public static double[] readImageInfo(String id) {
    try {
      reader.setId(id);
    } catch (FormatException e) {
      // TODO Auto-generated catch block
      e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (IOException e) {
      // TODO Auto-generated catch block
      e.printStackTrace();
    }

    // ORDERING: 0 little, 1 seriesCount, 2 pixelType, 3 bpp, 4 itkComponentType, 5 sizeX,
    //           6 sizeY, 7 sizeZ, 8 sizeT, 9 sizeC, 10 effSizeC, 11 rgbChannelCount, 12 imageCount
    //           13 physX, 14 physY, 15 physZ, 16 timeIncrement
    double[] returnValues = new double[17];

    // return this and use SetByteOrderToLittleEndian or SetByteOrderToBigEndian in C++ land
    boolean little = reader.isLittleEndian();

    if (little) {
      returnValues[0] = 1;
    } else {
      returnValues[0] = 0;
    }

    returnValues[1] = reader.getSeriesCount();

    // return bpp and set an IOComponent based on it
    int pixelType = reader.getPixelType();
    returnValues[2] = (double) pixelType;
    returnValues[3] = (double) FormatTools.getBytesPerPixel((int) returnValues[2]);

    // 0 UCHAR, 1 CHAR, 2 USHORT, 3 SHORT, 4 UINT, 5 INT, 6 FLOAT, 7 DOUBLE, 8 UNKNOWN
    if (pixelType == FormatTools.UINT8) returnValues[4] = (double) 0;
    else if (pixelType == FormatTools.INT8) returnValues[4] = (double) 1;
    else if (pixelType == FormatTools.UINT16) returnValues[4] = (double) 2;
    else if (pixelType == FormatTools.INT16) returnValues[4] = (double) 3;
    else if (pixelType == FormatTools.UINT32) returnValues[4] = (double) 4;
    else if (pixelType == FormatTools.INT32) returnValues[4] = (double) 5;
    else if (pixelType == FormatTools.FLOAT) returnValues[4] = (double) 6;
    else if (pixelType == FormatTools.DOUBLE) returnValues[4] = (double) 7;
    else returnValues[4] = (double) 8;

    // return these
    returnValues[5] = (double) reader.getSizeX();
    returnValues[6] = (double) reader.getSizeY();
    returnValues[7] = (double) reader.getSizeZ();
    returnValues[8] = (double) reader.getSizeT();
    returnValues[9] = (double) reader.getSizeC();
    returnValues[10] = (double) reader.getEffectiveSizeC();
    returnValues[11] = (double) reader.getRGBChannelCount();
    returnValues[12] = (double) reader.getImageCount();

    MetadataRetrieve retrieve = MetadataTools.asRetrieve(reader.getMetadataStore());
    Double d = retrieve.getPixelsPhysicalSizeX(0).getValue();
    double d2 = d == null ? 1.0 : d.doubleValue();
    returnValues[13] = d2;
    d = retrieve.getPixelsPhysicalSizeY(0).getValue();
    d2 = d == null ? 1.0 : d.doubleValue();
    returnValues[14] = d2;
    d = retrieve.getPixelsPhysicalSizeZ(0).getValue();
    d2 = d == null ? 1.0 : d.doubleValue();
    returnValues[15] = d2;
    d = retrieve.getPixelsTimeIncrement(0);
    d2 = d == null ? 1.0 : d.doubleValue();
    returnValues[16] = d2;

    return returnValues;
  }