Difference between revisions of "Using the Micro-Manager python library"
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− | The easiest way to control Micro-Manager through Python is the [https://github.com/micro-manager/pycro-manager Pycro-manager] library. The instructions below are for an alternative mechanism in which you compile the micro-manager core yourself with python bindings. | + | The easiest way to control Micro-Manager through Python is the [https://github.com/micro-manager/pycro-manager Pycro-manager] library. |
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+ | The instructions below are for an alternative mechanism in which you compile the micro-manager core yourself with python bindings. | ||
Latest revision as of 20:41, 18 May 2020
The easiest way to control Micro-Manager through Python is the Pycro-manager library.
The instructions below are for an alternative mechanism in which you compile the micro-manager core yourself with python bindings.
MMCorePy is a wrapper that allows you to control microscope hardware from python interactive session or script. It's support Windows, Mac and Linux.
Micromanager's main parts:
- CMMCore - basic module, written in C++. Script languages like python just wrap it by swig.
- Device adapters - various libraries that allow support for various hardware. If you want to built one and extend MM devise support, follow this guide.
- MMCorePy - python wrapper. MM build scripts are support both python 2 and 3, but windows version still ships with python 2 bindings only.
- MMCoreJ - java wrapper
- MMStudio - Micromanager GUI (technically it is ImageJ plugin).
Environment setup
You must install python2 and numpy. Windows users may prefer using an python distribution instead manual separate installation.
Manual
- python 2.7.x (python2 is default for windows now)
- numpy 1.7.x Micromanager represent imaging data as multidimensional numpy arrays.
Using python distributions
It's convenient to install a distribution which includes Python, numpy, scientific libraries, GUI frameworks and IDEs. All distributions have a free version, some of them have extended paid version, and you can request free academic license.
- Enthought's python distribution (EPD)
- Anaconda, has package manager.
- PythonXY totally free.
Useful libraries
- Scipy - scientific algorithms, multidimensional image processing toolbox.
- Matplotlib - fastest way to show your image data.
- Opencv - computer vision and image processing library. Sometimes faster than scipy.
- Pillow - very basic image processing. Scipy uses it for image loading and writing.
- Scikit-image - "pythonic" scientific-oriented image processing algorithms collection.
- IPython - improved interactive python environment
Micromanager installation
Windows & Mac
Download and install Micro-Manager on your computer. Add Micromanager installation folder to PYTHONPATH (i.e. "C:\Program Files\Micro-Manager-1.4", it should contain MMCorePy.py and _MMCorePy.pyd files). Create variable if it not exist. At now you can import MMCorePy without an error.
Linux
MM package from your distribution repository, in most cases, ships with CMMCore, MMCorePy (python 2 or 3 wrapper) and MMCoreJ, but without GUI. Python and Numpy would be installed by your package manager as dependency. In normal way, you don't need changing any system variable.
Using Python API
Familiarize yourself with Micro-Manager and learn how to connect it to your hardware by MMStudio GUI.
- Find your device on this page and figure out what adapter you need.
- Micro-Manager Configuration Guide help you to understand how properties work.
- Read the general Micro-Manager Programming Guide
- Use API.
First steps
Start python interactive session. Import `MMCorePy` and make sure everything is working properly.
>>> import MMCorePy >>> mmc = MMCorePy.CMMCore() # Instance micromanager core >>> mmc.getVersionInfo() 'MMCore version 2.3.2' >>> mmc.getAPIVersionInfo() 'Device API version 59, Module API version 10'
We just get some basic information about current Micromanager installation. If there an `ImportError`, check your PYTHONPATH variable. If output is too verbose, run mmc.enableStderrLog(False); mmc.enableDebugLog(False).
Device loading
Let's take step closer to hardware. Micromanager have couple of dummy devices, suitable for learning purposes. Load DemoCamera:
# Demo camera example, continuation of previous listing >>> mmc.loadDevice('Camera', 'DemoCamera', 'DCam') >>> mmc.initializeAllDevices() >>> mmc.setCameraDevice('Camera')
Property discovery
Every device has properties - settings that let you control the device more precisely. Default values should be fine, but if you need something sophisticated, this example help you figure out how to explore it.
Snapping single image
Images returned as numpy array by calls to an instance of the pythonized Micro-Manager CMMCore class. The array dtype depends on property named PixelType (see below).
Grayscale
>>> mmc.snapImage() >>> img = mmc.getImage() # img - it's just numpy array >>> img array([[12, 12, 13, ..., 11, 12, 12], [12, 12, 13, ..., 11, 12, 12], [12, 13, 13, ..., 12, 12, 12], ..., [22, 22, 22, ..., 22, 22, 22], [22, 22, 22, ..., 22, 22, 22], [22, 22, 22, ..., 22, 22, 22]], dtype=uint8)
DemoCamera snaps grayscale 8-bit image, by default. It presented as two-dimensional numpy array. Let's show image data with matplotlib.
>>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt >>> plt.imshow(img, cmap='gray') >>> plt.show() # And window will appear
Color
Of course, color image is more suitable for optical microscopy purposes. So take one, if your camera support it:
>>> mmc.setProperty('Camera', 'PixelType', '32bitRGB') # Change pixel type >>> rgb32 = mmc.getImage() >>> rgb32 array([[1250067, 1250067, 1315860, ..., 1250067, 1250067, 1250067], [1250067, 1315603, 1315860, ..., 1250067, 1250067, 1250067], [1250067, 1315859, 1315860, ..., 1250067, 1250067, 1250067], ..., [1246483, 1246483, 1246483, ..., 1181204, 1246740, 1246484], [1246483, 1246483, 1246483, ..., 1246740, 1246740, 1246483], [1246483, 1246483, 1312019, ..., 1246740, 1246740, 1246483]], dtype=uint32)
Interesting output isn't it? We expect something like 3-dimensional RGB array, but get bunch of 32-bit uints in 2-D shape.
Numpy array
Now we should look at RGB32 pixel data structure. Every pixel has 32-bit depth and contain 4 values for blue, green, red and blank channel. Blank channel is more technical peculiarity, than necessity.
low memory address ----> high memory address | pixel | pixel | pixel | pixel | pixel | pixel |... |-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|... |B|G|R|A|B|G|R|A|B|G|R|A|B|G|R|A|B|G|R|A|B|G|R|A|... http://avisynth.nl/index.php/RGB32
Let's numpy handle that.
>>> import numpy as np >>> rgb32.shape (512, 512) >>> rgb = rgb32.view(dtype=np.uint8).reshape( rgb32.shape[0], rgb32.shape[1], 4)[...,2::-1] >>> rgb.shape (512, 512, 3) >>> rgb.dtype dtype('uint8')
It is a fastest way to get pixel data as RGB array without copying. There is no conversion - just creating new view to same data. Now you can process image with scipy or scikits-image. Note, that opencv uses BGR order (replace slice to [..., :3] for that).
Continuous acquisition
mmc.startContinuousSequenceAcquisition(1) while True: if mmc.getRemainingImageCount() > 0: frame = mmc.getLastImage() # or frame = mmc.popNextImage()
Code examples
A longer example script, MMCoreWrapDemo.py, is available in the Micro-Manager root directory.
Also check out micromanager-samples repo (live video acquisition, property discovery etc).
Further reading
- Image manipulation and processing using Numpy and Scipy by Python Scientific Lecture Notes.
- Scikits-image gallery
- Lectures on scientific computing with Python
- OpenCV-Python Tutorials
Written by Eugene Dvoretsky -- Radioxoma (talk) 09:19, 14 June 2014 (PDT)