diff --git a/script/utils/Auto.py b/script/utils/Auto.py
index 33c7149..d929022 100644
--- a/script/utils/Auto.py
+++ b/script/utils/Auto.py
@@ -55,21 +55,15 @@ def auto_init():
   global COUNT_TIME, RETRY_COUNT
   global AUTO_LEVEL
   global AUTO_RETRY_MAX
-  global AUTO_COUNT_TIME
   global AUTO_EXP_LO, AUTO_EXP_HI
-  global AUTO_THRESH1, AUTO_THRESH2, AUTO_THRESH3, AUTO_THRESH4
-  global AUTO_THRESH1_COUNT, AUTO_THRESH2_COUNT
-  global AUTO_THRESH3_COUNT, AUTO_THRESH4_COUNT
 
   AUTO_LEVEL = 0; AUTO_RETRY_MAX = 20; RETRY_COUNT=0
-  AUTO_COUNT_TIME = 0
   AUTO_EXP_LO  =  1; AUTO_EXP_HI = 10  
   # for safety, set the thresh values gigantically high to start with
-  AUTO_THRESH1=1e8; AUTO_THRESH2=1e9; AUTO_THRESH3=1e10; AUTO_THRESH4=1e11
+  pixel.threshold1=1e8; pixel.threshold2=1e9; pixel.threshold3=1e10; pixel.threshold4=1e11
 
   # for safety, set the thresh values gigantically high to start with
-  AUTO_THRESH1_COUNT=100; AUTO_THRESH2_COUNT=100; AUTO_THRESH3_COUNT=100
-  AUTO_THRESH4_COUNT=100
+  image.thresh1_count=100; image.thresh2_count=100; image.thresh3_count=100; image.thresh4_count=100
   COUNT_TIME = AUTO_EXP_LO
 
 auto_init()
@@ -97,7 +91,7 @@ def auto_set_exposure(short_exp, long_exp):
                 where <short> is the shorter and <long>
                 the longer exposure time in seconds [s].
     """
-    global AUTO_EXP_LO, AUTO_EXP_HI, AUTO_THRESH1, AUTO_THRESH2, AUTO_THRESH3, AUTO_THRESH4
+    global AUTO_EXP_LO, AUTO_EXP_HI
 
     AUTO_EXP_LO = short_exp
     AUTO_EXP_HI = long_exp
@@ -107,7 +101,7 @@ def auto_set_exposure(short_exp, long_exp):
         print "Invalid auto_set_exposure values - set to default values <<"
     auto_show_exposure()
     # set AUTO_TRESH2 1.5 times higher than ratio of counting times to avoid oscillations
-    AUTO_THRESH2 = AUTO_THRESH1 * (AUTO_EXP_HI/AUTO_EXP_LO) * 1.5
+    pixel.threshold2 = pixel.threshold1 * (AUTO_EXP_HI/AUTO_EXP_LO) * 1.5
 
 
 def auto_show():
@@ -172,11 +166,8 @@ def auto_adjust():
     global COUNT_TIME    
     global AUTO_LEVEL
     global AUTO_RETRY_MAX
-    global AUTO_COUNT_TIME
     global AUTO_EXP_LO, AUTO_EXP_HI
-    global AUTO_THRESH1, AUTO_THRESH2, AUTO_THRESH3, AUTO_THRESH4
-    global AUTO_THRESH1_COUNT, AUTO_THRESH2_COUNT
-    global AUTO_THRESH3_COUNT, AUTO_THRESH4_COUNT
+               
       
     if (AUTO_LEVEL < 1):
         return(0) # do nothing when auto-level is zero
@@ -192,7 +183,7 @@ def auto_adjust():
     autoTransmVal = transm.getPosition()
 
     # try to set filters and exposure time
-    if (AUTO_THRESH4_COUNT > 2):
+    if (image.thresh2_count > 2):
         # intensity too high -> reduce exposure time or filter transmission
         if ((AUTO_LEVEL >= 2) and (autoExposure > AUTO_EXP_LO)):
             autoExposure = AUTO_EXP_LO
@@ -203,7 +194,7 @@ def auto_adjust():
             print("Intensity too high, reducing transmission to %.3e\n" % transm.getPosition())        
         autoAdjusted = 1
    
-    if (AUTO_THRESH2_COUNT < 1):
+    if (image.thresh2_count < 1):
         # intensity too low -> take out filter or increase exposure time
         if (autoTransmVal < 1.0):
             # take out filter
@@ -211,7 +202,7 @@ def auto_adjust():
               autoTransmVal = transm.getPosition()
             
             autoTransmVal *= 10.0
-            if (AUTO_THRESH1_COUNT < 1) :
+            if (image.thresh1_count < 1) :
                 autoTransmVal *= 5.0
                         
             # readjust transmission-soll if it is > 1 now.
@@ -224,12 +215,12 @@ def auto_adjust():
             # increase exposure time?
             if ((AUTO_LEVEL >= 2) and (autoExposure < AUTO_EXP_HI)):
               # check for long exposure-time
-              if (AUTO_THRESH1_COUNT < 1):
+              if (image.thresh1_count < 1):
                 autoExposure = AUTO_EXP_HI
                 autoAdjusted = 1
                 print("Intensity too low - setting exposure to %d sec\n"% autoExposure)
                   
-    if ((AUTO_THRESH3_COUNT < 1) and (AUTO_THRESH2_COUNT > 1)):
+    if ((image.thresh3_count < 1) and (image.thresh2_count > 1)):
         # decrease exptime?
         if ((AUTO_LEVEL >= 2) and (autoExposure > AUTO_EXP_LO)):
             autoExposure = AUTO_EXP_LO
@@ -252,7 +243,7 @@ def auto_adjust():
                 print("Intensity too low, increasing transmission to %.3e\n" %  transm.getPosition())
                 autoAdjusted = 1
                         
-    if ((AUTO_THRESH4_COUNT < 1) and (AUTO_THRESH3_COUNT > 1)):
+    if ((image.thresh4_count < 1) and (image.thresh3_count > 1)):
         # decrease exptime?
         if ((AUTO_LEVEL >= 2) and (autoExposure > AUTO_EXP_LO)):
             autoExposure = AUTO_EXP_LO
@@ -261,9 +252,8 @@ def auto_adjust():
             autoAdjusted = 1
                    
     if (AUTO_LEVEL == 2):
-        AUTO_COUNT_TIME = autoExposure
-        COUNT_TIME = AUTO_COUNT_TIME
-        _ctime = AUTO_COUNT_TIME            # set the counting time for a scan to                                        
+        COUNT_TIME = autoExposure
+        set_count_time(COUNT_TIME)
     return autoAdjusted
     
 ###################################################################################################