Surface Charts

Overview

Surface charts visualize three-dimensional data as continuous surfaces in 3D space. Each point on the surface represents an XYZ coordinate, creating a mesh that can display mathematical functions, terrain data, heat maps, and other continuous 3D phenomena. TeeChart offers powerful surface rendering with customizable color palettes, wireframe modes, and performance optimizations. Use cases:

Mathematical function visualization
Terrain and topographic mapping
Scientific data visualization
Heat map and density displays
Engineering simulations
Financial surface analysis

Series Classes

TSurfaceSeries - Standard 3D surface charts TTriSurfaceSeries - Triangulated irregular network (TIN) surfaces TIsoSurfaceSeries - Isometric surface visualization

Key Properties

Property	Type	Description
`NumXValues`	Integer	Number of points in X direction
`NumZValues`	Integer	Number of points in Z direction
`UseColorRange`	Boolean	Use color gradient based on Y values
`UsePalette`	Boolean	Use predefined color palette
`PaletteStyle`	TPalettestyle	Palette type: `psPale`, `psStrong`, `psGrayscale`, `psRainbow`
`StartColor`	TColor	Starting color for range
`EndColor`	TColor	Ending color for range
`WireFrame`	Boolean	Display as wireframe only
`DotFrame`	Boolean	Display as dots
`IrregularGrid`	Boolean	Support irregular XZ spacing
`Pen`	TPen	Customize grid lines
`Smoothing`	Boolean	Apply smoothing algorithm
`HideCells`	Boolean	Hide back-facing cells
`FastBrush`	Boolean	Faster rendering with simplified fills

Code Examples

Basic Surface Chart

From VCL/TeeNew/SeriesType_Surface.pas:45:

uses
  TeEngine, TeeSurfa, TeeProcs, Chart, TeeTools;

procedure CreateBasicSurface(SurfaceSeries: TSurfaceSeries; Chart: TChart);
begin
  SurfaceSeries.FillSampleValues(30);
  
  Chart.View3D := True;
  
  // Optional settings to accelerate display
  Chart.Axes.FastCalc := True;
  SurfaceSeries.FastBrush := True;
  
  // Optional setting to improve display on rotation
  // but slowing performance
  SurfaceSeries.HideCells := True;
end;

Surface from Mathematical Function

From VCL/TeeNew/SeriesType_Surface.pas:61:

procedure CreateMathSurface(SurfaceSeries: TSurfaceSeries);
begin
  // Set grid size
  SurfaceSeries.NumXValues := 30;
  SurfaceSeries.NumZValues := 30;
  
  // Use event to calculate Y values
  SurfaceSeries.OnGetYValue := CalculateSurfacePoint;
end;

function CalculateSurfacePoint(Sender: TChartSeries; 
  X, Z: Integer): Double;
var
  PiPortion, HalfPi, tmpX, tmpZ: Double;
begin
  with TSurfaceSeries(Sender) do
  begin
    PiPortion := Pi / NumXValues;
    HalfPi := Pi * 0.5;
    tmpX := X * PiPortion;
    tmpZ := Z * PiPortion;
    
    // Sample mathematical functions:
    
    // Sinusoidal surface
    Result := 0.5 * Sqr(Cos(X / (NumXValues * 0.2))) +
              Sqr(Cos(Z / (NumXValues * 0.2))) -
              Cos(Z / (NumXValues * 0.5));
    
    // Or trigonometric
    // Result := Sqr(Cos(tmpX)) * Sqr(Sin(tmpZ));
    
    // Or wave function
    // Result := Cos(tmpX * tmpX) + Sin(tmpZ * tmpZ);
    
    // Or radial
    // Result := Sqrt(tmpX * tmpX + tmpZ * tmpZ);
  end;
end;

Color Modes

From VCL/TeeNew/SeriesType_Surface.pas:168:

procedure SetSurfaceColorMode(Surface: TSurfaceSeries; Mode: Integer);
begin
  case Mode of
    0: begin
         // Single color
         Surface.UseColorRange := False;
         Surface.UsePalette := False;
       end;
    1: begin
         // Color range (gradient from start to end color)
         Surface.UseColorRange := True;
         Surface.UsePalette := False;
         Surface.StartColor := clYellow;
         Surface.EndColor := clRed;
       end;
    2: begin
         // Pale palette
         Surface.UseColorRange := False;
         Surface.UsePalette := True;
         Surface.PaletteStyle := psPale;
       end;
    3: begin
         // Strong palette
         Surface.UseColorRange := False;
         Surface.UsePalette := True;
         Surface.PaletteStyle := psStrong;
       end;
    4: begin
         // Grayscale
         Surface.UseColorRange := False;
         Surface.UsePalette := True;
         Surface.PaletteStyle := psGrayscale;
       end;
    5: begin
         // Inverted grayscale
         Surface.UseColorRange := False;
         Surface.UsePalette := True;
         Surface.PaletteStyle := psInvGray;
       end;
    6: begin
         // Rainbow
         Surface.UseColorRange := False;
         Surface.UsePalette := True;
         Surface.PaletteStyle := psRainbow;
       end;
  end;
end;

Display Modes

From VCL/TeeNew/SeriesType_Surface.pas:207:

procedure SetSurfaceDisplayMode(Surface: TSurfaceSeries; Mode: Integer);
begin
  case Mode of
    0: begin
         // Solid with grid lines
         Surface.WireFrame := False;
         Surface.DotFrame := False;
         Surface.Pen.Visible := True;
       end;
    1: begin
         // Solid without grid
         Surface.WireFrame := False;
         Surface.DotFrame := False;
         Surface.Pen.Visible := False;
       end;
    2: begin
         // Wireframe only
         Surface.WireFrame := True;
         Surface.Pen.Visible := True;
       end;
    3: begin
         // Dot frame
         Surface.DotFrame := True;
       end;
  end;
end;

Surface with Custom Data

From VCL/TeeNew/Surface_XYZFloat.pas (example pattern):

procedure AddCustomSurfaceData(Surface: TSurfaceSeries);
var
  X, Z: Integer;
  Y: Double;
begin
  Surface.Clear;
  
  // Define grid size
  Surface.NumXValues := 20;
  Surface.NumZValues := 20;
  
  // Add XYZ points
  for X := 0 to Surface.NumXValues - 1 do
    for Z := 0 to Surface.NumZValues - 1 do
    begin
      // Calculate Y value based on X and Z
      Y := Sin(X * 0.3) * Cos(Z * 0.3) * 10;
      
      Surface.AddXYZ(X, Y, Z);
    end;
end;

Irregular Surface Grid

From VCL/TeeNew/Surface_Irregular.pas (example pattern):

procedure CreateIrregularSurface(Surface: TSurfaceSeries);
begin
  Surface.IrregularGrid := True;
  
  // Add points with irregular X and Z spacing
  Surface.AddXYZ(0, 10, 0);
  Surface.AddXYZ(5, 20, 0);
  Surface.AddXYZ(8, 15, 0);
  Surface.AddXYZ(0, 12, 5);
  Surface.AddXYZ(5, 25, 5);
  Surface.AddXYZ(8, 18, 5);
  // ... more irregular points
end;

Surface Smoothing

From VCL/TeeNew/Surface_Smoothing.pas (example pattern):

procedure ApplySurfaceSmoothing(Surface: TSurfaceSeries);
begin
  // Enable smoothing algorithm
  Surface.Smoothing := True;
  
  // Adjust smoothing segments for quality
  Surface.SmoothSegments := 10;
end;

Customization Options

Grid Lines and Pen

From VCL/TeeNew/Surface_WirePalette.pas (example pattern):

procedure CustomizeGridLines(Surface: TSurfaceSeries);
begin
  with Surface.Pen do
  begin
    Visible := True;
    Color := clBlack;
    Width := 1;
    Style := psSolid;
  end;
  
  // Use palette colors for grid
  Surface.UsePalette := True;
  Surface.PaletteStyle := psRainbow;
end;

Transparency

From VCL/TeeNew/Surface_Transparency.pas (example pattern):

procedure SetSurfaceTransparency(Surface: TSurfaceSeries);
begin
  Surface.Transparency := 50;  // 0-100
end;

Surface Sides

From VCL/TeeNew/Surface_Sides.pas (example pattern):

procedure ShowSurfaceSides(Surface: TSurfaceSeries);
begin
  // Show vertical walls around surface
  Surface.SideWalls.Visible := True;
  Surface.SideWalls.Color := clGray;
  Surface.SideWalls.Pen.Visible := True;
end;

Hiding Cells

From VCL/TeeNew/Surface_HideCells.pas (example pattern):

procedure ConfigureCellHiding(Surface: TSurfaceSeries);
begin
  // Hide back-facing cells for better 3D effect
  Surface.HideCells := True;
  
  // Manually hide specific cells
  Surface.HideCell[5, 5] := True;
end;

Advanced Features

Interactive Rotation

From VCL/TeeNew/SeriesType_Surface.pas:24:

uses
  TeeTools;

procedure EnableRotation(Chart: TChart);
var
  RotateTool: TRotateTool;
begin
  RotateTool := TRotateTool.Create(Chart);
  Chart.Tools.Add(RotateTool);
  
  // Now users can rotate the chart with mouse drag
end;

Contour Display

From VCL/TeeNew/SeriesType_Contour.pas (see Contour Charts page):

procedure AddContourToSurface(SurfaceSeries: TSurfaceSeries; Chart: TChart);
var
  ContourSeries: TContourSeries;
begin
  ContourSeries := TContourSeries.Create(Chart);
  Chart.AddSeries(ContourSeries);
  
  // Use surface as data source for contour
  ContourSeries.DataSource := SurfaceSeries;
  ContourSeries.NumLevels := 10;
end;

Performance Optimization

procedure OptimizeSurfacePerformance(Surface: TSurfaceSeries; Chart: TChart);
begin
  // Fast brush for quicker rendering
  Surface.FastBrush := True;
  
  // Fast axis calculations
  Chart.Axes.FastCalc := True;
  
  // Disable automatic repaint during updates
  Chart.AutoRepaint := False;
  
  // Make changes...
  
  // Re-enable and repaint
  Chart.AutoRepaint := True;
  Chart.Invalidate;
end;

OpenGL Acceleration

From VCL/TeeNew/OpenGL_Surface.pas (example pattern):

uses
  TeeOpenGL;

procedure EnableOpenGL(Chart: TChart);
begin
  // Enable OpenGL rendering for better performance
  Chart.Canvas := TGLCanvas.Create;
end;

Surface Nearest Point

From VCL/TeeNew/Tool_SurfaceNearest.pas (example pattern):

uses
  TeeSurfaceTool;

procedure EnableSurfaceNearest(Chart: TChart; Surface: TSurfaceSeries);
var
  NearestTool: TSurfaceNearestTool;
begin
  NearestTool := TSurfaceNearestTool.Create(Chart);
  Chart.Tools.Add(NearestTool);
  NearestTool.Series := Surface;
  
  // Shows nearest point when hovering
end;

Dynamic Surface Updates

procedure UpdateSurfaceData(Surface: TSurfaceSeries);
var
  X, Z: Integer;
begin
  Chart1.AutoRepaint := False;
  
  // Update Y values
  for X := 0 to Surface.NumXValues - 1 do
    for Z := 0 to Surface.NumZValues - 1 do
    begin
      Surface.YValues[X * Surface.NumZValues + Z] := 
        Random(100) * Sin(Now * X) * Cos(Now * Z);
    end;
  
  Chart1.AutoRepaint := True;
  Chart1.Invalidate;
end;

Export Surface to File

procedure ExportSurfaceData(Surface: TSurfaceSeries; FileName: String);
var
  X, Z, Index: Integer;
  Data: TStringList;
begin
  Data := TStringList.Create;
  try
    Data.Add('X,Y,Z');
    
    for X := 0 to Surface.NumXValues - 1 do
      for Z := 0 to Surface.NumZValues - 1 do
      begin
        Index := X * Surface.NumZValues + Z;
        Data.Add(Format('%f,%f,%f', [
          Surface.XValues[Index],
          Surface.YValues[Index],
          Surface.ZValues[Index]
        ]));
      end;
    
    Data.SaveToFile(FileName);
  finally
    Data.Free;
  end;
end;

Best Practices

Start with modest grid size - Large grids (>50x50) can impact performance
Use FastBrush for real-time - Enable for better performance during updates
Enable HideCells for rotation - Improves visual quality when rotating
Choose appropriate color palette - Rainbow for scientific, grayscale for technical
Consider OpenGL - For large datasets and smooth interaction
Optimize axis calculations - Use FastCalc for better performance

Contour Charts - 2D representation of 3D surface
3D Point Charts - Discrete points instead of continuous surface
TriSurface Charts - Triangulated irregular surfaces
Heat Maps - 2D color-coded intensity visualization

Get Started

VCL Samples

FMX Samples

Chart Types

Features

Advanced

Overview

Series Classes

Key Properties

Code Examples

Basic Surface Chart

Surface from Mathematical Function

Color Modes

Display Modes

Surface with Custom Data

Irregular Surface Grid

Surface Smoothing

Customization Options

Grid Lines and Pen

Transparency

Surface Sides

Hiding Cells

Advanced Features

Interactive Rotation

Contour Display

Performance Optimization

OpenGL Acceleration

Surface Nearest Point

Dynamic Surface Updates

Export Surface to File

Best Practices

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

VCL Samples

FMX Samples

Chart Types

Features

Advanced

​Overview

​Series Classes

​Key Properties

​Code Examples

​Basic Surface Chart

​Surface from Mathematical Function

​Color Modes

​Display Modes

​Surface with Custom Data

​Irregular Surface Grid

​Surface Smoothing

​Customization Options

​Grid Lines and Pen

​Transparency

​Surface Sides

​Hiding Cells

​Advanced Features

​Interactive Rotation

​Contour Display

​Performance Optimization

​OpenGL Acceleration

​Surface Nearest Point

​Dynamic Surface Updates

​Export Surface to File

​Best Practices

​Related Chart Types

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Series Classes

Key Properties

Code Examples

Basic Surface Chart

Surface from Mathematical Function

Color Modes

Display Modes

Surface with Custom Data

Irregular Surface Grid

Surface Smoothing

Customization Options

Grid Lines and Pen

Transparency

Surface Sides

Hiding Cells

Advanced Features

Interactive Rotation

Contour Display

Performance Optimization

OpenGL Acceleration

Surface Nearest Point

Dynamic Surface Updates

Export Surface to File

Best Practices

Related Chart Types