Tool to Extract Terrain Elevation Data?

[sttp]

Is there yet such a tool, one that auto creates a height map or topographical map out of CM's elevation data?

 

Or is that even possible?

 

Ideally such a tool would search through the map data without that map even being open in the editor... but since I highly doubt this is even possible (proprietary data and all that), how about a tool that can turn the elevation numbers from within the editor into a color-coded bitmap?

 

I'm a novice with image editors, but could photoshop or GIMP perhaps be automated to do this with a super high-res screenshot or whatever? Logic something like "if this map image contains a 16-pixel square that looks like [THIS], replace those 16 pixels with [THAT SOLID COLOR]"....

 

I feel like this last thing, at least, should somehow be possible?

 

Even if only possible in this last way, if enough people contributed, then a database of the let's say maybe 1500(??) total CMx2 maps could be built.

 

With the new CMx3 series of titles on the way, though, maybe it wouldn't even be worth it.... (Kidding!)

 

Edited July 5 by sttp