A system comprising: - welding headwear comprising one or more image sensors , processing circuitry , and a display , wherein: - said one or more image sensors are operable to capture an image of a weld torch as said torch passes along a joint of a workpiece to be welded, said image captured as pixel data; and the system being characterised in that : - the system further comprises a database storing characteristics for a plurality of joints and workpieces, and in that : - said processing circuitry is operable to: - detect, by processing said pixel data of said image, distinguishing features of said joint and said workpiece ; - retrieve, based on said distinguishing features, characteristics of said joint and said workpiece from the database; - determine, at least in part through processing of said pixel data, one or more welding parameters as said torch passes along said joint to be welded; - generate, based on said one or more welding parameters and said characteristics of said joint and said workpiece , a simulated weld bead ; and - superimpose on said image, in real time as said torch passes along said joint , said simulated weld bead on said joint ; and - said display is operable to present, in real time as said torch passes along said joint , said image with said simulated weld bead . - welding headwear comprising one or more image sensors , processing circuitry , and a display , wherein: - said one or more image sensors are operable to capture an image of a weld torch as said torch passes along a joint of a workpiece to be welded, said image captured as pixel data; - the system further comprises a database storing characteristics for a plurality of joints and workpieces, - said processing circuitry is operable to: - detect, by processing said pixel data of said image, distinguishing features of said joint and said workpiece ; - retrieve, based on said distinguishing features, characteristics of said joint and said workpiece from the database; - determine, at least in part through processing of said pixel data, one or more welding parameters as said torch passes along said joint to be welded; - generate, based on said one or more welding parameters and said characteristics of said joint and said workpiece , a simulated weld bead ; and - superimpose on said image, in real time as said torch passes along said joint , said simulated weld bead on said joint ; and - detect, by processing said pixel data of said image, distinguishing features of said joint and said workpiece ; - retrieve, based on said distinguishing features, characteristics of said joint and said workpiece from the database; - determine, at least in part through processing of said pixel data, one or more welding parameters as said torch passes along said joint to be welded; - generate, based on said one or more welding parameters and said characteristics of said joint and said workpiece , a simulated weld bead ; and - superimpose on said image, in real time as said torch passes along said joint , said simulated weld bead on said joint ; and - said display is operable to present, in real time as said torch passes along said joint , said image with said simulated weld bead . <EOS>