Method of preparing a tufting process

Method of preparing a tufting process, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a pattern representation representative of a fabric to be tufted as a pattern information representation representing the pattern of the fabric to be tufted, step a) comprising:
• a step a1) of providing a group of pattern information layers on the basis of the pattern representation, said group of pattern information layers comprising at least one pattern information layer, each pattern information layer representing areas of the pattern information representation having the same pattern information associated therewith, and
• a step a2) of providing at least one tufting instruction unit, each tufting instruction unit containing at least one tufting aspect instruction,
• b) providing at least one group of tufting aspect instruction layers, each group of tufting aspect instruction layers comprising at least one tufting aspect instruction layer, each tufting aspect instruction layer being associated with a tufting aspect instruction, each tufting aspect instruction referring to a tufting aspect,
• c) assigning at least one tufting aspect instruction to at least one tufting aspect instruction layer by assigning tufting instruction units to at least one pattern information layer and thereby assigning tufting aspect instructions of said tufting instruction units to the associated tufting aspect instruction layers, wherein at least one tufting instruction unit is repeatedly assigned to the same pattern information layer.