--- a
+++ b/ants/ops/crop_image.py
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+
+ 
+
+__all__ = ['crop_image', 
+           'crop_indices',
+           'decrop_image']
+
+
+import ants
+from ants.decorators import image_method
+from ants.internal import get_lib_fn
+
+@image_method
+def crop_image(image, label_image=None, label=1):
+    """
+    Use a label image to crop a smaller ANTsImage from within a larger ANTsImage
+
+    ANTsR function: `cropImage`
+    
+    Arguments
+    ---------
+    image : ANTsImage  
+        image to crop
+    
+    label_image : ANTsImage
+        image with label values. If not supplied, estimated from data.
+    
+    label : integer   
+        the label value to use
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    ANTsImage
+
+    Example
+    -------
+    >>> import ants
+    >>> fi = ants.image_read( ants.get_ants_data('r16') )
+    >>> cropped = ants.crop_image(fi)
+    >>> fi2 = ants.merge_channels([fi,fi])
+    >>> cropped2 = ants.crop_image(fi2)
+    >>> cropped = ants.crop_image(fi, fi, 100 )
+    """
+    if image.has_components:
+        return ants.merge_channels([crop_image(img, label_image, label) for img in ants.split_channels(image)],
+                                   channels_first=image.channels_first)
+        
+    inpixeltype = image.pixeltype
+    ndim = image.dimension
+    if image.pixeltype != 'float':
+        image = image.clone('float')
+
+    if label_image is None:
+        label_image = ants.get_mask(image)
+
+    if label_image.pixeltype != 'float':
+        label_image = label_image.clone('float')
+
+    libfn = get_lib_fn('cropImage')
+    itkimage = libfn(image.pointer, label_image.pointer, label, 0, [], [])
+    return ants.from_pointer(itkimage).clone(inpixeltype)
+
+
+@image_method
+def crop_indices(image, lowerind, upperind):
+    """
+    Create a proper ANTsImage sub-image by indexing the image with indices. 
+    This is similar to but different from array sub-setting in that 
+    the resulting sub-image can be decropped back into its place without 
+    having to store its original index locations explicitly.
+    
+    ANTsR function: `cropIndices`
+
+    Arguments
+    ---------
+    image : ANTsImage  
+        image to crop
+    
+    lowerind : list/tuple of integers  
+        vector of lower index, should be length image dimensionality
+    
+    upperind : list/tuple of integers
+        vector of upper index, should be length image dimensionality
+    
+    Returns
+    -------
+    ANTsImage
+
+    Example
+    -------
+    >>> import ants
+    >>> fi = ants.image_read( ants.get_ants_data("r16"))
+    >>> cropped = ants.crop_indices( fi, (10,10), (100,100) )
+    >>> cropped = ants.smooth_image( cropped, 5 )
+    >>> decropped = ants.decrop_image( cropped, fi )
+    """
+    if image.has_components:
+        return ants.merge_channels([crop_indices(img, lowerind, upperind) for img in ants.split_channels(image)],
+                                   channels_first=image.channels_first)
+        
+    inpixeltype = 'float'
+    if image.pixeltype != 'float':
+        inpixeltype = image.pixeltype
+        image = image.clone('float')
+
+    if (image.dimension != len(lowerind)) or (image.dimension != len(upperind)):
+        raise ValueError('image dimensionality and index length must match')
+
+    libfn = get_lib_fn('cropImage')
+    itkimage = libfn(image.pointer, image.pointer, 1, 2, lowerind, upperind)
+    ants_image = ants.from_pointer(itkimage)
+    if inpixeltype != 'float':
+        ants_image = ants_image.clone(inpixeltype)
+    return ants_image
+
+@image_method
+def decrop_image(cropped_image, full_image):
+    """
+    The inverse function for `ants.crop_image`
+
+    ANTsR function: `decropImage`
+    
+    Arguments
+    ---------
+    cropped_image : ANTsImage
+        cropped image
+
+    full_image : ANTsImage
+        image in which the cropped image will be put back
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    ANTsImage
+
+    Example
+    -------
+    >>> import ants
+    >>> fi = ants.image_read(ants.get_ants_data('r16'))
+    >>> mask = ants.get_mask(fi)
+    >>> cropped = ants.crop_image(fi, mask, 1)
+    >>> cropped = ants.smooth_image(cropped, 1)
+    >>> decropped = ants.decrop_image(cropped, fi)
+    """
+    inpixeltype = 'float'
+    if cropped_image.pixeltype != 'float':
+        inpixeltype= cropped_image.pixeltype
+        cropped_image = cropped_image.clone('float')
+    if full_image.pixeltype != 'float':
+        full_image = full_image.clone('float')
+    
+    libfn = get_lib_fn('cropImage')
+    itkimage = libfn(cropped_image.pointer, full_image.pointer, 1, 1, [], [])
+    ants_image = ants.from_pointer(itkimage)
+    if inpixeltype != 'float':
+        ants_image = ants_image.clone(inpixeltype)
+
+    return ants_image
+