diff --git a/stackline-cli/src/main.rs b/stackline-cli/src/main.rs
index f8544db..b21f063 100644
--- a/stackline-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/stackline-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -273,6 +273,8 @@ fn main() {
 fn run(world: &mut World, steps: usize) -> std::io::Result<()> {
     let mut stdout = std::io::stdout();
     let mut first = true;
+
+    world.init();
     for _ in 0..steps {
         if !first {
             world.step();
diff --git a/stackline/src/context.rs b/stackline/src/context.rs
index 6db052c..6a9b134 100644
--- a/stackline/src/context.rs
+++ b/stackline/src/context.rs
@@ -479,3 +479,29 @@ impl UpdateCommit {
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+#[non_exhaustive]
+pub struct InitContext<'a> {
+    pub world: &'a World,
+    pub pane: &'a Pane,
+    pub world_coordinates: (i32, i32),
+    pub pane_coordinates: (String, usize, usize),
+}
+
+impl<'a> InitContext<'a> {
+    pub fn new(world: &'a World, coordinates: (String, usize, usize)) -> Option<Self> {
+        let pane = world.get_pane(&coordinates.0)?;
+        let position = pane.position();
+
+        Some(InitContext {
+            world,
+            pane,
+            world_coordinates: (
+                position.0 + coordinates.1 as i32,
+                position.1 + coordinates.2 as i32,
+            ),
+            pane_coordinates: coordinates,
+        })
+    }
+}
diff --git a/stackline/src/pane.rs b/stackline/src/pane.rs
index 651034d..b261c07 100644
--- a/stackline/src/pane.rs
+++ b/stackline/src/pane.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ pub struct Pane {
 
     position: (i32, i32),
 
+    #[serde(skip)]
     pub(crate) signals: Vec<(usize, usize)>,
 }
 
@@ -56,6 +57,34 @@ impl Pane {
         })
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn init(&self, name: &str, world: &World) {
+        for index in 0..self.tiles.len() {
+            let mut tile = self
+                .tiles
+                .borrow_mut(index)
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| unreachable!());
+            let ctx = InitContext::new(
+                world,
+                (name.to_string(), index % self.width, index / self.width),
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+
+            tile.init(ctx);
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn init_signals(&mut self) {
+        let mut signals = Vec::new();
+
+        for (x, y, tile) in self.tiles_iter() {
+            if tile.signal().is_some() {
+                signals.push((x, y));
+            }
+        }
+
+        self.signals = signals;
+    }
+
     /// Returns the width of the current pane
     ///
     /// ## Example
@@ -480,9 +509,13 @@ impl Pane {
         commit.apply(self)
     }
 
+    pub fn tiles(&self) -> &VecCell<FullTile> {
+        &self.tiles
+    }
+
     /// Returns an iterator over the tiles and their coordinates
     #[inline]
-    pub fn tiles(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = (usize, usize, VecRef<'_, FullTile>)> + '_ {
+    pub fn tiles_iter(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = (usize, usize, VecRef<'_, FullTile>)> + '_ {
         self.tiles
             .iter()
             .enumerate()
@@ -492,7 +525,7 @@ impl Pane {
     /// Draws the Pane at `(dx + self.position.0, dy + self.position.1)` on a [`TextSurface`].
     /// Empty tiles will leave the `TextSurface` untouched, but tiles are free to modify the characters around them.
     pub fn draw(&self, dx: i32, dy: i32, surface: &mut TextSurface) {
-        for (x, y, tile) in self.tiles() {
+        for (x, y, tile) in self.tiles_iter() {
             let x = x as i32 + dx + self.position.0 as i32;
             let y = y as i32 + dy + self.position.1 as i32;
 
@@ -614,4 +647,41 @@ mod test {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_init() {
+        use crate::tile::Wire;
+        use std::collections::HashSet;
+        use Orientation::*;
+
+        let mut pane = test_tile_setup!(
+            2,
+            2,
+            [
+                Wire::new(Horizontal),
+                Wire::new(Vertical),
+                Wire::new(Any),
+                ()
+            ]
+        );
+
+        assert_eq!(pane.signals, vec![]);
+
+        pane.get_mut((0, 0))
+            .unwrap()
+            .set_signal(Some(Signal::empty((0, 0), Direction::Right)));
+        pane.get_mut((1, 0))
+            .unwrap()
+            .set_signal(Some(Signal::empty((1, 0), Direction::Right)));
+
+        pane.init_signals();
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            pane.signals
+                .iter()
+                .copied()
+                .collect::<HashSet<(usize, usize)>>(),
+            HashSet::from_iter(vec![(0, 0), (1, 0)].into_iter())
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/stackline/src/tile/full.rs b/stackline/src/tile/full.rs
index d5f8793..cb570a8 100644
--- a/stackline/src/tile/full.rs
+++ b/stackline/src/tile/full.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ impl FullTile {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn init<'b>(&'b mut self, context: InitContext<'b>) {
+        if let Some(ref mut tile) = self.cell {
+            tile.init(context)
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn accepts_signal(&self, direction: Direction) -> bool {
         match self.cell {
             Some(ref tile) => self.state.accepts_signal() && tile.accepts_signal(direction),
diff --git a/stackline/src/tile/mod.rs b/stackline/src/tile/mod.rs
index 4dc56cc..6f9916e 100644
--- a/stackline/src/tile/mod.rs
+++ b/stackline/src/tile/mod.rs
@@ -141,7 +141,15 @@ include!(concat!(env!("OUT_DIR"), "/anytile.rs"));
 /// ```
 #[enum_dispatch(AnyTile)]
 pub trait Tile: std::clone::Clone + std::fmt::Debug + Serialize + for<'d> Deserialize<'d> {
+    #[inline]
+    #[allow(unused_variables)]
+    fn init<'b>(&'b mut self, context: InitContext<'b>) {
+        // noop
+    }
+
     /// Function to be called when the tile needs to be updated.
+    ///
+    /// This function might be called every frame, so as much work should be done in [`Tile::init()`] instead.
     #[inline]
     fn update<'b>(&'b mut self, mut context: UpdateContext<'b>) {
         context.next_state();
diff --git a/stackline/src/world.rs b/stackline/src/world.rs
index 7270e5d..52c9258 100644
--- a/stackline/src/world.rs
+++ b/stackline/src/world.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use super::*;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::collections::HashMap;
-use veccell::{VecRef, VecRefMut};
+use veccell::VecRef;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct World {
@@ -15,6 +15,19 @@ impl World {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Method to be called before running the simulation
+    // TODO: set a flag to true?
+    pub fn init(&mut self) {
+        for (name, pane) in self.panes.iter() {
+            pane.init(name, self);
+        }
+
+        for pane in self.panes.values_mut() {
+            pane.init_signals();
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Runs a single step of the simulation
     pub fn step(&mut self) {
         let mut outbound_signals = Vec::new();
 
diff --git a/stackline/tiles/wire.rs b/stackline/tiles/wire.rs
index a70bcf6..b6eef8a 100644
--- a/stackline/tiles/wire.rs
+++ b/stackline/tiles/wire.rs
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ mod test {
         assert_no_signal!(pane, (1, 0));
 
         pane.step();
-        for (_, _, tile) in pane.tiles() {
+        for tile in pane.tiles() {
             assert!(tile.signal().is_none());
         }