Do I need a live cell imaging setup to take pictures of the tube formation assay every hour?

Yes, you should have access to a microscope that allows for consistent and precise imaging of the same position on the µ-Slide 15 Well 3D. The imaging can be done with a microscope stage that shows the x/y-coordinates or an automated stage. With an automated stage, which can save all positions of the wells (specifically, the center of each well) to a position list, you can access the respective positions at every time point.

However, establishing physiological conditions on your microscope with a complete live cell imaging setup is far more convenient. Using a live cell incubation setup, like the ibidi Stage Top Incubation Systems, helps stabilize temperature and humidity conditions during imaging.