diff --git a/CMakeExternals/Numpy.cmake b/CMakeExternals/Numpy.cmake
index 260f351316..5be89860b9 100644
--- a/CMakeExternals/Numpy.cmake
+++ b/CMakeExternals/Numpy.cmake
@@ -1,44 +1,122 @@
 
 if( MITK_USE_Python )
 
-  # Sanity checks
-  if(DEFINED Numpy_DIR AND NOT EXISTS ${Numpy_DIR})
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "Numpy_DIR variable is defined but corresponds to non-existing directory")
-  endif()
+  option(MITK_USE_NUMPY "Use the numpy python library" OFF)
 
-  if( NOT DEFINED Numpy_DIR )
-    set(proj Numpy)
-    set(proj_DEPENDENCIES )
-    set(Numpy_DEPENDS ${proj})
+  # always build numpy in this case
+  if(NOT MITK_USE_SYSTEM_PYTHON)
+    set(MITK_USE_NUMPY ON CACHE BOOL "Use the numpy python library" FORCE)
+  endif()
 
-    if(NOT MITK_USE_SYSTEM_PYTHON)
-      list(APPEND proj_DEPENDENCIES Python)
+  if(MITK_USE_NUMPY)
+    # Sanity checks
+    if(DEFINED Numpy_DIR AND NOT EXISTS ${Numpy_DIR})
+      message(FATAL_ERROR "Numpy_DIR variable is defined but corresponds to non-existing directory")
     endif()
 
-    #set(Numpy_URL "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8367205/ExternalProjects/numpy-1.6.1.tar.gz")
-    #set(Numpy_MD5 "2bce18c08fc4fce461656f0f4dd9103e")
-    set(Numpy_URL "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8367205/ExternalProjects/numpy-1.4.1.tar.gz")
-    set(Numpy_MD5 "5c7b5349dc3161763f7f366ceb96516b")
-
-    ExternalProject_Add(${proj}
-      URL ${Numpy_URL}
-      URL_MD5 ${Numpy_MD5}
-      SOURCE_DIR ${proj}-src
-      PREFIX ${proj}-cmake
-      BUILD_IN_SOURCE 1
-      INSTALL_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-install
-      CONFIGURE_COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-src/setup.py config
-      BUILD_COMMAND   ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-src/setup.py build --fcompiler=none
-      INSTALL_COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-src/setup.py install --prefix=${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-install
-
-      DEPENDS
-        ${${proj}_DEPENDENCIES}
-    )
-
-    set(Numpy_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-install/lib/python2.7/site-packages)
-
-   else()
-     mitkMacroEmptyExternalProject(${proj} "${proj_DEPENDENCIES}")
-   endif()
+    if( NOT DEFINED Numpy_DIR )
+      set(proj Numpy)
+      set(proj_DEPENDENCIES )
+      set(Numpy_DEPENDS ${proj})
+
+      if(NOT MITK_USE_SYSTEM_PYTHON)
+        list(APPEND proj_DEPENDENCIES Python)
+      endif()
+
+      set(_numpy_env
+          "
+          set(ENV{F77} \"\")
+          set(ENV{F90} \"\")
+          set(ENV{FFLAGS} \"\")
+          set(ENV{ATLAS} \"None\")
+          set(ENV{BLAS} \"None\")
+          set(ENV{LAPACK} \"None\")
+          set(ENV{MKL} \"None\")
+          ")
+
+      set(_external_python_project ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/mitkExternalPythonProject.cmake)
+      file(WRITE ${_external_python_project}
+          "
+          ${_numpy_env}
+          set(ENV{VS_UNICODE_OUTPUT} \"\")
+          set(ENV{CC} \"${CMAKE_C_COMPILER} ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ARG1}\")
+          set(ENV{CFLAGS} \"${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} ${CMAKE_C_FLAGS_RELEASE}\")
+          set(ENV{CXX} \"${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER} ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ARG1}\")
+          set(ENV{CXXFLAGS} \"${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE}\")
+          set(ENV{LDFLAGS} \"${CMAKE_LINKER_FLAGS} ${CMAKE_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE}\")
+
+          function(MITK_PYTHON_BUILD_STEP proj step)
+             set(_command \${ARGN})
+
+             message(\"Running \${proj} \${step}: \${_command}\")
+
+             execute_process(
+                COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} setup.py config
+                WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/\${proj}-src
+                RESULT_VARIABLE result
+                OUTPUT_VARIABLE output
+                ERROR_VARIABLE error
+             )
+             set(output_file \"${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/\${proj}_\${step}_step_output.txt\")
+             file(WRITE \${output_file} \${output})
+
+             set(error_file \"${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/\${proj}_\${step}_step_error.txt\")
+             file(WRITE \${error_file} \${error})
+
+             if(NOT \${result} EQUAL 0)
+               message(FATAL_ERROR \"Error in: \${proj}: \${error}\")
+             endif()
+           endfunction()
+          ")
+      # configure step
+      set(_configure_step ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}_configure_step.cmake)
+      file(WRITE ${_configure_script}
+         "include(\"${_external_python_project}\")
+          file(WRITE \"${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}/site.cfg\" \"\")
+          MITK_PYTHON_BUILD_STEP(${proj} configure setup.py config)
+         ")
+
+      # build step
+      set(_build_step ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}_build_step.cmake)
+      file(WRITE ${_build_script}
+         "include(\"${_external_python_project}\")
+          MITK_PYTHON_BUILD_STEP(${proj} configure setup.py build --fcompiler=none)
+         ")
+
+      #set(Numpy_URL "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8367205/ExternalProjects/numpy-1.6.1.tar.gz")
+      #set(Numpy_MD5 "2bce18c08fc4fce461656f0f4dd9103e")
+      set(Numpy_URL "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8367205/ExternalProjects/numpy-1.4.1.tar.gz")
+      set(Numpy_MD5 "5c7b5349dc3161763f7f366ceb96516b")
+
+      set(_install_dir "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-install")
+
+      if(WIN32)
+        STRING(REPLACE "/" "\\" _install_dir "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-install")
+      endif()
+
+      ExternalProject_Add(${proj}
+        URL ${Numpy_URL}
+        URL_MD5 ${Numpy_MD5}
+        SOURCE_DIR ${proj}-src
+        PREFIX ${proj}-cmake
+        BUILD_IN_SOURCE 1
+        INSTALL_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-install
+        CONFIGURE_COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -P ${_configure_step}
+        BUILD_COMMAND   ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -P ${_build_step}
+        INSTALL_COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-src/setup.py install --prefix=${_install_dir}
+
+        DEPENDS
+          ${${proj}_DEPENDENCIES}
+      )
+
+      if(WIN32)
+        set(Numpy_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-install/Lib/site-packages)
+      else()
+        set(Numpy_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-install/lib/python2.7/site-packages)
+      endif()
+    else()
+      mitkMacroEmptyExternalProject(${proj} "${proj_DEPENDENCIES}")
+    endif()
+  endif()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/CMakeExternals/OpenCV.cmake b/CMakeExternals/OpenCV.cmake
index 0ad6fdf46b..6d53c7074a 100644
--- a/CMakeExternals/OpenCV.cmake
+++ b/CMakeExternals/OpenCV.cmake
@@ -1,98 +1,99 @@
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # OpenCV
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 if(MITK_USE_OpenCV)
 
   # Sanity checks
   if(DEFINED OpenCV_DIR AND NOT EXISTS ${OpenCV_DIR})
     message(FATAL_ERROR "OpenCV_DIR variable is defined but corresponds to non-existing directory")
   endif()
 
   set(proj OpenCV)
   set(proj_DEPENDENCIES)
   set(OpenCV_DEPENDS ${proj})
 
   if(NOT DEFINED OpenCV_DIR)
 
     set(additional_cmake_args
       -DBUILD_opencv_java:BOOL=OFF
     )
 
     if(MITK_USE_Python)
       #message(STATUS "PYTHON_EXECUTABLE: ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
       #message(STATUS "PYTHON_DEBUG_LIBRARY: ${PYTHON_DEBUG_LIBRARY}")
       #message(STATUS "PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR: ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR}")
       #message(STATUS "PYTHON_LIBRARY: ${PYTHON_LIBRARY}")
       list(APPEND additional_cmake_args
          -DBUILD_opencv_python:BOOL=ON
          -DBUILD_NEW_PYTHON_SUPPORT:BOOL=ON
          -DPYTHON_DEBUG_LIBRARY:FILEPATH=${PYTHON_DEBUG_LIBRARY}
          -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE:FILEPATH=${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}
          -DPYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR:PATH=${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR}
          -DPYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR2:PATH=${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR2}
          -DPYTHON_LIBRARY:FILEPATH=${PYTHON_LIBRARY}
 
          #-DPYTHON_LIBRARIES=${PYTHON_LIBRARY}
          #-DPYTHON_DEBUG_LIBRARIES=${PYTHON_DEBUG_LIBRARIES}
           )
-        if(NOT MITK_USE_SYSTEM_PYTHON)
-          list(APPEND proj_DEPENDENCIES Python Numpy)
-
-          #set(env{PYTHONPATH} ${Numpy_DIR})
-          list(APPEND additional_cmake_args
-            -DPYTHON_NUMPY_INCLUDE_DIR:PATH=${Numpy_DIR}/numpy/core/include/numpy
-              )
-        endif()
+      if(NOT MITK_USE_SYSTEM_PYTHON)
+        list(APPEND proj_DEPENDENCIES Python)
+      endif()
+      if(MITK_USE_NUMPY)
+        list(APPEND proj_DEPENDENCIES Numpy)
+        list(APPEND additional_cmake_args
+          -DPYTHON_NUMPY_INCLUDE_DIR:PATH=${Numpy_DIR}/numpy/core/include/numpy
+            )
+      endif()
     else()
       list(APPEND additional_cmake_args
          -DBUILD_opencv_python:BOOL=OFF
          -DBUILD_NEW_PYTHON_SUPPORT:BOOL=OFF
           )
     endif()
 
     # 12-05-02, muellerm, added QT usage by OpenCV if QT is used in MITK
     # 12-09-11, muellerm, removed automatic usage again, since this will struggle with the MITK Qt application object
     if(MITK_USE_QT)
       list(APPEND additional_cmake_args
            -DWITH_QT:BOOL=OFF
            -DWITH_QT_OPENGL:BOOL=OFF
            -DQT_QMAKE_EXECUTABLE:FILEPATH=${QT_QMAKE_EXECUTABLE}
           )
     endif()
 
     set(OpenCV_PATCH_COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -DTEMPLATE_FILE:FILEPATH=${MITK_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakeExternals/EmptyFileForPatching.dummy -P ${MITK_SOURCE_DIR}/CMakeExternals/PatchOpenCV-2.4.8.2.cmake)
 
 
     set(opencv_url ${MITK_THIRDPARTY_DOWNLOAD_PREFIX_URL}/OpenCV-2.4.8.2.tar.gz)
     set(opencv_url_md5 07fa7c1d225ea7fe8eeb1270a6b00e69)
 
     ExternalProject_Add(${proj}
       SOURCE_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-src
       BINARY_DIR ${proj}-build
       PREFIX ${proj}-cmake
       URL ${opencv_url}
       URL_MD5 ${opencv_url_md5}
       INSTALL_COMMAND ""
       PATCH_COMMAND ${OpenCV_PATCH_COMMAND}
       CMAKE_GENERATOR ${gen}
       CMAKE_ARGS
         ${ep_common_args}
         -DBUILD_DOCS:BOOL=OFF
         -DBUILD_TESTS:BOOL=OFF
         -DBUILD_EXAMPLES:BOOL=OFF
         -DBUILD_DOXYGEN_DOCS:BOOL=OFF
         -DWITH_CUDA:BOOL=ON
         ${additional_cmake_args}
       DEPENDS ${proj_DEPENDENCIES}
     )
 
     set(OpenCV_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-build)
 
   else()
 
     mitkMacroEmptyExternalProject(${proj} "${proj_DEPENDENCIES}")
 
   endif()
 
 endif()
diff --git a/CMakeExternals/Python.cmake b/CMakeExternals/Python.cmake
index 15747e5fec..695be3b37d 100644
--- a/CMakeExternals/Python.cmake
+++ b/CMakeExternals/Python.cmake
@@ -1,155 +1,155 @@
 if( MITK_USE_Python AND NOT MITK_USE_SYSTEM_PYTHON )
 
     # Sanity checks
   if(DEFINED Python_DIR AND NOT EXISTS ${Python_DIR})
     message(FATAL_ERROR "Python_DIR variable is defined but corresponds to non-existing directory")
   endif()
 
   if(NOT DEFINED Python_DIR)
     set(proj Python)
     set(proj_DEPENDENCIES )
     set(Python_DEPENDS ${proj})
 
     set(PYTHON_MAJOR_VERSION 2)
     set(PYTHON_MINOR_VERSION 7)
     set(PYTHON_PATCH_VERSION 3)
 
     set(PYTHON_SOURCE_PACKAGE Python-${PYTHON_MAJOR_VERSION}.${PYTHON_MINOR_VERSION}.${PYTHON_PATCH_VERSION})
     set(PYTHON_SOURCE_DIR  "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${PYTHON_SOURCE_PACKAGE}")
     # patch the VS compiler config
 
     if(WIN32)
       set(PYTHON_PATCH_COMMAND PATCH_COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -DPYTHON_SOURCE_DIR:PATH=${PYTHON_SOURCE_DIR} -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/Patch${proj}.cmake)
     endif()
 
     # download the source code
     ExternalProject_Add(Python-src
       URL "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8367205/ExternalProjects/${PYTHON_SOURCE_PACKAGE}.tgz"
       URL_MD5  "2cf641732ac23b18d139be077bd906cd"
       PREFIX   ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${PYTHON_SOURCE_PACKAGE}-cmake
       SOURCE_DIR  "${PYTHON_SOURCE_DIR}"
       ${PYTHON_PATCH_COMMAND}
       CONFIGURE_COMMAND ""
       BUILD_COMMAND ""
       INSTALL_COMMAND ""
     )
 
     set(additional_cmake_cache_args )
     list(APPEND additional_cmake_cache_args
         -DBUILTIN_ARRAY:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_AUDIOOP:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_BINASCII:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_BISECT:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_BSDB:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_BSSDB:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_BZ2:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CMATH:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_COLLECTIONS:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CODECS_CN:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CODECS_HK:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CODECS_ISO2022:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CODECS_JP:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CODECS_KR:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CODECS_TW:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CPICKLE:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CRYPT:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CSTRINGIO:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CSV:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_CTYPES:BOOL=OFF
         #-DBUILTIN_CTYPES_TEST:BOOL=OFF
         #-DBUILTIN_CURSES:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_DATETIME:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_DBM:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_ELEMENTTREE:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_FCNTL:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_FUNCTOOLS:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_FUTURE_BUILTINS:BOOL=ON
         -DBULTIN_GDBM:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_GRP:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_HASHLIB:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_HEAPQ:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_HOTSHOT:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_IO:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_ITERTOOLS:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_JSON:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_LOCALE:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_LSPROF:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_MATH:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_MMAP:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_MULTIBYTECODEC:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_MD5:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_MULTIPROCESSING:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_NIS:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_NIT:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_OPERATOR:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_PARSER:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_POSIX:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_PWD:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_PYEXPAT:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_READLINE:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_RESOURCE:BOOL=ON
         -DBULTIN_RANDOM:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_SCPROXY:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_SELECT:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_SHA:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_SHA256:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_SHA512:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_SOCKET:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_SPWD:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_SQLITE3:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_SSL:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_STROP:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_STRUCT:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_SUBPROCESS:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_SYSLOG:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_TERMIOS:BOOL=ON
         #-DBUILTIN_TESTCAPI:BOOL=OFF
         -DBUILTIN_TIME:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_TKINTER:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_UNICODEDATA:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_WINREG:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILTIN_ZLIB:BOOL=ON
         )
 
     # CMake build environment for python
     ExternalProject_Add(${proj}
       URL "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8367205/ExternalProjects/python-cmake-buildsystem.tar.gz"
       URL_MD5 "171090922892acdaf1a155e22765d72d"
       SOURCE_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-src
       PREFIX ${proj}-cmake
       BINARY_DIR ${proj}-build
       INSTALL_DIR ${proj}-install
       CMAKE_ARGS
         ${ep_common_args}
         -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=<INSTALL_DIR>
       CMAKE_CACHE_ARGS
         -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER:FILEPATH=${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER}
         -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER:FILEPATH=${CMAKE_C_COMPILER}
         #-DBUILD_TESTING:BOOL=OFF
         -DBUILD_SHARED:BOOL=ON
         -DBUILD_STATIC:BOOL=OFF
         -DUSE_SYSTEM_LIBRARIES:BOOL=ON
         ${additional_cmake_cache_args}
       DEPENDS
         Python-src ${${proj}_DEPENDENCIES}
     )
 
     set(Python_DIR "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-install")
     if(UNIX)
       set(PYTHON_EXECUTABLE "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-build/bin/python${CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX}")
       set(PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR "${Python_DIR}/include/python${PYTHON_MAJOR_VERSION}.${PYTHON_MINOR_VERSION}")
       set(PYTHON_LIBRARY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${proj}-build/lib/${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_PREFIX}python${PYTHON_MAJOR_VERSION}.${PYTHON_MINOR_VERSION}${CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX}")
-    else(WIN32)
+    else()
       set(PYTHON_EXECUTABLE "${Python_DIR}/bin/python${CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX}")
       set(PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR "${Python_DIR}/include")
       set(PYTHON_LIBRARY "${Python_DIR}/libs/python${PYTHON_MAJOR_VERSION}${PYTHON_MINOR_VERSION}.lib")
     endif()
 
     # get the name of the library
     get_filename_component(PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME "${PYTHON_LIBRARY}" NAME)
 
   else()
     mitkMacroEmptyExternalProject(${proj} "${proj_DEPENDENCIES}")
   endif()
 endif()