Pantographs are long designs on paper that you follow with a laser light...they are generall edge to edge, same design over the entire quilt. I use them occasionally, but prefer to be at the front of my machine, looking at the quilt and with a panto you are at the back of the machine, looking at the pantograph. This is okay, until you run out of bobbin thread and do an entire row with no bobbin! Happens to us all. FM or free motion is done from the front of the machine, you are looking at the quilt and I prefer that, and ruler work and stencil work falls into this category. Then there are design boards. These are boards with grooves in them and there is a stylist on the back of the machine that fits into the groove and the machine follows along due to the grooves the stylist is following. I use these quite a bit and I do them standing in front of the machine...these are pretty much a "no brainer" for me. I will use any method I have available to me to gain the design I want onto the quilt. FM (free motion) is also the term used for quiling on the home sewing machine with the feed dogs dropped and moving the fabric yourself. It all accompishes the same end, connecting top, batting and backing together in a pleasing (hopefully :) ) pattern. Hope this clears it up for you, if not, ask again :)
Michelle