Is there a way to take an image and make a map grid that an array could take datafrom

I wish I knew the proper term for it because I know I've heard of something like a height map being created out of an image. My goal is to make a map that is created from data from an array. I want to use an image as a short cut to make the map as typing in the values to the arrayI know will take a lot of time. Also its nice to seethe whole map laid out before I code it in. It just seems like an easy approach.

If anyone can just give the term to search for to find more info on it I'd be grateful. Or just a way to analysis an image and get something of a text document or what ever form that an Array could take stuff from. I would be interested if there is a way that fusion could get color data from a pixel and then compare it to a value I could make my own analyzer.

The main goal is to have a grid map and use an image to layout the biomes. Green would =1 in the array and then the code creates a grass grid tile/map section. Gray=2= city grid. Then I can rearrange the roads with other code. My partner has made a very good random gen for roads but I'm trying to limit it so I can guarantee some grass, some city, and some highway.

Thanks for your time.

Here is a quick example using the Surface object that reads a "map" from an image using RGB values.

Attachment 16741

Awesome thank you very very much. Do you know what this method is called btw? or if it has a specific name? I swear I watched/read something about height maps being made like this and then just transferring the image it makes because its small and easy.

Also any royalties I need to pay to use that? I googled it and all that came up was questions on how to use it not who made the object. Is it just an extra plugin from Clickteam?

Looki made the Surface object. Not sure if he's charging anything to use it in commercial projects.

I don't know if this method has a particular name.

ok thanks and no problem

Can I ask for more information about this simple method, like for example what must be modified if each point on the map to load is not a 1x1px Red,Yellow or green pixel, but an already existent map, e.g. with 32x32, tiles. Can it be extended to calculate the mean of, e.g, each 32x32 square on the input image and then decide what tile to put over it the final resulting map?