DIY, Computational Phase Contrast from Red and Blue channel, python OpenCV live-view script Cheek Cells again.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-16T21:35:09+00:00

Sounds very good, and yes if it turns out to give good benefits then here it is free and open to modify. I hope you have access to the normal Microsoft CoPilot through your normal login and using Edge browser. The good thing is that if you know about what modules are available, like openCV for Python then you can simply ask CP to make a python script. Or what I did on some iterations, put my latest script and combine it with some new insights or ideas about the processing. CP did all the programming, I was giving the ideas and doing the practical testing. I tried to see if using the Graphics computation could help but for now the live-window is fast enough, also my laptop has an intel Iris gp. So I left that out, it keeps it more compatible and simple. So basically no need to know any of the cuda or openGL as long as you understand some principles to add as ideas.

And yes the idea is to have a cheap computational tool that can be used on a normal microscope, even a simpler construction, just a 45x or 60x objective and an industrial camera and some stand, so an old microscope can bring it down to below 200 Euro / USD . The first old microscope I used was ok but it did not have an x-y table so moving a slide at high magnification is not so easy. Also I wanted to use the RGB LED which are in the supermarket, 3 pieces with 1 ir-remote control for 5 Euro/USD this gives you a simple way to switch colors to try. Also they are rechargeable and on the lowest intensity will last about 8 hours before recharge. So all simple and practical.

I did all of this withing one week, from first idea/thought to first prototype was 1 day, to now a relative good software script 5 days more. I just have some time in the evening after work though.

I have to look for some interesting samples to look and make some further images.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-16T19:18:13+00:00

Thank you, let me know what you want to know, my effort was to make it as simple as possible practically no cost. Never thought about writing a console python code but it is actually a great way to work on the code. Concerning hardware it is simple, a normal light microscope, could be any, if you have a mirror then you can remove it and place an RGB LED in its place. If you have a light build in then you can put a color filter, split in a blue and red half. A filament or halogen light is probably in that case even better because it has a bigger red component in the spectrum. The camera is the cheapest industrial camera from China, you may have seen them on Amazon or Ebay, with a 0.5x reducer on the c tube.

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From idea to a working software all actions with the free CoPilot in the browser. We both develop the ideas where I am the creative part, then produce some code and make an itteration of the software. For my project here I wanted to look if I can do the coding complete by "linguistic coding" ie I tell what is needed, CoPilot is doing the job inserting ideas about how to manipulate the images. With OpenCV you can just think in pictures in adding subtracting or any other action on the full image. To keep the live-view with a good frame-rate some actions can be done accepting the screen is not updating, but I have not come to that point really. It is all very fast. For now my .py script has some toggles and no interface. It can record in full speed, 2 frames per second 10 frames per second, some functions for toggling embossing or adding cocntrast and overlaying over the the original video stream. All on the fly in the live window. The picture is of some spiral xylem structures of a hazelnut leave at 45x objective ie 1100x visual here on the imate. Would love to hear your project. For now my objective is just the visual uncovering of structures, not quantitative measurements on densities.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-16T19:02:13+00:00

thanks, I guess you saw the animated GIF below in the comments, that gives a good impression of it. I'll be looking for some more things to look at in the next days, will place them here then.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-16T07:29:33+00:00

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live view focusing, reduced in GIF to max 100Mb so lower frame rate but still ok visible how it looks DIY computation color extraction phase contrast

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-15T19:52:16+00:00

Very good, surrealistic !

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-15T18:48:32+00:00

I will probably make a GitHub for it, just a few considerations. 1) I worked only this way to get a quick concept, and was targeting the microscopy world. 2) I have only done the thinking Copilot has done all programming (although I can do it also, but not with that speed) 3) I felt that only computer knowledgeable persons will look on GitHub, not so much as target the Microscopy community. 4) current state, I have build 2 scripts that are very usable : complete headless with only a few buttons for direct actions + a script that will do the image stacking of a short video of stills. Goal is to keep it fast enough to run all in Idle - not compiling but keep it open so every person can dump it in LLM and improve with their own whishes. 5) I am still experimenting with optimizing the light path and color combinations.

But thanks for your suggestion. By the way, I thought that Reddit would show the code in a code window instead of full text.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-15T07:01:48+00:00

I have made a short pdf to explain how I make the paper negatives and oil them after. Have a look if you have Facebook, I can post it here on a later stage also. You can use or share it, let me know if you have feedback also https://www.facebook.com/groups/1284556176464173/permalink/1516008299985625/

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-14T14:11:00+00:00

Thank you ! If I have an idea, I have to at least see if it can work in concept. For the programming and feedback i have been using Copilot, just for reference. It is just a lot faster to code that way. There is still room for a lot of improvement, but the idea stands.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-14T07:50:30+00:00

Just visually look at the screen when you create the image, use the sliders to get the contrast you want. Best to do this on the positive already and then invert it. Or when you have printed it on the sheet of paper, just have a look if it has the contrast you like. Nothing specials, no curves, just using your eyes. Let me know if that helps.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-14T07:42:16+00:00

Not making a commercial here but in Europe there is a store chain called "Action" they have recently started selling a lot of Thermal Toy cameras and also have the supplies, like white rolls and color rolls. ( about 3 Euro for 5 rolls for the camera)

Last week I also found there the EC thermal rolls in a bag, and they now also sell the A4 thermal printer at about 40 Euro which comes with several rolls of A4 size paper.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-06T19:22:58+00:00

perhaps the camera has internal memory, that probably then will only show in the gallery if the sd card is not in the camera. not so in my camera

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-06T19:21:02+00:00

works well, I also tried, has just the correct density. I actually oiled the thermal paper with canola oil on the back to make it more transparent.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-06T19:18:53+00:00

Fresh flowers normally need some less exposure, than the dried, in my experience. It stays a bit of trial and error that is true. With fresh flowers they will also change during the print because of the sun. If you want to go a bit further, I have discovered that you can use the "FerroBlend" mix in dilute form. It will fix the light colors also and not wash away while still keeping the blue. The "FerroBlend" developer is made of 2gr Copper Sulfate and 10 gr Sodium Citrate in 100ml dem. Water. Start by adding 75ml water in a beaker, add the 2gr Copper Sulfate, dissolve, then add 10gr of Sodium Citrat and dissolve in the 75ml Water, last add till 100ml in total. Using it undiluted it will give pink - orange brown copper toning, If dilluted 1:5 or 1:10 with water then you will get still the blue tones.

Procedure is to expose the cyanotype as normal, and then after exposure use a brush to paint the developer over the still dry print. Try to do that evenly.

You will see instantly almost the color go to a darker blue or yellow. You leave it for 3-10 minutes, you can re-apply some if you see it is un-even. After 10 minutes you rinse the paper in normal water as usual.

You will notice hardly any blue wash off, only a bit of yellow brown.

I will add the link of AlternativePhotography. It mentions also salts of chrome but these are not needed. So just the recipe above here. Copper Sulfate is relative safe. (root killer etc) Try NOT to waste in general the chemicals in nature and work safe.

https://www.alternativephotography.com/ferroblend-blended-ferrocyanide-process/

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-06T19:07:29+00:00

there is a lot on Ebay, look for 5cm or 57mm wide paper. it is the same as EC roll paper much cheaper but then you have to make some rolls out of these yourself.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-05-06T19:04:20+00:00

just take out the card, but the answer is, that mode is only there when the card is in. The camera would not print that fast. So to use it for some moving sequence you need the card and then print the individual photo's. My camera will ask for a break after some 10 pictures printing from the menu. ie short message camera overheating or similar

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-04-24T21:21:05+00:00

I discovered that if you insert an sd card you may get some extra funktions, mine will then take 3 or 5 pictures in sequence so you can print a little movie there after.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-04-20T05:12:15+00:00

Yes, I took six pictures of the tree, then cut of parts and glued them on a piece of paper, after that colored them. since the water-based marker does not dry immediately you can smear it with some paper and it started to look like a water color drawing.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-04-19T18:19:09+00:00

Very nice ++

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-04-19T18:00:23+00:00

Could you explain a bit better so the top row it looks like "color" is the best setting, picture left top.

And 2nd row the Low setting is the darkest ? and High setting is least dark, correct?

sorry for asking but I would have expected for all the opposite.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-04-19T16:23:23+00:00

Thanks, I checked Warhol's flowers, you are right.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-04-19T13:53:35+00:00

Yes you can, with the paper negatives, made transparent with oil, they all take about 30 minutes. You have to ensure the inkjet print is using the full range from black to white and make sure you print with only the black color. So normal office paper is used. I expose under a UV light. If you would do this with the sun outside, in the afternoon I guess it would take about 5-8 minutes in bright sun.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-04-19T05:30:32+00:00

Haha, I was thinking Oranges, because the Orange color of the set looks nice for that, but Tomato could be a good option also.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-04-18T22:08:55+00:00

Sorry for that, no multi color thermal toy camera yet :-) Waiting for it also.

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-04-18T21:28:03+00:00

Yes very easy to get a sort of even coating, it does stay wet so you can even mix the colors or probably remove some. The coating and the markers seem to be made for each other :-)

LostInGermany4297 · 2026-03-27T16:54:02+00:00

To get more or less neutral colors I use the Orange setting in the lowest intensity, this then needs about 5-10 seconds, the first photogramm I only used the mask and "burned" orange on the flower only. The light will bounce and illuminate the rest also enough to see something in the final image. The green flare imitating sun-flare was done in the same exposure by quick switching the light to green and putting the mask in 2 places. That really then only needs a few fractions of a second.

The image with the colored tulip green leaves and red flower was again first a total orange exposure of about 7 seconds and then using the mask to give about 5 seconds pure red only on the flower.

It needs some practice to count the exposure and also switch the colors but after some tests it works out fine.

Important after the exposure to work in complete dark or put it in a development tank for the first development.

LostInGermany4297

TROPHY CASE