--- a/scripts/plot/surface.m
+++ b/scripts/plot/surface.m
@@ -18,49 +18,48 @@
 ## <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 ## -*- texinfo -*-
-## @deftypefn {Function File} @var{h} = {} surface (@var{x}, @var{y}, @var{z}, @var{c})
-## @deftypefnx {Function File} @var{h} = {} surface (@var{x}, @var{y}, @var{z})
-## Plot a surface graphic object given matrices @var{x}, and @var{y} from @code{meshgrid} and
-## a matrix @var{z} corresponding to the @var{x} and @var{y} coordinates of
-## the surface.  If @var{x} and @var{y} are vectors, then a typical vertex
-## is (@var{x}(j), @var{y}(i), @var{z}(i,j)).  Thus, columns of @var{z}
-## correspond to different @var{x} values and rows of @var{z} correspond
-## to different @var{y} values.
+## @deftypefn {Function File} {} surface (@var{x}, @var{y}, @var{z}, @var{c})
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} surface (@var{x}, @var{y}, @var{z})
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} surface (@var{z}, @var{c})
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} surface (@var{z})
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} surface (@dots{}, @var{prop}, @var{val})
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {} surface (@var{h}, @dots{})
+## @deftypefnx {Function File} {@var{h} = } surface (@dots{})
+## Plot a surface graphic object given matrices @var{x}, and @var{y} from 
+## @code{meshgrid} and a matrix @var{z} corresponding to the @var{x} and 
+## @var{y} coordinates of the surface.  If @var{x} and @var{y} are vectors,
+## then a typical vertex  is (@var{x}(j), @var{y}(i), @var{z}(i,j)).  Thus, 
+## columns of @var{z} correspond to different @var{x} values and rows of 
+## @var{z} correspond to different @var{y} values. If @var{x} and @var{y}
+## are missing, they are constructed from size of the matrix @var{z}.
+##
+## Any additional properties passed are assigned the the surface..
 ## @seealso{surf, mesh, patch, line}
 ## @end deftypefn
 
 ## Author: jwe
 
-function h = surface (x, y, z, c)
+function h = surface (varargin)
 
   ax = gca ();
 
-  if (nargin == 1)
-    c = z = x;
-    if (ismatrix (z))
-      [nr, nc] = size (z);
-      x = 1:nc;
-      y = (1:nr)';
-    else
-      error ("surface: argument must be a matrix");
+  firststring = nargin + 1;
+  for i = 1 : nargin
+    if (ischar (varargin {i}))
+      firststring = i;
+      break;
     endif
-  elseif (nargin == 3)
-    c = z;
-    if (isvector (x) && isvector (y) && ismatrix (z))
-      if (rows (z) == length (y) && columns (z) == length (x))
-        x = x(:)';
-        y = y(:);
-      else
-        error ("surface: rows (z) must be the same as length (y) and columns (z) must be the same as length (x)");
-      endif
-    elseif (ismatrix (x) && ismatrix (y) && ismatrix (z))
-      if (! (size_equal (x, y) && size_equal (x, z)))
-        error ("surface: x, y, and z must have same dimensions");
-      endif
-    else
-      error ("surface: x and y must be vectors and z must be a matrix");
-    endif
-  elseif (nargin == 4)
+  endfor
+
+
+  if (firststring > 5)
+    print_usage ();
+  elseif (firststring == 5)
+    x = varargin{1};
+    y = varargin{2};
+    z = varargin{3};
+    c = varargin{4};
+
     if (! size_equal (z, c))
       error ("surface: z and c must have same size");
     endif
@@ -78,6 +77,45 @@
     else
       error ("surface: x and y must be vectors and z must be a matrix");
     endif
+  elseif (firststring == 4)
+    x = varargin{1};
+    y = varargin{2};
+    z = varargin{3};
+    c = z;
+    if (isvector (x) && isvector (y) && ismatrix (z))
+      if (rows (z) == length (y) && columns (z) == length (x))
+        x = x(:)';
+        y = y(:);
+      else
+        error ("surface: rows (z) must be the same as length (y) and columns (z) must be the same as length (x)");
+      endif
+    elseif (ismatrix (x) && ismatrix (y) && ismatrix (z))
+      if (! (size_equal (x, y) && size_equal (x, z)))
+        error ("surface: x, y, and z must have same dimensions");
+      endif
+    else
+      error ("surface: x and y must be vectors and z must be a matrix");
+    endif
+  elseif (firststring == 3)    
+    z = varargin {1};
+    c = varargin {2};
+    if (ismatrix (z))
+      [nr, nc] = size (z);
+      x = 1:nc;
+      y = (1:nr)';
+    else
+      error ("surface: argument must be a matrix");
+    endif
+  elseif (firststring == 2)    
+    z = varargin {1};
+    c = z;
+    if (ismatrix (z))
+      [nr, nc] = size (z);
+      x = 1:nc;
+      y = (1:nr)';
+    else
+      error ("surface: argument must be a matrix");
+    endif
   else
     print_usage ();
   endif
@@ -85,6 +123,7 @@
   ## Make a default surface object.
   tmp = __go_surface__ (ax, "xdata", x, "ydata", y, "zdata", z, "cdata", c);
   set (tmp, "facecolor","flat");
+  set (tmp, varargin {firststring:end});
 
   if (! ishold ())
     set (ax, "view", [0, 90], "box", "off", "xgrid", "on", "ygrid", "on", "zgrid", "on");