When I started putting together digital machine embroidery layouts I used the free suite of iPad apps and the software included with my machine purchases:
Acuedit, AcuSketch are for editing and limited simple design
Acusetter is a positioning & hooping app and Acumonitor a progress monitoring app for use with wi-fi enabled machines (Skyline S9)
The desire to resize designs outside the + or - 20% limit inherent in the free apps & software let my buy Acudesign, which is a more powerful editing tool
The 500e & 550e machines each came with its own version of Embroidery Editor
The CM7P came with its version of Stitch Composer (and also quilting software)
As far as I can see digital machine embroidery is polarising: you either love it or loathe it. When you love something it usually means heading for mastery. In the DME world that means learning to create your own designs from scratch using your selected source material. This process known as digitizing, it is HUGE. It has its own enormous skill set and requires something gruntier than the tools mentioned above.
I purchased Digitizer in 2018 but didn’t come to grips with it until lockdown 2020. Janome America’s software specialist Anne Hein started making videos designed to enlighten those of us who had purchased but were struggling. Her project based vids, where I could watch the whole process through, then start over again and work along with her step-by-step were the watershed for me. It was “light touchpaper and stand clear” time! There is now a Facebook group for AD users administered through Janome America by Anne Hein and the head of Janome America. The creator of the software, Kostas Angelakis is also a group member. There is a wealth of tutorials and other material available to members. The membership themselves are very supportive. Janome UK has a presence in the group and produced a series of Worksheets for users to work through. The group is superbly organised and moderated.
I bought Acustitch in 2020. This software is for quilters, of whom I am not amongst their number. However its a fun tool and once again Anne Hein has produced video material to assist its use.
This is also software for quilters, which I purchased in 2020. It comes as part of a kit which includes an additional hoop. The hoop itself is of slightly different design to other Janome hoops as its purpose is quilting in the hoop. I’ve found the hoop very useful and had fun with the software.