Well, this answer could almost be a book so I will just do a quick overview. V5 comes is 2 levels, Editor Plus and Designer Plus. I have D+ and love it. Editor Plus has lots of built in designs and 55 different lettering fonts to personalize. You can reshape object (parts of your design) as well as reshape letters. Rescaling designs is easy with click and drag or you can go to "Object Properties" to specifically resize your design (or parts of it), lettering - whatever. You can also do auto-digitizing with this level but it is a one-step feature and you pretty much get what the software gives you. Alignment features- yeah! Borders are easy. Any design can become a border with just copy/paste or use the quick-clone feature. Select all your designs and then line them up with the alignment tools. Also you can take a single design and create beautiful things with a Mirror/Merge or Wreath tools. The design is duplicated and twirled and whirled as you choose. You can convert an .art design to many other formats if you have other machines.
D+ is even better. 60 lettering fonts with true type fonts from msword. Lots of digitizing tools to tweak and perfect where autodigitizing leaves off. I seldom use just auto-d, I prefer to use the other tools so I can be in control of underlay, stitch angle, etc. Yummy pattern stamping...many of the 730s machine stitches are in the software and you can use them to fill in an object or to border the edge of an object.

Like I said, this could be a book but you will really use the embroidery on your 730 more with the Artista software. You could start with Ed+ and then add on the D+ later, if you choose. There is a Lesson CD that your dealer will give you to print a manual for step by step lessons OR you can check the on-screen manual under the HELP tab when the software is open. The first thing I did was print off the INDEX and GLOSSARY to have by my side when I was working on it. It gives specific pages to slide to and I printed off the pages for that chapter. Since I wanted to print them off in color, I just printed off one chapter at a time.

Hey Libbi...I agree with you ...I have the 430 QE and I don't live close enough to the dealer to take any lessons, but I am learning one thing at a time with the manual. As my need for something comes up or one of Fons and Porters shows has something different I get curious and have to try to learn how to do it. I did a quilt for my great grandson using one of the blocks in the quilt section. It used the bear claw block. If I can get it from my DH computer I'll post it. But I would really like to see a better demonstration of the machine when it becomes available to the dealer. The needle threader the lighting and afew of the other features are appealing but not enough to justify the cost. Have a good day everyone. Nan

Thanks, Nan and Libbi! I will check out the software compairison at Bernina to get a better idea about what the software can do. Since I got a laptop last winter, I have gotten more and more into using home focused software (I am on a computer all day at work and used to avoid doing anything computer related when I got home).

Mary Kay

I don't know what is included with the 730 but I have the 630E with DP V.5.

It is a lot to learn! It is pretty powerful. The manual is over 650 pages and does contain tutorials. If you are a Photoshop user, you will find many common features for manipulating the designs. I've taken 1 lesson with a digitizing expert but that is only one aspect of the software. Even that gave me a headache. I have purchased a separate set of workbooks to continue my education with the software. I am also taking a course (Quilt Unversity) on using digitized designs for quilting. I managed to turn a piece of artwork into a quilting design.

My main focus is quilting, not embroidery. I used the software and embroidery module to design and make a quilt for my grandson with the Backyardigans as the theme. He has special needs so I added motifs, appliques, wording, etc so it can also be used as a learning aid. My DD says he loves it.

I think that there is loads of potential in DP5 but also loads of learning (which cuts down on qulting time).

Hi Mary Kay...Just checked the Bernina site...go to software...then bernina embroidery software 5...there is and arrow to the right that points to "compare software. When you click here it will download on screen a 5 page chart with the comparisons of version 5 with editor lite, editor plus, designer plus. Hope this will answer your questions. I printed out the chart so I will have a comparison in the future.. Good luck Nan

Mary Kay...I don't have Desighner Plus 5, but I think you can get comparisons on the BerninaUsa. com site' When I wanted to go from the Editor Lite that came with the 440 embroidery module and went there and I think it is under software. There was a chart that I printed out that gave comparisons for new version 5 editor lite editor plu and designer plus. I decided for all that I would probably use it for the editor plus was for me. But check it out. I'll check again later and get back to you. Nan

I am looking for some feedback on this software for anyone out there who owns or has used it? I have done a fair amount of embroidery on my 730, but interested in what this software can do that may add to what I am already doing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Mary Kay