Improved user interface methods facilitate navigation and programming operations for a magnified machine vision inspection system. Large composite images are determined and stored. The composite images include workpiece features that are distributed beyond the limits of a single magnified field of view of the machine vision system. Despite their size, the composite images may be recalled and displayed in a user-friendly manner that approximates a smooth, real-time, zoom effect. The user interface may include controls that allow a user to easily define a set of workpiece features to be inspected using a composite image, and to easily position the machine vision system to view those workpiece features for the purpose of programming inspection operations for them.