Method of handling context during scaling with a display

A method of providing context while zooming an image on a computing platform the method comprising:

• obtaining data to represent features at a first scale in a first image;
• displaying said first image on a display screen of the computing platform;
• using data to represent at least some of the features at a second scale in a second image, wherein the second scale is different from the first scale;
• if a request forte second scale with the zooming operation has been submitted on the computing platform, displaying said second image on the display screen after displaying said first image;
• using data to represent at least some of the features in a transitional image separate from the first image and the second image;
• displaying said transitional image on the display screen after displaying said first image and before displaying the second image.

A method of presenting an image on a display screen of a client computing platform, comprising:

• sending a request from the client computing platform to a server for image data;
• on the client computing platform, receiving image data from the server;
• using the image data to present on the display screen of the client computing platform a first image that represents features in a first scale;
• initiating a zooming operation on the client computing platform;
• and
• presenting a transitional image on the display screen of the client computing platform, wherein the transitional image includes at least a portion of the first image and also includes a second image of the same features shown in the portion of the first image, wherein the same features shown by the first image and the second image in the transitional image coincide.

A method of zooming an image on a computer display comprising:

• obtaining image data;
• using said image data for
• displaying representations of features on a display screen at a first scale with a first level of detail;
• displaying representations of at least some of the same features on the display screen at a second scale with a second level of detail, wherein the second scale is different from the first scale and the second level of detail is different from the first level of detail;
• and
• displaying a transitional image after the displaying of the representations of the features at the first scale and before the displaying of at least some of the same features at the second scale, wherein the transitional image is separate from said representation at the first scale and said representation at the second scale, wherein the transitional image overlays representations of at least some of the features at two different levels of detail, wherein the two different levels of detail include one of:
• the first level of detail and the second level of detail,
• the first level of detail and a level of detail between-the first level of detail and the second level of detail, and
• the second level of detail and a level of detail between the first level of detail and the second level of detail.