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Member since 3/2/11
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Posted on: 4/18/11 1:34 PM ET
I am looking at Embrillance software which will work on my IMAC and is an affordable program for me. I am very new to ME.
I would like to know if anyone has experience with this software.
Good, Bad easy to use etc... ( I have a Bernina Artista 635ltd that uses the ART format)
All and any information will be greatly appreciated.
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Bernina 790Plus, 635E, Juki 2010
Babylock Evolve Babylock Sashiko2
  
Member since 5/10/09
Posts: 201
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Posted on: 4/18/11 2:36 PM ET
In reply to Artsewer
I don't know Embrilliance Essentials first hand, but AFAIK no software except from Wilcom (software developer of Bernina's suite) is allowed to write ART embroidery files ... for copyright reasons.

So when looking at alternatives you should check how to transfer modified / created designs to your embroidery machine. Maybe it accepts DST or EXP files as well?
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StitchBuddy - Embroidery on Macs, iPhones and iPads
  
Member since 1/27/04
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Posted on: 4/19/11 1:26 PM ET
I've demo'd the Embrilliance and it is great for just editing. But if you are going to digitize you will want to look for something else.

The Bernina 635 uses ART instead of EXP? Odd.. don't the other 6* series machines use EXP?
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There's no such thing as too much fabric.
  
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Posted on: 2/20/15 12:55 PM ET
Right now I'm using Designers Gallery software on an older small Dell laptop with a 13" screen. But, I am basically a Mac person, and am considering the purchase of a Macbook Pro 15.3".
Only one of my Designers Gallery software will run on Mac. Embroidery Works.
I don't do digitizing at all. I just want a desktop program to unzip, store in folders all my designs, view my designs, and also manipulate designs to create quilt labels with fonts.
What exactly does Embrillance do? I have been on their website, but it appears to be an Editing program. I don't edit designs usually. I just use them as is, or add a frame or font to them from embroidery files. I would like to know more about this program in anticipation of buying a Macbook Pro. Can anyone here give me some idea of how they are using Embrillance, how they like, ease of use, etc.
Or maybe I don't even need to change from Embroidery Works? to Embrillance?

Thanks
-- Edited on 2/20/15 at 12:57 PM --
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Angie Rose
Quilter & Machine Embroiderer
2020 Pfaff Performance Icon & 2015 Brother Dream Machine 2
2017 Pfaff Passport 3.0
2019 Accuquilt GO Big
Brother Scan n Cut DX225
2009 Prodigy 24" long arm
  
Member since 5/28/07
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Posted on: 2/20/15 3:26 PM ET
If you go into the software directory pinned topic there is a link to a longer thread on embrilliance and Mac computers with another members experience with Mac
  
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Posted on: 2/20/15 4:45 PM ET
In reply to Artsewer
If it was me and I had a Bernina 630 or 640, I would not think it used only Bernina .art format at all, and would not feel "stuck" with that actually. I would just use any embroidery software or editing program wise that I wished, then just use that free Bernina art link programopen the design, in lots of embroidery formats instead, and then write the design to a USB stick, and stick it into the side of machine. That would work for me. I just tried it minus the machine in my computer and it seemed to work just fine for me. If you do that there using pretty much any file format, you can open it in that, afterwards to even check it on the USb stick. I picked a .exp formated design, and some other kinds of ones, and then picked write to USB stick for 630/640 machine from within there, and it wrote it to .exp for me there, including the .bmp and .inf files that went along with it for that particular machine.

I don't think one file format is always better than some other one for any reason. All embroidery software has their own native condensed file format, and also an expanded stitch format version of it. Bernina's is not any better than any others really at all. I think it may be a little unusual in that they made some of the the machines able to take the condensed object based format of that .art file, so if you wish to enlarge a design on just machine screen it will keep the density, but really you can do that with all the other condensed object based file formats with all other real digitizing and not just editing programs too all the time, just that you would do it in the actual computer program first,in a computer and not a sewing machine, and not some screen on a sewing machine.

So I would just try a bunch of software, and see what you personally like. when they make all that kind of stuff, the person whom made it, had a certain way of thinking, or logical thinking for them, and if the way your brain just works, tends to match up to what they found logical or intuative for them, then most times you like some digitizing program and it's more easy for you to use. If instead your brain or logic works some different way than the makers of it, then not so much. I think you just have to actually try them, to kind of see which ones do that for you each time though. Or, at least that is the way it works for me, when it works out best. And I have used lots, from lots of different places.

If the mac thing is the very most important thing about it though, and not even willing to run windows in a mac to do that ever, then you are of course limited to stuff that is made navtively, in a mac/apple computer though. So that would narrow everything down and lots of choices, quite a bit.
  
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Posted on: 2/20/15 5:25 PM ET
In reply to StitchBuddy
I'm pretty sure no other Wilcom software will write and save out as a condensed object based editable .art file anyways. Other than the made for Bernnia Wilcom ones. Just since in the commercial versions of Wilcom, I'm thinking the object based native file there, is .emb and probably no save out choice as .art for that instead in there anyways. Also even though Wilcom also makes a lot of Janome (and subsequent elna named software), even in those the native condensed file format for those programs, if you want to save out your work made in those for most easy glo9bal editing is not .emb, or .art, but I believe instead a .jan named file at least, and no choice for condensed object based one saved just named from within those as .emb or .art instead.

I think the confusion is often that some people just don't know that most digitizing programs always have both a condensed native object based file format and also a stitch file more just expanded kind of one. And sometimes they are named with the same 3 characters after the decimal point in the file name, and sometimes they just not even, and have a different name to them. But, the only thing you need to just stitch out an embroidery design on any machine, is only an expanded stitch kind of file that it can read, you don't even want or need for any reason, the condensed more editable shape retaining, object based one at at either.
  
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