Knit design system and method of making knitting data therefor

A knit design system comprising:

• input means for inputting design information that indicates a shape of a fabric to be knitted and a stitch structure, said stitch structure including head information restriction information, twist information, stitch length information, yarn number and link information;
• first storage means for storing first calculation information indicating correspondence between said design information and operation information, said operation information including sequence data including knitting operation information, racking information, stitch transferring operation information, dropping action information, encounter setting operation information and pull-down tension setting operation that show a common knitting procedure for knitting machines;
• first calculation processing means for converting said design information inputted from said input means to said operation information on the basis of said first calculation information in said first storage means;
• second storage means for storing for each type of knitting machine second calculation information indicating a correspondence between said operation information and control information for driving the knitting machine;
• designation means for designating a type of said knitting machine;
• and
• second calculation means for converting operation information which has been converted by said first calculation means into said control information corresponding to the designated machine type on the basis of said second calculation information in said second storage means corresponding to the designated machine type.

A knitting data preparation method comprising the steps of:

• predetermining a first correspondence between a plurality of first characteristic parameters indicating a stitch structure and including head information, restriction information twist information, stitch length information, yarn number and link information and a plurality of second characteristic parameters indicating a knitting operation and including knitting operation information, racking information stitch transferring operation information, dropping action information, encounter setting operation information and pull-down tension setting operation and showing a common knitting procedures for knitting machines;
• storing in a memory said plurality of first characteristic parameters associated with a fabric in a manner that each of said plurality of first characteristic parameters corresponds to a one of positions of stitches constituting the fabric to be knitted;
• reading by using a searching processing of a calculation unit said plurality of first characteristic parameters successively along a knitting direction of a yarn, said reading being performed with regard to positions of stitches continuously formed by the same yarn in the fabric;
• and
• preparing knitting data indicating a knitting procedure of said fabric by converting said plurality of first characteristic parameters which have been read to said plurality of second characteristic parameters according to the first correspondence by using a calculation processing of the calculation unit.