StitchBuddy can open several types of embroidery designs, currently Janome JEF, JEF+, JPX and SEW, Brother PES and PEC, Melco EXP, Tajima DST and Pfaff VP3, KSM, PCS, PCQ (binary) and PCD files. After opening a file you see a preview of the design, the used thread colors and some additional information: the file format and its version, the size of the embroidery, the hoop size (only JEF, JEF+, JPX, VP3 and PCS), the number of stitches and jump stitches, and the number of color changes and different colors.
Multiple documents can be opened simultanously and you can use the "Window" menu to navigate through them. With the "View" menu you can enable or disable 3D effects, show the design's underlay, jumps stitches, the first and last stitch or select the rulers and a grid to be displayed.
StitchBuddy is not able to write to all file formats so changes have to be discarded unless you save the embroidery into an exportable format. The following actions can be performed after opening an embroidery file.
View Options: The preview of an embroidery is scaled to show the complete design. You can zoom in/out or reset the original scaling by using the "View" menu, the corresponding toolbar icons or enter the zoom factor directly in the toolbar.
In addition you can enable / disable several tools: It is possible to show or hide jump stitches, and the first / last stitch of a design. The center of a design can be indicated by crosshairs, the stitch area of the current hoop, a grid and rulers can be displayed. You can deactivate the 3D effect and in the underlay view the line width is reduced to show underlying stitches.
To measure a distance in the design you can switch the "Mode" toolbar icon into the measure mode or select the menu item "Design" > "Measure". Then you can click and drag the mouse to measure a distance. To deactivates the measurement mode, click the toolbar button or select the menu item again.
Changing colors: Colors of threads can be changed by clicking the corresponding buttons on the right side. The Mac OS X color selector is shown and you can choose a color in different ways. Several color lists are provided with StitchBuddy, e. g. Madeira Rayon or Sulky. For more information, please refer to this chapter.
Clipboard support: You can copy a design into the clipboard to use it in other applications. The design can be pasted as an image (TIFF) or as a textual description, depending on the target application. It is also possible to drag and drop a design to another application. This way the design's image (TIFF) or its description is pasted, or a JPEG file is created, e. g. in the Finder.
Stitch Simulator: This "Virtual Embroidery Machine" gives you a perfect impression how a design will stitch out in reality: The stitching process is draw step by step, showing underlays, jumps, the color sequence, and all details. You can abort or pause a stitch-out, adjust its speed, jump to any position, and mute the sound played during the animation. StitchBuddy stays completely operational, so you can change zoom levels, view options, even select stitches. This function is extremely helpful while examining designs before stitching.
Printing: Embroidery designs can be printed including their properties and thread colors. In the printing dialog you can select which view options should be used for printing, too. In addition it is possible to select a template mode to print the design in its actual size without detailled information. This option is helpful to position the design on your sewing project.