Computer aided design system

A computer aided design system suitable for use in designing and producing fabric weaving patterns in woven fabric portions, which system has a computer programmed to display weaving patterns and input weaving variables defined by different user-defined selections of each of a plurality of weaving pattern variables, wherein said computer is connected to a weaving apparatus comprising a warp yarn supply means, shedding means, weft yarn picking means, beating-up means and fabric take-off means, said computer being connected to said apparatus so as directly to control each individual yarn shedding control means of said shedding means and individual warp yarn lifting means in accordance with said user-defined weaving pattern variables selections thereby to produce, in use of the system with a warp yarn arrangement in said warp yarn supply means corresponding to the user-defined selections of warp yarn arrangement variables of said weaving pattern variables, a woven fabric sample corresponding to the weaving pattern defined by the user-defined selection of weaving pattern variables.