diff --git a/src/scripts/scale.py b/src/scripts/scale.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a01e92c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/scripts/scale.py
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+#
+# conda packages required:
+# - opencv
+# - py-opencv
+# - scipy
+# - scikit-image
+# - zarr
+#
+
+import argparse
+import os
+
+import cv2
+import zarr
+import numpy as np
+from scipy.ndimage import zoom
+from skimage.transform import (
+    downscale_local_mean,
+    pyramid_gaussian,
+    pyramid_laplacian,
+)
+
+METHODS = (
+    "nearest",
+    "zoom",
+    "local_mean",
+    "gaussian",
+    "laplacian",
+)
+
+parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+parser.add_argument("input_array")
+parser.add_argument("output_directory")
+parser.add_argument(
+    "--labeled", action="store_true",
+    help="assert that the list of unique pixel values doesn't change",
+)
+parser.add_argument(
+    "--copy-metadata", action="store_true",
+    help="copies the array metadata to the new group",
+)
+parser.add_argument("--method", choices=METHODS, default="nearest")
+parser.add_argument(
+    "--in-place",
+    action="store_true",
+    help="if true, don't write the base array"
+)
+parser.add_argument("--downscale", type=int, default=2)
+parser.add_argument("--max_layer", type=int, default=4)
+ns = parser.parse_args()
+
+if ns.method == "nearest":
+
+    def method(base):
+        rv = [base]
+
+        for i in range(ns.max_layer):
+            fiveD = rv[-1]
+            # FIXME: fix hard-coding of dimensions
+            T, C, Z, Y, X = fiveD.shape
+
+            smaller = None
+            for t in range(T):
+                for c in range(C):
+                    for z in range(Z):
+                        out = cv2.resize(
+                            fiveD[t][c][z][:],
+                            dsize=(Y//ns.downscale, X//ns.downscale),
+                            interpolation=cv2.INTER_NEAREST)
+                        if smaller is None:
+                            smaller = np.zeros((T, C, Z, out.shape[0], out.shape[1]))
+                        smaller[t][c][z] = out
+            rv.append(smaller)
+        return rv
+
+if ns.method == "gaussian":
+
+    def method(base):
+        return list(pyramid_gaussian(base, downscale=ns.downscale, max_layer=ns.max_layer, multichannel=False))
+
+elif ns.method == "laplacian":
+
+    def method(base):
+        return list(pyramid_laplacian(base, downscale=ns.downscale, max_layer=ns.max_layer, multichannel=False))
+
+elif ns.method == "local_mean":
+
+    def method(base):
+        # FIXME: fix hard-coding
+        rv = [base]
+        for i in range(ns.max_layer):
+            rv.append(downscale_local_mean(rv[-1], factors=(1, 1, 1, ns.downscale, ns.downscale)))
+        return rv
+
+elif ns.method == "zoom":
+
+    def method(base):
+        rv = [base]
+        print(base.shape)
+        for i in range(ns.max_layer):
+            print(i, ns.downscale)
+            rv.append(zoom(base, ns.downscale**i))
+            print(rv[-1].shape)
+        return list(reversed(rv))
+
+else:
+    assert f"unknown method: {ns.method}"
+
+
+# 0. check that the output doesn't exist
+assert not os.path.exists(ns.output_directory)
+store = zarr.DirectoryStore(ns.output_directory)
+
+
+# 1. open and create the pyramid
+base = zarr.open_array(ns.input_array)
+pyramid = method(base)
+
+
+# 2. assert values
+if ns.labeled:
+    expected = set(np.unique(pyramid[0]))
+    print(f"level 0 {pyramid[0].shape} = {len(expected)} labels")
+    for i in range(1, len(pyramid)):
+        level = pyramid[i]
+        print(f"level {i}", pyramid[i].shape, len(expected))
+        found = set(np.unique(level))
+        if not expected.issuperset(found):
+            raise Exception(f"{len(found)} found values are not a subset of {len(expected)} values")
+
+
+# 3. prepare the output store
+grp = zarr.group(store)
+grp.create_dataset("base", data=base)
+
+if ns.copy_metadata:
+    print(f"copying attribute keys: {list(base.attrs.keys())}")
+    grp.attrs.update(base.attrs)
+
+
+# 4. generate datasets
+series = []
+for i, dataset in enumerate(pyramid):
+    if i == 0:
+        path = "base"
+    else:
+        path = "%s" % i
+        grp.create_dataset(path, data=pyramid[i])
+    series.append({"path": path})
+
+# 4. generate metadata
+multiscales = []
+multiscale = {
+    "version": "0.1",
+    "name": "default",
+    "datasets": series,
+    "type": ns.method,
+}
+multiscales.append(multiscale)
+grp.attrs["multiscales"] = multiscales