or axis. The Properties window contains a list of all properties for the selected object. The Properties window can be left open so that the properties of the selected object are always visible.
To display the properties for an object, click once on the object in the Contents window or in the plot window. The properties are displayed in the Properties window. When the Properties window is hidden or closed, double-clicking on an object in the Contents window opens the Properties window with the properties for the selected object displayed. To activate the Properties window, click inside the Properties window or press ALT+ENTER on the keyboard.
For information on a specific feature or property that is shown in the Properties window, refer to the help page for that Properties window page. For instance, if you are interested in determining how to set the Fill colors for a contour map or how to save data for a post map, refer to the contour map Levels topic or post map General topic in the program help, respectively.
Opening and Closing the Properties Window
The Properties window is opened and closed with the View | Show/Hide | Properties command. Clear the Properties check box to close the Properties window. Check the Properties check box to open the Contents window. Alternatively, you can click on the 
button in the title bar of the Properties window to close the window. You can also right-click on the Properties window title bar and click Hide . To activate the Properties window, click inside the Properties window or press ALT+ENTER on the keyboard.
Auto Hide the Properties Window
You can increase the plot document space by minimizing the Properties window with the Auto Hide feature. To hide the Properties window, click on the 
button in the upper right corner of the Properties window.
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Click on the autohide button to display the Properties window as a tab. |
The window hides on the left, top, or right side of the plot window as a small tab labeled Properties.
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The Properties tab view. |
To view the contents of the Properties window while in tab view, place the cursor directly over the tab. Click in the window to keep it open for use. Click outside the window to return it to the hidden position. Click on the 
button to return it to the docked display mode. Alternatively, right-click the Properties title bar and click Auto Hide . You can also drag the sides of the Properties window to change the size of the window.
Changing the Properties Window Location - Floating vs. Docking
The Properties window can be docked on the edge of the Surfer window or floated as a dialog. The Properties window is displayed in a docked view by default. The window can also be detached to display as a floating window. Double-click on the Properties window title bar to toggle between floating and docked modes. Alternatively, right-click the Properties window title bar and select Floating, Docking, Auto Hide, or Hide.
To change the position of the docked Properties window, left-click the title bar of the window and drag it to a new location while holding the left mouse button. The docking mechanism displays with arrow indicators as you move the window. When the cursor touches one of the docking indicators in the docking mechanism, a blue rectangle shows the window docking position. Release the left mouse button to allow the manager to be docked in the specified location.
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The docking mechanism displays with docking indicators. |
Changing Properties
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The Properties window displays the properties associated with the selected object. |
The Properties window displays the properties for selected objects. To change a property, click on the property's value and select a new property from the pop up box, scroll to a new number using the 
buttons, select a new value using the slider 
, select a new value from the list or palette, or type a property value. Objects in the plot, grid editor, or 3D view window automatically update after you select an item from a palette, use one of the controls, or press ENTER after typing a new value.
For example, a polyline has Style, Color, Opacity, Width, and End Styles properties. Changing the Color requires clicking on the current color and selecting a new color from the color palette. Changing the Width requires highlighting the current width and typing a new number or scrolling to a new number. Changing the Opacity requires highlighting the current value and typing a new number or clicking on the slider bar and dragging it to a new value.
You can modify more than one object at a time. Only shared properties can be changed are when multiple objects are selected. For example, you can click on a polyline in the Contents window. Hold the CTRL key and click on a polygon. You can then change the line properties of both objects at the same time. Fill properties, which are available if only a polygon is selected, are not available as the polyline does not have fill properties.
Some properties are dependent on your other selections. For example, there is a Pattern Offset section on the Fill page. This section is only available when an image fill type is selected as the Pattern.
Expand and Collapse Features
Features with multiple options appear with a 
or 
to the left of the name. To expand a group, click on the icon. To collapse the group, click on the icon. For example, the expanded Filled Contours section in the Levels page contains three options, Fill contours, Fill colors, and Color scale.
Keyboard Commands
To activate the Properties window, press ALT+ENTER on the keyboard. When working with the Properties window, the up and down arrow keys move up and down in the Properties window list. The TAB key activates the highlighted property. The right arrow key expands collapsed sections, e.g., Filled Contours, and the left arrow collapses the section.
Property Defaults
Use the File | Options command to change the default settings. Default settings for rulers, drawing grid, line, fill, text, symbol, label format, and advanced settings that control each map type can be set from the Options dialog.
Property Information Area
If the Show property info area is checked on the Options dialog User Interface page, a short help statement for each selected command is presented in the Properties window.