A computer network server using HTTP (Web) server software combined with
foreground view composer software, background view composer software, a
view tile cache, view tile cache garbage collector software, and image
files provides image view data to client workstations using graphical Web
browsers to display the view of an image from the server. Problems with
specialized client workstation image view software are eliminated by
using the Internet and industry standards-based graphical Web browsers
for the client software. Network and system performance problems that
previously existed when accessing large image files from a network file
server are eliminated by tiling the image view so that computation and
transmission of the view data can be done in an incremental fashion. The
view tiles are cached on the client workstation to further reduce network
traffic. View tiles are cached on the server to reduce the amount of view
tile computation and to increase responsiveness of the image view server.