diff --git a/cellbrowser_tools/bin/show_info.py b/cellbrowser_tools/bin/show_info.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40bcb09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cellbrowser_tools/bin/show_info.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+from bioio import BioImage
+import argparse
+import logging
+import sys
+import traceback
+
+from datetime import datetime
+from logging import FileHandler, StreamHandler, Formatter
+
+
+class Args(argparse.Namespace):
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.fms_id = ""
+        #
+        self.__parse()
+
+    def __parse(self):
+        p = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+            prog="show_info",
+            description="Display the dimensions and channel names for all scenes in a file",
+        )
+        p.add_argument(
+            "imagepath",
+            type=str,
+            default="",
+        )
+        p.parse_args(namespace=self)
+
+
+###############################################################################
+
+
+def configure_logging(debug: bool):
+    f = Formatter(fmt="[%(asctime)s][%(levelname)s] %(message)s")
+    streamHandler = StreamHandler()
+    streamHandler.setFormatter(f)
+    log = logging.getLogger()  # root logger
+    log.handlers = [streamHandler]  # overwrite handlers
+    log.setLevel(logging.DEBUG if debug else logging.INFO)
+
+
+def main():
+    args = Args()
+    configure_logging(False)
+    log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+    try:
+        imagepath = args.imagepath
+        # Load the image
+        image = BioImage(imagepath)
+        s = image.scenes
+        print(imagepath)
+        for s in image.scenes:
+            image.set_scene(s)
+            print(f"Scene {s}")
+            print(f"  Shape: {image.shape}, dtype: {image.dtype}")
+            print(f"  Channel names: {image.channel_names}")
+
+    except Exception as e:
+        log.error("=============================================")
+        log.error("\n\n" + traceback.format_exc())
+        log.error("=============================================")
+        log.error("\n\n" + str(e) + "\n")
+        log.error("=============================================")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+
+###############################################################################
+# Allow caller to directly run this module (usually in development scenarios)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/cellbrowser_tools/ome_zarr_writer.py b/cellbrowser_tools/ome_zarr_writer.py
index 6347864..260b553 100644
--- a/cellbrowser_tools/ome_zarr_writer.py
+++ b/cellbrowser_tools/ome_zarr_writer.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import zarr
-from zarr.storage import DirectoryStore, FSStore
+from zarr.storage import DirectoryStore, FSStore, default_compressor
 
 from typing import List, Tuple, Any
 from dataclasses import dataclass, asdict
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.store : zarr.Store = None
         self.root : zarr.hierarchy.Group = None
 
-    def init_store(self, output_path:str, shapes:List[Tuple[int]], chunk_sizes:List[Tuple[int]], dtype:np.dtype):
+    def init_store(self, output_path:str, shapes:List[Tuple[int]], chunk_sizes:List[Tuple[int]], dtype:np.dtype, compressor = default_compressor):
         """
         Initialize the store.
         :param output_path: The output path. If it begins with "s3://" or "gs://", it is assumed to be a remote store. Credentials required to be provided externally.
@@ -323,15 +323,15 @@ def init_store(self, output_path:str, shapes:List[Tuple[int]], chunk_sizes:List[
         # create a group with all the levels
         self.root = zarr.group(store=self.store, overwrite=True)
         # pre-create all levels here?
-        self._create_levels(self.root)
+        self._create_levels(root=self.root, level_shapes=shapes, level_chunk_sizes=chunk_sizes, dtype=dtype, compressor=compressor)
 
 
-    def _create_levels(self, root, level_shapes, level_chunk_sizes, dtype):
+    def _create_levels(self, root, level_shapes, level_chunk_sizes, dtype, compressor=default_compressor):
         self.levels = []
         for i in range(len(level_shapes)):
             lvl = root.zeros(
-                str(i), shape=level_shapes[i], chunks=level_chunk_sizes[i], dtype=dtype
-            )
+                str(i), shape=level_shapes[i], chunks=level_chunk_sizes[i], dtype=dtype, compressor=compressor
+            ) if root is not None else None
             level = ZarrLevel(level_shapes[i], level_chunk_sizes[i], dtype, lvl)
             self.levels.append(level)
 
@@ -340,23 +340,24 @@ def _downsample_and_write_batch_t(self, data_tczyx: da.Array, start_t: int, end_
         dtype = data_tczyx.dtype
         if len(data_tczyx.shape) != 5:
             raise ValueError("data_tczyx must be 5D")
-        if len(data_tczyx[0]) != end_t-start_t:
+        if len(data_tczyx) != end_t-start_t:
             raise ValueError("data_tczyx must have the same T length as end_t-start_t")
 
         # write level 0 first
         data_tczyx = data_tczyx.persist()
-        data_tczyx.compute()
+        # data_tczyx.compute()
         for k in range(start_t, end_t):
             self.levels[0].zarray[k] = data_tczyx[k - start_t]
 
         # downsample to next level then write
         for j in range(1, len(self.levels)):
             # downsample to next level
-            nextshape = self.levels[j].shape
+            nextshape = (end_t-start_t,)+self.levels[j].shape[1:]
             data_tczyx = resize(data_tczyx, nextshape, order=0)
             data_tczyx = data_tczyx.astype(dtype)
             data_tczyx = data_tczyx.persist()
-            data_tczyx.compute()
+            # data_tczyx.compute()
+
             # write ti to zarr
             # for some reason this is not working: not allowed to write in this way to a non-memory store
             # lvls[j][start_t:end_t] = ti[:]
@@ -369,7 +370,7 @@ def _downsample_and_write_batch_t(self, data_tczyx: da.Array, start_t: int, end_
         log.info(f"Completed {start_t} to {end_t}")
 
 
-    def write_t_batches(self, im: BioImage, tbatch:int=4):
+    def write_t_batches(self, im: BioImage, channels: List[int], tbatch:int=4, debug:bool=False):
         """
         Write the image in batches of T.
         :param im: The BioImage object.
@@ -377,36 +378,40 @@ def write_t_batches(self, im: BioImage, tbatch:int=4):
         """
         # loop over T in batches
         numT = im.dims.T
+        if debug:
+            numT = np.min([5, numT])
         log.info("Starting loop over T")
-        for i in range(numT // tbatch):
-            start_t = i * tbatch
-            end_t = min((i + 1) * tbatch, numT)
-            # assume start t and end t are in range (caller should guarantee this)
-            ti = im.get_image_dask_data("TCZYX", T=slice(start_t, end_t))
-            self._downsample_and_write_batch_t(ti, start_t, end_t)
+        for i in np.arange(0, numT+1, tbatch):
+            start_t = i
+            end_t = min(i + tbatch, numT)
+            if end_t > start_t:
+                # assume start t and end t are in range (caller should guarantee this)
+                ti = im.get_image_dask_data("TCZYX", T=slice(start_t, end_t), C=channels)
+                self._downsample_and_write_batch_t(ti, start_t, end_t)
         log.info("Finished loop over T")
 
-    def write_t_batches_image_sequence(self, paths: List[str], tbatch:int=4):
+    def write_t_batches_image_sequence(self, paths: List[str], channels: List[int], tbatch:int=4, debug:bool=False):
         """
         Write the image in batches of T.
         :param paths: The list of file paths, one path per T.
         :param tbatch: The number of T to write at a time.
         """
         # loop over T in batches
-        numT = im.dims.T
+        numT = len(paths)
+        if debug:
+            numT = np.min([5, numT])
         log.info("Starting loop over T")
-        for i in range(numT // tbatch):
-            start_t = i * tbatch
-            end_t = min((i + 1) * tbatch, numT)
-
-            # read batch into dask array
-            ti = []
-            for j in range(start_t, end_t):
-                im = BioImage(paths[j])
-                ti.append(im.get_image_dask_data("CZYX"))
-            ti = da.stack(ti, axis=0)
-
-            self._downsample_and_write_batch_t(ti, start_t, end_t)
+        for i in np.arange(0, numT+1, tbatch):
+            start_t = i
+            end_t = min(i + tbatch, numT)
+            if end_t > start_t:
+                # read batch into dask array
+                ti = []
+                for j in range(start_t, end_t):
+                    im = BioImage(paths[j])
+                    ti.append(im.get_image_dask_data("CZYX", C=channels))
+                ti = da.stack(ti, axis=0)
+                self._downsample_and_write_batch_t(ti, start_t, end_t)
         log.info("Finished loop over T")
 
     def _get_scale_ratio(self, level:int)->Tuple[float]:
@@ -418,20 +423,20 @@ def _get_scale_ratio(self, level:int)->Tuple[float]:
                 lvl0_shape[3]/lvl_shape[3], 
                 lvl0_shape[4]/lvl_shape[4])
 
-    def write_metadata(self, 
-                       image_name:str,
-                       channel_names:List[str],
-                       physical_dims:dict, # {"x":0.1, "y", 0.1, "z", 0.3, "t": 5.0}
-                       physical_units:dict, # {"x":"micrometer", "y":"micrometer", "z":"micrometer", "t":"minute"}
-                       ):
+    def generate_metadata(self, 
+        image_name:str,
+        channel_names:List[str],
+        physical_dims:dict, # {"x":0.1, "y", 0.1, "z", 0.3, "t": 5.0}
+        physical_units:dict, # {"x":"micrometer", "y":"micrometer", "z":"micrometer", "t":"minute"},
+        channel_colors:List[str],
+        ):
         """
-        Write the metadata.
+        Build a metadata dict suitable for writing to ome-zarr attrs.
         :param image_name: The image name.
         :param channel_names: The channel names.
         :param physical_dims: for each physical dimension, include a scale factor.  E.g. {"x":0.1, "y", 0.1, "z", 0.3, "t": 5.0}
         :param physical_units: For each physical dimension, include a unit string. E.g. {"x":"micrometer", "y":"micrometer", "z":"micrometer", "t":"minute"}
         """
-        # write metadata
         dims= ("t", "c", "z", "y", "x")
         axes = []
         for dim in dims:
@@ -476,7 +481,6 @@ def write_metadata(self,
 
         metadata_dict = asdict(metadata)
         metadata_dict = _pop_metadata_optionals(metadata_dict)
-        self.root.attrs["multiscales"] = [metadata_dict]
 
         # get the total shape as dict:
         shapedict = dim_tuple_to_dict(self.levels[0].shape)
@@ -486,14 +490,24 @@ def write_metadata(self,
             shapedict["z"] if "z" in shapedict else 1,
             image_name,
             channel_names=channel_names,  # assumes we have written all channels!
-            channel_colors=[],  # type: ignore
+            channel_colors=channel_colors,  # type: ignore
             # TODO: Rely on user to supply the per-channel min/max.
             channel_minmax=[(0.0, 1.0) for i in range(shapedict["c"] if "c" in shapedict else 1)],
         )
-        self.root.attrs["omero"] = ome_json
 
-        return metadata
+        ome_zarr_metadata = {
+            "multiscales"  : [metadata_dict],
+            "omero"        : ome_json
+        }
+        return ome_zarr_metadata
 
+    def write_metadata(self, metadata:dict):
+        """
+        Write the metadata.
+        :param metadata: The metadata dict. Expected to contain a multiscales array and omero dict
+        """
+        self.root.attrs["multiscales"] = metadata["multiscales"]
+        self.root.attrs["omero"] = metadata["omero"]
 
 
 # shapes = compute_level_shapes((500, 4, 150, 2000, 2000),(1,1,2,2,2), 5)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 00d46b6..91d8626 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -40,16 +40,16 @@
 
 requirements = [
     "aics_dask_utils>=0.2.4",
-    "aicsfiles @ git+ssh://git@github.com/aics-int/aicsfiles-python.git@v7.1.0",
-    "bioio-base>=1.0",
-    "bioio @ git+ssh://git@github.com/bioio-devs/bioio.git",
-    "bioio-czi>=1.0",
-    "bioio-nd2>=1.0",
-    "bioio-ome-tiff>=1.0",
-    "bioio-ome-zarr>=1.0",
-    "bioio-sldy>=1.0",
-    "bioio-tifffile>=1.0",
-    "bokeh",
+    # "aicsfiles @ git+ssh://git@github.com/aics-int/aicsfiles-python.git@v7.1.0",
+    #"bioio-base>=1.0",
+    #"bioio @ git+ssh://git@github.com/bioio-devs/bioio.git",
+    #"bioio-czi>=1.0",
+    #"bioio-nd2>=1.0",
+    #"bioio-ome-tiff>=1.0",
+    #"bioio-ome-zarr>=1.0",
+    #"bioio-sldy>=1.0",
+    #"bioio-tifffile>=1.0",
+    #"bokeh",
     "brotli",
     "dask[array]",
     "dask[distributed]",
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
             "make_dataset_from_csv=cellbrowser_tools.bin.make_dataset_from_csv:main",
             "make_downloader_manifest=cellbrowser_tools.bin.make_downloader_manifest:main",
             "processImageWithSegmentation=cellbrowser_tools.bin.processImageWithSegmentation:main",
-            "make_zarr=cellbrowser_tools.bin.make_zarr",
+            "make_zarr=cellbrowser_tools.bin.make_zarr:main",
         ],
     },
     install_requires=requirements,