Software amp workflow

I use the best available DI input, which most of the time is simply the inbuilt DI of any decent and fairly clean standalone micpre. I do not see any real need to use a quality DI into the mic in, except the pre does not have a DI in of it's own. Sometimes it might add some nice color if it is all very high quality, say a Lundahl or Jensen transformered DI box before a really nice pre. Maybe.
I don't run a hot signal into the software amp, i use the plugins gain stages to shape the sound. Amp then going into a convolution speaker emulation. There are even some IRs out there, that not only emulate the speaker but shape the tone even further to achieve signature sounds all out of the same tube amp emulation. Done this with the TSE X30 free software amp and some freely available IRs and it sounds much better than i expected. Cool stuff. In this case, no additional distortion plugin before the amp.
Otherwise i do use a high quality distortion plug that emulates a real box, like the simulanalog stuff.
Other typical guitar effects just in the order i would use them in real world.
I.e. before the amp or inserted between amp and box emu, depends.
Although i also have the Overloud amp emulation chain stuff, i prefer the several high quality free amps on the net. I really like the tone many are able to give me. Especially in this area i find many free amp plugins to be very high quality and mostly not inferior to commercial suites. At least in sound, not always in handling....